After only one season at UCLA, quarterback Josh Rosen's standing as one of the top passers in college football is already secure.
One opposing Pac-12 coach says the Bruins sophomore is the best of them all, and believes Rosen has a highly successful NFL career ahead of him, too.
"The quarterback is the best guy out there, and I mean the best guy in the country right now. That's what we thought, anyway," the coach told Athlon Sports. "Man, he is the real deal and we've got to deal with him for two more years. He didn't play like a freshman. I think sometimes he made mistakes trying to do a little too much, but they want him to be aggressive and use his arm because he's got the confidence and ability to put the ball where he wants it. He'll learn when to pull it back with time, but there's no doubt he's going to be a big-time pro."
From those comments, it's not totally clear if the coach views Rosen as the college game's best quarterback, or its best player altogether. At the very least, however, the former characterization would put Rosen in higher regard than the likes of Clemson star QB Deshaun Watson, Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield, Ole Miss' Chad Kelly or Miami's Brad Kaaya.
UCLA coach Jim Mora certainly wouldn't argue.
Mora suggested that Rosen would have been the No. 1 pick of the 2016 NFL Draft had been old enough to be eligible for the draft. That kind of praise from a player's own head coach is very rare, particularly in description of a freshman. NFL Media analyst Lance Zierlein ranks Rosen as CFB's No. 4 quarterback to watch, noting he'll return in 2016 with the benefit of some added size and a new offense that is more in line with the pro game.
As a true sophomore, Rosen can't enter the NFL draft any sooner than 2018.
Based on the reviews of his play, his eventual NFL arrival -- whenever it comes -- will be highly anticipated.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
