Trey Lance could face uphill battle | There has not been much success for Redshirt Sophomore Quarterbacks in the NFL

Can Trey Lance defy the odds once again? Many FBS schools did not want him as a quarterback. They wanted to bring him to the FBS to play defensive back, but Lance would stick with his love of throwing the ball and it paid off.

Lance went to North Dakota State and had a monster year in 2019 earning several major accolades at the year’s finish. This year Trey Lance is the only Redshirt Sophomore quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft. That could be a problem if you look at the past six redshirt Sophomore QB’s to enter the draft since 1970.

The six are: Todd Marinovich (1991), Tommy Maddox (1992), Michael Vick (2001), Johnny Manziel (2014), Jameis Winston (2015), Dwayne Haskins (2019).

• Todd Marinovich career stats – 8 games, 1345 yards passing, 8 touchdowns
• Tommy Maddox career stats – 92 games, 8087 yards passing, 48 touchdowns
• Michael Vick career stats – 143 games, 22,464 yards passing, 133 touchdowns
• Johnny Manziel career stats – 14 games, 1675 yards passing, 7 touchdowns
• Jameis Winston career stats – 76 games, 19,812 yards passing, 121 touchdowns
• Dwayne Haskins career stats – 16 games, 2804 yards passing, 12 touchdowns

Trey Lance will have to overcome some odds, especially when you look at how the list above played out, but it would not be the first time he had to overcome odds.

When looking at Trey Lance you first notice his size and it will remind you a lot of Cam Newton. They both run the ball going downhill with a great amount of force. His physical stature is admirable, while he weighs in at 227 pounds and stands at 6’4. Being at that size is extremely helpful while he stands in the pocket to deliver throws.

Lance has all of the physical skills needed to be a standout quarterback much fellow-alum Carson Wentz. Many scouts I have talked to say their biggest concern with Trey Lance is his limited film. He only played in one game this year against Central Arkansas and he did not really WOW anyone. But today at his pro day he really looked sharp. He missed a few throws but overall he was impressive. There were tons of NFL teams present (30) in total.

Lance will have to be reminded of Johnny Manziel and Todd Marinovich when he is drafted, but if he can turn out like Mike Vick he could be a huge steal. He will once again have to prove the haters wrong. He has already been proving he can defy the odds, but I would like to know what you think. Which quarterback above do you feel Trey Lance will compare too? Will he be like Dwayne Haskins, or could he have a Jameis Winston type of career?