It’s time for our first edition of the QB Dating Game. Which of our first 3 contestant will the audience prefer?
The Steelers are in desperate need of a new franchise quarterback. In the weeks leading up to the 2025 college football season, we’ll be examining some of the top college quarterbacks eligible for the 2026 draft. However, we’re going to have some fun along the way. If you’re looking for further explanation/context, read the series primer here. All responses from the “players” in this article are fictitious and stem from my own analysis, which is why some of the answers will offer analysis you would never hear a media-trained quarterback say. If you complain about this feature in the comments, just know that you’re a lint-licker.
An uneasy crowd sits in semi-darkness, as anxious murmurs spread throughout Acrisure Stadium. Suddenly, a spotlight fires to life, illuminating a stage set up at the 50-yard line. Music begins to play through the stadium speakers, and the crowd erupts into cheers as the PA announcer’s voice booms out:
“Welcome to the Steelers QB Dating Game! Anddddd here’s your host, Steely McBeam!”
From behind a red, blue and yellow curtain emerges the Steelers’ mascot, holding what appears to be a microphone shaped like a steel beam.
Steely McBeam: Are Yinz ready to find your quarterback? I said, are you ready to meet your new quarterback?! It could be one of these gentlemen here tonight. The Stairway to Seven starts here, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s meet our contestants!
The Lonestar Kid
Steely McBeam: Listed as 6’2 and 210 pounds, our first contestant hails from Austin, Texas. One of the top prospects from the 2022 recruiting class, he was a five-star recruit described as an “energetic leader,” he already ranks in the top-5 for most of his school’s all-time passing statistics. Let’s give it up for our first contestant, Mr. Lonestar!
Mr. Fantastic
Steely McBeam: Our next contestant is also proof that everything’s bigger in Texas. A 6’6 and 224-pound, dual-threat quarterback from Lewisville, he began as a humble 3-star recruit, spending three seasons in the Mountain West Conference. Last year, he made the leap to a school in a Power 5 conference where he put up a ton of yards through the air and on the ground.. With a stellar 2025 season, it wouldn’t be a stretch for him to enter the first-round conversation. A round of applause for Mr. Fantastic!
The Natural
Steely McBeam: We like them tall here, don’t we, folks? Now let’s put our hands together for our final contestant. A former volleyball player from Long Beach, CA, he was a five-star recruit and the number two overall prospect in the 2023 class according to both 247 Sports and Rivals. Things weren’t as breezy as he’d have hoped at his first college stop, but a return to the West Coast could rejuvenate his career. Standing 6’6 and weighing 215 pounds, let’s hear it for The Natural!
Steely McBeam: Alright, this is the name of the game, ladies and gentlemen. I will ask these signal callers a series of questions to help us get to know them. Then you’ll vote for which one you want to advance to one of five spots open in our final round.
Let’s get started, shall we?
This question is for each of you. How would you describe your 2024 season? Lonestar Kid, let’s start with you.
LSK: 2024 was a big prove-it year for me. I had already had one season of starting under my belt, but many considered that season to be a disappointment. To fully understand my 2024 season, you need to know a little bit about the situation heading into the year.
My school was contending for national titles only a handful of years ago, but we started 4-4 in 2023, my first season under center. Making matters worse, each of those losses came against conference opponents. We rebounded and finished the year 9-4 after five straight wins, including a bowl game victory, but my performance did not match my high rankings as a recruit.
I played much better in 2024. There were still challenges, including losses to our only two ranked opponents during the regular season, but I led my school to the college football playoffs, where we won our first-round matchup and finished the year with a 10-4 record. My numbers took a significant leap, and I looked more in control of the offense. I finished the year with 36 passing touchdowns against just 6 interceptions, and I added 7 rushing touchdowns.
Steely McBeam: And what about you, Mr. Fantastic?
MF: My 2024 was a bit of a culture shock. Playing in the Mountain West, my numbers weren’t prolific, but I’d managed to score 19 rushing touchdowns in two years, led my team to a 15-7 record in 22 starts, and appeared in back-to-back conference championship games, winning in 2023.
Hitting the portal, I didn’t end up with a school considered a powerhouse in modern times, but it’s still a school in the part of the country where I’m told it just means more.
