College Football: Breaking down true freshmen quarterback debuts in Week 1

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele shattered all expectations in Week 1: Cals new star posted an 87.8 PFF passing grade in his debut against Oregon State.

Bryce Underwood looks the part: The No.

1 overall recruit earned a 79.9 PFF overall grade in Michigan s win over New Mexico .

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Its time to win.

Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes Its become more common for true freshmen to shine immediately in the college ranks.

Look no further than last year, with Jeremiah Smith, Leonard Moore, Collin Simmons, Dylan Stewart and Ryan Williams, among others, all dominating immediately.

While it usually takes time for quarterbacks to get rolling, given the mental load required of the position, that didnt stop these four Power Four prog rams from trotting out true freshmen as their starters in Week 1.

All four earned a 70.0-plus PFF overall grade in their debuts.

Heres a breakdown of all four true freshmen quarterbacks who started in Week 1.

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, California Sagapolutele was outstanding in his debut against Oregon State , posting an 87.8 PFF passing grade with two big-time throws and no turnover-worthy plays.

The No.

6 quarterback recruit from the 2025 high school class already displays a veteran-like understanding of how to throw his receivers open, often throwing to their back shoulder to use a defensive backs leverage against him.

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Open Premium Stats Bryce Underwood, Michigan Underwood entered Ann Arbor with the weight of the world on his shoulders as the top overall recruit from the 2025 class and one of the highest-rated quarterback recruits ever.

He looked the part in Michigans Week 1 win over New Mexico, earning a 79.9 PFF overall grade with an 83.3% adjusted completion rate.

Underwoods most impressive stat was his average time to throw, 2.24 seconds.

He played with outstanding anticipation in the win and did a great job of playing within the rhythm of the offense.

Underwood faces a major test in Week 2 on the road against No.

18 Oklahoma .

Malik Washington, Maryland Washington was very solid in his debut against Florida Atlantic .

The No.

11 quarterback recruit in the 2025 class posted a 73.6 PFF passing grade with three big-time throws and one turnover-worthy play.

He showed off his arm strength in the victory, earning an 84.0 PFF passing grade on deep throws.

Washington brings impressive physical tools at 6-foot-5 and 231 pounds and is a source of optimism for Marylands program after the Terrapins finished 4-8 last year.

Bear Bachmeier, BYU Bachmeier was incredibly efficient against Portland State in Week 1.

He attempted only seven passes, but threw three touchdowns.

The former three-star recruit also ran for two touchdowns on five carries.

In all, Bachmeier posted a 73.8 PFF overall grade in the 69-0 victory.

His average time to throw was also a blistering 2.36 seconds.

Bachmeier faces Stanford in Week 2, a school he originally signed with before transferring to BYU.

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