Dak Prescott Fantasy News and Statistics

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott began his college football career the same way many do: behind someone else on the depth chart. But when Mississippi State quarterback Tyler Russell went down with a concussion in Prescott’s first game as a redshirt freshman, the youngster received his chance and didn’t waste it. His subsequent strong play with the Bulldogs would put him on a path toward being drafted into the NFL.

The Sulphur, LA, product would go on to play in 12 games in that 2012 season and was the starter in Starkville for the rest of his collegiate career. He led the Bulldogs to an 11-win campaign as a junior, a season that saw his team hold the nation’s No. 1 ranking for four weeks until the Bulldogs were tripped up in a close loss at Alabama.

While Mississippi State wasn’t able to match that success in his senior year, Prescott played as well as ever in improving his draft stock. The dual-threat signal-caller threw for nearly 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2015, a performance that led to him being taken in the fourth round by the Dallas Cowboys.

The Dallas brass originally envisioned developing Prescott as a backup behind Tony Romo, but just like in college, Prescott’s fortunes were changed after an injury.

The Cowboys lost both Romo and former Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore in the preseason to a vertebral fracture and broken tibia, respectively, paving the way for Prescott to start his rookie season under center. It didn’t take long for him to make an impact, as he threw for 227 and 292 yards in his first two games as a pro. His upward trajectory only continued from there, and in November he was named Offensive Rookie of the Month after recording 11 passing touchdowns in just four games.

But what Prescott did best, simply, was win games. Dallas started the season 11-1 and finished with 13 victories, leading to an NFC East title and first-round bye in the playoffs.

Unfortunately for Prescott and Co., his rookie season ended in heartbreak with a 34-31 loss against Green Bay in the divisional round of the postseason. That didn’t stop him from raking in awards, however, as he was named the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, the Pepsi Rookie of the Year, and was given a spot on both the Pro Bowl and PFWA All-Rookie teams. He finished his first year as a Cowboy with 3,667 passing yards, 29 total touchdowns and a passer rating of 104.9.

With Romo’s recent retirement from professional football, Prescott is now arguably the face of the biggest brand in sports. And while the possibility of a sophomore slump is always there, his heroics as a rookie have left the Dallas fans and coaches with plenty of confidence as the former Bulldog continues his young professional career.

One of the strongest offensive attacks in the league should help Prescott as he moves forward. Fellow 2016 Pro Bowler Ezekiel Elliott will be lining up behind Prescott in the backfield (when he returns from suspension), and the trio of Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley provides plenty of talented targets in the receiving corps for Prescott. Needless to say, the future is bright for the quarterback and the rest of this Cowboys offense.