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2026 College Football Playoffs Discussion (12 Team Format)
- By ScriptOhio
- College Football
- 18 Replies
It's good to have a veteran QB too.
www.elevenwarriors.com
Age isn't just a number, at least when it comes to the starting quarterback of a national championship team in college football.
Having an upperclassman quarterback seems to be a key to success, at least in terms of winning the national championship in the transfer portal era. Since 2019, every quarterback who’s won the national championship has been in at least their third year of college football; all but one of them, with Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy being the lone exception, has been in at least their fourth year of college football.
Age of Quarterbacks to Win National Championship Since CFP Started
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Julian Sayin was great in his first year as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, there's no doubt about that. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist who finished with the third-best completion percentage in a single season in college football history. You can't ask for much more than that from a first-year starter. That said, at times when Ohio State needed him the most, Sayin wasn't always at his best. While a lackluster offensive line performance in Ohio State's last two games – both of which were losses – certainly played a part in that, it was evident that Sayin's experience, or lack thereof, also played a role.
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Veteran Quarterbacks Have Been A Common Trait for National Champions in Transfer Portal Era
A quarterback who has been in college for less than three years hasn't won the national championship since the 2018 season.
Veteran Quarterbacks Have Been A Common Trait for National Champions in Transfer Portal Era
Age isn't just a number, at least when it comes to the starting quarterback of a national championship team in college football.
Having an upperclassman quarterback seems to be a key to success, at least in terms of winning the national championship in the transfer portal era. Since 2019, every quarterback who’s won the national championship has been in at least their third year of college football; all but one of them, with Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy being the lone exception, has been in at least their fourth year of college football.
Age of Quarterbacks to Win National Championship Since CFP Started
| SEASON | QUARTERBACK | AGE | YEAR IN SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | FERNANDO MENDOZA (INDIANA) | 22.29 | 4th |
| 2024 | WILL HOWARD (OHIO STATE) | 23.31 | 5th |
| 2023 | J.J. MCCARTHY (MICHIGAN) | 20.97 | 3rd |
| 2022 | STETSON BENNETT (GEORGIA) | 25.38 | 6th |
| 2021 | STETSON BENNETT (GEORGIA) | 24.19 | 5th |
| 2020 | MAC JONES (ALABAMA) | 22.36 | 4th |
| 2019 | JOE BURROW (LSU) | 23.09 | 5th |
| 2018 | TREVOR LAWRENCE (CLEMSON) | 19.25 | 1st |
| 2017 | JALEN HURTS (ALABAMA) | 19.43 | 2nd |
| 2017 | TUA TAGOVAILOA (ALABAMA) | 19.86 | 1st |
| 2016 | DESHAUN WATSON (CLEMSON) | 21.32 | 3rd |
| 2015 | JAKE COKER (ALABAMA) | 23.44 | 5th |
| 2014 | J.T. BARRETT (OHIO STATE) | 19.97 | 2nd |
| 2014 | CARDALE JONES (OHIO STATE) | 22.3 | 4th |
| **** | AVERAGE | 21.94 | 3.6 |
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continued
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Julian Sayin was great in his first year as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, there's no doubt about that. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist who finished with the third-best completion percentage in a single season in college football history. You can't ask for much more than that from a first-year starter. That said, at times when Ohio State needed him the most, Sayin wasn't always at his best. While a lackluster offensive line performance in Ohio State's last two games – both of which were losses – certainly played a part in that, it was evident that Sayin's experience, or lack thereof, also played a role.
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continued
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