2018 Top Impact Freshman Quarterbacks

It used to be that having a freshman quarterback -- whether by choice or out of necessity -- meant a college football season was lost, that a team was moving on to the next season, that a championship was out of the question.

Last year's College Football Playoff championship blew that thought out of the water.

Georgia's Jake Fromm and Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa, both true freshmen, proved that the moment was not too big as they waged battle on the floor of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. When the dust settled Tagovailoa's Crimson Tide had an overtime win and national title, but both players had stamped themselves as big-time, showing that freshmen can indeed get the job done.

The next wave is here, as a host of high-profile recruits are slated to take the field in 2018.

This is our ranking of the Top 10 Impact Freshman Quarterbacks -- it's not a ranking of the top 10 quarterback signees, but the 10 signal-callers with the highest upside this season. Opportunity is there for all of them, though a few may need a little bit of help. Positional recruiting rankings included.

USC's JT Daniels (Orange County Register)

2018 TOP 10 IMPACT FRESHMAN QUARTERBACKS
1. J.T. Daniels/USC (QB3) -- A five-star talent from powerhouse Mater Dei High School, Daniels has a pretty open path to the starting job vacated by Sam Darnold's decision to turn pro. Daniels has a great arm and understanding of the game, and needs to beat out only Jack Sears and Matt Fink.
2. Adrian Martinez/Nebraska (QB13) -- The four-star dual threat from Fresno is a perfect fit for Scott Frost's spread offense, and with the transfer of sophomore Patrick O'Brien needs to only beat out Tristan Gebbia for the starting role. Nebraska is undergoing a culture change and offensive transition, and Martinez could be another McKenzie Milton before he's finished in Lincoln. 
3. Dorian Thompson-Robinson/UCLA (QB4)-- What will the Bruins offense look like in year one under Chip Kelly? It could look a lot like his Oregon squads, especially if the four-star Las Vegas product wins the job. A perfect fit for Kelly's offense, Thompson-Robinson needs to beat out sophomore Devon Modster and Michigan graduate transfer Wilton Speight, who seems an odd fit for the Kelly offense. 
4. Artur Sitkowski/Rutgers (QB34) -- A former Miami commit, the three-star New Jersey product could be Rutgers quarterback of the future -- and that future could be now. Holdover Giovanni Rescigno completed just 47 percent last season, leaving the door wide open for the big-armed Sitkowski. 
5. Trevor Lawrence/Clemson (QB1) -- If Lawrence was named opening week starter, he would be atop this list. But holdover Kelly Bryant still has the job, though he will be challenged by Lawrence, who looked good enough in spring practice that five-star quarterback Hunter Johnson decided to transfer. If Lawrence gets the job this year, the Tigers could be really tough to beat.
6. Justin Fields/Georgia (QB2) -- Like Lawrence, Fields has a roadblock in his way in the former of incumbent Fromm. Unlike Clemson's Bryant, Fromm had good numbers last season and is likely to hang on to the job. But buzz out of Athens is that five-star Fields is legitimately in the mix, and would give the Bulldogs more of a dual threat.
7. Holton Ahlers/East Carolina (QB37) -- The Pirates got a good one in this three-star Greenville, N.C. product. At 6-4, 235, he has the requisite size, and a big arm to go along with it. He was in for spring drills and impressed the coaches, though they did not name a starter.  
8. Kevaris Thomas/Western Kentucky (QB52) -- A three-star dual threat from Lakeland, Fla., Thomas had offers from Colorado State, Florida Atlantic and USF, but headed to Bowling Green, Ky., where there is an open spot after the departure of Mike White to the NFL. Thomas can keep plays alive with his feet and throws well on the run and will compete with Steven Duncan and Drew Eckels for the starting job. 
9. Emory Jones/Florida (QB10) -- A one-time Ohio State commit, Jones decided to sign with Florida after it hired Dan Mullen to take over from Jim McElwain. Jones, a four-star dual threat from Franklin, Ga., was in for the spring but has yet to pass incumbent Feleipe Franks or Kyle Trask. Jones has the most upside of the bunch, and if he can digest Mullen's playbook the Gators offense could finally get a much-needed boost. 
10. Spencer Sanders/Oklahoma State (QB16) -- A four-star Texas native, Sanders is more mobile than recent Cowboys quarterbacks, and could take the job from Hawaii transfer Dru Brown with a big fall camp. Sanders had offers from Penn State, South Carolina, TCU and Texas A&M, among others, and could be one of the overlooked gems of this class.

Just Missed: Jarren Williams/Miami Fla. (QB8); Chevan Cordeiro/Hawaii (NR); Bryce Carpenter/Coastal Carolina (NR); Tyler Vitt/Texas State (QB97); Brennan Armstrong/Virginia (QB45)