Top 10 California quarterbacks in Rivals.com history

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Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.

With the first numerical ranking of the 2020 class in the books and quarterback D.J. Uliagalelei ranked as our No. 1 player and a five-star quarterback recruit, we thought it would be interesting to take a look back at the highest-rated five-star signal callers from the Golden State. Here they are …

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CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position

The skinny: Clausen committed to Notre Dame during a memorable ceremony, which took place at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend. While he had a successful career with the Irish, he failed to live up to the very lofty expectations that followed him at Notre Dame. He was selected in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft by Carolina after skipping his senior season with the Irish. His professional career, which ended in 2015, saw him spend time with Carolina, Chicago and Baltimore.

Farrell’s take: Clausen was called the “LeBron of high school football” by one quarterback guru, which was ridiculous but he was a super-talented kid and our No. 1 player overall for many reasons. His career at Notre Dame, to me, was a good one, but he had a horrendous offensive line. I remember Charlie Weis turning down heavily recruited five-star Mitch Mustain the year before because he promised Clausen he would be the only quarterback he wanted, which showed how coveted the California signal caller was at the time.

The skinny: Plenty of time still left in Uliagalelei’s recruiting process, but early favorites are thought to be Alabama, Clemson and USC. He took June visits to both Alabama and Clemson, where he earned his offer from the Tigers at a camp. While the Trojans will always be seen as a major player for Uliagalelei due to their proximity and recruiting success at his high school, neither the Crimson Tide nor Tigers can be overlooked.

Farrell’s take: It’s so early in the 2020 rankings cycle that it’s hard to tell where Uliagalalei will end up, but it’s unlikely he’s going to lose that fifth star, barring something crazy. He’s just that big and talented. He’s a rare prospect with his size and skill combination and he will go down as one of the best to come out of the state in Rivals.com history.

The skinny: Rosen committed to UCLA over Michigan during the spring before his senior season. He also considered Stanford until the end, but the offer from the Cardinal never arrived. With the Bruins, Rosen enjoyed a memorable true freshman season, before an injury sidelined him for the majority of his second campaign. Fully healthy in 2017, he produced a solid effort as a junior, which led to Arizona selecting him with the 10th overall pick in this spring’s NFL Draft. He has impressed during the early stages of his professional career and is very likely to see significant playing time as a rookie this season.

Farrell’s take: In all my years of scouting, Rosen was the best high school quarterback I’ve seen on film or in person - prior to Trevor Lawrence in the 2018 class. There was something about Rosen's attitude and cockiness that led you to believe the game would never be too big for him and that he would excel regardless of the circumstances. I’m kicking myself that we didn’t keep him as No. 1 in 2015, and flipped him with Byron Cowart. That’s on me. His outspoken nature dropped him on some boards, but talent-wise he’s the best NFL quarterback prospect picked this past April.

The skinny: Daniels committed to USC over Michigan and Stanford, and then surprised some by deciding that he would skip his senior season in high school and enroll a year early with the Trojans. Arriving on campus this summer, he will be competing for the starting job as a true freshman against Jack Sears and Matt Fink, neither of whom were able to win the starting job during spring practice.

Farrell’s take: Daniels hasn’t taken a college snap and should essentially be a senior in high school this upcoming year, so it’s hard to say how things will shake out for him. However, Daniels has enough talent to be a star in college and beyond despite not being the tallest quarterback out there. He throws one of the best deep balls I’ve ever seen for a high school prospect.

The skinny: Olson’s recruiting process was a unique one. After trimming his list of top schools to BYU, UCLA and Stanford, Olson surprised some by committing to the Cougars. After redshirting in 2002 and then attending his required two-year mission, Olson decided to transfer to UCLA upon his return in 2005. Injuries plagued his Bruins’ career, which eventually led him to go undrafted in 2009. After breaking his foot for a second time during a tryout with the Philadelphia Eagles, Olson decided to end his playing career.

Farrell’s take: Olson had it all: size, arm strength, field presence and vision. But two years away from football is hard to overcome. It’s hard to think of many quarterbacks who went on missions and came back to be as successful as projected, and Olson is a great example of how the time away can hamper a football career.

The skinny: Barkley avoided drama by committing to USC more than a year prior to his Signing Day and firmly sticking with his word. He became the first true freshman quarterback to start a season for the Trojans, and then followed that with three more productive seasons. A somewhat disappointing senior season, which was hampered by a few injuries, led to Barkley’s drop into the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, where he was selected by Philadelphia. He spent two seasons with the Eagles, and then made his way to Arizona, Chicago, San Francisco, back to Arizona and now Cincinnati, with whom he signed a two-year contract earlier this year.

Farrell’s take: Barkley had his ups and downs in college, but in high school he was a no-brainer as a top five player. He was a starter from the youngest age at his school. He wasn’t tall but he was filled out and strong, and he could make all the throws. Poise, maturity and pocket presence were all there out of high school and he panned out, just not as much as we expected.

The skinny: Wright was long considered a lean towards either Miami or USC. Tennessee made a late push, but he committed to the Canes at the beginning of his senior season. With the Canes, Wright lacked consistency during his three seasons on the field, which ended with him passing for 38 touchdowns while throwing 31 interceptions. After going undrafted in 2008, Wright signed with Minnesota and then spent time with San Francisco, but never made an active roster in the NFL.

Farrell’s take: Wright was supposed to be a can’t-miss, but he could never put it together. He had a very average career but, based on expectations he was considered a bust. It’s hard to explain, because watching him in high school he had everything you wanted in a passer.

The skinny: Sanchez trimmed his list to USC, Ohio State, Texas and Notre Dame prior to committing to the Trojans during the summer leading up to his senior season. After enjoying a memorable career at USC he skipped his senior season to enter the NFL Draft. Selected with the fifth overall pick in 2009, he led the New York Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship games before surprisingly seeing his professional career take a turn for the worse. After stops in Philadelphia, Denver, Dallas and Chicago last year, Sanchez is currently a free-agent and is suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy.

Farrell’s take: The thing I remember about Sanchez the most was his maturity and how calm he was on the field, which is a bit ironic because his NFL career fell apart due to some panic issues. He had the size you’d want in a quarterback, a compact release and his accuracy was excellent. I really liked his leadership and how ahead of the curve he was in maturity. He’s still in the NFL, and some could argue that had the Jets not brought in Tim Tebow, Sanchez could have stayed on track but it’s hard to say.