The coaching carousel is in full swing and we’re one weekend away from crowning champions in each conference. Top quarterbacks continued to shine in Week 12, none brighter than Bo Nix, however, as the Oregon Ducks signal-caller threw for six first-half touchdowns in a rout of Arizona State.
There’s a lot of movement everywhere in our top college QB Rankings. See for yourself below, ranking all 133 quarterback situations across the country.
Top College Quarterback Rankings Criteria
After months of excruciating film watching, hours-long sessions of data analysis, and a bevy of spreadsheets, the rankings are here. Okay, kidding, to the excruciating aspect, as I love every minute of watching college football and quarterback play in our great sport.
Before we get to the rankings, it’s imperative to set the tone and let you understand how these rankings are formed. Like always, the film-watching portion of these rankings dictates a heavy portion of the weight on where a player landed.
Injury history, head coach or offensive coordinator changes and subsequent implementation of the scheme this year, roster turnover, and general quarterback mechanics all over the field were also added into the mix.
Stats mean a lot, but they’re not the end-all, be-all for college quarterbacks.
As always, this is not a list of their pro-level abilities. We’re not looking at them as NFL Draft prospects — I leave that to our friends at Pro Football Network now. Instead, these college quarterback rankings are solely based on how each player has fared in their time in college or, in some cases, back to their high school days.
Just like our preseason rankings, the film through this point of the season has largely been added to a wealth of information and data at hand for every quarterback across the country.
Let’s get to it. Remember, you can fire any questions you may have to me on Twitter regarding these rankings. And if you missed any of our college QB rankings at the conference level, they’re all listed below.
All QB Rankings
ACC | B1G | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC | AAC | C-USA | MAC | MWC | Sun Belt | FBS Ind.
FBS College Football QB Rankings, 1-133
With all but Army-Navy having completed their regular seasons, here we have a bit of a look back in our QB rankings. Taking into consideration the full results of each team’s quarterback situation, not just what they were left with on the final weekend of the season.
As such, you may see some injured or transfer-portal quarterbacks still listed as the team’s starting quarterback because they started the lion’s share of the snaps and subsequently got the ranking below.
133) Heinrich Haarberg, Chubba Purdy | Nebraska
B1G Rank: 14/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 133rd (no change)
Yards: 382 | TDs: 2 | INT: 3 | Comp. %: 54.4% | YPA: 6.7
The game was there for the taking for Nebraska against Iowa. Somehow, bowl eligibility was still available and nearly attainable in the waning stages against the Hawkeyes. But then Chubba Purdy completely missed a dropping defender and threw the worst interception of the season for the Cornhuskers.
Purdy had a nice shot early in the game on a 66-yard touchdown strike to Jaylen Lloyd, but outside of that deep shot, it was as ugly a quarterbacking game as you’ll see this season. He and Hill provided less than zero spark with their arm talent and each was completely baffled by the opposing defense in front of them.
For Purdy, he did flash some ability with his athleticism in the pocket, but it wasn’t nearly enough when he was equally as unimpressive with his inaccuracy and faulty decision-making. After this performance, you’d expect Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule looks heavily into the transfer portal at quarterback this offseason.
132) Mitch Griffis, Michael Kern | Wake Forest
ACC Rank: 14/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 130th (-2)
Yards: 1,553 | TDs: 9 | INT: 7 | Comp. %: 59.9% | YPA: 7.5
As the season went along, it was clear how much Sam Hartman meant to the Wake Forest program. Neither quarterback could generate anything that looked like competent, consistent play, and the Demon Deacons suffered because of it.
Sure, the offensive line was below average in 2023, but the quarterbacks got themselves into too much trouble in this QB-friendly offense.
Michael Kern largely fielded the most impressive game of the season: A three-touchdown performance against Syracuse, and yet it still ended in defeat. Kern couldn’t move the ball against Notre Dame and largely struggled in his relief duty earlier in the season.
For someone with Kern’s experience in the Wake Forest offense, his performance was concerning.
As far as Mitch Griffis is concerned, his play started off strong, but once the defenses improved, his play withered away. Griffis has since his the transfer portal following the end of the regular season. His last start came in Week 11 against NC State where he was relieved by Kern.
131) Jalon Jones, Trexler Ivey | Charlotte
AAC Rank: 14/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 129th (-2)
Yards: 1,263 | TDs: 4 | INT: 10 | Comp. %: 55.2% | YPA: 6.2
The future may be bright for the Charlotte program under Biff Poggi. But it also may not be if they can’t get the right guy in at quarterback quickly.
Trexler Ivey and Jalon Jones each had their share of successes in 2023, but those were marred by ill-fated decisions and limited talent across the board from the quarterback position. In the end, the 49ers dropped nine total games and won just two AAC contests in the process.
Ivey led the team in passing with 1,263 yards but was one of just five AAC quarterbacks to throw double-digit interceptions and owns the worst total negative TD-to-INT ratio. The game seemed to move too fast for him sometimes, and the decisions couldn’t catch up with the arm talent we know he has.
Charlotte is still very much a rebuilding process, and that includes likely starting over at the QB position in 2024.
130) Ken Seals, AJ Swann | Vanderbilt
SEC Rank: 14/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 128th (-2)
Yards: 1,457 | TDs: 12 | INT: 7 | Comp. %: 54.6% | YPA: 7.4
Once again, we’ll say it, AJ Swann gave the Vanderbilt Commodores the best chance to win any game in 2023. Sadly, Swann hardly got to see the field without pressure immediately in his face and he missed significant time with injury.
When he was healthy, Swann was considered a top 10 SEC quarterback without question. A gunslinger by nature, Swann forced throws at times but could put the football into enough tight windows to elevate his talent and allow his playmakers to make plays on the ball.
Ken Seals struggled to play anything like Swann, and the Commodores’ revolving door at quarterback did them no favors this season. It’s a hard pill to swallow whenever you go winless in conference play, but there was enough to work on and look forward to with Swann returning, hopefully, healthy in 2024.
UPDATE: Both AJ Swann and Ken Seals have since entered the transfer portal.
129) Emory Jones | Cincinnati
Big 12 Rank: 14/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 123rd (-6)
Yards: 2,219 | TDs: 18 | INT: 10 | Comp. %: 61.2% | YPA: 6.9
A quarterback change that needed to happen on a full-time basis didn’t really take place in the Queen City and the Bearcats were punished for it. Easily the worst quarterback situation in the conference, Emory Jones flashed in one game and disappointed in 11.
It was a disaster of a first season in the Big 12 for the Bearcats, and the final game of the season is indicative of just how bad it was. Jones completed 15 passes for hardly over 100 yards and had a touchdown, but it was marred by terrible decisions everywhere else. In the end, it was a 33-point loss for a completely underwhelmed unit.
For Jones, his final game as a college passer ended with that touchdown, but his season ends on a sour note. The well-traveled Jones threw for over 7,000 yards in his career and 50+ touchdowns, but it just wasn’t meant to be in 2023.
128) Jiya Wright, Blake Murphy | UL-Monroe
Sun Belt Rank: 14/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 122nd (-6)
Yards: 1,246 | TDs: 10 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 52.5% | YPA: 6.1
It’ll be a new era in Monroe after Terry Bowden was fired following the Warhawks’ final game of the season, and the first thing the new coaching staff must do is figure out what they have in the quarterback room or go portal shopping.
Jiya Wright had a handful of ‘wow’ throws in 2023, throws that dropped the jaws of those attending. But he all too often followed those up with bad decisions strung together with inaccurate ball placement.
Blake Murphy entered the picture down the stretch and flashed some potentially elite talent with his power, but his accuracy fell off as the season went along. There is promise in this quarterback room, with Murphy leading the charge. But they’ll likely have to entice him to stick around.
127) Christian Veilleux, Nate Yarnell | Pittsburgh
ACC Rank: 13/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 125th (-2)
Yards: 1,179 | TDs: 7 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 51.1% | YPA: 6.4
It was a season to forget in so many aspects for the Pittsburgh Panthers. First, there was the failed Phil Jurkovec experiment. Then, there was Christian Veilleux upsetting Louisville before ultimately fizzling out.
Then Nate Yarnell entered the fray and gave the Panthers a bit of a consistent spark. Ultimately, it didn’t matter who the quarterback was; the team seemingly lost its identity and was marred with some off-the-cuff remarks from their head coach in 2023.
However, when he was on his game, Yarnell proved to be the better of the two. He split his starts with a 1-1 record but fielded the only competent throwing mechanics of the trio. Yarnell is an interesting quarterback to watch through the offseason, as it was clear he was the best of this group and returns with the most eligibility.
126) Alex Flinn | ECU
AAC Rank: 13/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 126th (no change)
Yards: 1,558 | TDs: 6 | INT: 12 | Comp. %: 54.8% | YPA: 5.4
Alex Flinn gave the team the best chance to win games in a befuddling season for the East Carolina Pirates. They didn’t do that often, but Flinn’s willingness to test the deep waters at least made them entertaining.
In the final game of the season, ECU made it a game against Tulsa, but two costly interceptions and a lack of consistency in generating first downs was the downfall. Flinn, however, played well enough to win the game in the end; it just wasn’t meant to be.
Flinn has decent arm talent, and certainly, the play-calling at times for ECU was as questionable as his decisions were. It will be remembered as a season of close calls despite a morbid 6-to-12 TD-to-INT ratio.
125) Kedon Slovis, Jake Retzlaff | BYU
Big 12 Rank: 13/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 118th (-7)
Yards: 1,716 | TDs: 12 | INT: 6 | Comp. %: 57.5% | YPA: 6.5
Buoyed by their defense, the BYU Cougars leaped out to a big lead over Oklahoma State in Week 13. However, hopes of a bowl game and knocking the Cowboys out of the Big 12 Championship Game quickly vanished in the second half and when Jake Retzlaff had to play at a frantic pace.
Retzlaff was erratic with his decisions and inaccurate with his passes against Oklahoma State, essentially mirroring his 2023 season. He was no Kedon Slovis, and Slovis was no Jaren Hall/Zach Wilson in any sense of the word.
After years of top-tier quarterback play in Provo, the 2023 season took a major detour from that. No strangers to one-year fixes at quarterback, the offseason will be interesting as to which direction the program goes at the sport’s most important position.
124) Garrett Shrader | Syracuse
ACC Rank: 12/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 132nd (+8)
Yards: 1,686 | TDs: 13 | INT: 6 | Comp. %: 62.6% | YPA: 7.9
Without their head coach, Garrett Shrader and the Syracuse Orange went out on a high note for the 2023 season. Shrader returned to action in a full-time capacity and dominated with his dual-threat talent.
He fooled the defense completely with his legs and threw for another three scores, giving him four total touchdowns in a come-from-behind victory against Wake Forest. The season didn’t go nearly as planned for the Orange, and though it was largely the offense’s fault, Shrader still found great success when he was healthy.
A dynamic athlete, Shrader proved once and for all that he gave his program the best chance to succeed in 2023, and it culminated with a sixth victory to reach a bowl game. In his final game of the season, Shrader has a chance to reach 7,000 career passing yards if he were to throw for 59 yards simply.
