Comparing five-star QBs in the 2025 Rivals250 to NFL standouts
There are four five-star quarterbacks in the 2025 Rivals250 and, as is natural with high-profile prospects, they have each been compared to other quarterbacks throughout their careers. Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney offers his comparisons below and breaks down why on each quarterback:
JULIAN LEWIS – DREW BREES
When I was a teenager, my brother and I drove two hours from our home in Northeastern Pennsylvania to State College to see Drew Brees’ Purdue team play in person.
Years later during an internship, I covered Brees when he was with the San Diego Chargers and I remember one thing in particular. During a break in practice, a garbage can was set up in the back corner of the end zone and Brees was working on some drops and some accuracy throws and from about the 20-yard line out, Brees kept throwing ball after ball close or right into that garbage can. It was really impressive to see.
And Lewis reminds me a lot of Brees during those days. The five-star USC commit is a phenomenal decision-maker, he makes the game look slow around him as he’s dissecting defenses, he has an advanced understanding of the game from years of training with elite quarterbacks and trainers in the Atlanta area and so much more.
Lewis essentially skipped his junior season to play one more year at Carrollton, Ga., under Joey King, Trevor Lawrence’s coach in high school. No moment is too big for him, he doesn’t get rattled and even as other elite quarterbacks were making big-time throw after big-time throw at the Rivals Five-Star this summer, Lewis would step right up and put it right on the money as well.
Just like with Brees at a similar stage, arm strength was a question but with Lewis it’s more arm zip or velocity than strength because Lewis can throw the deep ball with the best of them. Will he have a Hall of Fame career and be a Super Bowl champion like Brees? Who knows.
But in two years playing high-end competition in Georgia, Lewis has 96 touchdown passes (48 each year) and he cut his interceptions down from 12 to two as his decision-making has gotten better.
*****
KEELON RUSSELL – JAYDEN DANIELS
Some of the comparison work between Russell and Jayden Daniels is uncanny but some of the trajectory of both players might be a little off.
As for physical stature, Russell and Daniels were pretty much the same player in high school except Russell is probably a little more physically developed. In terms of drop, vision around the field, the pop of their football, the accuracy and their ability to sit in the pocket comfortably but then also escape and make things happen with their feet, the similarities are dead-on.
Russell is a more advanced passer than Daniels at the same stage. And Daniels’ career was sort of fizzling out and going nowhere (he had 10 touchdowns and 10 picks his final season at Arizona State) before resurrecting everything at LSU especially in his final season there. Russell looks to be heading into a far more friendly offense under coach Kalen DeBoer at Alabama, one that sets up the quarterback for great success.
From my interactions with both, they’re great kids. Daniels was one of the friendliest people I’ve covered in recruiting. Russell is as affable as they come. Their personalities seem similar, their physical stature and playing style are similar. Daniels ended up as a Heisman Trophy winner and the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Can Russell match that level of success?
*****
TAVIEN ST. CLAIR – JUSTIN FIELDS
There have been other Ohio State quarterbacks that St. Clair has been compared to – mainly CJ Stroud – but my comp for the new No. 1 overall player is Justin Fields, not the five-star QB in high school but the more physically developed player he is now in the NFL.
Fields would have almost definitely ended up as the No. 1 prospect in the 2018 Rivals250 if not for Trevor Lawrence being in the same group. He was smart, very capable of making all the plays, competed with a coolness but a definite focus on winning and being the best and he had tremendous ball placement and decision-making.
St. Clair is very similar but has an even better frame at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds right now, one inch taller and two pounds lighter than Fields in the NFL. In two seasons at Ohio State after transferring from Georgia, Fields had 63 touchdowns and nine picks before being the No. 11 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance were the quarterbacks taken ahead of him. Only Lawrence was the right pick.
*****
BRYCE UNDERWOOD – DESHAUN WATSON
There have been other comparisons made to Underwood because he looks taller than 6-foot-3 so he’s gotten Trevor Lawrence and some CJ Stroud but I think Deshaun Watson is the best comp at this stage. It’s not a perfect comparison because Underwood is more dynamic, a step faster escaping pressure and the ball pops off his hand just a little more than Watson at the same stage.
Still, Watson can sit in the pocket and crush defenses, he does a great job of escaping edge rushers or players coming right at his face, he can throw on the run and he can also have some designed runs worked in throughout the years. Don’t forget, Watson rushed for more than 1,100 yards one season at Clemson and had 26 total rushing touchdowns in three years.
Underwood plays just like him except a little more dynamic in almost every facet. One big difference – and this one is considerable. Watson never hid from major events whether it was Elite 11 or numerous Rivals national events. The five-star was always ready to get after it, compete and show he was the best. Underwood did very little this summer on the national stage. That’s unfortunate because he definitely has the ability to be the No. 1 overall player in the Rivals250.
