When No. 18 Oklahoma and No. 15 Michigan clash this Saturday in Norman, the Sooners will be led by a transfer quarterback. They paid millions for John Mateer, and in many ways, his addition from Washington State represents the current philosophy of quarterback management on the Power Four level when there’s even an ounce of concern about the internal options — go get a transfer.
Of the 67 Power Four quarterbacks to start for their team in Week 0 of Week 1, 43 of them (64.2%) were transfers.
But the QB on the other side of Saturday’s matchup, Bryce Underwood, might signal the cyclical return of a different trend.
Underwood was the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, per the 247Sports rankings. But he’s just one of four true freshmen passers to start from Day 1. Underwood was joined by Maryland’s Malik Washington, Cal’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and BYU’s Bear Bachmeier.
That true freshman wave is a drastic departure from what we’ve seen in recent seasons. Look at the number of opening day true frosh starters on the Power Four level since 2018:
- 2025 – 4
- 2024 – 1
- 2023 – 1
- 2022 – 0
- 2021 – 0
- 2020 – 3
- 2019 – 3
- 2018 – 5
Not that long ago it was common for true freshmen quarterbacks to play right away. Jeff Sims was a historic quarterback recruit for Georgia Tech in 2020 and got thrown into the lineup immediately. Bo Nix, Jayden Daniels and Sam Howell were all banner propsects in the 2019 cycle. Each of them started Day 1.
Then came a four-year dry spell in which only two true freshman — Dylan Raiola (Nebraska) and Jaden Rashada (Arizona State) — got the nod during opening week.
So, what happened? And why are first-year passers back in vogue? Let’s explore the trend and why that 2025 crop of true freshmen QBs are finding instant success.
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‘While you’ve got them, you’ve got to play them’
The 2020 calendar year brought a pair of significant changes to college football that shaped the next half decade of the sport:
- The NCAA granted all student-athletes who participated during the 2020 season an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The NCAA granted a one-time transfer exemption to all student athletes.
Those two rule changes — along with the implementation of name, image and likeness the following summer — shifted how schools approached roster building. No longer did Power Four schools have to risk starting a young player. They could go into the portal and pay a veteran to take that spot. Those veterans stuck around for a long time, too.
Not all those players are gone — Virginia QB Chandler Morris is at his fourth school in six seasons — but many of those veterans have phased out of the sport with COVID years finally expiring.
“The five-star quarterbacks were supposed to play early,” 247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins said. “Then the pandemic recalibrated everyone’s expectations. Now we’re back to where it’s always been when it was like, “Hey, is Tim Tebow going to play for Florida as a true freshman?”
It helps the 2025 quarterback class is particularly strong.
Three of the four quarterbacks playing right away were viewed as top seven recruits in the 2025 class. A high-ranking front office staffer at a school playing a freshman QB described the 2025 QB class as “one of the strongest I can remember.”
The impact of the transfer era is shifting mindsets, too. Top247 quarterbacks from between the 2018 and 2023 class have transferred at a rate 69.8%. That means a high-profile QB is more than twice as likely to transfer out of the program than he is to stay.
That puts pressure on schools to play their young players.
“While you’ve got them, you’ve got to play them,” the staffer said. “If you believe in them strongly or even if it’s close between a young cat and an older dude, just invest in the young talent. Those are the guys you’ll be able to hopefully retain, build around and attract better talent.”
Monetary politics can also play into a school’s decision making in 2025.
Michigan is investing $2 million-plus per year in Underwood, per multiple sources. That player can’t really sit on the bench for long. If he does, it’s a killer for a team’s cap in the rev share era.
Not every true freshman quarterback is playing because of money in 2025. In some cases, like at Cal, a well-paid freshman beat out a high-priced transfer (Devin Brown). But it’s a factor some schools will consider.
“It’s the same thing as if you select a QB in the first round of the NFL Draft,” Ivins said. “There’s an expectation from someone in that building they’ll see the field sooner rather than later.”
Three blue chippers… and a centaur?
You can group the four true freshman quarterbacks who started Week 1 into two categories:
- Proven elite recruits that who were pursued by everyone.
- A centaur.
You’re probably curious about the second category. But let’s start with the initial trio.