123) Jaden Rashada, Trenton Bourguet | Arizona State
Pac-12 Rank: 12/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 127th (+4)
Yards: 1,486 | TDs: 1 | INT: 4 | Comp. %: 60.9% | YPA: 6.0
Somehow, Jaden Rashada returned to action in Week 13. He is absolutely the future of this program and gives them a chance to have a two-dimensional offense. But he was clearly hampered by injury in the final game of the season for the Sun Devils.
Keeping Rashada healthy and in good standing will be key as Arizona State transitions to the Big 12 in 2024, and keeping him upright in the pocket is paramount to that.
Rashada has immense arm talent and can harness some solid throws to every level of the field. It was a disaster of a season for Arizona State without him in the lineup, and while Week 13 didn’t give us much to look back upon with much hope, his early-season play indicates where this program should be in 2024.
122) Brendon Lewis, AJ Bianco | Nevada
MWC Rank: 12/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 114th (-8)
Yards: 1,313 | TDs: 2 | INT: 6 | Comp. %: 55.5% | YPA: 5.6
Brendon Lewis got the final start, but Shane Illingworth finally saw the field in relief against Wyoming. In the end, however, it didn’t seem to matter which quarterback was in the lineup for the Wolf Pack in 2023; the season was a lost cause.
With two wins on the season, neither Lewis, Illingworth, nor AJ Bianco could muster anything remotely close to an above-average outing. The offense didn’t help matters around them, but their woes began and ended with their quarterbacks.
Things will have to change significantly, and it’s unclear whether either quarterback is in the future plans for Nevada.
121) Cole Snyder, CJ Ogbonna | Buffalo
MAC Rank: 12/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 121st (no change)
Yards: 2,109 | TDs: 13 | INT: 9 | Comp. %: 54.6% | YPA: 5.7
What a mess it was for Buffalo in 2023. Cole Snyder entered the season with incredibly high aspirations after throwing for over 3,000 yards in 2022. However, his accuracy and decision-making were erratic and beyond questionable at times.
Inconsistency led to more snaps for CJ Ogbonna as Snyder went five different starts without a touchdown toss in 2023. Ogbonna was certainly limited as a passer, completing just 8-of-21 attempts, and struggled to make the right reads on the ground.
When it all came to a head, Snyder still presented the best chance for the Bulls to win any games in 2023 with his powerful arm. However, they limped to a 3-9 record after Snyder and Ogbonna showed time and time again that they couldn’t string together completions past the sticks this year.
120) Billy Wiles | Southern Miss
Sun Belt Rank: 13/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 116th (-4)
Yards: 1,940 | TDs: 11 | INT: 7 | Comp. %: 53.8% | YPA: 6.4
The news out of Hattiesburg was so bleak following their season’s end that it had to be stated that they were retaining head coach Will Hall. If that’s what your program is discussing at the end of November, there are some clear issues.
None bigger than the quarterback situation for the Golden Eagles moving forward. Billy Wiles won the job out of camp but didn’t do much to cement himself as a leader nor elevator of talent when it came to his on-field performance. Wiles is certainly a talented quarterback when he was on his game, but those moments happened far too few for anyone to believe he’s the long-term answer.
Ethan Crawford got the final two starts of the season for Southern Miss, but it’s clearer than ever: The Golden Eagles have to find a long-term solution to the quarterback position. And they have to do it fast for the sake of their head coach.
119) Jalen Mayden | San Diego State
MWC Rank: 11/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 131st (+12)
Yards: 2,031 | TDs: 10 | INT: 9 | Comp. %: 63.4% | YPA: 6.5
Jalen Mayden surely found his groove to end the season for San Diego State and the Aztecs sent head coach Brady Hoke out in style. Mayden, however, was far from consistent in 2023 and the season ultimately took a turn when he couldn’t complete anything downfield.
Mayden is a great story and a great leader of a program despite his limitations as a passer. He willed his team to victory and got his team to four wins despite many struggles.
In the end, he was a 2,000-yard passer for the season season in a row. The decision-making never matched the athleticism and the passing tools never quite matched his leadership ability.
118) Jeff Undercuffler Jr. | Akron
MAC Rank: 11/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 120th (+2)
Yards: 1,378 | TDs: 4 | INT: 9 | Comp. %: 61.6% | YPA: 6.2
At times, Jeff Undercuffler Jr. looked the part of a solid MAC starting QB in 2023. However, those were marred by inconsistent decisions and some inaccurate passes that ultimately was the undoing of the Akron season this fall.
Undercuffler has strength in the pocket to stand tall and deliver shots downfield but was hardly able to showcase that ability with pressure on him too quickly or no separation created from his receivers. In his final outing of the season, Undercufler fared well but was under pressure far too often and had to be Super-man against Ohio.
That is a recipe for disaster and was all too often the outcome of seemingly every Akron game in 2023.
117) Blake Shapen | Baylor
Big 12 Rank: 12/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 111th (-6)
Yards: 2,188 | TDs: 13 | INT: 3 | Comp. %: 61.7% | YPA: 7.3
It just wasn’t meant to be this way for Baylor in 2023. The Bears have since moved on from a bevy of members of their coaching staff and prior to even getting to write up Blake Shapen’s recap of Week 13, he’s also moved on.
If that’s not an indicator at how the season went for Shapen and Co. in Waco, I don’t know what is. The defense struggled mightily. An offensive line that was a staple of success under Coach Eric Mateos unfathomably was their weakest link. And injuries saw Shapen limit himself to just a handful of above-average moments.
In Week 13, Sawyer Robertson got the start and the writing was on the wall for Shapen’s departure. Robertson threw for a touchdown and over 200 yards with some accurate throws downfield, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a poor defense and perhaps even worse clock management.
The future is shaky — at best — in Waco under head coach Dave Aranda. With Robertson getting the season’s final start, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they looked for a veteran signal-caller in the transfer portal this offseason.
116) Michael Alaimo, Tommy Ulatowski, Devin Kargman | Kent State
MAC Rank: 10/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 112th (-4)
Yards: 737 | TDs: 7 | INT: 2 | Comp. %: 49.6% | YPA: 6.1
It was a season to forget for the Kent State Golden Flashes. Neither of the quarterbacks could produce much in the form of above-average quarterback play, and the team suffered from a lack of talent all around them.
Michael Alaimo flashed his ability at times, but he was far too inconsistent to win anything. Tommy Ulatowski wasn’t scared of anything and proved to be a true gunslinger.
Devin Kargman got the season’s final start and put some interesting throws on tape to potentially look forward to. The roster is barren, but Kargman’s ability to find his receivers downfield and throw into some tight windows against Northern Illinois gives pause as to why he wasn’t given more reps.
Something has to give for the Golden Flashes for them to make football fun again, and we’re not sure if any of these quarterbacks will be a part of that.
115) Tyler Van Dyke | Miami
ACC Rank: 11/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 113th (-2)
Yards: 2,703 | TDs: 19 | INT: 12 | Comp. %: 65.7% | YPA: 8.1
It could be said that if Tyler Van Dyke played the full game in Tallahassee, Miami may have come out on the other side of the result against Florida State. We may never know, but it would’ve had to have been the version of Van Dyke that showed up against Boston College to end the regular season to do so.
Van Dyke threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns against BC, spreading the ball out evenly and well to his playmakers everywhere on the field. Injuries and shaky play led to a 19-12 touchdown-to-interception ratio, but when he was at his best, Van Dyke looked close to the immaculate form he showed in 2021.
Van Dyke has a ton of talent and throws an incredibly pretty deep ball, but the decision-making marred his season overall. The future is unknown as to whether or not Van Dyke comes back to Miami in 2024, but he certainly would make the Hurricanes a better team if he did return and plays like he did in stretches this fall.
UPDATE: Van Dyke has since entered the transfer portal after these rankings were published.
114) Hank Bachmeier | Louisiana Tech
CUSA Rank: 9/9
Last Week’s Ranking: 117th (+3)
Yards: 2,058 | TDs: 10 | INT: 5 | Comp. %: 67.7% | YPA: 7.7
What could have been was not meant to be in Ruston as Hank Bachmeier struggled through injuries and it never quite clicked for the Bulldogs in 2023. Bachmeier has since hit the portal following their season’s culmination, having done so after throwing 10 touchdowns against five interceptions over his eight starts.
For Bachmeier, the scheme in which he was forced to play in at La Tech certainly didn’t fit his strengths. On the surface, it appeared like it could work out as he’s a proven leader capable of hitting on-time throws to every level of the field.
But Bachmeier’s game is predicated on standing tall in the pocket and letting his receivers get open downfield where he can use that power and downfield accuracy. He didn’t get a chance to showcase that regularly at Louisiana Tech and is now looking for greener pastures in his final year of eligibility.
Jack Turner flashed, at times, for the Bulldogs in 2023, but his big-play antics were often followed up by worse decision-making and troubled accuracy. This program needs an answer for Sonny Cumbie at the quarterback position moving forward.
113) Gavin Hardison, Cade McConnell | UTEP
CUSA Rank: 8/9
Last Week’s Ranking: 108th (-5)
Yards: 1,437 | TDs: 6 | INT: 4 | Comp. %: 53.5% | YPA: 8.4
There is some serious work to do for this UTEP offense in the offseason. Head coach Dana Dimel is out, and the Miners will most likely be searching for a new identity and some new blood in the backfield as their signal-caller.
Gavin Hardison had a tumultuous career as the quarterback for UTEP, slinging it deep with precision and accuracy at times only to follow up the good with equally as bad decisions and inaccuracy. He was welcomed back as the starter in 2023 and certainly flashed brilliance at times, but similar to the 2022 season, injuries and subsequent poor decision-making led to his exit and lackluster play from the offense.
Cade McConnell gave the Miners a boost with his downfield throwing, proving he wasn’t afraid to test the deep waters. McConnell clearly had a good rapport with WR Kelly Akharaiyi but was plagued by similar inaccuracies and decision-making throughout his starts.
The Miners have a robust area they can recruit from, and you’d have to expect the new staff will certainly look to bring in some new talent at quarterback to sustain some solid play in the Conference USA.
112) Cam Fancher, Cole Pennington | Marshall
Sun Belt Rank: 12/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 124th (+12)
Yards: 2,162 | TDs: 11 | INT: 11 | Comp. %: 65.6% | YPA: 7.0
It was arguably the finest performance of Cam Fancher’s career when he lit up the field against Arkansas State in Week 13. He threw for three scores and littered the field with some throws that easily turned the attention of those watching.
It wasn’t quite enough to make us overlook the struggles that he had during an extremely rough patch during the middle of the season, but it was enough to lift the Thundering Herd into a bowl game and give us hope for Fancher in the meantime.
The left-handed signal-caller has some serious talent and can move defenders with his eyes, but at times, he was too slow to make any decisions. Sure, the pass-blocking was suspect at times, and he got little help from his receivers, but Fancher will have to improve the decision-making and the speed in which he makes those decisions in 2024 and beyond.
