The FBS Independents are down to just three teams during the 2024 college football season, but there’s no reason not to see how they stack up across the board against one another. Though you may think Notre Dame has the heavy advantage here, you’d be surprised to see UConn’s own Joe Fagnano leading the charge.
2024 Independent QB Rankings
As with all of our conference rankings and our national quarterback evaluations, the FBS Independent 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
National 1-134 | ACC | B1G | Big 12 | SEC | Pac-12 | AAC | CUSA | MAC | MWC | Sun Belt
1) Joe Fagnano | UConn
Preseason Rank: 3 (+1)
Perhaps you’ve missed UConn play their first two games this season. Maybe you missed just their game against Merrimack in Week 2.
If you have, you need to get yourself checked out because Joe Fagnano is playing lights out for the Huskies and making them fun again. The former four-year starter at Maine has dished out a dynamic display of dual-threat quarterbacking the likes of which we didn’t know he had in him.
Fagnano now has six touchdowns through the air and another on the ground, as the big bruising quarterback went on a six-touchdown rampage in Week 2.
Fagnano’s had the luxury of some help after the catch with his receivers, but he’s placed a handful of special balls downfield that have turned heads. It’s a relatively standard offense, and when the offensive line holds up it’s end of the bargain, Fagnano can stand tall in the pocket and use his height and arm talent for terrific things in 2024 in Storrs.
2) Taisun Phommachanh | UMass
Preseason Rank: 2 (no change)
Finally looking the part in 2023, Taisun Phommachanh turned back the clocks with UMass a season ago. Phommachanh delivered some high-level play for the Minutemen at quarterback, something they haven’t had for quite some time.
He presents an upgrade on offense and is one of the more unique throwers of the football at any school this fall. Phommachanh has great arm talent but a long wind-up, requiring him to hide or feign his deep shots more than most.
And so far in 2024, despite two more powerful MAC defenses, Phommachanh and the Minutemen have looked the part of a team getting ready to make the move back to the MAC.
It hasn’t led to victories, but Phommachanh’s arm talent has been on display a handful of times, especially against Toledo when he ripped multiple balls up the seams just at the numbers to streaking receivers. He can spray the field evenly to every side with just the same amount of success, and eventually, this will lead to victories for UMass.
3) Riley Leonard | Notre Dame
Preseason Rank: 1 (-2)
Look, Riley Leonard’s start to the year in South Bend has not been good. A year after the Irish ushered in the ‘bring a veteran QB in from the portal’ era of Notre Dame football with Sam Hartman, it’s been a harsh 180 with Leonard playing for them in 2024.
Leonard has been slow to process, make throws, and be inaccurate to boot. The offense feels like they’re stuck in the mud, with Leonard calling the shots.
Making matters even worse, he could use his legs to get himself out of trouble at Duke in spurts. Through two games, he’s put the ball on the turf nearly the same amount of times he did in a full season’s worth of work the past two years each.
Something will have to change for Notre Dame, this season or the next, because getting a quarterback as a one-year band-aid will not pan out long-term if this is the result they receive.
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