We all knew Tua Tagovailoa headed into the 2019 college football season as one of the country's best quarterbacks. And that, in all likelihood, would translate into a first-round grade once the NFL Draft rolls around in the spring. But few people expected Jalen Hurts to enter the conversation so quickly. And maybe that changes but for now, it's hard to overlook just how good Hurts was in his debut for the Sooners.

We also look at the Week 1 performances of Justin Herbert, who a year ago was considered a first-round lock (Herbert chose to return to school); Shea Patterson, Jake Fromm and two of those most intriging quarterbacks in this class: Jordan Love and Jacob Eason.

OK, let's get to it.

Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

Tagovailoa's performance against Duke was as close to clinical as you're going to see. The junior finished 26 of 31 for 336 yards with 4 touchdowns and no turnovers and unlike the end of last season, Tua is finally healthy. He also showed off all the attributes that makes him the No. 1 quarterback. It starts with his accuracy, where he's lethal at every level. We saw that short and intermediate accuracy on two of his touchdowns -- to DeVonta Smith in the third quarter and Miller Forristall before halftime.

Almost as important as the accuracy in those touchdown tosses? Tua's movement in the pocket, his ability to square his shoulders and his uncanny knack to put the ball in the best position to allow his receiver to run after the catch. Of course, throwing to the likes of Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle and Smith certainly makes things easier but that relationship is a two-way street. It wasn't a perfect effort for Tua but it was close; he missed a few downfield throws that you would expect him to make virtually every time because he didn't set his feet in the pocket. But again, he had just five incompletions all afternoon. And while this Duke defense doesn't scare anyone, Tua showed no rust after spending part of the offseason getting healthy.

Next up: At home this Saturday against New Mexico State.

Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

While playing behind Tua Tagovailoa at Alabama last season, Hurts only attempted 70 passes. But the highlight came in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia when he replaced an injured Tua and finished 7 of 9 for 82 yards and a touchdown, and added another 28 yards on the ground, and another score. When he transferred to Oklahoma we all wondered just how good he would be in Lincoln Riley's offense and the answer after one game is "better than anyone imagined." We'll see if that holds but in three quarters of work against Houston Hurts was phenomenal. He went 20 of 23 (87 percent!) for 332 yards, 3 touchdown, 0 interceptions and 0 sacks. He threw a touchdown in each quarter and each pass was longer than the one that preceded it (16, 45 and 56 yards). Oh, and Hurts also ran for 176 yards on 16 carries (11.0 YPC!) and 3 more scores. Because why not.

Former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky does a brilliant job breaking down how Hurts executed Riley's offense to perfection against Houston:

And if you're tempted to ask, "So Hurts is just a function of a great offensive mind?" remember this: Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray also played for Riley, also weren't considered NFL prospects in the September of their final college seasons ... and not only went on to win the Heisman Trophy but were both No. 1 overall picks.

Next up: At home this Saturday to South Dakota.

Justin Herbert, Oregon

We'll likely be saying this every week but it's easy to fall in love with Justin Herbert. He's 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, incredibly athletic, has one of the best arms in the country and when he gets hot he's hard to stop. But following a pedestrian junior campaign (he completed just 59 percent of his throws after connecting on 68 percent of passes as a sophomore) he was wise to return for his senior season. Against Auburn in the season opener, Herbert looked good early, throwing on time and accurately on short screens and quick routes, and hitting a wide-open Johnny Johnson on a deep crossing route early in the 1st quarter. But as Auburn's defense started taking away Herbert's underneath options and forced him to hold the ball, the game changed. Herbert finished 28 of 37 for 242 yards with no turnovers, but his lone touchdown was an off-balance, ill-advised throw under pressure that would likely be an interception at the next level.

One of the knocks against Herbert last year was his completion percentage. And to his credit, he completed 75.7 percent of his throws against Auburn. But that doesn't tell the entire story; he averaged 9.9 yards per attempt in the first quarter on 8 of 11 passing. And while he was 10 of 11 in the 3rd quarter and 8 of 10 in the 4th, he managed just 6.2 and 5.2 yards per attempt, respectively and the Ducks failed to score over the final 24 minutes. Herbert remains one of the top quarterbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft class but he'll need to be more consistent downfield and find a way to help his team put points on the board later in games.

Next up: At home this Saturday to Nevada.

