Brett who?
Edit: Or is it Brett Hu . . .?
On the introduce yourself page on ROD from last December, I included the phrase "pro Josh Rosen (too early?)"
Why Josh Rosen's UCLA debut felt like Jameis Winston's first-ever starthttp://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... -his-debutI figured it out. I know why Jim Mora was yelling at Josh Rosen in front of all those media members a few weeks ago.
He was just trying to keep the kid humble because Rosen just might be very good.
Now, it's only one game, and things are not going to be smooth all season long, but our first look at UCLA freshman Josh Rosen was an impressive one. Rosen looked every bit the five-star recruit in his debut against Virginia.
Rosen completed 28 of his 35 passes for 351 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in the No. 13 Bruins' 34-16 win.
But while the numbers themselves were impressive, you had to see Rosen with your own eyes to truly appreciate what he did. It's not just that he makes the throws, it's the throws that he makes. When he needed to show touch, he showed touch. When he had to fire a rocket to squeeze the ball between defenders, he launched the ball with accuracy. He seemed to have complete command of the offense, which is remarkable for somebody who was in high school a year ago.
Simply put, it was the most impressed I've been by a freshman quarterback in his debut since Jameis Winston tore apart the Pitt defense in 2013 before winning a Heisman Trophy and a national title. Of course, Winston also had the benefit of redshirting a season before making his debut.
None of this is to say that Rosen is winning a Heisman Trophy, or that UCLA is en route to the College Football Playoff. Rosen is still a true freshman. He's going to make mistakes this year, and odds are good he's going to make a big mistake at the exact wrong time. That's just par for the course when you're dealing with a freshman at the most important position on the field.
But make no mistake, he is a very good quarterback, and he's going to be a handful for Pac-12 defenses to deal with for at least three seasons.
Josh Rosen has lived up to the hype through one start at least. (USATSI)