Underwood is a known quantity. A four-year starter for Belleville High School in Michigan, the 6-foot-4, 228-pound phenom is one of the most complete quarterback prospects of his generation, combining elite physical tools with incredible production; he completed 71.8% of his passes as a senior and ran for 14.9 yards per carry.
He was destined to start the moment Michigan flipped him from LSU with a record-setting high school NIL deal. Underwood looked as advertised in his debut, finishing 21 for 32 with 251 yards and a touchdown in a win over New Mexico.
Washington is no less impressive of a physical prospect. Ranked as the No. 54 overall player and No. 5 quarterback in the 2025 class, the Maryland native checks in at 6-foot-5, 231 pounds. He won a dunk contest in high school with a windmill slam — on a pass from himself, no less — and is also a consistent tester at under 4.7 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
More importantly, he was an accurate high school passer and finished his career 25-0 as a starter for Archbishop Spalding High School.
“I thought he was similar to Cam Ward,” Ivins said. “The mannerisms in the pocket and the confidence. Just cool as a cucumber back there picking apart a defense.”
Washington showed off that skillset for Maryland in a 39-7 win over FAU. He finished the day 27 for 43 with 258 yards and three touchdowns.
You’ll see in the above card that Sagapolutele took an interesting path to Berkeley. He was a long-time Cal commit before flipping to Oregon just ahead of the Early Signing Period. But he only spent a week or so in Eugene before entering the portal and flipping back to Cal.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Hawaiian lefty has a canon. He didn’t always display the best decision-making as a high school prospect, but Ivins feel in love with Sagapolutele after watching his senior year tape. Sagapolutele went from throwing 37 touchdowns against 12 interceptions as a junior to 46 touchdowns and just three picks as a senior.
“That’s why we call it evaluating,” Ivins said. “I thought he got much better at sensing and feeling pressure. That awareness to climb away and use that arm. He’s very good from a stationary, on script setting. He’s a guy I did a complete 180 on. He got better and better the more football he played.”
Another player who enrolled at a different school than the one he suits up is the “centaur,” which is how Portland State coach Bruce Barnum described Bachmeier’s lower half following BYU’s 69-0 win on Saturday. Bachmeier is the only non-blue chip prospect of the group.
A knee injury cost Bachmeier most of his senior season, which didn’t aid his development or spot in the rankings. He signed with Stanford out of high school, but only spent a few months in Palo Alto, choosing to transfer to BYU in the wake of the program’s firing of head coach Troy Taylor.
Bachmeier’s high school tape was a bit more divisive among the 247Sports ranking team. But what he unquestionably brings to the table is explosive athletic ability having averaged better than 10 yards per carry in high school.
“I thought he took some risks,” Ivins said. “Sometimes guys will be very calculated. He wasn’t afraid to let it rip. If I had to summarize him in a few words, it’s a crafty backyard playmaker. I thought he’d fit best in a run-heavy system that moves him around.”
Who could be next?
Keep an eye on Keelon Russell at Alabama. The five-star quarterback and No. 2 overall player in the 2025 class is in excellent position to see the field if the Crimson Tide offense fails to find a spark under Ty Simpson.
USC quarterback Husan Longstreet, the No. 32 player in the 2025 class, had a flawless debut in mop-up duty against Missouri State, finishing 9 for 9 with 69 yards and a touchdown to go along with 54 yards rushing and two scores. If Jayden Maiava struggles this season, it’s easy to envision Longstreet seeing the field quickly.
Colorado coach Deion Sanders continues to flirt with the idea of playing Julian Lewis, the No. 126 overall player in the 2025 class. Lewis pushed starter Kaidon Salter throughout fall camp, and some around the program believe Lewis will ascend to QB1 at some point this year.
It’s worth watching Deuce Knight at Auburn. The No. 56 player in the 2025 class impressed during fall camp for the Tigers, and Hugh Freeze has already talked about using him this season. If Jackson Arnold stumbles, maybe Freeze goes to his break-glass option during a win-or-go season.
Watch out for Kamario Taylor at Mississippi State. The No. 80 overall prospect and No. 8 quarterback in the 2025 cycle saw work as a change-of-pace option in short-yardage situations on multiple occasions in Mississippi State’s win over Southern Miss. The game wasn’t in hand at the time, either. The Bulldogs are clearly willing to use Taylor’s athletic ability in conjunction with starter Blake Shapen.
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