111) Deacon Hill | Iowa
B1G Rank: 13/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 115th (+4)
Yards: 976 | TDs: 5 | INT: 6 | Comp. %: 48.3% | YPA: 4.8
Doing next to nothing to improve his place in our Big Ten QB Rankings, Deacon Hill almost squandered the game away on multiple occasions for Iowa in Week 13. Hill heads to the Big Ten Championship Game after throwing for 94 yards and an interception against a seemingly hapless Nebraska secondary, at least against any other team not named Iowa.
Hill struggled to see the field against Nebraska and struggled even more to get the ball out on time. In a crucial 3rd & long situation with the game winding down and tied at 10 apiece, Hill’s heave was intercepted as he lacked situational awareness.
He was outdone in terms of ugly quarterback play in this game, see Nebraska’s situation below, but Hill isn’t cleaning out his locker like the Cornhuskers were after the game. Hill will have to improve in every facet if he wants any shot at winning the Big Ten Championship Game.
110) Cooper Legas, McCae Hillstead, Levi Williams | Utah State
MWC Rank: 10/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 109th (-1)
Yards: 1,815 | TDs: 79 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 64.8% | YPA: 8.5
What a wild season it’s been for the Utah State Aggies. With three different starting quarterbacks, Levi Williams ultimately granted them bowl eligibility in the final week of the regular season. And how interesting it was to watch Williams win the game against New Mexico in Week 13.
Toting the rock 25 times against the Lobos, Williams scored a whopping five touchdowns, including the game-winning score in double overtime, to get that illustrious sixth win on the season. Sure, it was a tumultuous year for Aggie fans, and Week 13 was no different, but the future continues to look bright as this team finds ways to win.
Williams continually broke contain and rolled to his left, his non-dominant side but made it work. He rushed for 153 yards and three touchdowns against New Mexico, as they just simply couldn’t catch up to him once he scrambled. He pitched two touchdowns through the air and gave the Aggies a chance to win the game on every drive as their defense nearly let it slip away.
With Williams and Hillstead returning next season, this quarterback room will certainly be an interesting position battle to watch shake out from now until next season. Until then, we get to see who suits up at quarterback for them in a bowl game now.
UPDATE: Williams has since retired from football to focus on becoming a Navy SEAL.
109) Kiael Kelly | Ball State
MAC Rank: 9/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 106th (-3)
Yards: 577 | TDs: 2 | INT: 3 | Comp. %: 53.2% | YPA: 4.7
We wrote last week that the Ball State Cardinals needed to figure out easy throwing lanes and keep Kiael Kelly moving in order to see success. Against Miami in Week 13, they didn’t quite do that, and Kelly struggled to make throws downfield with any accuracy.
Worst yet, his decision-making was flawed and Kelly threw two costly interceptions from the pocket. The season had promise for the Cardinals, and obviously, their quarterback situation didn’t pan out for them.
Kelly is a dynamic athlete, and his future may be bright with his athleticism. However, his mechanics need a lot of offseason work, and his decision-making will have to jump up to at least average for him to be considered anything other than a gifted runner from the quarterback position.
108) Noah Kim, Katin Houser | Michigan State
B1G Rank: 12/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 107th (-1)
Yards: 1,132 | TDs: 6 | INT: 5 | Comp. %: 58.6% | YPA: 5.9
It was a mess of a season for Michigan State and Spartans fans are certainly glad this year is over. The quarterback situation was doomed from the start, when Payton Thorne transferred out this summer, and was made worse when Mel Tucker’s off-field discretion ultimately cost him his job.
Noah Kim nor Katin Houser could get anything going and lost all momentum seemingly at will across a weekly and game-by-game basis. Each quarterback, however, flashes some solid talent of potential looking forward.
Against Penn State in Week 13, however, Houser looked confused, lost, and lacked any confidence in his arm talent. The season ends without any answers and the roster is a mess in East Lansing. A new head coach will help whatever quarterback decides to stick around with Michigan State, but they’ll need answers soon.
UPDATE: This excerpt was written before Katin Houser announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal.
107) Tai Lavatai, Xavier Arline | Navy
AAC Rank: 12/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 102nd (-5)
Total Yards: 571 | Total TDs: 4 | INT: 1 | Comp. %: 54.8% | YPA: 7.6
The Navy Midshipmen needed to hit the reset button midway through the first quarter against SMU. Unfortunately, real life wasn’t a video game for Navy and the entire team basically laid an egg against the Mustangs.
Forced to throw even more than usual, Braxton Woodson played the lion’s share of the reps for starter Xavier Arline and threw for just 71 yards and below 50% completions. That, however, was better than Arline’s showing as he attempted six passes and didn’t complete a single one.
This Navy team is not built to come back from any deficit, as shown in Week 13. Getting healthy and pushing the ball on the ground will be key to reaching their sixth win and winning the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy against Army in Week 15.
106) Cardell Williams, Kirk Francis | Tulsa
AAC Rank: 11/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 110th (+4)
Yards: 967 | TDs: 6 | INT: 3 | Comp. %: 56.2% | YPA: 8.0
Well, we’ll give it to you like this: Kirk Francis wasn’t scared of anything for Tulsa in 2023. The true freshman walk-on quarterback didn’t shy away from hits, tight windows, or turnovers as he stepped into the lineup.
And you know what? It worked for the Tulsa offense when he was on the field. Francis played the majority of snaps against Charlotte and Tulane before getting the final two starts of the season for the Golden Hurricane. Sure, they dropped the game against Charlotte and Tulane, but they were two points away from upsetting the Green Wave, a touchdown away from knocking off North Texas, and finally got off the proverbial schnid against ECU in the final game of the season.
Francis gave this team a chance to win, as much as Cardell Williams gave them something to be excited about when he was inserted into the lineup for Braylon Braxton. He elevated the talent around him and hit the intermediate to deep portion of the field better than any of the quarterbacks.
Unfortunately, there were far too many mistakes that you can point to, like multiple turnover-worthy throws in overtime against Charlotte, that reminded you of the fact that he was a true freshman playing his first collegiate snaps this season.
That being said, there is something to work with in this quarterback room going forward. Not every bottom-dwelling QB situation can say the same.
105) Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi | Colorado State
MWC Rank: 9/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 104th (-1)
Yards: 3,460 | TDs: 22 | INT: 16 | Comp. %: 62.1% | YPA: 7.4
A gunslinger by every sense of the word, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi turned heads against Colorado and never looked back. The season sure did end on a sour note, but he did everything in his power to bring his team back and fought until the final whistle for bowl eligibility.
Fowler-Nicolosi finishes the season with 22 touchdowns against 16 interceptions, while it felt like he could’ve had a few more of each. The receivers didn’t help him across the board at times, and he flashed some high-level accuracy and power to his downfield shots.
He showcased that he could take something off his passes at times and he’ll have to learn to trust his arm but trust his decision to live to play another down in the future to grow upon their 2023 season performance.
104) Bryson Barnes | Utah
Pac-12 Rank: 11/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 103rd (-1)
Yards: 1,517 | TDs: 12 | INT: 9 | Comp. %: 58.5% | YPA: 6.6
Credit to the Utah Utes coaching staff for being able to work together through suboptimal quarterback play in 2023 and still reach 8-4 as their overall record. The season went downhill quickly when it was apparent Cam Rising wasn’t going to be ready to play and they trotted out Nate Johnson, Luke Bottai, and Bryson Barnes to win them games this season.
Barnes was the feel-good story of a pig farmer turned walk-on successful quarterback, but certainly was limited in terms of his success through the air. He had his moments, absolutely, but the play at the quarterback position for Barnes kept the Utes behind schedule against tough competition.
He was a dynamic athlete and his moments came in spurts against both Washington and Arizona where he displayed some solid passing mechanics and power downfield. Barnes was surprisingly nimble on his feet and showcased some great athleticism with the ball in his hands.
Overall, however, it was a very underwhelming year from the quarterback position and you’d expect the Utes staff to build up more depth behind their top quarterback option in years to come.
103) Athan Kaliakmanis | Minnesota
B1G Rank: 11/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 96th (-7)
Yards: 1,838 | TDs: 14 | INT: 9 | Comp. %: 53.1% | YPA: 6.3
Like so many other quarterbacks near the bottom of their conference rankings, Athan Kaliakmanis didn’t find much success in 2023. However, unlike some of those bottom-tier quarterbacks, the talent that Kaliakmanis has is evident.
Kaliakmanis has an incredible arm and can put the football in a bucket to nearly every area of the field. He’ll scan the field well and power his shots over defenders or through windows.
But then he’ll make boneheaded decisions that doom drives and sink his team. It’s as frustrating a situation as we can find in the Big Ten not named Rutgers, and Kaliakmanis is the driving force behind it.
It should be noted: Head coach PJ Fleck must have noticed it as well, as he’s been very busy recruiting the transfer portal since the end of the 2023 regular season, noticeably offering multiple quarterbacks already.
UPDATE: Athan Kaliakmanis is in the transfer portal.
102) Daniel Richardson | FAU
AA Rank: 10/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 95th (-7)
Yards: 2,001 | TDs: 13 | INT: 10 | Comp. %: 65.4% | YPA: 6.3
Daniel Richardson gave FAU his all. In fact, he gave Central Michigan his all back when he was with the Chippewas as well. Ultimately, Ricardson has become a 7,000-yard career passer and has thrown for over 50 touchdowns in the process.
Unfortunately, Richardson has never truly wowed as a quarterback for either program. Forced into full-time duty against Clemson back in Week 3, Richardson did his best to keep the FAU offense on schedule, in rhythm, and on time. However, some crucial mistakes and down-to-down inaccuracy detracted from what could’ve been a sound year in Tom Herman’s first season.
Tyriq Starks entered the fray against Rice in Week 13 and wasn’t asked to do much. The QB situation in Boca Raton left a lot to be desired in 2023.
101) Keyone Jenkins, Grayson James | Florida International
CUSA Rank: 7/9
Last Week’s Ranking: 105th (+4)
Yards: 2,422 | TDs: 11 | INT: 11 | Comp. %: 58.4% | YPA: 7.3
The future of the FIU program is either Keyone Jenkins or a QB-to-be-named after Grayson James hit the portal following their regular season finale. Jenkins got the start and it was apparent that his electric play is part of the long-haul future for the program in 2023.
He certainly has boom-or-bust in his game, but as a true freshman, Jenkins flashed some high-level ability and his mistakes are often correctable. An offseason in the lab can cut down on some of his ill-fated decisions as his accuracy, power, and willingness to take shots to his receivers paid off in huge dividends this past season.
Jenkins can take the FIU program to new heights under head coach Mike MacIntyre if he can harness his gunslinging mentality. He already showed that he can grasp the offense quickly, and the speed of the FBS level has not been a match for Jenkins’s overall talent.
100) Brayden Schager | Hawaii
MWC Rank: 8/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 100th (no change)
Yards: 3,542 | TDs: 26 | INT: 14 | Comp. %: 63.2% | YPA: 6.7
What a fun game it was for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and Brayden Schager to end the season. With the roster they have, a four-win season is nothing to sneeze at and the momentum they’ve built to close out the season should carry over into 2024.
Schager and Hawaii successfully ended Colorado State’s season with a game-winning field goal as time expired, knocking them out of bowl contention, and Schager threw for over 300 yards and a score yet again. The season’s final game marked the sixth game Schager threw for over 300 yards and a score.