It was a bit of an up-and-down year. I put up career highs in virtually every major passing stat, but turnovers were still a problem, and I was sacked more times last year (32) than I was during my entire time at my previous school. All six of our losses came against ranked opponents, with our only ranked victory coming against this guy. *Mr. Fantastic gives a smirk, nodding towards The Natural.*
Overall, the offense was one of the most productive in the country in terms of yardage, ranking 10th in the nation with 459.2 offensive yards per game. Shoot, that’s better than both of these guys. *Mr. Fantastic now winks at the Lonestar Kid, whose offense ranked 12th, while The Natural’s team ranked 15th.*
That isn’t to say we didn’t have challenges. Despite our yardage output, we had trouble finishing drives with touchdowns. We also never managed to win more than two games in a row, and I played through a knee sprain late in the season that hampered some of my mobility late in the year. Despite this, we qualified for a bowl game, which we won by a couple of scores to finish the year 7-6. If I can show the game has started to slow down for me and take another leap forward in production, it would greatly improve my draft stock.
Steely McBeam: And what about you, Natural?
TN: My season was a bit of an enigma. Ask around, and most people would call it disappointing. But at the same time, my team went 10-3, made the college football playoffs, and never fell below No. 15 in the national rankings. We beat three ranked opponents, and two of our three losses came against top-12 opponents. Not bad for my first season as a starter.
Watching our offense, most of our series felt laborious and disconnected. Our offense would put up huge numbers against lesser opponents, but in conference play, our drives were grinders more often than not. We managed only 25.0 points per game in those matchups, compared to a cartoonish 61.8 PPG against non-conference opponents.
Part of the problem is that the design of the offense offered few answers when the primary route was taken away. My school’s passing game design exploits the spacing dimensions of college fields, which are different from the NFL, and would often ask our receivers to win one-on-one on vertical choice routes. This often meant receivers were either running a go route or a hitch. There were also times the playcall would give me a predetermined throw. When defenses had answers for that, it would frequently lead to me playing hero ball, for better or worse. It’s similar to a critique frequently levied against Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart in this year’s draft.
While my natural ability creates plenty of flashes that pop out on tape, finding consistency and playing in a different system will be key for me moving forward. I’m hoping that relocating to a school closer to home will be just the reset I need in 2025.
Steely McBeam: We’ve got a pretty young offensive line here, and possibly a few newer pieces by the time you get here. How you’ll handle pressure is important. Gentlemen, how are you when you’ve got a defender barreling down on you?
LSK: I’ll take the lead, again, fellas. I think the tape will speak for itself, but of the three guys on this stage tonight, I’m clearly the most comfortable and efficient evading pressure INSIDE the pocket. I’m always looking to make the throw over scrambling, sometimes to a fault, I’ll admit. I’m not a track star by any means, but I have enough speed that I could stand to take advantage of my legs more in 2025.
When it comes to actually making plays with our arm, I outclass these two by a country mile. I get the ball out quicker, I take less sacks, and frankly, I do more damage to the defense but in terms of yardage and scoring.
And at the risk of tooting my own horn, out all 15 contestants that will be on this stage for this series, none had more passing touchdowns under pressure than me, and only two had fewer interceptions.
If you want a straight shooter who seems to thrive in chaotic situations, I’m your guy.
TN: If I can step in here, I’d just like to point out I had fewer turnovers and turnover-worthy plays than him.
Steely McBeam: That’s true, but didn’t you also take a lot of sacks? Despite receiving pressure less often? And your turnover-worthy-play rate is higher than Lonestar’s, it seems.
TN: Unfortunately, yes. My offensive line was fairly good about keeping me clean, but as I mentioned before, the passing designs for my offense often put me in a position where we had to improvise. My pressure-to-sack rate is also alarmingly high.
On tape, you can see glimpses of my athletic potential, but it’s an area of my game I’m hoping a new offense can help me show a leap in development.
Steely McBeam: And what about you, Mr. Fantastic?
MF: Consistency is still the biggest development I need to show in 2025. My tape is littered with jaw-dropping plays where I’m able to escape the pocket and either make a big throw downfield or scramble for a first down. The flipside is that my film also has plenty of catastrophic sacks and other ugly results.
I’ll note that I was pressured at a significantly higher rate than either of these two and didn’t have the same level of playmakers at my disposal. I was at times too quick to leave the pocket in 2024. I’m mobile, but I’m more of a long strider as a runner. I don’t have the Lamar Jackson/Jayden Daniels combination of speed and elusiveness, even if I’m above average in both regards.