Shea Patterson, Michigan

The numbers were average: 17 of 29 for 203 yards -- that's only a 58.6 completion percentage, but Patterson did almost all of his damage in the first half when he completed 16 of 25 for 197 (64 percent), including all three touchdown passes. For better or worse, he has a little Trace McSorely in his game in that he's always a threat to run -- and that puts pressure on the defense -- but his accuracy comes and goes and it sometimes makes it tough for the offense to get into a rhythm. Patterson's 2nd quarter touchdown throw to Nico Collins was impressive:

And it came after two previous play-action passes in the middle of the field froze Middle Tennessee aggressive man-to-man defense. And while Patterson's receivers didn't help him out with drops (Ronnie Bell, Sean McKeaon and Collins were all culprits), the senior quarterback has to play with more consistency. His arm strength isn't an issue but Patterson doesn't have the accuracy -- short, intermediate or deep -- of, say, Tagovailoa and that's a huge difference when it comes to whether a pass is complete, and after that, the yards-after-catch potential.

Next up: At home this Saturday to Army.

Jake Fromm, Georgia

Georgia's offense starts with the running game, and Fromm is able to play off that. The first series was a microcosm of the afternoon against Vanderbilt; the Bulldogs went 75 yards in eight plays -- six of them runs -- and Fromm punctuated things with an easy touchdown throw to the back of the end zone.

Any NFL quarterback makes this throw but credit to Fromm for recognizing the coverage pre-snap, allowing the play to develop, and throwing the perfectly weighted pass. Arm strength will always be an issue but when he has defined reads and room to step up in the pocket Fromm is an accurate downfield thrower. That was apparent on skinny post to Demetris Robertson late in the first quarter; Robertson beat the Vandy defender by two steps and Fromm hit him in stride for a 53-yard gain. The play was negated by a Bulldogs penalty but Fromm executed it perfectly.

Fromm, who finished 15 of 23 for 156 yards and a touchdown, faced little pressure (he wasn't sacked) against Vandy. So how does his game change with defenders in his face? Put another way: The question that will follow Fromm this season and in the months leading up to the draft: Can he put a team on his shoulders or does he need a stout offensive line, an explosive running game and a complement of playmakers around him to be successful?

Next up: At home this Saturday to Murray State.

Jordan Love, Utah State

The first thing that gets your attention is how the football explodes out of Love's right hand. Then you notice how, when he's on, Love can put the ball anywhere he wants. The issues start to crop up when he tries to do too much. We saw a lot of good and some bad against Wake Forest -- and also many of the reasons NFL teams are intrigued by Love. He makes hard throws look effortless, and has the ability to put the ball on a line or have the touch to clear the underneath defender. Here are two examples -- both touchdown throws -- of Love delivering the ball with timing:

And also putting it in only where his receiver can make a play while leaving the defensive back in a tough spot:

When Love is in rhythm, the ball comes out on time, and when his first read isn't there he's able to move on, keeping his feet under him and throwing accurately to his next target. But he gets in trouble when his footwork falters. And that coupled with sometimes suspect decision-making can lead to turnovers. Wake intercepted Love three times (and it could have easily been five), including Utah State's final drive, while trailing by three points. The junior finished 33 of 48 for 416 yards, 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions and there is plenty of reason to think Love will only get better.

Next up: At home this Saturday to Stony Brook.

Jacob Eason, Washington

Here's what we knew about Eason heading into the weekend: He played in 13 games and attempted 370 passes during his freshman season at Georgia in 2016. He had thrown seven passes since, all in 2017, because he was benched for Jake Fromm, and that prompted him to transfer to Washington before 2018. At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, he certainly looks the part, and he has the arm strength to make every throw look easy. But will he be NFL-ready after this season?

First things first, Eason passes the eyeball test with flying colors. He certainly looks like a franchise quarterback. And he can throw the ball out of the stadium. And while he hasn't played a lot of football in recent years, you wouldn't have known it to watch him against Eastern Washington. Here's his first touchdown:

Yes, it's important to remember that Eastern Washington is, well, Eastern Washington. But it's also important to remember that Eason finished 27 of 36 for 349 yards with 4 touchdowns and no interceptions -- things could've gone much, much worse. And while the Washington coaching staff loves Eason's deep-ball accuracy, he also showed the ability to fit the ball into tight spaces on intermediate routes.

Next up: At home this Saturday against Cal.