Who are college football's best quarterbacks? As preseason camps around the country come to a close and we enter the first games of the 2024 season, I have gone through every Power Four starting quarterback and come up with a list of the top signal-callers.
The list is based off whom I would draft to start a college football program right now. I placed an emphasis on experience, win/loss record and critical situational outcomes like third and fourth down, fourth-down conversion rate, red-zone efficiency, fourth-quarter performance and NFL throw rate. Basic game-winning stats like touchdown-to-interception ratio and completion percentage were all taken into account as well.
WHY QUINN EWERS AT NO. 1?
Texas quarterbackQuinn Ewers' perimeter arm talent is on another level compared to the rest of college football. There's much more nuance to the quarterback position than just having a big arm, and Ewers has steadily grown in areas like complete field ownership to being more surgical and exact from the position.
His situational accuracy and precision have skyrocketed. He sees things develop and lets the ball go with conviction. In 2024,Texas is going to need him to make some crunch-time throws down the stretch and he's built to do so.
Last year against Alabama, Ewers showed he could play a damn-near-perfect game on the road in the mecca of college football. I'm not sure that there's another returning quarterback who could do what he did. That says a lot.
His arc of improvement is phenomenal going from 56% completions in 2022 to 70% in 2023. He is also threw seven more touchdowns.
The fact that Arch Manning is behind Ewers only makes him better, and we love how Ewers doesn't fret under pressure; he just dials in more. Expect Ewers (still only 21 years old) to take another giant leap for the Longhorns and lead Texas on another playoff run.
QBs FACING BIGGEST PROVE-IT SEASONS IN 2024
Wisconsin's Tyler Van Dyke(pictured above) could be facing the biggest "prove it" year after two down seasons for Miami and now a transfer to Madison. Under Air Raid guru and Badger OC Phil Longo, Van Dyke has the opportunity to right the ship and bring back the magic of the 2021 season where he threw 25 touchdowns and looked like the next great Miami quarterback.
Cade Klubnik has to get right at Clemson after two seasons of mediocre play. The former five-star in the 2022 class, Klubnik has to make more consistent decisions and improve his completion percentage.
Tyler Shough heads to Louisville for his seventh and final year of eligibility after he transferred from Oregon and then toTexas Tech. Shough has flashed glimpses of great quarterback play but has struggled to show consistently. It's now or never for Shough in 2024.
At times,Max Johnson played very well at both LSU and Texas A&M. He also had games when he struggled mightily in the SEC West. Johnson is now expected to be named the starter forNorth Carolinain his third college stop.Johnson threw 27 touchdowns to six picks in 2021 as a sophom*ore at LSU, but hasn't seen many bright days since then.
WHO'S THE NEXT JOE BURROW OR JAYDEN DANIELS?
It doesn't appear that we have a clear-cut dominator in this upcoming draft class of quarterbacks. In the past, breakout seasons came out of nowhere and usually from a transfer in his second year with a new program. ThinkJoe Burrow's massive 2019 season or even whatJayden Danielsdid last year. Who could explode in 2024?
Jaxson Dart at Ole Miss had somewhat of a breakout season in 2023 and showed that he's an explosive dual-threat quarterback as he consistently threatened with his arm and legs last year. He rushed for eight touchdowns last season but also brought his passing percentage up to 65.1% while throwing 23 touchdowns compared to only five picks.
Conner Weigman(pictured above) at Texas A&M ended his 2023 season in a disappointing way after a foot injury. In four games, he threw eight touchdowns compared to two interceptions. He looked like a future star at the position. Weigman has timing, anticipation, touch and zip on the football. A healthy Weigman in 2024 could mean big things for the new Aggies offense.
There is a buzz forDonovan Smith at Houstonto become a big-time jewel in college football. Smith caught fire at times last year and threw 11 touchdowns over the course of three games in the middle of the season. He has franchise-ready size and passing ability. If Smith can become more consistent throwing it away from coverage, then he could turn into a high draft pick.
Garrett Nussmeier has had the luxury of sitting behind some really good quarterbacks since he enrolled at LSU. Despite a lack of action, hecontinues to make strides in his game. Nussmeier is a pure gunslinger with "aggressive intelligence" at the quarterback position. It's set up for him. He has two of the best offensive tackles in the country and some absolute studs at receiver.
BIGGEST 2024 SLEEPERS
Everyone loves a sleeper at the quarterback position. Some of the biggest sleepers in 2024 might surprise you, but they are worth keeping an eye on this season.
Iowa State'sRocco Becht could be the biggest overall sleeper at the quarterback position this year. He's got all the requisite skills and requirements to be a good quarterback. Becht might not have the flashiest arm or mobility but he gets the job done with toughness in the pocket, anticipatory timing and command at the position.
Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green(pictured above) looks like Vince Youngfrom a talent and ability perspective. At 6-foot-6, 220 pounds Green has the speed to take it the distance from anywhere on the field, but he's also got the raw talent as a thrower to take over games. Green and Bobby Petrino are a great match and he's already looked much improved as a passer this spring at Arkansas.
Brendan Sorsby could be in for a big year at Cincinnati after transferring from Indiana. Sorsby is a natural passer who has confidence in his arm. He showed impressive anticipation and downfield accuracy last year. He burst onto the scene last season when he tossed three touchdowns in Happy Valley and completed 68% of his throws.
UCLA'sEthan Garbers has had an interesting career after transferring from Washington after two seasons. A former four-star from the Los Angeles area, Garbers was the starter forUCLAto begin the 2023 season, but then the Bruins turned to true freshman five-star Dante Moore. Finally, they turned back to Garbers who threw for three touchdowns in a win over USC. He finished the seasoncompleting 75% of his throws against Boise State in the bowl game. Garbers can matriculate the ball with decision-making and underneath accuracy.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE FIRST-YEAR STARTERS
There's a nice crop of first year starters in college football this year, and nobody excites us more than Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava(pictured above). The former five-star in the 2023 class has an unlimited ceiling with his arm and running ability.
It was eye-popping, what Nico was able to do in his first ever college start as a freshman last year against Iowa and the nation's No. 7 defense, in the Citrus Bowl. Iamaleava will certainly be the face of college football for the next few years.
You can bet Nebraska true freshmanDylan Raiola will be a top-15 quarterback on this list by the end of the year. Raiola showed in the spring game that he was ready to dominate with his ability as a passer.
Raiola has the arm to get the ball downfield with so much ease and natural passing talent. If Nebraska has the right players surrounding him, Raiola will be very special early in his career.
Alex Orji at Michigan is facing some heavy pressure to perform after sitting and waiting for the past two seasons. Orji is a dominating physical specimen with a huge arm and sub-4.4 40 speed. Some scouting sources in Ann Arbor have said that he's similar to Jalen Milroe but with a more-natural stroke. If Orji and Michigan learn to click in the passing game, pencil in another title for the Wolverines.
Let's dive into the full rankings.
