The Conference USA welcomed in Kennesaw State to the FBS ranks this offseason, rounding out their teams to a nice, even 10 total programs. How do these quarterback situations stack up? And just how big is the gap in our CUSA QB Rankings behind Kaidon Salter at the top?
2024 CUSA QB Rankings
As with all of our conference rankings and our national quarterback evaluations, the CUSA QB rankings below consider everything involved with quarterbacking at the major college football level.
While statistics are listed, they were not the lone deciding factor in ranking the athletes. The list below prefers programs with a solidified quarterback situation and one signal-caller who plays significant snaps against top-tier competition. Two-quarterback systems will always be looked down upon, especially in those cases where an answer has not yet been provided for the long term.
Other factors in these rankings include but are not limited to game film, injury history, play-calling, offensive system knowledge and continuity, general quarterbacking mechanics, level of competition, the elevation of supporting casts, and several other influential factors.
All Other QB Rankings
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Tier 1: The Elite CUSA QBs
1) Kaidon Salter | Liberty
Preseason Rank: 1 (no change)
There is no debate about who the best Conference USA QB is, and it’s Kaidon Salter by a landslide. However, the first two games of the season have been nothing short of disappointing by Salter’s standards.
We know the type of quarterback that Salter is, but it appears he’s forgotten how talented he is at times so far in 2024.
Somehow, he’s still averaging 9.4 yards per attempt and has two touchdowns against no interceptions. In fact, he’s the only full-time starting quarterback whose primary role is throwing the ball (looking right atcha Kennesaw) who hasn’t thrown a pick yet in the conference.
He’s efficient and sharp with his reads, but the Liberty offense seems to still be finding their rhythm this season. Their offensive line is dominant and Salter should be able to pick things up quickly here.
Tier 2: Well-Above-Average CUSA QBs
2) T.J. Finley | Western Kentucky
Preseason Rank: 2 (no change)
The first game of the season is not what we wanted to see from T.J. Finley and crew, but then again, playing in hostile territory against an Alabama team hellbent on a revenge tour in 2024 was never going to end up going well.
In Week 2, however, it was more of what we thought we’d see from Finley, throwing for nearly 370 yards and proving he’s ready for the challenges of running the WKU offense quickly and on time.
Finley is the biggest body we’ve seen take snaps for the WKU offense in some time, but his quick release for his size has shown to behoove him and the receivers. If he can keep stringing together performances like the one he had against EKU in Week 2, this team could challenge Liberty for the throne.
Tier 3: Above-Average CUSA QBs
3) Keyone Jenkins | FIU
Preseason Rank: 3 (no change)
In a tale of two games, Keyone Jenkins struggled with his accuracy and decision-making in Week 1 against Indiana and then looked like a world-beater with his dual-threat ability in Week 2 against Central Michigan.
Jenkins’ elongated release and long wind-up will spell trouble at times, but when he can make his snap decisions (and make them correctly), there aren’t many quarterbacks at the Group of Five level who are as accurate and powerful as him with his arm talent.
He needs to clean up several facets, including that release and his footwork, but the sophomore seemed to round into form in front of our eyes as the FIU offense got on track against CMU. More of that and this FIU team can make most of their remaining games interesting.
Tier 4: Average CUSA QBs
4) Nicholas Vattiato | Middle Tennessee
Preseason Rank: 4 (no change)
Getting the Ole Miss game out of the way was going to be critical for the Middle Tennessee offense and Nicholas Vattiato, specifically. Now that he played relatively well against Ole Miss, all sights are set ahead on competing in the CUSA.
Vattiato has shown he’s able to run the new-look MTSU offense with some skill and his arm talent is documented from his 3,000-yard season last year. Can he continue to make the right reads and test the opposing defenses well enough to keep his teams in games this year?
The jury’s out there, but one thing is for sure, he’ll have to step up his accuracy and decision-making as he increases the depth of target this year.