Schager improved in every metric in 2023 and should be poised for big things under head coach Timmy Chang in 2024 and beyond.
99) Payton Thorne | Auburn
SEC Rank: 13/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 98th (-1)
Yards: 1,671 | TDs: 15 | INT: 9 | Comp. %: 62.6% | YPA: 7.0
It was ultimately their undoing and we were never sold on how the quarterback situation was managed at Auburn this season. Payton Thorne faired well at times, proving he was far more athletic than anyone ever gave him credit for.
However, the Tigers struggled when he was forced to win the game with his arm. Against Alabama, he threw two costly turnovers (sure, one was the final heave in desperation from his own 1-yard line) and failed to make anything happen with his arm on a consistent basis all throughout the outing.
Thorne fared much better in the confines of the Big Ten with his arm talent and that should worry Auburn fans going forward as he likely returns to the program in 2024. A bowl game performance left, Thorne has a lot left to prove.
98) Donovan Smith | Houston
Big 12 Rank: 11/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 82nd (-16)
Yards: 2,801 | TDs: 22 | INT: 13 | Comp. %: 64.5% | YPA: 7.1
Houston fans got the true Donovan Smith experience in 2023. He won them some games. He lost them some games. And be darned, he made it exciting.
Smith finished the season with solid first half and a far-below-average second half against UCF and the Cougars failed to knock off their new-conference for and old-conference rival Knights.
When he was at his best in 2023, Smith flashed the type of arm talent and accuracy that make NFL scouts drool. However, those were often marred by ill-fated decisions and lackluster consistency on a down-to-down basis.
Smith is an underrated athlete and perhaps with a better offensive line, he could get something done the right way. His decision-making, at times, was spot on and he elevated talent around him. Unfortunately, those moments were too far and few between for Houston to win more than four games this fall.
97) Ethan Garbers, Collin Schlee, Dante Moore | UCLA
Pac-12 Rank: 10/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 91st (-6)
Yards: 984 | TDs: 9 | INT: 3 | Comp. %: 66.4% | YPA: 7.3
After commanding the game against USC in Week 12, the UCLA offense looked like a shadow of what they were against the Trojans in Week 13. The Cal defense let the offense have it in terms of pressure and confused both Dante Moore and Ethan Garbers in the backfield.
The future is absolutely Moore for the Bruins moving forward, and it’s still befuddling why he was removed from the action only to be thrust back in at times this season. He has a potentially elite arm and can use his eyes to navigate open throwing windows very well. Moore can hit every level of the field and no window is too small when he’s on his game.
There were growing pains for Moore and both Ethan Garbers and Collin Schlee did little to indicate those growing pains weren’t worth going through to get Moore up to speed for 2024. The future hangs in the balance as the competition stiffens for UCLA in the Big Ten.
96) Ashton Daniels | Stanford
Pac-12 Rank: 9/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 88th (-8)
Yards: 2,247 | TDs: 11 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 58.8% | YPA: 6.9
For a first half against Notre Dame, the Stanford Cardinal looked like they could compete with the Fighting Irish. But then the second half happened. The Cardinal were outclassed by a more physical opponent and the quarterback play suffered when they had to force the ball downfield.
There was plenty of good during the 2023 season under head coach Troy Taylor and Ashton Daniels at quarterback. But, like all middling quarterback situations, the good was often outweighed by the bad at every turn. QB play was too sporadic for the Cardinal to sustain any sort of winning streak and the highlight-reel plays that came were overlooked by some bad turnovers and ill-fated decisions.
For Daniels moving forward, the down-to-down consistency will have to improve. His decision-making will also need to get better because he has all the tools to be an above-average quarterback in the ACC next fall.
Moving away from Pac-12 play in 2024, Daniels and the Cardinal have the pieces in place to potentially make some noise because of his talent. But they have a lot to prove.
95) Hayden Wolff | Western Michigan
MAC Rank: 8/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 90th (-5)
Yards: 1,505 | TDs: 8 | INT: 5 | Comp. %: 65.5% | YPA: 6.7
What could have been for Western Michigan was not to be in 2023. The Broncos finished the regular season with a disappointing showing against Bowling Green, most notably from QB Hayden Wolff. The starter over the last five games, though he played the majority of the snaps in Week 6 and beyond, Wolff struggled with any form of consistency in 2023.
Even at his best, Wolff was erratic. Against Central Michigan, Wolff tossed three first-half scores but followed that up with a poor second half that almost squandered the game away. In the end, Wolff’s place in the lineup came too late in the year, and WMU missed a bowl game by losing five of their last seven games and four of their last six against MAC opponents.
94) Austin Smith | Eastern Michigan
MAC Rank: 7/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 94th (no change)
Yards: 1,775 | TDs: 9 | INT: 7 | Comp. %: 57.4% | YPA: 6.0
Finishing the regular season on a high note, Austin Smith led Eastern Michigan to bowl eligibility with a Week 13 victory over a hapless Buffalo team. Despite throwing a touchdown, Smith didn’t have his best outing against the Bulls.
He was a solid contributor through the air in 2023, and Smith’s best moments seemed to come on the ground for the Eagles. Smith ran for just two scores but picked and chose his rush attempts carefully regarding scrambles and performed admirably on designed QB carries.
Still, Smith flashed some talent with his arm during the regular season when he needed to. He could carve up defenses when he’s presented with plenty of time in the pocket and looking progressively over the middle of the field. If plays broke down, however, Smith’s vision faltered and he was too reliant upon his legs to make plays.
Despite all this, the foundation is there for Smith to make something happen in 2024 for Eastern Michigan.
93) Jaylen Henderson | Texas A&M
SEC Rank: 12/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 97th (+4)
Yards: 704 | TDs: 6 | INT: 2 | Comp. %: 67.5% | YPA: 9.1
Well, Jaylen Henderson certainly made it fun against LSU, even if they came up short. Henderson threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns, taking a lead into the second half before LSU proved their worth.
After firing head coach Jimbo Fisher, it’s a season of what could have been for the Aggies, yet they have a bowl game left to play. No matter who comes in, players like Henderson are playing for either their jobs next season or to put together some impressive resume-building highlights this December for the Aggies.
Henderson has done enough in limited reps to at least earn more looks from the new Aggies staff, or somewhere else in the transfer portal.
92) Hudson Card | Purdue
B1G Rank: 10/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 119th (+27)
Yards: 2,387 | TDs: 15 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 58.9% | YPA: 6.5
We were skeptical about Hudson Card’s ability to lead the passing attack at Purdue. To be honest, we still are, even with a win over Indiana to close out the season. The Boilermakers won just four games with Card at the helm and the only saving grace to his season was the fact that he threw six touchdowns over the final two games compared to zero interceptions.
Card proved he can lead the team down the stretch, however, and he made a big leap with his ability to throw the ball downfield and run the ball to keep the chains moving against Indiana. As with all questionable quarterbacks, the consistency issues plagued him in 2023, but he put those away for their Week 13 performance against the Hoosiers.
In the end, Card will have to improve in 2024 as both a thrower and an athlete. Jumping out of the pocket at the slightest bit of pressure will not be the best-case scenario when he showcases that he can rebuild the pocket over the final two weeks of the year.
Fundamentals and growth from inside the structure of the offense will be paramount to his success moving forward.
91) Jaylen Raynor | Arkansas State
Sun Belt Rank: 11/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 85th (-6)
Yards: 2,293 | TDs: 15 | INT: 6 | Comp. %: 58.8% | YPA: 9.0
It’s clear that the future is very bright for Jaylen Raynor and Arkansas State under his leadership. The freshman QB blossomed in front of our eyes this season, littering the field with examples of his talent seemingly at every turn.
Sure, there were growing pains along the way, but Raynor made history with his six-touchdown performance against UMass and he didn’t look back.
Figuring out the speed of FBS defenses will be key to his development as he progresses into the offseason and spring/summer workouts. Until they, he can rely on the powerful shots he showcased downfield and his ability to buy time from within the pocket.
Adding some layering and overall fine-tuning of the mechanics is all that’s left of a burgeoning talent.
90) KJ Jefferson | Arkansas
SEC Rank: 11/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 84th (-6)
Yards: 2,107 | TDs: 19 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 64.1% | YPA: 7.1
Unfortunately for KJ Jefferson, his final regular season game as a member of the Arkansas Razorbacks is marred by an injury sustained on a run play against Missouri. Jefferson was injured following a QB draw that saw him gain a first down but immediately fumble the football in pain.
The Razorbacks dropped their Battle Line Rivalry game to the Tigers in convincing fashion for Missouri as the Arkansas offense appeared befuddled without Jefferson.
Jefferson entered the year with such high aspirations and potential next-level dreams. After the way the season went in Fayetteville, some will surely be second-guessing his decision to come back. He was inaccurate for the most part in 2023, at least on most attempts downfield, and far too sporadic when it comes to making the right reads.
He’s a dynamic athlete with the ball in his hands and one of the harder quarterbacks to bring down in the open field. However, Jefferson must be more accurate and make better decisions in the passing game if he wants to take his talents to the next level.
89) E.J. Warner | Temple
AAC Rank: 9/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 101st (+12)
Yards: 3,076 | TDs: 23 | INT: 12 | Comp. %: 57.5% | YPA: 6.9
There was a lot of hope for this Temple Owls team in 2023. However, the season moved like they were stuck in mud. E.J. Warner flashed brilliance at times and showcased his ridiculous arm talent and mix of extensive film work even more. He threw for over 3,000 yards for the second season in a row this fall.
However, injuries and inconsistent defensive issues saw the Owls land with a 3-9 record in 2023 in what could only be described as a disappointing season. Warner, in his last outing of the year, showcased what could’ve been against Memphis.
He threw his receivers open and found them quickly in the progressive read game early against the Tigers. However, an errant decision and, ultimately, a lack of firepower over the middle of the field ended their chances against Memphis like it did their season altogether.
Warner is a talented quarterback with a lot to like about his game. He just needs the right pieces around him, including time in the pocket to diagnose coverages. Will he ever get that at Temple?
UPDATE: EJ Warner has since entered the transfer portal after the publishing of these rankings.
88) Chandler Morris, Josh Hoover | TCU
Big 12 Rank: 10/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 92nd (+4)
Yards: 2,206 | TDs: 14 | INT: 9 | Comp. %: 62.1% | YPA: 7.4
Is Josh Hoover the quarterback who took the field in the second half against Oklahoma and the entire game against BYU or is he the quarterback who struggled to find any sort of consistency against Kansas State and Texas Tech during a rough stretch of the season?
We’re leaning toward the former side there as Hoover has impressed since he took over the starting job back on October 14 against BYU. Hoover threw four touchdowns against Oklahoma, though it was too little, too late to make a dent in a 69-point outing from the Sooners.
Hoover threw for 15 touchdowns this season, proving he wasn’t afraid of any defense in front of him. He threw for over 300 yards in all but one of his starts and for over 400 in two games as the starter. A gunslinger of sorts, Hoover’s development will be one of the more interesting aspects of this TCU team going forward now that they’re not bowl-eligible.
