UCLA reeled in five-star quarterback Josh Rosen in the 2015 recruiting class.
But having a five-star quarterback is a hit-or-miss proposition. Consider that of the 21 five-star quarterbacks ranked by Rivals.com since 2005, three won both a national championship and a Heisman Trophy. Seven, however, finished their college career with a different school.
There are no guarantees.
Sporting News looked at those five-star quarterbacks from Rivals from the last 10 recruiting cycles and ranked them based on college and NFL success. Which quarterbacks turned out to be the biggest studs? Duds?
Cam Newton, Florida/Auburn (2007)
High school: Westlake (Atlanta, Ga.)
College: Newton was kicked off the team at Florida and played a year Blinn College. Auburn gave Newton a second chance, and he answered with 4,327 total yards and 50 TDs while leading the Tigers to the national championship in 2010.
Pro: The Panthers drafted Newton with the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He broke the rookie record with 4,051 passing yards in 2011. Newton also led Carolina to the divisional playoffs each of the last two seasons.
Matthew Stafford, Georgia (2006)
High school: Highland Park (Dallas, Texas)
College: Stafford led Georgia to a 30-8 record from 2006-08, and he totaled 51 TDs and 33 interceptions in that stretch. He also led the Bulldogs to three straight bowl wins, including the 2008 Sugar Bowl.
Pro: The Lions took Stafford with the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, and he’s 35-42 as a starter. He led Detroit to the playoffs in 2011 and 2014.
Tim Tebow, Florida (2006)
High school: Nease (Ponte Vedra, Fla.)
College: Tebow was part of a dream recruiting class that finished 44-9 and won two national championships for the Gators. Tebow won the Heisman Trophy in 2007 and totaled and finished with 145 total touchdowns for his career.
Pro: Tebow’s four-year NFL career offered social media bursts, including the win against Pittsburgh in the 2011 AFC wild card game, but he never stuck as a NFL starter. Tebow now works for ESPN as a college football analyst.
Mark Sanchez, USC (2005)
High school: Mission Viejo (Mission Viejo, Calif.)
College: Sanchez struggled with injuries until his junior year, in which he broke out with 3,207 passing yards, 34 TDs and 10 interceptions in leading to a 12-1 record and Rose Bowl win against Penn State.
Pro: Sanchez led the New York Jets to the AFC championship game in 2009 and 2010 and enjoyed a resurgence with the Eagles last season, but he still has 82 TDs and 80 interceptions in 71 NFL games.
Jameis Winston, Florida State (2012)
High school: Hueytown (Bessemer, Ala.)
College: Winston led Florida State to the 2013 BCS national championship. He finished with 4,057 yards and 40 passing TDs en route to winning the Heisman Trophy. He didn’t have the same numbers last season (3,907 yards, 28 TDs), but he still led the Seminoles to the first College Football Playoff. He finished his college career with a 27-1 record as a starter.
Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State (2008)
High school: Jeannette (Jeannette, Pa.)
College: Pryor finished 31-4 as a starter at Ohio State, and he led the Buckeyes to wins in the 2010 Rose Bowl and 2011 Sugar Bowl and finished with 74 total TDs. Pryor, however, was part of the TattooGate scandal, and he opted to skip as suspension to start his senior season for the NFL supplemental draft.
Pro: Pryor played three seasons in Oakland, where he compiled a 3-7 record as a starter before being traded to Seattle. The Kansas City Chiefs signed Pryor this offseason.
Matt Barkley, USC (2009)
High school: Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
College: Barkley had an underrated college career in which he helped USC thrive despite NCAA probation. He finished 116 TDs and 48 interceptions. USC went 10-2 during Barkley’s junior year but fell to 7-6 the following season while he dealt with a shoulder injury.
Pro: The Eagles drafted Barkley in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, but he struggle in two starts in 2013. Barkley attempted one pass last season.
Blaine Gabbert, Missouri (2008)
High school: Parkway West (Ballwin, Mo.)
College: Gabbert led Missouri to an 18-8 record with 40 TDs and 18 interceptions from 2009-10. He closed his college career with 434 passing yards in a loss to Iowa.
Pro: Jacksonville took Gabbert with the No. 11 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, and he struggled as the starter for three seasons before being traded to San Francisco.