Tier 5: Work-To-Be-Done CUSA QBs
5) Hunter Watson, Jase Bauer | Sam Houston
Preseason Rank: 7 (+2)
We were relatively stunned when Hunter Watson won the job out of camp, but after two games, it appears the leash is short for the well-traveled QB. Jase Bauer replaced Watson against UCF and the Central Michigan transfer showcased what made him a talented dual-threat in the MAC in limited action during their Week 2 loss.
Bauer has the smarts and the legs to do damage in the CUSA, but will the offensive scheme actually allow him to use his dual-threat abilities?
When he’s able to sit in the pocket and diagnose coverages and read the defense, Bauer has the arm talent to make most the throws the Sam Houston offense will ask him. It was relatively stunning to see him not the starter when the season opened, and it’ll be just as interesting if he hasn’t taken over officially by Week 3.
6) Skyler Locklear | UTEP
Preseason Rank: 8 (+2)
Okay, so UTEP lost to FCS Southern Utah. Sure, that’s not good. But this team is far more a team to worry about because of their defense and lack of firepower at the skill positions than they have been at quarterback.
Skyler Locklear has given the Miners a chance to be in the game against the Thunderbirds, throwing for nearly 300 yards and looking sharp in the process. An untimely fumble cost him, and his ball security as he attempts to create will be crucial, but he was lighting up the field against Southern Utah only to be let down.
Locklear has terrific command of his deep balls and the UTEP offense should look to try to take the lid off opposing defenses more in the coming weeks.
7) Jack Turner, Blake Baker | Louisiana Tech
Preseason Rank: 6 (-1)
With just a one-game sample size to go off of in our Week 2 rankings for Louisiana Tech, it’s hard to get a read on what this team wants to do offensively. Yes, we know they want to win and score more points, but are they a pass-first team that wants to throw it deep down the field, or does Sonny Cumbie want to dish it to his playmakers quickly on the outside?
Jack Turner threw the ball deep and inaccurately while Blake Baker was thrust into the action against Nicholls and kept something off his throws to keep his accuracy up.
It’s a unique situation that is unfolding in front of our eyes, but one that they’ll have to figure out because Louisiana Tech doesn’t appear to have the firepower to keep up in the CUSA if they can’t get their QB situation right.
8) Davis Bryson | Kennesaw State
Preseason Rank: 9 (+1)
We knew it would be a tough road ahead for Kennesaw State and we knew Davis Bryson wouldn’t want to throw the ball all too often to try and win their games. However, we also said in our preseason rankings, in order for the Owls to try and compete in their opening season stretch, they were going to have to throw the ball.
Unfortunately for the Owls, they’ve not been able to throw the ball consistently and have limped to an 0-2 start as many predicted.
Bryson, however, did show some promise with keeping his offense on schedule against Louisiana in Week 2. More of that, at leas through the air, may be able to get a couple of wins on their schedule because Bryson is certainly a talented rusher with the ball in his hands.
9) Tyler Huff/Logan Smothers | Jacksonville State
Preseason Rank: 5 (-4)
The hallmark of Rich Rodriguez’s offenses over the years has been solid quarterback play. Through two weeks of the 2024 season, however, it’s been anything but that. Whether Logan Smothers and his downright awful performance in the season opener against Coastal Carolina or Tyler Huff’s confounding day all the same, it’s been a bit of a disaster to start the year.
Against Louisville in Week 2, Huff performed admirably, albeit it was once the game was seemingly out of hand. We know there is some solid play to Huff’s game, but is the speed of the FBS defenses too much to overcome?
Huff will have to hone in on what has worked through his career, and that’s his ability to dish the ball out quickly and accurately to the first two levels of the field. There’s only one way to go for this team right now, and that’s up.
10) Parker Awad | New Mexico State
Preseason Rank: 10 (no change)
Things are getting ugly for New Mexico State at this point. They were gut-punched by Liberty in Week 2 after trying to keep pace, and Parker Awad has struggled to read the field in his first two starts.
Save for his two touchdowns (throws that any college QB should be able to make), there hasn’t really been a lot of positive from the Aggies offense in 2024. He’s struggled with accuracy to every level and been limited to forcing the ball into tight windows only because of errors in judgment.
Things can get better. And frankly, they’re going to have to get better.
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