True freshman quarterbacks who could start in the Big Ten in 2025
Starting as a freshman in the most challenging position in all of sports in the toughest conference in college football is no easy feat. Even for the most talented freshman, the transition from high school to Division 1 is a herculean leap. With the transfer portal playing such a big role in college football, some schools find themselves in a position where their best quarterback prospect may in fact be that freshman.
Two such schools in the Big Ten are the Maryland Terrapins and the Michigan Wolverines. Maryland lost their starting quarterback Billy Edwards, Jr to Wisconsin via the transfer portal. Michigan had a significant fall-off after National Championship winning QB JJ McCarthy was selected No.10 overall in the NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. Both programs recognized their issues in the quarterback room and went out and secured elite 2025 recruits that could be poised to start early on in the Big Ten campaign.
BREAKING: WISCONSIN lands fourth commitment of the day, and it's a big one: QB BILLY EDWARDS Jr.
— Nick Osen (@TheRealNickOsen) December 17, 2024
STORY:https://t.co/auqVmdIOpS
1. Malik Washington, Maryland
The 6-foot-4 215-pound Washington has the clearest path to the starting position of any true freshman in the Big Ten. With the departure of incumbent Billy Edwards, Jr, the Terps are left with little experience or talent in their quarterback basket. After Edwards, Maryland was left with three freshman and a redshirt sophomore on their roster in the quarterback position, none of whom have the talent level of Washington. The Terps did go on and land former UCLA QB Justyn Martin, and he'll certainly be squarely in the QB battle this spring and into the fall.
But Washington has proven himself to be a winner and the ultimate competitor, and it wouldn't be all that surprising to see him win the battle for QB1. As with any talented freshman, a solid grasp of the playbook and adjusting to life at the collegiate level is just as important as raw talent. We'll see how Washington adjusts in the months to come.
2. Bryce Underwood, Michigan
The consensus No. 1 player in the 2025 class comes to Ann Arbor with as much fanfare and hype as any recruit in recent memory. The recruitment of Underwood made national news, as it is rumored he was offered over $12 million to take his talents to Ann Arbor. Regardless how it happened (or how much it took to make it happen), he flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan and the Underwood era is now loading in Ann Arbor. Michigan did go out and secure the services of Fresno State QB Mikey Keene in order to add depth and experience.
As an early enrollee, Underwood gets an early look at the playbook, concepts, and college life. It still seems more likely that Keene gets the start in Week 1, but Underwood's talent and upside are hard to ignore. It's hard to imagine any scenario where the top QB prospect isn't named the starter at some point during the 2025 season.
When it comes to Washington and Underwood, both of these young men possess the talent and upside that will make it hard for their head coaches to keep them on the sideline for long. Look for them both to either start game one or be firmly entrenched behind center at some point in 2025. Trial by fire for two gunslingers with bright futures ahead of them.
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Jerred Johnson has served in the United States military for over 23 years. He has a Bachelors in Marketing, a Masters in Management and is in the final phases of completing his Doctorate in Business Administration
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