Where did Jarrett Stidham go to college? Revisiting Broncos QB's NCAA career at Auburn, Baylor

Jarrett Stidham has twice been on the verge of a starting job in the NFL.

First, he was proclaimed by Bill Belichick as the New England Patriots' starter after Tom Brady's departure, only for the team to sign Cam Newton. Then, he lost a competition with Bo Nix with the Denver Broncos after being discussed as a potential starter heading into training camp.

The opportunity Stidham has long been waiting for finally arrived when he least expected it, upon hearing the news that Nix suffered a broken ankle in the Broncos' divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills, putting the seventh-year backup into the spotlight. 

Before he spent years sitting and learning in the NFL, Stidham flashed NFL potential in the SEC. 

Here's what you need to know about Stidham's college career.

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Where did Jarrett Stidham go to college?

Stidham committed to Baylor as a five-star recruit in the class of 2015 and started his college career with the Bears, impressing with 12 touchdowns and two interceptions in limited action as a true freshman.

After coach Art Briles resigned amid a sexual abuse scandal, however, Stidham opted to sit out the 2016 season and transfer. He joined Auburn for the 2017 season, and it was with the Tigers that he developed into an NFL prospect.

Stidham spent two seasons as Auburn's starter under Gus Malzahn, leading the Tigers to a 10-win season and an SEC championship game appearance in 2017. The defining win of Stidham's career arguably came against rival Alabama in 2017, as the 26-14 victory allowed Auburn to take the No. 1 Crimson Tide's place in the SEC title game, though Alabama would still go on to win the national championship.

In 2018, Stidham was less efficient but still won eight games to bring his record at Auburn to 18-9. He declared for the NFL Draft following the season. 

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Jarrett Stidham college stats

Stidham accounted for 57 touchdowns and 13 interceptions across parts of three seasons, impressing as a true freshman at Baylor before winning some games at Auburn.

Once thought to be a potential first-round pick, Stidham's lack of development in 2018 hurt his draft stock, but he still finished his final season at Auburn with only five interceptions.

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Jarrett Stidham NFL Draft

The Patriots selected Stidham with the No. 133 overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, making him the seventh quarterback off the board. Kyler Murray, Daniel Jones, Dwayne Haskins, Drew Lock, Will Grier and Ryan Finley were the quarterbacks selected before Stidham.

After a year playing behind Tom Brady in New England, Stidham appeared to be in line to potentially start for the Patriots as Brady's successor. Bill Belichick spent the early portion of the season reiterating that he was comfortable with who the Patriots had in their quarterback room, making Stidham the likely starting option, but New England signed Cam Newton in late June. 

Stidham didn't play in 2021 and was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022. When the Raiders benched Derek Carr to prevent injury, Stidham started the final two games for the organization. The same scenario played out in 2023, when the Broncos benched Russell Wilson under similar circumstances, giving Stidham the starting role for two games. 

Two years later, Stidham's number was called after Nix's devastating divisional round injury.