Sep 16, 2018; Denver, CO, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) talks to Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden in fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Broncos Stadium at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
By Sam Neumann on

Jon Gruden has officially revived a pre-draft staple from his ESPN days.

Last month, he hinted at bringing back the concept that became synonymous with his time at the network.

Now, it’s a reality.

In the years since his controversial ouster from the NFL — fallout from leaked emails containing racist and offensive language — Gruden has tried to rebuild his reputation, recently aligning himself with Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports. His return to the sports media landscape also coincides with his reinstatement into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ring of Honor, marking something of a public-image resurgence.

With that resurgence comes a familiar playbook.

Gruden, who left the Worldwide Leader long before his scandalous coaching exit, has fully revived QB Camp at Barstool Sports, rebranded as Gruden’s QB Class. With the creative freedom of working under Portnoy, it may be too soon to say his latest media venture is “losing its luster.”

Gruden’s QB Camp was a must-watch for nine seasons on ESPN, an essential part of the pre-draft process before disappearing along with its host in 2018.

Now, it’s back.

The first episode, featuring Ohio State’s Will Howard, drops on April 7.

The rest of the schedule is as follows: Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard on April 9, Memphis’ Seth Henigan on April 14, Syracuse’s Kyle McCord on April 16, Texas’ Quinn Ewers on April 21, and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart on April 23.

We aren’t the first to mention this — and it’s a constant theme in the replies — but Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward are notably absent from the list. Gruden said he was “trying to get all the top guys,” but he struck out on the best two prospects in the draft. We’ll leave that up for interpretation, but some quarterbacks haven’t exactly been eager to align themselves with Barstool; just ask Patrick Mahomes.

Either way, QB Class will have its work cut out to match its past success.

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

View all posts by Sam Neumann