College football 2018: Ranking the 20 best quarterbacks

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GLENDALE, AZ – DECEMBER 30: Jake Browning (3) of the Washington Huskies in the Fiesta Bowl game between the Washington Huskies and the Penn State Nittany Lions on December 30, 2017 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

When it comes to high school quarterbacks, there may be no better player ever than Jake Browning. During his time at Folsom (CA) High School, Browning set the national record for touchdown passes with 229, and in his senior season, he tossed an incredible 91 touchdowns. In addition to his national record of 229 touchdowns, he also owns the California record for passing yards, as he threw for 16,775 over his four years in school.

Moving on to college was an easy transition for Browning, who became the first true freshman quarterback in Washington history to start a season opener. In fact, he became only the second Washington true freshman to start any game, and he did not disappoint.

In his first season, Browning threw for nearly 3,000 yards, while connecting on 16 touchdowns. While those stats are nice, the year he had in 2016 was historic in terms of the Washington program, as he finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting. In total, Browning threw for 3,430 yards and 43 touchdowns, earning Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year honors.

In addition to being the conference’s Offensive POY, Browning also was a first-team selection. He led the Huskies to their first Pac-12 title since 2000 and led his team to the College Football Playoff, where they took on Alabama in a national semifinal game. The Huskies lost, but Browning put himself on the map as one of the best quarterbacks in college football.

After the Alabama game, Browning had surgery on his shoulder, though he was ready to go for the 2017 campaign. His statistics really went down from the 2016 season, as he threw for only 19 touchdowns, but he should bounce back in a big way in 2018. Look for Washington to be one of the best teams in the Pac-12, and Browning gets back to his Heisman Trophy candidate status.