87) Riley Leonard, Grayson Loftis | Duke
ACC Rank: 10/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 87th (no change)
Yards: 823 | TDs: 8 | INT: 3 | Comp. %: 53.7% | YPA: 6.1
We don’t know what the future will hold for the Duke Blue Devils now that head coach Mike Elko is with the Texas A&M Aggies, but we do know that either quarterback option really opened up eyes this season. Riley Leonard never got the full end of the stick in terms of appreciation for his efforts after his injury, and Grayson Loftis improved weekly but quietly.
The Blue Devils quietly had a great season down the stretch with Loftis at quarterback. He split the final four games, starting each of them from Week 10 onward. Loftis defeated Wake Forest and Pittsburgh and narrowly lost to North Carolina and Virginia by a combined five points.
He wasn’t quite the game-breaking quarterback that Leonard was with his legs and dual-threat ability, but Loftis added a dimension with his arm talent. Loftis improved his vision in each start, and decision-making caught up as well. If he stays under the new leadership, Duke’s future could be bright.
UPDATE: Riley Leonard is in the transfer portal.
86) Graham Mertz, Max Brown | Florida
SEC Rank: 10/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 81st (-5)
Yards: 2,903 | TDs: 20 | INT: 3 | Comp. %: 72.9% | YPA: 8.1
Thanks to their defense, the Florida Gators put a scare into the Florida State Seminoles in the Week 13 rivalry contest. That’s all they did, however, as the Seminoles made correct halftime adjustments and Max Brown and the Gators did not.
Brown threw for just 86 yards and failed to see coverages, blitz packages, and the field in general in a poor showing. It wasn’t pretty on the other side, but it certainly finished the right way for FSU as opposed to the Gators.
Florida is now on hiatus until the spring, missing a bowl game, and asking what could have been this season. For all the ‘efficient quarterback play’ that Graham Mertz led them to, why didn’t it turn into more victories?
We’ll handle that discussion for another day but leave the fact that Mertz never got higher than No. 7 in our SEC QB Rankings for a reason.
85) Gavin Wimsatt | Rutgers
B1G Rank: 9/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 75th (-10)
Yards: 1,651 | TDs: 9 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 47.8% | YPA: 6.0
A more frustrating quarterback there may not be than Gavin Wimsatt. The Rutgers signal-caller has plenty of arm talent, but his decisions are beyond erratic, and his accuracy is concerning. Wimsatt is a dynamic athlete but needs to know how to harness that athleticism going forward.
Wimsatt can accurately place football to the short and intermediate range at his best but struggles to hit anything deep downfield. This Rutgers team is subsequently unable to play from behind, and if they are forced to do so, it usually ends with the wrong result.
For Wimsatt, he does give the Scarlet Knights an added element with his legs and ground game. He’s shown that he can win games against inferior competition and potentially spark his team against more challenging foes.
However, this offense seems stuck in the mud and can’t help their defense unless they’re playing from ahead and need to grind out victories on the ground instead of Wimsatt elevating the players around him. It’s a frustrating situation because of the talent Wimsatt does possess.
84) Taylen Green, Maddux Madsen | Boise State
MWC Rank: 7/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 86th (+2)
Yards: 1,526 | TDs: 9 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 55.3% | YPA: 7.7
It wasn’t pretty because that just wouldn’t be Boise State football in 2023, but Taylen Green and the Broncos offense got it done against Air Force to keep their slim hopes of a Mountain West Championship Game appearance alive at the time. Green threw for a touchdown and was sharp with his decisions against Air Force in doing so.
It was a relatively simple game plan for Green to execute against the challenging Air Force defense, but he executed it nearly perfectly. He scored on the ground and found his playmakers in space to the short area of the field to keep drives moving and the Air Force offense off the field simultaneously.
Overall, Green battled through adversity and his head coach’s firing to put forth an interesting season’s worth of data and film. After a tough start to the year that led to his benching, he worked himself back into the lineup and was in a position to grant his team near access to the MWC title game in the process.
There is a lot ot like about his athletic profile and arm talent, and if he can continue to make the right decisions out there, he can continue to rise up the rankings and make himself a potential next-level prospect.
83) Tanner Mordecai, Braedyn Locke | Wisconsin
B1G Rank: 8/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 78th (-5)
Yards: 1,687 | TDs: 6 | INT: 4 | Comp. %: 64.6% | YPA: 6.2
There was a growing concern about the inefficiencies of the Wisconsin offense over the past few weeks. There were far too many points left on the table, and even fewer big plays were created.
Tanner Mordecai is what this Wisconsin team was missing the past few weeks, obviously, after he willed his team back to victory against Minnesota in Week 13. Mordecai threw for two scores, and though he didn’t even throw for over 150 yards, he did plenty to spark his offense back to its winning ways.
Noticeably, Mordecai didn’t even look to run against Minnesota. He was able to stand tall in the pocket and deliver on-time shots to his receivers all over the field. Mordecai put his team in rhythm and kept them on schedule, something he hadn’t been in the past few weeks.
With Mordecai singing his swan song during his last college football game in their bowl game, the Wisconsin Badgers are must-watch TV in December.
82) Zac Larrier, Jensen Jones | Air Force
MWC Rank: 6/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 60th (-22)
Total Yards: 1,323 | Total TDs: 12 | INT: 2 | Comp. %: 59.7% | YPA: 12.0
The injury to Zac Larrier really hampered the growth of this Air Force offense in 2023 as he made the offense go. Without Larrier, the Falcons were forced to turn to Ben Brittain and, ultimately, John Busha to run the offense against Boise State in Week 13, and it yielded little to no success on the ground or through the air.
Busha had a few nice throws against the Broncos but was limited as a ball carrier. Brittain played a sound few series but could not push it downfield as a passer before Busha entered.
With the regular season all said and done for the Falcons, the loss of Larrier means much more than just an 8-4 record. They dropped their game to Army, and their chances at winning the Commander-In-Chief Trophy hangs in the balance of the Army-Navy game in two weeks.
Larrier was the heartbeat of the offense, and his speed was unquestionably the best attribute this team had going for it as they sat undefeated at 8-0 once upon a time. It shows you the strength of Larrier’s ability to make the right reads on the ground and make something happen with his arms when they drop each game since his injury.
81) Dylan Hopkins | New Mexico
MWC Rank: 5/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 83rd (+2)
Yards: 2,074 | TDs: 11 | INT: 9 | Comp. %: 55.1% | YPA: 7.4
You wouldn’t be able to tell by just looking at the box score, but Dylan Hopkins was ultra-impressive in the season finale for New Mexico. Hopkins didn’t get any help from his pass catchers as he lit up the field with accurate throws and powerful shots to every level.
Hopkins had a great knowledge of the New Mexico offense, obviously, coming over with offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent, and he took it to new heights at times in 2023. It didn’t always equal victories, but Hopkins’ ability to put the football in tricky spots and throw his receivers open was impressive this season.
For his career, Hopkins has over 6,800 yards now and largely doesn’t get the credit he deserved during his time at UAB and out west in New Mexico. In blistering conditions of high wind, Hopkins orchestrated a great game-tying drive against Utah State to force overtime, but was done in by his defense in the extra periods.
All in all, Hopkins makes his long delivery work for him and work for the offense around him. He’s a big signal-caller with a lot more dual-threat ability than you’d anticipate from watching him. Now that this season is all said and done, Hopkins leaves behind a legacy as a solid college football quarterback.
80) Will Rogers | Mississippi State
SEC Rank: 9/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 93rd (+13)
Yards: 1,626 | TDs: 12 | INT: 4 | Comp. %: 64.1% | YPA: 6.9
With a solid showing during his final week of the 2023 season, Will Rogers hit the portal within 12 hours after the Egg Bowl. Rogers had a tumultuous 2023 campaign and wasn’t able to truly showcase his all-around ability under head coach Zach Arnett or interim coach Greg Knox.
Playing in nine games this season, Rogers toppled 12,000 career passing yards and has 94 career passing touchdowns. Those are all top-50 marks on the college football all-time lists, and he’ll be a coveted player in the portal with his mix of veteran leadership and proven ability to keep offenses on schedule.
At his best, Rogers can touch every level of the field and has brilliant accuracy and timing. We’ll see if a change of scenery can vault his career back to where he was when 2022 ended and 2023 started.
UPDATE: Will Rogers is now in the transfer portal.
79) Grant Wilson | Old Dominion
Sun Belt Rank: 10/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 89th (+10)
Yards: 2,026 | TDs: 16 | INT: 7 | Comp. %: 56.9% | YPA: 7.0
Willing his team to a bowl game, or running his team to a bowl game, you pick, Grant Wilson did everything he could to get the Monarchs into the postseason in Week 13. In the end, it was his designed quarterback carry from three yards out that won the game against Georgia State and pushed ODU over the bowl-eligibility hump.
At times in 2023, Wilson looked like a potential world-beater. He lit up the Louisiana defense and cruised to one of the more impressive outings against Southern Miss of any Sun Belt quarterback. But he also had a disastrous day against Texas A&M Commerce and struggled to consistently put the ball where he wanted to when under duress.
Wilson gives the Monarchs a chance to win with his leadership qualities and power downfield, but living to play another down and taking something off his fastballs is the next step. Few quarterbacks went downfield as much as Wilson in 2023, and that should likely change to win some more games next fall.
78) Brendan Sorsby | Indiana
B1G Rank: 7/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 52nd (-26)
Yards: 1,587 | TDs: 15 | INT: 5 | Comp. %: 57.2% | YPA: 6.7
Dropping the game against Purdue was the final straw for head coach Tom Allen. The Hoosiers fired Allen following the 35-31 loss in the battle for the Old Oaken Bucket.
Not shortly after that, Brendan Sorsby hit the transfer portal on his way out with over 10 of his now-former teammates. If that’s not any indication of the type of season it was for the Hoosiers, we don’t know what is.
Tayven Jackson had high hopes for the 2023 season, but those were very short-lived. Sorsby started the year and battled back into the starting position by Week 8 despite a two-quarterback system they employed in the first few weeks of the season.
Nothing this quarterback room did was met with much success in 2023 and the Hoosiers are best to go back to the drawing board. Sure, they rank in the top 10 among Big Ten quarterbacks here, but that’s not saying much when there is a cataclysmic drop from the top four signal-callers.
77) Bryson Daily | Army
Ind. Rank: 4/4
Last Week’s Ranking: 79th (+2)
Total Yards: 1,676 | Total TDs: 13 | INT: 6 | Comp. %: 50.0% | YPA: 8.1
This year’s Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy will come down to the winner of the Army-Navy Game as the Black Knights have a chance to knock the Midshipmen out of a potential bowl game and win the prestigious triangle trophy in 2023. That is, of course, thanks in large part to Bryson Daily and his grasp of their new offense.
Daily took to the new scheme that limited outside option plays due to new cutback blocking rules and showcased some talent on inside reads, quarterback runs, and with his arm.
It wasn’t a blockbuster season for Daily, but there certainly wasn’t any slacking. Daily and his Army team took it to Air Force when they were still undefeated, they toppled perennial Sun Belt power Coastal Carolina, defeated 6-1 in AAC play UTSA, and have a chance to get to six wins despite a ridiculously tough schedule.
