Entering the 2017 college football season, USC football star Sam Darnold was viewed as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and a front-runner for the Heisman Trophy.
Darnold got off to a slow start this season, throwing two interceptions and no touchdowns in the season-opener against Western Michigan, but he bounced back in a big way with a 316 yard, four touchdown outing against Stanford in Week 2.
The 6-foot-4 signal-caller did throw two more interceptions against the Cardinal defense — bringing his season total to four touchdowns and four picks — but he still impressed a number of NFL scouts.
One of the talent evaluators who was at last weekend’s game in Los Angeles was so impressed with what he saw in Darnold that he has compared him to former Dallas Cowboys No. 1 pick and Hall of Famer Troy Aikman.
“That’s the first pick in the draft. Troy Aikman, to a T. The whole package. Instincts in the pocket, how he moves, the arm, and he’s accurate as all get-out,” the evaluator told Albert Breer of MMQB.com.
That’s some incredibly high praise.
But considering the hype that Darnold had entering the season, it’s not entirely surprising that NFL scouts are salivating over his potential.
If he can continue to show off his talent this season and avoid any unnecessary mistakes, he could very well hear his name called first next spring; and you can guarantee whoever drafts him will be hoping the scout’s comparison is spot on.
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USC's Sam Darnold Gets Compared To Troy Aikman
