With Ryan O’Connor moving on to pastures new, Zach Marker will be the likely starter for the Delaware Blue Hens’ inaugural season in the FBS. The 2024 backup threw for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns in four games a year ago, and has the makeup and potential to lead Delaware into their new era.
Keyone Jenkins ranked sixth in the CUSA with a completion percentage of 61.8, good enough for 65th amongst all of college football. In his second season as a starter with the FIU Panthers, the Miami native threw for 2,557 yards and ranked second in the conference with 22 passing touchdowns.
Tyler Huff was the 2024 CUSA Player of the Year and led the conference with 8.7 passing yards per attempt. In an offseason full of upheaval for the Jacksonville State Gamecocks, including the departure of Rich Rodriguez, a bunch of new names have been added to the QB room.
Dexter Williams II is now on his third team and has linked up with the Kennesaw State Owls to finally get a starting job. The Georgia native completed 13 passes in 2022 at Indiana, throwing 184 yards and two touchdowns, before passing for 248 yards and three touchdowns on 19 completions with Georgia Southern in 2024.
Ethan Vasko transfers to Liberty to replace the Colorado-bound Salter. The former Coastal Carolina quarterback had a sporadic 2024 season that included benchings, but he ended the year completing 54.6% of his passes for 2,110 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Evan Bullock was one of the most productive passers in the CUSA in 2024, ranking second in completion percentage (65.7), fifth in passing yards (2,104), and passing touchdowns (14) in just nine starts in his redshirt freshman season. Now entering his third year with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, he is the unquestionable starter and can build on his performances last season, which saw him named to the All-CUSA Freshman Team.
Nicholas Vattiato led the CUSA with 269 pass completions, 418 pass attempts, and an average of 257.7 yards per game in 2024. The two-year starter finished 25th in the nation with 3,092 passing yards and displayed his prowess through the air, passing for 209 yards against the Ole Miss Rebels. He enters 2025 as one of the top returning quarterbacks in the conference, looking to improve on the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders’ 3-9 record last season.
The Missouri State Bears officially join the CUSA in July 2025 and will again have Jacob Clark under center. The 2025 First-team All-MVFC QB passed for 3,604 yards last season, with 26 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
Logan Fife enters his fifth year of college ball in 2025 and transfers from the Montana Grizzlies to the New Mexico State Aggies after throwing for 1,890 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2024. The former FBS quarterback hopes to be the Aggies’ solution to a revolving door at the position, which saw Parker Award and Santino Marucci both attempt more than 100 passes last season.
Hunter Watson ranked seventh in the conference and 100th nationally with 1,811 passing yards in 2024 while also throwing eight interceptions, the fourth most in the conference. However, his 647 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground led the team and were a significant factor in the Sam Houston Bearkats finishing 10-3 on the season, including a 31-26 victory in the New Orleans Bowl over Georgia Southern.
Malachi Nelson is now on his third team in as many seasons, having transferred from USC to Boise State in 2024 and then landed in El Paso for the 2025 season. As a backup with the Broncos last season, the former five-star recruit completed 12 of his 17 passes for 128 yards and is looking to finally cement his place as a starter with the UTEP Miners.
Maverick McIvor may not just be a starter; he could also make the all-names list. He transfers to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in 2025 after dominating at the FCS level.
