Josh Rosen may not be talked about as a Heisman hopeful after the slow start that he has had this season. He was a hot topic throughout the entire offseason, but the UCLA Bruins’ starting quarterback simply hasn’t delivered throughout the first few weeks of the 2016 college football season.
UCLA has gotten off to a 2-1 start this season, with their only loss coming at the hands of the Texas A&M Aggies. There is no denying the talented roster that head coach Jim Mora has put together, with Rosen being the center of the entire program.
Throughout the first three games of the season, Rosen has completed 60.5 percent of his pass attempts for 917 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also has a rushing touchdown this season.
Those numbers simply weren’t what the UCLA fan base or the college football media were expecting from Rosen. After the impressive freshman season that he put together, Rosen was expected to compete for a spot among the top-five college football quarterbacks in 2016. That hasn’t been the case thus far, but there is plenty of time for Rosen to turn things around in the coming weeks.
At this point in time, ESPN has Louisville Cardinals’ quarterback Lamar Jackson as their No. 1 Heisman candidate. Behind Jackson is Stanford running back Christian McCaffery, Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barret, San Diego State running back Donnel Pumphrey, and Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr.
Rosen cannot be placed among the top quarterbacks in college football so far this season. He simply hasn’t put up the numbers that are needed to join the elite group of quarterbacks, especially with his disappointing touchdown to interception ratio even.
Standing in at 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds, Rosen has received glowing comparisons in the past. He has been compared to NFL superstar and future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.
Can Rosen turn his season around to the point where he can compete with the best players in the nation for the Heisman Trophy? Probably not, but stranger things have happened in the history of college football.
There is no denying the fact that Rosen has the potential to be a future NFL starting quarterback. If he can reach his full potential, there is nothing holding Rosen back from being a star at the next level. He has the raw talent and physical ability to become a superstar with the right work ethic and coaching.
Even though he has gotten off to a slow start this season with the Bruins, there is no reason for fans to be worried. Rosen is simply experiencing a brief sophomore slump now that defensive coordinators have a full season to watch his game and game plan for him. He will figure things out and get back to putting up big numbers every single week.
Expect to see Rosen begin turning his career around shortly. UCLA may not see their quarterback win the Heisman this season, but he will end the year in impressive fashion.