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USC Football: Is Sam Darnold a sure-fire franchise quarterback?

By Matty Breisch

Nov 19, 2016; Pasadena, CA, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold (14) sets up to pass the football in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 19, 2016; Pasadena, CA, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold (14) sets up to pass the football in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Final Thoughts

After evaluating his stats, mesurables, and tape, it becomes abundantly clear why Sam Darnold is considered by many to be a first round NFL-caliber quarterback.

Darnold simply does everything a coach wants out of a starting quarterback.

He is an incredibly accurate passer. Not only did Sam rack up over 3000 passing yards in his redshirt freshman season, but he also did it while completing 67.2 percent of his passes. If his accuracy remains consistent next season he will be the 6th most accurate quarterback of the 21 taken in the top 60 picks since 2012.

Sam also makes great decisions. Of the 366 passes attempted by Darnold in 2016 only nine were intercepted. That’s less than three picks for every 100 passes. He also was only sacked six times of the course of the season on 428 total dropbacks.

And maybe most importantly Darnold has shown great maturity at the tender age of 19. Sam never spoke out about redshirting during his first season in LA, and when his head coach made the decision to start Browne over him before the 2016 season began, Sam embarrassed the decision and took it in stride. There are professional players who don’t maintain that level of maturity when placed in a similar situation, and he should be commended for it.

Related Story: Michigan State Football: Is Pat Narduzzi Mark Dantonio’s heir apparent?

Sam Darnold should without a doubt be drafted in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. While there is no way of telling whether he will become an all pro or if he will find his bust in Canton some day, he is without a doubt a player who teams can build their roster around.

Of the quarterbacks selected in the top 60 picks since 2012 not a single one has won the Super Bowl as a starting quarterback. Even players like Derek Carr and Andrew Luck, who have gone to the pro bowl five times in eight combine season have yet to lead their teams to the Super Bowl.

Simply put while a quarterback in incredibly important if a team want to be a consistent contender for many years, they cannot win games alone. While a true franchise quarterback can mask certain deficiencies on a roster, they still need a quality supporting cast to be successful.

Next: Comparing PSU's Saquon Barkley to recent 1st-round RBs

In 2016, Sam Darnold took a USC teams that was stuck in a cycle of mediocrity and turned them into a top 5 team. If he continues to progress in his second season with the Trojans, USC may find itself contending for another national championship behind the arm of a future franchise quarterback.

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