Though the season took a turn for the worse in the middle and Daily was a bit shaken up, he presents the best chance the Black Knights have for winning the prestigious CIC Trophy in Week 15. The eyes of the nation will be on Daily and Army against Navy.
76) Tony Muskett, Anthony Colandrea | Virginia
ACC Rank: 9/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 77th (+1)
Yards: 1,958 | TDs: 13 | INT: 9 | Comp. %: 62.6% | YPA: 8.0
The future is absolutely shining brightly for Anthony Colandrea. The freshman gunslinger was an incredibly fun player to watch grow as the season went along and when he was on the field for Virginia.
The errors and miscues dwindled as the season progressed for him and he still didn’t lose his firepower downfield all the same. After a disastrous second half against Maryland, it appeared the Colandrea took the time in between to figure out when and where to take his shots as he steadily improved down the stretch of the season.
He threw just three picks in his final four starts compared to seven touchdowns, and yet it could have been more scores had he some help on the receiving end at times. Colandrea’s gunslinger attitude should make this Cavs team fun to watch in 2024 and if he can continue the growth we witnessed on a game-to-game basis next fall, the sky is the limit for him.
75) Aveon Smith | Miami (OH)
MAC Rank: 6/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 66th (-9)
Yards: 529 | TDs: 2 | INT: 2 | Comp. %: 52.5% | YPA: 6.6
Aveon Smith didn’t have his finest day throwing the ball for Miami in Week 13. In fact, it might have been the worst showing of his career yet. The RedHawks ride into the MAC Championship Game on the heels of a two-interception performance and a day of questionable decisions.
However, there is hope. The Ball State secondary is criminally underrated and has made even the top-tier quarterbacks look suspect at times this season. Smith must shake off that performance as they head into the title game against a vaunted Toledo front.
The Rockets have the players capable of confusing quarterbacks and taking advantage of errant throws. If Smith can rely on his ability to make the right throw when he breaks contain, he’ll have a chance against Toledo.
74) Carter Bradley | South Alabama
Sun Belt Rank: 9/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 72nd (-2)
Yards: 2,660 | TDs: 19 | INT: 7 | Comp. %: 67.8% | YPA: 8.2
A season that just didn’t quite go the way they wanted it to ended with a Desmond Trotter sighting and their sixth close loss for the Jaguars. In 2023, South Alabama lost three games by one possession or less while looking like world-beaters in two-game stretches in between.
Carter Bradley led the Jaguars to two straight 55-point outings, a victory over Big 12 Championship representative Oklahoma State, and a solid stretch of Sun Belt play. But Bradley was also the culprit of forcing too many throws against some tough defenses and an apparently unsustainable high level of play.
In the end, it was a disappointing season not just because of their preseason expectations but more because of their in-season performance which showed just how good they could’ve been. Sure, Bradley’s knee injury hampered things, but even with Bradley in the lineup at a full-time capacity, this team was left wanting more.
73) Behren Morton | Texas Tech
Big 12 Rank: 9/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 57th (-16)
Yards: 1,498 | TDs: 12 | INT: 7 | Comp. %: 62.0% | YPA: 6.0
The Texas Tech Red Raiders have a quarterback dilemma on their hands. Behren Morton has flashed potential when he’s been forced into duty, but he’s been far too inconsistent and struggles to make any correct reads against top-tier competition.
With the way the season ended against Texas, one would think the Red Raiders would be shoppers in the transfer portal for a quarterback to replace the transferring Tyler Shough and ensure they get a veteran leader to continue to build their program under head coach Joey McGuire.
Morton has a ton of talent and is a dynamic athlete; however, his field vision and decision-making have been far below average during his time in Lubbock. If Morton wants to take the next step, those are the aspects of his game that will have to improve.
72) JT Daniels, AJ Padgett | Rice
AAC Rank: 8/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 74th (+2)
Yards: 2,443 | TDs: 21 | INT: 7 | Comp. %: 63.1% | YPA: 8.5
The Rice Owls needed their Week 13 game more than FAU did and it showed. Rice reached a bowl game by knocking off FAU in the final regular season game of the season and they certainly have AJ Padgett to thank for that.
Taking over for JT Daniels back in Week 11, Padgett has been sharp in relief. While certainly not challenging for the top tier just yet, the pieces are in place for the Owls quarterback of the future.
Padgett improved with each start and flashed some serious arm talent. Though some questions have been raised about his decision-making and ball placement, Padgett is unfazed and willing to continue to throw his receivers open and find them in space all the same.
Daniels put forth quite a display early in the season and this quarterback situation under Mike Blomgren is one of the best in the conference when it comes to losing very little once you go from QB1 to QB2.
71) Davis Brin | Georgia Southern
Sun Belt Rank: 8/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 61st (-10)
Yards: 3,431 | TDs: 22 | INT: 16 | Comp. %: 64.7% | YPA: 6.7
The Georgia Southern offense turned Kyle Vantrease around from gunslinger to safe-but-daring quarterback play in 2022, but they couldn’t quite grasp Davis Brin. The big-armed quarterback transferred in this past offseason and made mincemeat of inferior competition to start the campaign, but decision-making plagued the rest of the year.
In his final game of the season, Brin tossed three interceptions to give him a total of 16, but it felt like it could have been more with how many times he forced passes and got a bit lucky.
Still, Brin did flash his high-level accuracy and power for the Eagles at times, so it wasn’t all bad. Against Georgia State, he took something off his throws, and Georgia Southern pulled off their rivalry win to reach bowl eligibility.
He was a tale of two halves at times, noticeably against UL-Monroe when they jumped out to a massive early lead only to find themselves fighting for their lives due to an ugly second half. That’s how it went in 2023, and you’d have to expect this program will want better consistency in 2024.
70) Connor Bazelak, Camden Orth | Bowling Green
MAC Rank: 5/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 76th (+6)
Yards: 1,714 | TDs: 11 | INT: 7 | Comp. %: 61.0% | YPA: 7.0
The Bowling Green Falcons reached bowl eligibility with two weeks left and added to their stock with a dominant win over Western Michigan in the final game of the regular season. The two-quarterback system for Bowling Green worked down the stretch, with Connor Bazelak vastly improving down the stretch.
Bazelak threw for 11 touchdowns in the regular season, flashing his typical anticipatory nature with some touch throws to the boundary, most notably to TE Harold Fannin Jr. After much travel in his career, the former Missouri and Indiana quarterback hit the 9,000-yard career passing yardage mark in the final game of the regular season and put the Falcons into a middle tier bowl game in the process.
Camden Orth finished the season with a single start while playing in 11 of 12 games. Orth ran for five scores in his Wildcat-QB packages while still throwing for five touchdowns. Though he struggled to find much consistency through the air, Orth’s insertion into the lineup consistently threw a curveball to defenses who had to shift gears and — at times — failed to figure out this two-QB system.
69) Jase Bauer | Central Michigan
MAC Rank: 4/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 70th (+1)
Yards: 1,881 | TDs: 12 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 56.7% | YPA: 6.5
It just wasn’t meant to be for Central Michigan this season, battling through injuries and some hard-fought contests at will. Jase Bauer did a remarkable job thrust into action midway through the season, taking over as the starter following a rough outing against Notre Dame.
The Chippewas went as Bauer went in 2023, winning games in which he took care of the ball or flashed with his legs. Though that was a bit too inconsistent to make it to a bowl game, Bauer certainly showed enough to put him firmly in charge as we head to the offseason in Mount Pleasant.
A talented runner, Bauer showed growth with his arm down the stretch, taking something off his passes in a great come-from-behind effort against Western Michigan down the stretch.
68) Rocky Lombardi | Northern Illinois
MAC Rank: 3/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 71st (+3)
Yards: 2,074 | TDs: 10 | INT: 5 | Comp. %: 57.9% | YPA: 7.0
Save for a costly fumble, Rocky Lombardi played a well-rounded game for Northern Illinois in Week 13. Lombardi took care of the ball through the air and picked his shots well. The Huskies are going bowling because of Lombardi’s ability to find his receivers in crucial spots and down the field.
Expect Lombardi to continue this winning formula in their bowl game because, even though the box score doesn’t show it, it was a fine performance from him. He didn’t get much help from his receivers after the catch nor at the catch point, and that should be a focus of emphasis for the NIU staff in the offseason.
As it stands right now, Lombardi earned his sixth win as the starter this season and has NIU on the right path. It won’t go down as a career year for him, but it certainly will go down as a serviceable season for the longtime college football QB.
67) Taisun Phommachanh | UMass
Ind. Rank: 3/4
Last Week’s Ranking: 68th (+1)
Yards: 1,507 | TDs: 6 | INT: 5 | Comp. %: 61.2% | YPA: 6.6
Rewind the clocks back to Week 0 when Taisun Phommachanh and the Minutemen knocked off New Mexico State. Who knew that game would have meant so much as it does now with the Aggies heading to the Conference USA Championship?
The pinnacle of success during their season it was that game where Phommanchanh showcased his potentially-elite arm talent. He hit each level of the field very well and spread the ball around to his pass catchers on each side.
The war of attrition struck and he missed a handful of games in 2023, but when he was healthy and on his game, Phommanchanh looked every bit the part of a former Clemson and Georgia Tech quarterback.
Though he had a bit of a gunslinger mentality, Phommanchanh had a great understanding of when and where to pick his shots with his arm talent. We’ll look back at this season, and likely his career, as a case of what could have been because he is incredibly gifted.
66) Cade Klubnik | Clemson
ACC Rank: 8/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 64th (-2)
Yards: 2,580 | TDs: 19 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 63.0% | YPA: 6.2
A strong game of passing it was not for Cade Klubnik, nor his counterpart Spencer Rattler, in the Palmetto Bowl. Clemson and South Carolina dueled it out in a battle of field goals and field position in the final game of the regular season.
The Tigers got the better of the Gamecocks, but it certainly wasn’t because of Klubnik. That’s sort of how the season went for Clemson; the games they won weren’t necessarily because of Klubnik, and that’s now seemingly becoming a systemic issue for the Tigers.
There is no denying Klubnik’s talent, but the decision-making and questionable play calls (something he can’t help) will always leave us wanting more from him. Similar to his former mentor, DJ Uiagalalei, don’t be surprised if, in two seasons, we’re talking about Klubnik having a career revelation at another school.
65) Devin Leary | Kentucky
SEC Rank: 8/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 99th (+34)
Yards: 2,440 | TDs: 23 | INT: 10 | Comp. %: 56.3% | YPA: 7.1
Utilizing an other-worldly performance from Ray Davis, Devin Leary defeated archrival Louisville in the Governor’s Cup in Week 13. Leary threw for three touchdowns and 206 yards, though a lot of the damage was done after the catch by his playmakers.
Overall, it was a season to forget compared to the expectations we had for Leary coming into Kentucky. Leary threw for 23 touchdowns but made multiple costly mistakes in pivotal moments for the Wildcats.
However, in the end, it led to a 7-5 record and hope for the program as it was enough to retain their head coach Mark Stoops from what was likely a very tempting offer from Texas A&M, for now, at least.