Ryan Mallett, Michigan/Arkansas (2007)
High school: Texarkana (Texarkana, Texas)
College: Mallett played in 11 games a freshman at Michigan, but he transferred to Arkansas when Rich Rodriguez was hired after the 2007 season. He threw 62 TD passes for the Razorbacks from 2009-10 and led the team to the 2011 Sugar Bowl.
Pro: Mallett served as a backup for New England for three seasons before getting his first two starts with the Houston Texans this season. A pectoral injury landed Mallett on injured reserve.
Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech (2007)
High school: Hampton (Hampton, Va.)
College: Taylor fit in well at Virginia Tech, especially in his final two seasons. He led the Hokies to three Orange Bowls, but he finished 1-5 against Top 10 teams through his college career.
Pro: Taylor has served as a backup quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens since 2011.
Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame (2007)
High school: Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.)
College: Clausen put up statistics in college, but he had just a 16-18 record as a starter for the Irish from 2007-09. He did finish with 28 TDs and just four interceptions in 2009. He skipped his senior season to enter the NFL Draft.
Pro: The Panthers took Clausen in the second round, but he hasn’t played much in the NFL. He is 1-10 as a starter, the last start coming with the Chicago Bears this season.
Deshaun Watson, Clemson (2014)
High school: Gainesville (Gainesville, Ga.)
College: Watson offered a glimpse of his potential with 19 total TDs and just two interceptions last season, and he led the Tigers to a win against South Carolina despite playing with a torn ACL. If Watson stays healthy, then Clemson could make a run at the College Football Playoff in 2015.
Kyle Allen, Texas A&M (2014)
High school: Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
College: Allen took over the starting job in place of Kenny Hill at Texas A&M last season, and he threw four TDs against Auburn and the win against West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl. Allen potentially will have to battle with Kyler Murray for the starting job in 2015.
Gunner Kiel, Notre Dame/Cincinnati (2012)
High school: East (Columbus, Ind.)
College: Kiel transferred from Notre Dame after the 2012 season, and he opened his career for the Bearcats with six TDs against Toledo. Kiel finished with 31 TDs and 13 interceptions last season and should have Cincinnati in the thick of the American Athletic Conference race in 2015.
Christian Hackenberg, Penn State (2013)
High school: Fork Union Military Academy (Fork Union, Va.)
College: Hackeberg will be a third-year starter for the Nittany Lions in 2015. He’s had an up-and-down first two years in which he’s totaled 32 TDs and 25 interceptions, but he needs better protection (44 sacks last year). He’s coming off a four-TD performance in the Pinstripe Bowl win against Boston College.
Garrett Gilbert, Texas/SMU (2009)
High school: Lake Travis (Austin, Texas)
College: Gilbert was pressed into service in the 2010 BCS championship loss against Alabama, and he had 10 TDs and 17 interceptions the next season. Gilbert transferred to SMU, where he enjoyed success in 2013 (21 TDs, 7 INTs).
Pro: The St. Louis Rams drafted Gilbert in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He’s a member of New England’s practice squad.
Max Browne, USC (2013)
High school: Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.)
College: Browne has played sparingly the last two seasons at USC, and he’ll likely play the role as a backup for one more behind Cody Kessler in 2015. We’ll judge further if-and-when he gets a chance to start.
Mitch Mustain, Arkansas/USC (2006)
High school: Springdale (Springdale, Ark.)
College: Mustain compiled an 8-0 record as a starter his freshman year, but he was replaced by Casey Dick midseason. Mustain transferred to USC, where he played only in mop-up duty from 2008-10.
Pro: Mustain has played in the CFL and Arena Football League since college, the last stop with the San Antonio Talons in 2014.
Ryan Perrilloux, LSU (2005)
High school: East St. John (Reserve, La.)
College: Perrilloux’s claim to fame is filling in for an injured Matt Flynn in the 2007 SEC Championship Game, but the rest of his tenure in Baton Rouge didn’t go so well. He was suspended twice and ended up at Jacksonville State in 2008.
Pro: Perrilloux played one season with the New York Giants in 2011. He’s played in the UFL, CFL and Arena Football League, including a stint last season with the New Orleans Voodoo.
Dayne Crist, Notre Dame/Kansas (2008)
High school: Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)
College: Crist played well as a sophomore in 2010 but lost the starting job to Tommy Rees in the season opener. Crist transferred to Kansas, but he never recaptured the magic with Charlie Weis.
Pro: Crist played on Baltimore’s practice squad in 2013.
