Our second installment of the college football Most Intriguing lists for 2018: The 25 Most Intriguing Quarterbacks, starting with three either/or decisions that could go a long way toward shaping the race for the national championship:

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama. Simply put, nobody has ever done what Tagovailoa did last season — bouncing off the bench in the second half of the national title game as a true freshman and leading a stirring comeback victory, capped by a dramatic walk-off touchdown bomb. But those heroics haven’t yet solidified the starting job for his sophomore season at Alabama. Assuming he wins the job, Tua will have to show he’s more than a one-half wonder.

1a. Jalen Hurts, Alabama. The forgotten man in the wake of The Tua Show. In surprising comments given the nature of Nick Saban’s Process Machine, Hurts made it clear earlier this month that he hasn’t been pleased with the way he’s been handled by the Alabama staff since being benched in the championship game. If Hurts doesn’t win the starting job, the transfer market immediately will be red-hot for his services — but his passing production dropped off dramatically as the 2017 season wore on.

2. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson. One college head coach told me this summer Lawrence is the best quarterback prospect he’s ever seen. Early reports out of Clemson fall camp don’t make that sound like hyperbole — he is pushing incumbent starter Kelly Bryant, and is widely expected to take the job and be the man for the majority of the season. He could be a three-year star for the Tigers before becoming the top pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

2a. Kelly Bryant, Clemson. Then again, maybe Bryant will stop the freshman hype train in its tracks for a second straight year. He wasn’t supposed to keep the starting job last year, then he did — running off five-star Hunter Johnson in the process. Bryant had a great junior season but had his limitations exposed by Alabama in the College Football Playoff, producing just 143 yards of total offense on 55 plays.

3. Jake Fromm, Georgia. Had a true freshman season beyond anyone’s wildest expectations — but will it be enough to guarantee him a starting spot as a sophomore? Fromm took the job from Jacob Eason and led the Bulldogs to a 13-2 record, an SEC championship and the College Football Playoff title game. He threw 24 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions, seemingly solidifying his place for the next two years. But then Georgia signed a superstar recruit …

3a. Justin Fields, Georgia. Fields is that superstar recruit. He arrived in Athens for spring semester and went through spring drills, showing the talent to push Fromm from the start. Coach Kirby Smart will play the athletic, strong-armed Fields — but it’s just a question of what situations, when and how long. And then what happens if Fields tears it up.

4. Shea Patterson, Michigan. The most important transfer in college football, having negotiated some contentious times after leaving Mississippi and gaining immediate eligibility in Ann Arbor. Now all he has to do is ignite the Wolverines’ anemic passing game, lead some of the big victories the program has been lacking in recent years and solidify Jim Harbaugh’s job status. No big deal.

5. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma. Signed a multimillion-dollar baseball contract this summer, but chose to stick with the pointed ball for one more season. The job: replacing Heisman Trophy winner and NFL No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield. Murray was a mop-up man last year, but the numbers were pretty outrageous: 10 yards per carry, 86 percent passing accuracy and a 277 pass-efficiency rating. If he’s really good in Lincoln Riley’s offense, Oklahoma should again be really good as well.

6. Trace McSorley, Penn State. Resourceful playmaker has been overshadowed the past two seasons by Saquon Barkley, and now the Happy Valley stage is his. Only thing is, he has to do it without stellar play caller Joe Moorhead, now the head coach at Mississippi State. But if the Fiesta Bowl performance without Moorhead is any indication, McSorley will continue to light up defenses.

7. McKenzie Milton, Central Florida. Those who watched the Golden Knights last year saw one of the most entertaining players in the sport — smart, confident and possessing a great improvisational flair. The only player in the FBS top 100 in total offense last year who topped Milton’s 9.28 yards per play was Baker Mayfield at 9.86 — and Mayfield didn’t go undefeated. Will Milton still be as good with coach Scott Frost gone to Nebraska?

Story continues