Tyler Shough could be a first round QB

By: Jeremy Trottier

The last two NFL Drafts have had quarterbacks who came out of nowhere and become top two picks in their class.  In 2020 it was Joe Burrow, who after a phenomenal senior season became the number one pick in his class, and in 2021 it was Zach Wilson who went number two in his class.  This trend could definitely continue into the 2022 draft class, as there is a huge amount of quarterbacks who have large amounts of potential in this class.  In this article, I will be going over three quarterbacks who have somewhat gone under the radar so far who could break out in a big way in 2022 and improve their draft stock drastically.

Jayden Daniels ”“ Arizona State University

One of the most explosive and fun to watch quarterbacks in all of college football right now is junior Jayden Daniels out of Arizona State University.  After a down 2020 season since ASU only played four games, he likely will be looking to bounce back to his freshman form to prove he is worth a high draft pick.  His 2019 freshman stats looked like this:

• 12 games played
• 205 completions on 338 attempts (60.7% completion)
• 2,943 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 149.2 passer efficiency rating
• 125 rushing attempts, 355 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns

His versatility as a dual threat QB really started to show in the 2020 season however, averaging 6.8 yards per rushing attempt and 4 rushing touchdowns in only 4 games, as well as 223 yards on 33 attempts, showing his effectiveness as well.  If he can continue this rushing success into the next season and improve his passing accuracy slightly he could be an elite prospect for the 2022 class.

Tyler Shough ”“ Texas Tech

Next, we have a quarterback who transferred this offseason from Oregon to Texas Tech in Tyler Shough.  The 6’5” 221 pound QB has an amazing frame for a quarterback and is exactly what you would want to see at the position.  With very good arm strength and the occasional burst of mobility, he could definitely take it to the next level on his new team.  

The Oregon Ducks replacement for Justin Herbert after the 2020 Draft had a solid season, putting up 1,559 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions on a 63.5% completion rate, in only seven games played due to PAC-12 regulations.  On a new team with new coaching and likely a full seasons worth of games started, he could have the chance to turn into one of the top quarterbacks in the class if his efficiency translates over more passing attempts.

Michael Penix Jr. ”“ Indiana University

Finally, to wrap things up, we have Michael Penix Jr. out of Indiana University.  After 2019 and 2020 seasons that were both pretty solid, we should be looking for more passing accuracy out of Michael over anything right now.  He has had back-to-back seasons with 1300+ yards and double-digit TDs with four interceptions each season and has only played in six games each year due to the Big Ten minimum.  With that said, we could expect Indiana to play more than six games this season with COVID-19 protocols starting to be removed slowly.

One of the most amazing things of Michael’s game is his ability to hold out under pressure, he will stand in the pocket with someone rushing at him and stand firm for an extra second just to get the ball out into an open window rather than forcing it.  His passes are sharp and clean, and very fast to get to the receiver, very rarely floating any.  Overall, he could definitely turn up for the 2021-2022 season and become a blue chip prospect.