I’m hoping I can learn from my experiences last year and continue to capitalize on my mobility while also cutting down on the negative plays.
Steely McBeam: Since we’ve started to touch on it a little, let’s talk about each of you as runners.
MF: If we could stick with me, I’d love to tackle this one. I’m the most prolific runner here. I should easily eclipse 2,000 career rushing yards during the first month of the season. In 2024, I picked up 409 yards on designed runs and 414 yards on 41 scrambles, making me a constant threat with my legs. Six of my designed runs went for 15+ yards, also the best here.
Of the 15 quarterbacks in this series, I finished third in PFF’s “Elusiveness” metric, which aims to measure how impactful a runner is with the ball in their hands, regardless of how well a play is blocked for. And though I’m not truly a power runner that’s going to succeed trying to run defenders over, my 453 yards after contact is nothing to turn your nose up at.
I added 8 scores, but I do need to work on ball security. I had 12 fumbles last season and will need to tighten that up.
TN: I scrambled the most out of the three of us, 50 times total, and totaled 300 yards on scrambles. Surprisingly, my offense didn’t get me nearly as involved in the design run game, where I only totaled 175 yards, but had four runs of 15+ yards.
I finished seventh among our 15 quarterback contestants in elusiveness rating and managed 305 yards after contact. Fumbles were also an issue for me, with 10 in 2024.
LSK: Like I’ve said, I’m looking to throw more than I run. I only scrambled 27 in 2024, totaling 242 yards, highlighting that I can make efficient runs when I do decide to tuck it and run. I was actually not too far behind Mr. Fantastic in designed run yardage last year with 346. But I wasn’t as explosive with only 2 of those types of runs gaining 15+ yards.
I had 290 yards after contact and added 7 scores on the ground, but I also need to clean up my fumbles after I had 9 last year.
Steely McBeam: Alright, gentlemen, it’s time for our closing statements. Give us one last pitch.
LSK: If you want the most polished and efficient of us, I’m your pick. So far I have improved each year, and I will have more than enough starts under my belt for you to have a clear idea of what you’ll be getting if you draft me.
And that’s a guy that’s cool under pressure and who is able to make throws on time and layer my ball placement to give my receiver the best shot at success. I’m athletic enough to add some quarterback runs to your offense, and I’ve had success in the college football playoffs.
Sure, I’m a little small in stature but I can add a few more pounds to my frame if it concerns NFL teams, and the Steelers’ current quarterback is also 6’2, so my height isn’t a problem.
MF: I, too, will have a lot of starts to my name by the draft. Teams should be encouraged that I had one of my most productive seasons across the board last year while taking a significant leap in competition level. I’m a modern-day quarterback, capable of keeping defenses on edge with my mobility and ability to make plays downfield when I’m flushed from the pocket. My timing could speed up a tick, as I’m slightly behind on a lot of throws, but another year in this system should improve that.
I hope to prove I can help our offense score more touchdowns in 2025 and will have one of the more unique physical profiles in the 2025 class. I may not be the top of this class currently, but If I take a significant leap, I could enter the conversation around the area of the first round where the Steelers have been picking in recent years.
TN: I may not have had the best debut as a starter last year, but you can’t deny the natural physical abilities I have. The ball just comes out of my hand differently, and I am clearly a freaky runner under the right conditions.
There’s a real chance I go back to school in 2026, but if I have a breakout season at my new school, that could tempt me to come out early. I will have less starts than these two, so that risk might push me down the board into Pittsburgh range, but I have a very similar recruiting profile as the Lone Star Kid, and I could end up being a steal for an NFL franchise.
Steely McBeam: We’re close on time, so let’s reveal our participants. Gentlemen, you can step out from behind the curtain now.
The Lonestar Kid: Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Mr. Fantasitic: Taylen Green, Boise State/Arkansas
Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
The Natural: Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee/UCLA
Angelina Alcantar/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
Steely McBeam: Thank you, gentleman. And now it’s time to let the people vote. Cast your vote for the player you’d prefer in the poll below. The winner will be entered in our final round, which will include some film analysis of the finalists. Vote below!
What are your thoughts on these prospects? Let us know in the comments! And keep an eye out for future “episodes” in the coming weeks.