64) Thomas Castellanos | Boston College
ACC Rank: 7/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 67th (+3)
Yards: 2,146 | TDs: 15 | INT: 13 | Comp. %: 57.1% | YPA: 6.9
There will be a lot of teams that are scared when they see Boston College on their schedule in 2024, and that’s largely because of Thomas Castellanos. The young quarterback flashed brilliantly on multiple occasions in 2023, though it was far too inconsistently to create much havoc.
However, Castellanos showcased plenty of growth over the season for BC and put the Eagles’ opponents on notice. Against Miami in Week 13, Castellanos threw for 151 yards and a touchdown, flashing some serious arm talent in the process.
He showed his accuracy and poise under duress and some beautifully layered shots over the arms of the defender were the highlights. Castellanos is a dynamic runner with the ball, and that will never change, though he’d be better suited to get in the proverbial lab next offseason and work on his footwork in the pocket.
The BC defense did him no favors in 2023, nor did his offensive line, but Castellanos gave the Eagles a chance to win regardless. Castellanos ran for 957 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, with the chance to go over 1,000 yards with their bowl game.
Against Miami, Castellanos’s 151 yards were enough to push him to 2,141 passing yards, though he’s almost reached his touchdown total with 13 interceptions all the same. The future is bright if he can hone in on the fundamentals.
63) Luke Altmyer, John Paddock | Illinois
B1G Rank: 6/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 45th (-18)
Yards: 1,278 | TDs: 9 | INT: 3 | Comp. %: 59.4% | YPA: 8.9
Looking back at the success the 2022 Illinois team had makes you wonder just how good Tommy DeVito was a season ago. Sure, John Paddock entered the picture and lit up the field, and the Illinois record books in the process, but victories have fallen off a cliff since last season.
Paddock isn’t limited as a passer, not by any stretch of the imagination, but he certainly would want some of his throws down the stretch of the season back. He struggled with ball security against Iowa and Northwestern, and ultimately, the games were lost because of it.
The consistency from game to game is what plagued Paddock during his time at Ball State and now at Illinois. The Fighting Illini missed out on a bowl game by losing three one-score games and two that were lost by less than a field goal.
Execution from the coaching staff down to the players, especially the quarterbacks, is sorely needed to improve.
62) Logan Smothers, Zion Webb | Jacksonville State
CUSA Rank: 6/9
Last Week’s Ranking: 63rd (+1)
Yards: 1,281 | TDs: 5 | INT: 6 | Comp. %: 50.0% | YPA: 6.6
At times, it wasn’t pretty for Jacksonville State in 2023. Yet, the quarterback situation somehow got better as games went on and as the season progressed. Zion Webb turned back into the quarterback that we saw at the FCS level as they became accustomed to the speed and rigors of an FBS schedule.
They won more games than anticipated and certainly have their defense and quarterbacks to thank for that. When they were on top of their game, both QBs brought something different to the table.
Webb, the better passer of the two, was no slouch on the ground. Logan Smothers excelled with his feet, and the duo ran for over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns combined. Consistency was the only facet lacking within this two-quarterback system, but it worked for them, in the long run, to have both players ready to go at a moment’s notice with some suspect offensive line play.
Webb and Smothers exceeded expectations in 2023 and are arguably the biggest reason they’re going bowling in their first season at the FBS level.
61) Fernando Mendoza | Cal
Pac-12 Rank: 8/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 53rd (-8)
Yards: 1,447 | TDs: 13 | INT: 7 | Comp. %: 62.4% | YPA: 6.9
It’s remarkable to think what this Cal offense could have been had Frenando Mendoza played the whole season as the starter. For a team who entered the season with their coach on the hot seat and did very little through the meat of their schedule, they certainly played like potential ACC contenders in the month of November (sans the Oregon game) with Mendoza playing his best ball.
Mendoza finished with just 13 touchdowns against seven interceptions, but he was integral in keeping their offense on schedule and on time. He threw his receivers open at times and was great in clutch moments in their victories, setting up their running game for success.
Mendoza got just seven starts and wasn’t asked to do much in each of those, yet he threw for multiple touchdowns in all but one of those games. There’s a lot to like with Mendoza’s game going forward as he certainly played a game much older than he actually is.
60) John Rhys Plumlee | UCF
Big 12 Rank: 8/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 62nd (+2)
Yards: 2,073 | TDs: 13 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 63.9% | YPA: 9.1
When UCF fell behind to Houston to start off their Week 13 outing, it was John Rhys Plumlee who went to work. He found his receivers in space and dotted the intermediate level of the field with accurate passes that extended drives.
Plumlee got a lot of help after the catch against Houston, but his dual-threat ability and athleticism made him a must-account for player that opened up those YAC chances. He’s a dynamic athlete who potentially has a future in the NFL in the vein of Taysom Hill, even if he’s a much better passer than Hill ever was.
On the college field, however, we’ll get one last look at Plumlee in 2023 during their bowl game after the Knights became the only newcomer to the Big 12 to reach bowl-eligible status behind Plumlee.
59) Darren Grainger | Georgia State
Sun Belt Rank: 7/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 51st (-8)
Yards: 2,368 | TDs: 17 | INT: 7 | Comp. %: 67.0% | YPA: 7.0
New York Grainger was a thing that echoed through the halls of College Football Network for the month of September following Darren Grainger’s play to start the season. However, as the season progressed, Grainger’s lofty Heisman campaign did not.
He threw for nine touchdowns against five interceptions to close out the year winless in the month of November. Still, Grainger flashed the overall tools he presents as a potential quarterback at the next level with pinpoint accuracy and some incredible touch on his throws downfield.
He’s a dynamic athlete, that’s a given, but Grainger was hardly at his best for the majority of the season once Sun Belt play hit. In three seasons with the Panthers, Grainger threw for over 1,700 yards and at least 17 touchdowns in each season proving to give them a much-needed boost as they still acclimate to the annual rigors of the Sun Belt.
58) TJ Finley | Texas State
Sun Belt Rank: 6/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 73rd (+15)
Yards: 3,287 | TDs: 24 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 68.6% | YPA: 8.5
In a barnburner to finish the regular season, TJ Finley lit up the scoreboards once again for the Bobcats. He threw for over 360 yards and three touchdowns, averaging a ridiculous 13.0 yards per attempt against South Alabama.
Behind Finley’s outrageous day, Texas State pushed their season to a guaranteed winning record in G.J. Kinne’s first season in San Marcos, a miraculous feat in and of itself. Thanks to Finley, the Bobcats turned heads weekly with his rare blend of power, size, and underrated athleticism from the pocket.
He teetered on the edge of our Elite Tier for a few weeks with his ridiculous play but returned to Earth as the season progressed. Still, the building blocks are there, and Finley, returning in 2024, should give this offense the quarterback necessary to find all their talented playmakers at every level of the field once again.
They’re a team to be reckoned with in the Sun Belt as they continue to Take Back Texas.
57) Grayson McCall, Jarrett Guest, Ethan Vasko | Coastal Carolina
Sun Belt Rank: 5/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 47th (-10)
Yards: 1,919 | TDs: 10 | INT: 6 | Comp. %: 67.4% | YPA: 8.6
We knew there would be a step back from this Coastal Carolina offense once Jamey Chadwell departed to Liberty, but we didn’t expect this team to suffer as many setbacks as they did in 2023. The Chants saw injury after injury start to pile up and eventually, their leader fell victim to a vicious head shot that knocked him out of the lineup.
Grayson McCall will still go down as one of the greatest college quarterbacks of all time, even if his final season in Conway didn’t end like it. He was surgical with the football when he was at his best, and he took care of the ball better than any quarterback in history through his first four seasons.
When pressed into duty, Etahn Vasko and Jarrett Guest proved they could also hang with McCall in that quarterback room. Vasko got the final three starts and threw for four touchdowns against one interception but struggled to move the football against stingy defenses consistently.
The Chants will move on to 2024 without the services of McCall (and now Guest after he also hit the transfer portal) and look to the future at the position.
UPDATE: Grayson McCall is now in the transfer portal.
56) Ben Bryant, Brendan Sullivan | Northwestern
B1G Rank: 5/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 65th (+9)
Yards: 1,585 | TDs: 11 | INT: 6 | Comp. %: 61.7% | YPA: 6.5
If the final week of the season is any indicator at what we can expect from Ben Bryant, then the Northwestern program is in good hands during their bowl game. Bryant lit up the field late against Illinois and threw for two scores while completing 75% of his throws.
Bryant went downfield with great success and hit some crucial throws to extend drives and keep his team in the game, ultimately coming from behind and winning their seventh game.
With Bryant as the starter, the Wildcats went 5-3 with some hard-fought losses to Penn State and Duke in there. He gave them a chance to win this season and Bryant has one final game as a college quarterback in their bowl game in December.
55) Mikey Keene, Logan Fife | Fresno State
MWC Rank: 4/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 5t0h (-5)
Yards: 2,596 | TDs: 21 | INT: 9 | Comp. %: 66.9% | YPA: 7.0
The season inexplicably ended on a sour note to a San Diego State offense that lacked the ability to complete a forward pass for the most part. However, if Mikey Keene had any major issue in his game in 2023, it was trying to force the ball into too many tight windows.
Keene trusted his arm too much at times this past season and it caught up with him in the end. Despite injuries that hampered their success, the Bulldogs still had a chance at the Mountain West Championship because of Keene and Logan Fife.
When he was on his game, Keene was accurately throwing dimes downfield and pushing the ball to the perimeter with ease. Those stopped coming in consistent streaks down the stretch and Fresno State fell out of contention.
Keene had a great season when he was healthy in 2023, and there is a lot to build on with another year under Jeff Tedford.
54) Cam Ward | Washington State
Pac-12 Rank: 7/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 55th (+1)
Yards: 3,732 | TDs: 25 | INT: 7 | Comp. %: 66.7% | YPA: 7.7
Rumor came out that Cam Ward was offered multiple million-dollar NIL deals following the 2023 version of the Apple Cup, but we’ll believe that when we see it. Ward turned the corner down the stretch, back into the quarterback we thought he could be when the season started, and put a scare into Washington’s Playoff hopes in the Apple Cup.
It wasn’t meant to be because of some costly turnovers, but Ward largely improved his ball security issues this season. Save for a two-game stretch of poor football, Ward excelled in 2023.
There’s certainly some gunslinging to Ward’s game, and if he wants a career in professional football, he’ll have to harness that into living to play another down and keeping the ball away from the enemy. When he’s at his best, Ward can hit every level of the field and some tight windows are no match for him.
The future is still in the air as to where he plays in 2024, and Ward still has some things to work on.
53) Jack Plummer | Louisville
ACC Rank: 6/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 53rd (+3)
Yards: 2,952 | TDs: 21 | INT: 11 | Comp. %: 66.2% | YPA: 8.8
Kentucky outclassed the Louisville Cardinals in the battle for the Governor’s Cup in Week 13, yet Jack Plummer put forth a pretty solid display with his arm. Sure, there were costly turnovers, but the good largely outweighed the bad and the Cardinals were still in a position to topple their SEC rival.
