Returning starter Ben Finley threw for 2,604 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 2024, and ranked eighth in the MAC, averaging 6.7 yards per passing attempt and 61st in the country in passing yards.
It feels like there isn’t a position Kiael Kelly hasn’t played with the Ball State Cardinals. The quarterback has played defensive back, wide receiver, and running back, but Kelly’s natural home is under center. By all intents and purposes, the Ball State weapon has looked good back at QB in spring practice and will look to prove a point in his last season of eligibility.
Drew Payne lands with the Bowling Green Falcons after entering the transfer portal. The former Missouri Tigers quarterback has also had previous stops with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Arizona State. However, he has had limited starting experience throughout his career, having started only 12 games as he enters his sixth year of eligibility.
Now on his fourth team, Ta’Quan Roberson appears to be the starter for the Buffalo Bulls in his final year in college football. Heading into his seventh year of college football, the former Penn State Nittany Lions recruit played 11 games in 2023 with the UConn Huskies, throwing for 2,075 passing yards but only saw limited action in 2024 as a backup with the Kansas State Wildcats.
Joe Labas was named the starter for the 2024 season and made six starts for the Central Michigan Chippewas before suffering an injury that caused him to miss the back half of the season. Back to full health, the former Iowa Hawkeyes transfer is looking to build on his 1,114 passing yards and seven touchdowns.
After transferring, Noah Kim joins the Eastern Michigan Eagles, bringing considerable experience to Ypsilanti. The former Michigan State Spartans recruit secured the starting quarterback position in East Lansing in 2023, where he threw for 1,090 yards and six touchdowns before suffering a season-ending injury. Although his one-year stint with Coastal Carolina resulted in a backup role in 2024, the Eagles are gaining a strong potential starter who has the ability to elevate the quarterback position.
After three years as a backup with the Kent State Golden Flashes, Devin Kargman now gets his time in the spotlight. Kenni Burns named the longtime backup as the starter ahead of the 2024 season, but the 2025 QB competition is a lot hotter with JD Sherrod and CJ Montes also on the roster with Mark Carney in interim charge.
AJ Hairston played in four games, throwing for 480 yards and five touchdowns in 2024, and appears to be the current leader for a starting spot on opening day. The incumbent is the only QB on the roster who has played for the Minutemen, but Brandon Rose will look to challenge the current QB1 once he has recovered to full health after a season-ending injury at Utah in 2024.
A sixth-year senior, Daquan Finn was one of the hottest quarterbacks in the Group of Five with the Toledo Rockets, throwing for over 7,000 yards in 45 career games. He became the only QB in Toledo history to pass for over 2,000 yards and rush for more than 500 yards in three consecutive seasons, but a transfer to Baylor in 2024 didn’t go as planned. Finn now heads to the Miami RedHawks with something to prove in his last season in college football.
In their final year in the MAC before transitioning to the Mountain West, the Northern Illinois Huskies are expected to deploy 2024 backup Josh Holst as their starting quarterback. He will become the third starting quarterback in three seasons in DeKalb, but he faces opposition from Jalen Macon.
Ranked seventh in the MAC and 77th in the nation with 2,396 passing yards in 2024, Parker Navarro returns to the Ohio Bobcats as their starter in 2025. The former UCF Knights recruit threw a conference high 11 interceptions last season, but has showcased the platform to build upon after recording 11 wins for the first time in program history.
Tucker Gleason completed the fourth most passes (233) in the MAC in 2024 and ranked third in the conference in completion percentage. The sixth-year senior thrived in his first year as a starter with the Rockets, as he also threw 24 touchdowns and 2,808 passing yards.
Broc Lowry transfers to the Western Michigan Broncos from Indiana, where he appeared in four games in 2024. The Canfield High School product joins with a high pedigree in his redshirt sophomore season after winning an OHSAA Division III Championship and setting several school records.
