It's not unusual for coaches to compliment future opponents ahead of their meeting, and Stanford's David Shaw tossed a bouquet, albeit a well-deserved one, USC quarterback Sam Darnold's way on Thursday at Pac-12 Media Days.
"I think they got the best quarterback in the nation," Shaw said of the Trojans, per the Orange County Register's Joey Kaufman.
Shaw, of course, is referring to Darnold, whose meteoric rise began last season when took over as USC's starter in late September and led the team to nine consecutive wins, including a thrilling Rose Bowl victory over Penn State.
No QB has generated buzz like Darnold has this offseason -- he was the talk of this year's NFL Scouting Combine even though he wasn't eligible for the draft -- and Shaw certainly isn't alone in giving Darnold top billing among a talented group of college signal-callers. NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein ranks him the No. 1 QB to watch in 2017.
As a redshirt sophomore, Darnold could be eligible for the draft as early as 2018, although don't be so sure that he'll make the leap to the next level as soon as he's allowed.
Shaw had a very limited up-close look at Darnold last season -- he attempted seven passes vs. the Cardinal in mop-up duty of a 27-10 Stanford win last season -- but he's obviously seen enough to develop a strong appreciation for the QB's game.
He'll get another look at him on Sept. 9, when the Trojans host the Cardinal in the Pac-12 opener for both teams, and that game will go a long way toward determining whether the hype train for Darnold keeps chugging along or hits the brakes.
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