6 college football quarterbacks who will become future Pro Bowlers

On the other side of the country from Kedon Slovis at USC, there was another freshman phenom at the quarterback position in Sam Howell of the North Carolina Tar Heels. Howell turned heads in his first year under center playing for the legendary Mack Brown in his first year back in Chapel Hill. Because of this head coach/quarterback pairing, North Carolina can win the Coastal this year.

Howell completed 61.4 percent of his passes for 3,641 yards, 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Keep in mind he did this as a true freshman playing for a football program that won two games the year prior to his arrival. At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Howell has the frame and the arm talent to possibly be the first quarterback off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Slovis may throw a slightly prettier deep ball, but Howell seems to play with that mental toughness necessary to become a strong starting quarterback at the next level. We’ve seen this come from other former ACC quarterback standouts over the years who elevated the talent around them to achieve new heights. It’s still early, but there’s a ton to like about Howell’s game.

The biggest advantage Howell has over Slovis is coaching stability. It’s not like Brown is going anywhere, as he’s a living legend on campus. Slovis may have to deal with his head coach Clay Helton being forever on the hot seat. We could be wrong in two years’ time, but the ACC could have the next two No. 1 overall picks at the quarterback position with Howell being in it 2022.