If you’re a fan hoping your team will take a quarterback in next year’s NFL draft, keep an eye on Brett Hundley of UCLA.
Hundley had an outstanding game today at Nebraska, moving UCLA down the field all day, both as a runner and a passer, as the Bruins beat the Cornhuskers 41-21. Hundley went 16-of-24 for 294 yards with three touchdowns, and he also added 61 yards rushing. Hundley was already on the radar of people who follow the draft, but this was the kind of performance that will make everyone take notice.
A pair of back-to-back plays in the third quarter really showed what kind of all-around prospect Hundley is. After a nice 12-yard run gave UCLA a first down, on the very next play Hundley threw an absolutely perfect pass directly into the hands of receiver Shaquelle Evans in the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown.
Hundley currently looks like the second-best quarterback prospect in next year’s draft, behind Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater. Hundley redshirted his freshman year in 2011, which means he could declare for the draft as early as the end of this college football season, or he could play two more years at UCLA after this one. (Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel is in the same situation.) It’s tough to see why Hundley would return to school after this year. He looks ready for the NFL.