USC lost to Washington State on Friday night and Sam Darnold had the worst game of his college career, so is the Trojans star quarterback overrated?
It’s a sports debate that will never die. Is team/player overrated or underrated? You rarely see a team or player that’s appropriately rated so there is a spectrum of good that teams and players are continuously moving across. USC Trojans redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Darnold has been all over that spectrum this year. He began the year as the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and has been lauded as a potential top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
That was based on the way Darnold played in nine starts last year when he overtook Max Browns as the Trojans starting quarterback and led the team to nine straight win and the comeback win over Penn State in the Rose Bowl. Much of the same was expected from Darnold this year, but for much of the first month, Darnold has not resembled that player.
Darnold has been plagued by turnovers. He had two interceptions in each of the first three games, but was able to make some “wow” plays against Western Michigan, Stanford and Texas to lead the team to wins. But the level play expected from a Heisman favorite and No. 1 pick wasn’t there. Darnold was held without a touchdown pass vs. Western Michigan in the opener and again in Friday night’s loss at Washington State. This was the first loss for Darnold as a starter and his worst game of his college career.
The Washington State defense made life difficult for Darnold finished with a career-low 164 yards and fumbled after he was sacked in the game’s closing moments. Darnold did have a pair of rushing touchdowns and made a couple throws that a Heisman candidate and a candidate to be the top pick would make, but it wasn’t enough on a night where USC was decimated by injuries, especially along the offensive line.
Now, the question about whether he’s overrated depends on who you ask?
If you think Darnold is a Heisman candidate on Sep. 30, then yes, he is overrated, because you can’t be a Heisman candidate in September when you have two games without a touchdown pass as a quarterback.
He’s not playing anywhere close to the best player in college football who is worthy of the Heisman. At least not right now. He’s capable of being that guy, but we haven’t seen it on display this year. There is still plenty of time this season for him to look like that guy.
Until then, Darnold and Heisman should not be in the same sentence. He has to limit his turnovers and he has to play consistent football for four quarters over and over.
I think it’s still fair to project Darnold as a potential top pick in the draft, but he has a lot of development yet to do. He was a perfect prospect entering this year but now the blemishes are starting to show, which was inevitable, but now it’s on Darnold to elevate his game to shed any overrated label.
I think Darnold is an overrated Heisman candidate. I do not think Darnold is an overrated NFL prospect. It’s all relative and subjective, but I see a player who has tried to do everything and make up for some injuries around him. It just caught up to him on Friday night in Washington State.