Jake Locker entered last season as nothing more than a gifted athlete with plenty of upside. By the end of September, he had attained national recognition and superstar status on a team with a no-name roster. With one victory over Pete Carroll’s Trojans, the faceless quarterback was catapulted into America’s living rooms. And as we sit just two days away from the rematch, Locker finds himself in a similar situation.

Since that meeting twelve months ago, Locker’s reputation has come full circle. He ended the 2009 season atop NFL draft boards, despite his team finishing a miserable 3-6 after the biggest victory of his young career. He began the current campaign noted as one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and easily the best in conference. But three games in, the wheels have fallen off the wagon, and his decision to return to Washington for his senior year appears to be as beneficial as it was for Jevan Snead.

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