Super Bowl 60 is finally here, and as always, the first place fans look is under center. This year’s quarterback matchup doesn’t just deliver, it tells a story that spans nearly a decade of college football and NFL evolution.
On one sideline stands Sam Darnold, once crowned college football’s next great savior at USC, a Rose Bowl champion whose NFL journey has been anything but linear. On the other hand is Drake Maye, North Carolina’s prodigy, on the brink of possibly being the youngest quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl, and the face of a rapid rise from ACC stardom to NFL superstardom.
Two quarterbacks. Both are No. 3 overall picks. Entirely different paths to the same stage.
Sam Darnold: From USC Savior to Seattle’s Star
It may sound surprising, but Sam Darnold is the first quarterback from USC to start a Super Bowl. For a program synonymous with elite quarterback play, names like Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer, Darnold is the one who finally reached the league’s biggest stage.
Darnold’s college legend began in 2016. Thrust into action midway through his redshirt freshman season under head coach Clay Helton, USC needed a spark. Darnold delivered, and then some.
After taking over as the starter, Darnold led the Trojans to nine straight wins to close the season. In 13 games (10 starts), he completed 67.2% of his passes for 3,086 yards, 31 touchdowns, and just nine interceptions. His defining moment came in the Rose Bowl, where he completed 33 of 53 passes for 453 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception, leading USC back from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit. He tied the Rose Bowl record for touchdown passes and set a new mark for total offense in the process.
That performance cemented Darnold as college football’s next star.
Entering 2017, the hype was enormous. Heisman buzz followed him everywhere, and many viewed him as the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick. While his sophomore season didn’t quite match the historic expectations, Darnold still did enough to secure his place at the top of the draft, going No. 3 overall to the New York Jets in 2018. What followed was a turbulent NFL journey.
In New York, flashes of brilliance were often buried beneath instability. Coaching changes, roster turnover, and organizational dysfunction stalled his development. A trade to Carolina offered little relief, and by the time he landed in San Francisco as a backup, many viewed him as a reclamation project. Ironically, that stop may have saved his career.
Learning in Kyle Shanahan’s quarterback-friendly system helped Darnold reset his mechanics and confidence. A strong season in Minnesota followed, where he posted a top-15 PFSN NFL QB Impact Grade and led the Vikings to the playoffs.
Now in Seattle, Darnold has taken another leap. In 2025, he recorded a PFSN NFL QB Impact Grade of 78.7, his best yet, and guided the Seahawks to Super Bowl 60, a testament to patience, perseverance, and growth.
Drake Maye: North Carolina’s Prodigy on a Fast Track
Across the field stands Drake Maye, who is in line to possibly be the youngest quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl, and the face of a meteoric rise.
Maye hails from North Carolina, a school better known as a basketball blue blood than a quarterback factory. A highly touted recruit, he originally committed to Alabama before flipping to UNC, influenced by deep family ties to the university and a belief that he could be “next up” in Chapel Hill. He didn’t just live up to that belief; he exceeded it.
In his first year as a starter in 2022, Maye was electric. He posted a PFSN CFB QB Impact Grade of 83, ranking among the top 10 quarterbacks in the nation, and earned ACC Player of the Year honors. At 6’4”, 220 pounds, with elite arm talent and surprising athleticism, scouts were immediately sold.
The expectations for 2023 were sky-high: Heisman contention, top-three draft status, and program-changing success. While the season didn’t mirror the statistical explosion of his breakout year, context mattered. Maye was asked to do more with less after key departures to the NFL, and a struggling defense routinely put him in difficult positions.
Even then, he delivered. His PFSN CFB QB Impact Grade of 81.2 ranked among the top 20 quarterbacks nationally, and many of the critiques surrounding his game felt more like nitpicks than red flags. A stellar pre-draft process sealed the deal, and Maye was selected No. 3 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
His rookie season was rocky, marked by an inconsistent supporting cast and coaching turnover. But the arrival of Mike Vrabel as head coach and Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator proved transformative. Year two was a revelation.
Maye finished the season top five in passing yards and passing touchdowns, while leading the league in completion percentage. He was one vote shy of an MVP award, a near-perfect breakout that announced his arrival among the NFL’s elite.
Now, just one win away from a Super Bowl title, Maye has the chance to erase that MVP snub entirely and potentially usher in the next era of Patriots dominance.
Same Draft Slot, Different Journeys
Darnold and Maye share more than a Super Bowl stage. Both were No. 3 overall picks, both carried immense expectations from day one, and both experienced early turbulence in the NFL. The difference lies in the timeline.
Darnold’s journey has been one of resilience, surviving organizational chaos, redefining his role, and steadily rebuilding his career. Maye’s path has been accelerated, a rapid ascent fueled by talent, adaptation, and the right structure at the right time.
Yet here they are. Two quarterbacks shaped by different programs, different eras, and different challenges, standing on the same field with the same dream they shared as kids.
Super Bowl 60 isn’t just a championship game. It’s proof that there’s more than one way to reach the top.
