This past season we saw a few true freshman quarterbacks shine for their teams when their numbers were called. Tua Tagovailoa and Jake Fromm both put on a show in the national championship game for Alabama and Georgia, respectively, and we could see a few more true freshmen on the field for the 2018 season as well.
Now that the 2018 prospects have been signed, the 2019 classes are being built -- and some of them could have an opportunity to play right away as well. Here is a look at some of the 2018 quarterbacks you might be seeing soon, as well as a few 2019 prospects who could be going into favorable situations.
2018 class
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
Thompson-Robinson was the No. 34-ranked player in the 2018 class and the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback. He fits very well into what coach Chip Kelly wants in his offense and is potentially coming in to a situation where he could see the field early.
Thompson-Robinson will have to compete with Devon Modster, who threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns in the Cactus Bowl last season and Michigan transfer Wilton Speight. Modster already has a jump on Thompson-Robinson and Speight because he is already on campus and already has game experience. But Thompson-Robinson has the ability to catch on quickly and work himself into the No. 1 spot. He also won't have to compete with graduate transfer K.J. Carta-Samuels, who decided to go to play at Colorado State.
Adrian Martinez, Nebraska
Martinez was immediately targeted by new coach Scott Frost and his staff once they came to Nebraska. He was the No. 103 prospect in the 2018 class and was originally committed to Tennessee before flipping to the Huskers.
Patrick O'Brien just announced that he will be transferring from Nebraska, which leaves Tristan Gebbia and Martinez on the roster. Martinez likely fits better with what Frost wants in his offense, but because it's a new system to everyone, both quarterbacks are essentially starting with a clean slate. Martinez enrolled early, which gives him a little more time to learn the system and make his way up the depth chart, and he will have every opportunity to see the field.
Cammon Cooper, Washington State
Washington State loses starting quarterback Luke Falk, who passed for 3,593 yards and 30 touchdowns last season. There are other quarterbacks already on the roster, but Cooper has an opportunity to work himself onto the field.
Cooper threw for 58 touchdowns and 4,726 yards as a senior in high school in Utah and will fit right in with the air raid offense.
J.T. Daniels, USC
Daniels isn't even on campus yet and was supposed to have another year of high school, as he reclassified from the 2019 class to 2018. He's still on this list, though, because of USC's depth chart and Daniels' ability.
Even jumping into the 2018 class, Daniels is still ranked No. 64 overall, which speaks to his talent. Matt Fink and Jack Sears are in front of him at USC and already practicing this spring, but neither is the clear top choice. Daniels will be a bit behind the other two, but there is a chance he could catch up and get on the field this first season.
Justin Fields, Georgia
Fields was the top overall prospect and drew the attention of nearly every major college coach in the country. Initially committed to Penn State, Fields flipped to Georgia and is now on campus competing with sophomore Jake Fromm, who helped lead the Dawgs to the national championship game.
It's crazy to think that someone could come in and unseat Fromm after making it to the championship, but Fields is that good. If anything, it creates a competitive and deep quarterback room for coach Kirby Smart and assures him that he has two good options this season. As he saw last year, when then-starter Jacob Eason was injured and Fromm stepped in, it's good to have options.
Other potential early contributors: Phil Jurkovec (Notre Dame), Carter Bradley (Toledo), Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State)
2019 class
Sam Howell, Florida State
Howell was the first quarterback to commit to coach Willie Taggart at Florida State and could have an opportunity to play right away. By the time Howell gets to campus, if he stays committed to the Seminoles, Deondre Francois will be gone, and it will likely be only Howell competing with James Blackman and former ESPN 300 QB Bailey Hockman.
Blackman will have experience on his side, but Howell will have a clean slate and an opportunity to learn right away from offensive coordinator Walt Bell. Because of the depth chart, Florida State could look to add another quarterback to this class, which would add another player to the competition as well.
Grant Gunnell, Oklahoma State
Gunnell is not committed to Oklahoma State, but he has the Cowboys very high on his list, along with Ohio State and a few others. If Gunnell were to choose Oklahoma State, he would have a good path to starting early.
The staff landed ESPN 300 quarterback Spencer Sanders in the 2018 class, but Gunnell is ranked No. 71 overall and is the No. 2-ranked pocket passer. He would have to compete with Sanders, but there would be only a year difference between the two, and it wouldn't be impossible to overcome.
Grant Tisdale, Ole Miss
Tisdale, who is committed to Rebels, is the No. 7-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the class and ranked No. 266 overall. He is currently committed to Ole Miss, and, if he signs with the Rebels, he could find himself in a favorable depth chart once he hits campus.
Jordan Ta'Amu is the likely starter this season but is a senior and will be off the roster once Tisdale gets to Ole Miss. Matt Corral, an ESPN 300 quarterback in the 2018 class, will have a year head start on Tisdale, but there won't be many other options outside of those two in 2019. By all accounts, it looks as though Corral could be the main option behind Ta'Amu, and Tisdale will have the opportunity to compete for a spot.