Sam Darnold 2017 preview and week one opponent

All eyes this college football season are going to be on USC quarterback Sam Darnold. Here’s a season preview and week one opponent outlook…

Expectations for USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold in 2017 are incredibly high. He’s drawing some early comparisons to Aaron Rodgers, but like any quarterback with huge hype, we all need to take a step back and evaluate them objectively and give them necessary time.

There’s no denying Darnold is a special talent. He has the ideal physical makeup of an NFL quarterback, and the progression he showed from early in the 2016 season to the end when he put on an absolute show against Penn State in the Rose Bowl has the NFL Draft community buzzing.

His bowl game against Penn State is a solid starting point for evaluating in terms of his tools as a quarterback and areas where he could improve.

THREE OBSERVATIONS

1. Darnold is a gamer.

This is abundantly clear. There are a lot of quarterbacks who stick to the script, throwing to their first read or crumbling under the pressure and running around with poor instincts or understanding of the situation.

Darnold does not appear to be consumed by the moment, nor does he seem to change his approach on a play-by-play basis depending on the amount of pressure he’s under or if he makes a bad throw, etc.

When the pocket collapses or pressure closes in, Darnold’s instinct is to find a way to make a play. That’s probably where some of the Rodgers comparisons come in. Unless you are able to take Aaron Rodgers down, there’s a chance he’s going to burn you on any given play. If you don’t take Darnold down, he’s going to run around and survey the field until he finds a play that can be made.

This can also get him into trouble at times, as Darnold will trust his arm strength to fit the ball into tight spaces where he should just whip it out of bounds. Some of the plays he tries to make in this Penn State game will end up as easy interceptions in the NFL.

2. There is no throw Darnold can’t make.

And this note is why Darnold is projected by many to be the top overall pick in next year’s draft. This is a kid that trusts his arm, trusts his pre-snap reads, and knows how to lead receivers into open space.

He has excellent arm strength to all areas of the field, and can also put just the right amount of touch on the ball when he needs to.

He makes accurate throws with his feet set in the pocket, and he makes accurate throws when he’s on the move.

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3. Consistency?

Darnold makes the ‘wow’ plays, especially in this Penn State game, but what we need to see now in his second year under the spotlight is whether or not he can keep up this type of play consistently.

I’m not saying every throw from Darnold has to be a throw that blows people away, but this is the type of player NFL scouts want to see year-to-year consistency from, because so many quarterbacks in recent years have faltered in that regard.

What I do not want to see from Darnold in year two is him trying to make a bunch of ridiculous plays just because there’s hype surrounding him, and high expectations. He needs to show progression without being careless with the football and trying to do too much.

Week One Opponent: Western Michigan (@USC)

Darnold opens the 2017 season at home against Western Michigan, a game that he should be removed from before the fourth quarter. That being said, I expect to see a very efficient Darnold, well prepared for this first game in terms of film study and even if he has to shake off a little rust from the offseason, it should be a chance for him to impress even against an inferior opponent.

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