Grading New College Football Starting QBs' Week 1 Performances

The opening weekend of college football is appealing for many reasons, but few storylines draw more attention than quarterbacks making their program debuts.

Eight teams ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 trotted out a new signal-caller in Week 1. That group includes four high-profile transfers—Jalen Hurts, Justin Fields, Jacob Eason and Brandon Wimbush—as well as touted true freshman Bo Nix.

Unsurprisingly, most new quarterbacks put together solid showings. After all, the majority of them played a "Group of Five" or Football Championship Subdivision opponent.

Still, every coaching staff and fanbase hoped for an encouraging debut. With the exception of one, maybe two, they received exactly that. Competition level, surrounding talent and in-game performance all factored into the grades.

Brandon Wimbush, UCF

Brandon Wimbush's second pass attempt of his UCF career resulted in six points. Not a bad opening drive!

Formerly the starter at Notre Dame, he headed south for his final season of eligibility. An offseason ankle injury to Darriel Mack Jr. pushed the transfer into the starting role, and Wimbush connected with Gabriel Davis for that early 37-yard touchdown.

But the rest of the night wavered between good and frustrating—so, yes, a pretty normal Wimbush performance. He threw another touchdown but missed a handful of open receivers, something all too familiar at his previous stop. Wimbush finished 12-of-23, posting 168 yards and two scores.

UCF smashed Florida A&M 62-0. Between a great showing from freshman Dillon Gabriel and Mack's eventual return from his ankle injury, though, Wimbush has a tenuous hold on the No. 1 job.

Grade: C+

Justin Fields, Ohio State

The first quarter? Outstanding. Justin Fields accounted for four touchdowns, needing only 13 total plays to cover 200 yards and build an insurmountable 28-0 advantage over Florida Atlantic.

In those eight-plus minutes, the Georgia transfer showed both his immense upside and that the Buckeyes remain a premier title threat. Fields eventually ended 18-of-25 for 234 yards and four touchdowns, also scampering for 61 and a score.

Granted, that torrid opening frame atoned for a sluggish finish. Leading the team to only 17 points over his final nine possessions is a notable concern, especially given the level of competition.

Fields had a positive day overall in the 45-21 win, though. The Buckeyes are in excellent hands this season.

Grade: B+

Jacob Eason, Washington

Washington had a mediocre passing game in 2018, and the regular aerial struggles prevented the team from challenging for a College Football Playoff berth.

This year, the same concern might not apply.

Eason ripped apart the Eastern Washington secondary to the tune of 349 yards and four touchdowns during a 47-14 triumph. The Georgia transfer completed 27 of his 36 attempts, spreading the ball around to Washington's diverse group of pass-catchers.

That efficiency is impressive. With a well-rounded receiving corps and a quarterback as precise as Eason, the Huskies are clear Pac-12 favorites.

Grade: A  

Sean Clifford, Penn State

Barry Reeger/Associated Press

Sean Clifford dealt with a slow opening quarter, but everything went smoothly once he overcame the nerves of his debut.

Penn State's first two drives covered just 23 yards, though excellent field position led to two field goals. While the next three possessions featured two touchdowns, the running game carried the offense. It was the sixth drive that propelled Clifford to a good day.

"When he threw his first touchdown to me, that's when I knew he got into the groove," wideout KJ Hamler said, according to Josh Moyer of the Centre Daily Times.

Clifford went 14-of-23 for 280 yards and two touchdowns, adding 57 yards on the ground in a 79-7 beatdown of Idaho.

Grade: B+

Tommy DeVito, Syracuse

Howard Simmons/Associated Press

Although Syracuse beat Liberty 24-0, Tommy DeVito began his potential breakout year with an uninspiring thud.

The sophomore mustered just 17 completions in 35 attempts, throwing for 176 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions. DeVito battled inconsistent accuracy and seemed to have several miscommunications with receivers.

"It was kind of like, 'Relax, go out and play the game he can play,'" wideout Trishton Jackson said, per Stephen Bailey of Syracuse.com. "We all know how good he is. We all know how good the whole team is when he's playing very good. So he just needed to relax. I think running the ball calmed him down a little bit and we'll be ready for next week."

Syracuse will head to Maryland, which received a four-touchdown effort from Virginia Tech transfer Josh Jackson in his team debut.

Grade: C-

Bo Nix, Auburn

In the first half against 11th-ranked Oregon, Bo Nix struggled. He entered halftime with a 6-of-18 line for 91 yards and two interceptions, and Auburn trailed the Ducks 14-6.

The final 30 minutes turned him into a fan favorite.

Nix connected on seven of his 13 second-half attempts, tallying 96 yards and two touchdowns. The true freshman found Seth Williams for a game-winning 26-yard score with nine seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Auburn pulled out a dramatic 27-21 victory.

That single throw changed Nix's performance from "gritty yet subpar" to "unspectacular yet effective." And for a freshman quarterback on a huge stage, that was all Auburn could have asked for.

Grade: B

Anthony Gordon, Washington State

Anthony Gordon's debut hardly could've gone better.

The redshirt senior completed his first 15 passes and led six straight touchdown drives to open Saturday's game. Washington State cruised to a 58-7 smackdown of New Mexico State.

"There's a clarity to how he runs the huddle," head coach Mike Leach said, per Theo Lawson of the Spokesman-Review. "He did a really good job putting them in the end zone. There wasn't kind of that first-game stuff where somebody's afraid to make a mistake. He put them in the end zone right away."

Gordon finished 29-of-35 for 420 yards and five scores.

Grade: A

Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

Alonzo Adams/Associated Press

Jalen Hurts, you just racked up 508 yards of total offense and accounted for six touchdowns in a 49-31 win. How do you feel?

"I gotta go talk to my boys," he told ESPN after beating Houston. "We gotta get right, we gotta get better. We gotta take more steps."

Well, all right then! You can take the quarterback away from Nick Saban, but you can't take Saban's mentality away from the quarterback. Hurts was visibly upset with his performance despite a spectacular opening game with Oklahoma.

The Sooners kept it simple for Hurts, relying heavily on options and quick passes but injecting the normal dose of Lincoln Riley creativity. In-season development was always going to be key for Hurts in 2019, but he's off to a stellar start.

Grade: A