Monday was a historical day for Northwestern University, as former Wildcat Trevor Siemian was officially named the starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos. While he didn’t necessarily put up incredible numbers this preseason (27-43 with 285 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions), Siemian did enough to win the job over veteran Mark Sanchez and Denver’s 2016 first-round draft pick Paxton Lynch.

Pending unforeseen circumstances between now and September 8th, Siemian will be the first Northwestern quarterback to start a season opener since Otto Graham started for the Browns over 60 years ago.

Trevor Siemian will be the 1st Northwestern QB to start a season opener since Otto Graham for the Browns in 1955 pic.twitter.com/QJ2Fldzhiw — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 29, 2016

This is obviously huge for Siemian, who has only taken one regular season snap in the NFL. After spending last season riding the bench behind Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler, the Northwestern standout has been handed the keys to the defending Super Bowl champions.

The news is also incredible for Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald, whose legacy at Northwestern continues to grow stronger. Coach Fitz was initially criticized for giving Siemian a shot to split time leading the offense in 2012 and 2013 even though Kain Colter was still on the roster, and many would argue that Colter (when healthy) was a better all-around player than Siemian.

In spite of that, Fitzgerald and the Northwestern coaching staff were able to develop Siemian from a tall, lanky backup into an NFL-ready quarterback.

Siemian is one of many on the list of successful quarterbacks that played under Fitzgerald at Northwestern. C.J. Bacher, Mike Kafka, Dan Persa, and Kain Colter all had great careers for the Wildcats, with Kafka going on to get playing time in the NFL, Colter remaining on the Buffalo Bills roster, and Persa transitioning from a special teams player to receiving Heisman consideration at quarterback.

In other words, Fitzgerald knows how to develop young quarterbacks, and Siemian’s unexpected success is yet another example of just how much talent the Wildcats have had under center over the past decade.

While Northwestern often faces difficulty recruiting top tier talent due to the University’s rigorous academic standards, high school quarterbacks around the country have to be taking notice by now. Northwestern is coming off their second 10-win season in the past four years, and their under-the-radar QB that led the team to just six wins in his final season is now starting for the defending NFL champs.

Siemian’s development into a legitimate NFL player is the latest success story of Pat Fitzgerald’s tenure, and while he is already praised for his ability to recruit, the positive national attention on the program may make Fitzgerald’s future recruiting classes even better.

How do you think Siemian will fare for Denver this season? Will the 2016 Wildcats be able to duplicate last season’s success and be a real sleeper in the Big Ten? Reach out to me on Twitter and tell me what you think!