2015 QB Class Could Set College Football on Fire in 2017

It’s been a few years since the 2015 recruiting class signed and arrived on campuses across the country, but remember the quarterback class? We have seen Jake Browning, Josh Rosen and Deondre Francois flash great potential and now the college football world could be taken over by Brandon Wimbush, Blake Barnett, and Jarrett Stidham.

Rosen was the king of the class and the five-star prospect signed with UCLA. As a true freshman, the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder threw for 3,670 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

The California native was primed for a monster sophomore season, but a shoulder injury sidelined him for the final six games of 2016 and UCLA went just 1-5 during the stretch.

A healthy Rosen means points in a conference where offense is king. Is UCLA a College Football Playoff team? It’s doubtful, but few felt Washington could make a run last fall and it starts with Texas A&M at the Rose Bowl in week one.

Speaking of Washington, Jake Browning was probably the most low-key quarterback in the 2015 class. The Folsom (Calif.) native committed early to the Dawgs and assumed the starting quarterback position also as a true freshman.

In his first two seasons, the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder has amassed 6,385 passing yards, 59 touchdowns, and just 19 interceptions. Browning’s 43 touchdowns in 2016 helped lead Washington to the playoffs before losing to Alabama.

Washington lost a lot of talent, but a seasoned Browning could very well lead his team to another Pac-12 title game. The Huskies don’t have a tough out of conference game this fall, but UCLA at home and a Friday night game at Stanford will be very telling for Browning and Washington.

Deondre Francois hasn’t quite had the success of Rosen or Browning, but it’s very clear he has the talent to take the Noles into the second week of January. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder didn’t play in 2015 but took the starting role in 2016.

Francois threw for 3,350 yards, 20 touchdowns, and seven picks in his first year as a starter. The most impressive thing for Francois might have been the turnaround he helped engineer in Tallahassee after a 3-2 start. Florida State finished 10-3 with wins over Florida and Michigan to end the year.

The redshirt sophomore will get his shot early in 2017 to prove Florida State is a contender as Florida State will open the season against Alabama in Atlanta and then host Miami in week three. If Florida State starts 3-0, the playoffs and a Heisman Trophy talk could be all around Tallahassee.

In South Bend, the Brandon Wimbush era is here, and there is a clear excitement around the program. The New Jersey native played in two games as a true freshman as he backed up DeShone Kizer with Malik Zaire out for the year.

Wimbush completed 3 of 5 passes for 17 yards and rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown on just seven carries. Not hardly anything to brag about in limited action, but Wimbush flashed the arm talent and playmaking ability Notre Dame hasn’t had from the quarterback position in recent years, and yes, that does include Kizer.

Notre Dame is looking to rebound from a horrific 4-8 season in 2016, and they will be doing it with several new staff members and a new quarterback. Wimbush and the Irish will be tested early with a week two matchup at home against Georgia and a week four game at Michigan State.

Much like Wimbush, Jarrett Stidham has taken a unique path to the starting quarterback role. The Texas native signed with Baylor out of high school and played in 10 games in 2015. Stidham started three games and threw for 419 yards and three scores in his first start for the Bears. However, Stidham suffered an injury and missed the final three games of his freshman year, but he still threw for 1,265 yards, 12 touchdowns, and two interceptions.

Baylor was rocked with scandal, and Stidham left the program and ended up at McLennan Community College, but did not play football in 2016. After an intense recruitment, Stidham picked Auburn and will battle it out with Sean White for the starting gig, but after completing 16 of 20 passes for 267 yards and leading the Tiger offense to five scores on six possession in the Spring Game, there is little doubt who will be QB1.

Stidham will get his chance to show the nation his talents with a week two matchup at Clemson. It’s also hard to not look ahead to November 25th as Alabama travels to Auburn to end the regular season. It’s not a secret the Crimson Tide have struggled with dual-threat quarterbacks, and Stidham is just that.



Blake Barnett hasn’t been named the starter at Arizona State just yet, but the former Notre Dame commit is in a heated battle after transferring from Alabama last fall. The in a limited role for the Crimson Tide, the California native threw for 219 yards and two scores in three games in 2016.

Arizona State head coach Todd Graham will have to make a decision to start Barnett or Manny Wilkins, who threw for 2,329 yards, 12 scores, and nine interceptions a year ago.

Assuming Barnett gets the nod, the Sun Devils have a schedule friendly to get new starting quarterback in a groove with games against New Mexico State, San Diego State, and a game at Texas Tech in week three. Oregon and Stanford are the opponents the next two weeks, and it could be a chance to shine in Tempe.