Jake Browning, quarterback, Washington
Huskies’ quarterback Jake Browning put up some big-time numbers on a very impressive Washington offense in 2016, and he, of course, led UW to the College Football Playoff. After a freshman season that saw him put up 2,955 yards and 16 touchdowns (10 interceptions), he threw for 3,430 yards and 43 touchdowns in 2016. He added only nine interceptions in the process.
Browning was a great quarterback for Washington during the course of the CFP run and he was even a borderline Heisman contender.
With that said, there is reason to pump the breaks on his star power heading into 2017.
One, he was surrounded by a ton of talent on Washington’s offense. John Ross was the big name and that reflected in the 2017 NFL Draft, but the aforementioned Myles Gaskin is a legitimate star at running back.
Browning’s output in some of Washington’s biggest games of the season was also a bit suspect. He did lead UW to a Pac-12 Title win over Colorado, but he struggled against the Buffaloes, completing just 9-of-24 passes for 118 yards. Yes, he threw two touchdowns, but Colorado was able to keep him in check.
Of course, most stark was his relative ineffectiveness against Alabama in the CFP semifinal. Nick Saban’s defenses have historically made great quarterbacks look average, but it was still a bit concerning to see Browning complete only 20-of-38 passes against the Tide for just 150 yards and a touchdown, compared to two interceptions. Browning also threw two interceptions against USC in the regular season, Washington’s only loss prior to the playoff.
The talent is there, but can Browning lead Washington to bigger and better heights?