Plummer threw for two touchdowns and hit each level of the field well enough to give Lousiville a chance to win. It wasn’t always deep shots that impressed; and instead, it was his decision-making and ability to look off safeties to target the middle of the field well.
He’ll use his tight ends and running backs well enough to open up some favorable matchups on the outside. Trusting his receivers to make plays on the boundary or simply throwing them open consistently is the only thing left to up Plummer’s game.
He’ll have to bring that A-game to the ACC Championship Game against Florida State.
52) Taulia Tagovailoa | Maryland
B1G Rank: 4/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 69th (+17)
Yards: 3,377 | TDs: 25 | INT: 11 | Comp. %: 66.4% | YPA: 7.7
One of the Big Ten’s most productive quarterbacks gave a great final regular season performance for the Maryland Terrapins as Taulia Tagovailoa was up to his usual tricks against Rutgers. In Week 13, Tagovailoa threw over 360 yards with three scores and lit up the field with his standard accuracy, poise, and power to every level.
Tagovailoa finishes the season with 3,377 yards, leading the conference and throwing for over 3,000 yards for the third straight season. At 11,356 career passing yards, Tagovailoa has more than carved out his own spot in the college football record books.
The Terps are going bowling and Tagovailoa will have one more game to cement his legacy with the program.
51) Keegan Shoemaker | Sam Houston
CUSA Rank: 5/9
Last Week’s Ranking: 54th (+3)
Yards: 2,507 | TDs: 15 | INT: 11 | Comp. %: 63.0% | YPA: 6.0
Call it an upset to end the season, if you will, but it’s clear that this Sam Houston team finally cleared the proverbial hump in their way of winning games at the FBS level. Keegan Shoemaker and the potentially high-flying offense took a bit out of their air game against Middle Tennessee and it worked.
They found themselves in rhythm and found their offense on the field much more than their defense, a solid thing to do against this season’s MTSU team.
Shoemaker was just shy of 200 yards in the season finale, but he paced the offense with some crucial first-down throws and put them in a position to win the game in the end.
That’s not the season went for Sam Houston, however. They were on the end of some unfortunate breaks and a few points away from a handful of wins. Ending the season on a high note, however, will be good for morale and perhaps even better for recruiting, as this team has the bones to make a run in the Conference USA, even if Shoemaker isn’t in the picture.
50) Garrett Greene | West Virginia
Big 12 Rank: 7/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 58th (+8)
Yards: 2,178 | TDs: 15 | INT: 4 | Comp. %: 53.2% | YPA: 8.6
A gunslinger adventure that was Week 13 saw Garrett Greene at his finest. He lit up the field with some downfield shots that turned the heads of everyone watching.
Greene looked downfield often and utilized his legs when the Baylor defense crept back. It was about as good of a season-ending performance as you could have expected from Greene as he showcased himself as his best form to finish the year.
The season wasn’t perfect for West Virginia, in fact, it was far from perfect. Yet, they won eight games and did it the hard-nosed, old-fashioned West Virginia way. Greene ran through crowded second lines to extend drives and threaded the needle more than a few more times in the air.
Time will tell what this offense looks like in 2024, but if Greene is back to slinging it all over the field like he did against Baylor, they’ll be better off.
49) Jacob Zeno | UAB
AAC Rank: 7/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 43rd (-6)
Yards: 3,126 | TDs: 20 | INT: 9 | Comp. %: 73.6% | YPA: 8.2
Continuing to look like the former Power Five quarterback he once was with Baylor, Jacob Zeno and the UAB Blazers put up a fight one final time in 2023. It came away on the wrong end for them, like so many other close games did this season, but the Blazers look like they’re ready to compete in the AAC in the future.
Zeno saw plenty of pressure on him in 2023 and that was no different in Week 13. He pushed the ball plenty against North Texas, and good things came when he did.
This offense is going to be one of the fastest offenses in the country in terms of snap-to-pass, and after Zeno, they’ll certainly need a cerebral quarterback to continue the success they can build on from 2023. While the year goes down as a failure in terms of no postseason play, the building blocks are there for the Blazers going forward.
48) Nicholas Vattiato | Middle Tennessee
CUSA Rank: 4/9
Last Week’s Ranking: 37th (-11)
Yards: 3,092 | TDs: 23 | INT: 13 | Comp. %: 66.8% | YPA: 7.2
Slinging it all around the field in 2023, Nicholas Vattiato proved something this past season. Vattiato proved that the offense at MTSU fit his skill set while proving he was fully capable of taking the reigns and exceeding expectations.
Sure, the season ended with an unfortunate ending and the subsequent relieving of longtime head coach Rick Stockstill, but it wasn’t all bad in 2023. For Vattiato, it was a career year of 3,000-plus yards and 23 touchdowns.
Whether he stays at MTSU or ventures to another program, he showed that he’s more than capable as a leader of a program with plus talent in his arm. Under new leadership in 2024, however, will Vattiato be able to grasp a new playbook quickly enough to make inroads toward success next fall?
Fortunately, Vattiato is also an underrated dual-threat quarterback and has his legs to bank on in the process of learning a new scheme and likely a new roster in 2024.
47) Brennan Armstrong | NC State
ACC Rank: 5/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 49th (+2)
Yards: 1,621 | TDs: 11 | INT: 6 | Comp. %: 62.4% | YPA: 6.9
What a remarkable end of the season it was for NC State and Brennan Armstrong. Lest we forget, Armstrong was benched in favor of MJ Morris to ‘provide a spark’ and all Armstrong did once Morris decided to redshirt and ultimately transfer is dominate.
Armstrong got the final three starts of the season and threw six touchdowns against zero interceptions. He lit up the field and improved in each game as the starter once again. He was markedly different as a quarterback and leader from his early-season stretch of starts and looked every bit the part of a former 4,000-yard passer that he is.
While they await their bowl game designation, we can look back at Armstrong’s career, all he’s been through and have nothing but pride to have watched it unfold. He battled through tragedy at UVA and adversity at NC State. The dual-threat lefty has his place in the college football record books as a 10,000-yard career passer and turned heads in doing so.
46) Ta’Quan Roberson | UConn
Ind. Rank: 2/4
Last Week’s Ranking: 38th (-8)
Yards: 2,075 | TDs: 12 | INT: 6 | Comp. %: 58.3% | YPA: 6.1
In an Independent showdown, Ta’Quan Roberson and the UConn Huskies got the better of UMass to finish each team’s 2023 season. Roberson was solid throughout the contest from the pocket, but did have some ball security issues on the ground.
Still, Roberson more than flashed the talent that — at one point — sent him to Penn State during the 2023 season with the Huskies. Roberson has a gifted arm and can play incredibly well from inside the structure of the offense.
During the Sacred Heart game, he showed that he could dissect a defense and successfully spread the ball out to different receivers when given time in the pocket. He’s a dynamic athlete and certainly knows how to disperse the ball and break contain when necessary.
It didn’t lead to too many victories during the year, but with clean pockets and solid protection up front, the Huskies’ offense looked vastly improved with Roberson at quarterback this season.
45) Zeon Chriss, Chandler Fields | Louisiana
Sun Belt Rank: 4/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 48th (+3)
Yards: 914 | TDs: 7 | INT: 3 | Comp. %: 70.9% | YPA: 7.8
The battle of the Louisianas went the way of the Ragin’ Cajuns, thanks to Chandler Fields. A surgical performance for Louisiana’s quarterback ended the regular season with a bang in Week 13, tossing for two touchdowns and just two incompletions.
Fields entered the backfield in Week 10 following Zeon Chriss’s leg injury. After that point, Fields threw seven touchdowns and just one interception (against Sun Belt Championship Game entrant Troy) and looked like a vastly improved signal-caller.
He was pinpoint accurate and elevated the talent around him, proving to be a great replacement for Louisiana. After starting eight games of middling success in 2022, Fields’ play in 2023 was drastically different down the stretch for the Cajuns. As such, he pushed them to a bowl game, and they’ll have a chance to finish the season with a winning record for the first time since Billy Napier left town.
Chriss had proven to indeed be a difficult player to keep on the bench when he entered the lineup for Louisiana. He flashed with the ball in his hands, both from the pocket when he had time to throw and on the run when he broke contain (or on designed carries). He’s a dynamic athlete who likely needed this year as a seasoning campaign to take over in 2024.
He took his lumps this year, and if he slows down and sees the field better in 2024, the sky is the limit for Chriss.
44) Kyron Drones | Virginia Tech
ACC Rank: 4/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 44th (no change)
Yards: 1,993 | TDs: 15 | INT: 3 | Comp. %: 58.0% | YPA: 7.5
If you weren’t sold on Kyron Drones as the quarterback of the future for the Virginia Tech Hokies, then you need to rewatch this season’s worth of film. Don’t get me wrong, this season was not without its flaws in Blacksburg, but it certainly provided a spark unlike what we’ve seen in years past for the Hokies.
Tech is going bowling and they have a defense and Drones to thank for it. Against Virginia in the final regular season game, Drones threw for three scores and did so no thanks to his receivers yet again. He flashed his in-game athleticism yet again against the Cavaliers.
He’ll choose his shots wisely and can make all the throws. His downfield accuracy has improved this season and the sights for 2024 should be set much higher with Drones’ growth we witnessed in 2023.
43) Drew Allar | Penn State
B1G Rank: 3/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 46th (+3)
Yards: 2,336 | TDs: 23 | INT: 1 | Comp. %: 61.3% | YPA: 6.7
The Drew Allar that showed up against Michigan State is the Drew Allar that needed to show up against Ohio State and Michigan to give the Penn State Nittany Lions a chance to compete in both of those outings. Still, as the regular season finishes, Penn State’s quarterback left behind a solid lasting memory of a memorable 2023 campaign.
Allar threw for 292 yards and two scores, averaging a season-best 11.2 yards per attempt. He was immaculate with his accuracy and solid with his layering. Allar hit the deep shots and took something off his passes when necessary.
Finishing his season with 2,336 passing yards and 23 touchdowns, Allar’s record streak of passes to start a career without an interception saw him last until the Indiana game in late October without throwing a pick. He was too careful with the football at times, but gives the Nittany Lions a chance to win any game if he were to play with the same gusto he had against Michigan State to end the year.
42) Spencer Rattler | South Carolina
SEC Rank: 7/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 35th (-7)
Yards: 3,186 | TDs: 19 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 68.9% | YPA: 8.0
Top-tier quarterback play in the Palmetto Bowl was not, and Spencer Rattler is a reason for that as much as Clemson’s Cade Klubnik was. The two quarterbacks combined for 212 yards and two interceptions as each quarterback simply struggled.
It’s still a beautiful thing when Rattler throws the ball on time and with pace. He can fit the football into some incredibly tight windows and he showed that plenty in 2023. If not for his lackluster defense at times, the Gamecocks are likely playing a bowl game this season.
But, now we look toward the Senior Bowl as our next chance to see Rattler on the field after he accepted his invite ahead of the annual game against Clemson.
41) Joe Milton | Tennessee
SEC Rank: 6/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 59th (+18)
Yards: 2,813 | TDs: 20 | INT: 5 | Comp. %: 64.7% | YPA: 7.9
Now, that’s how the Tennessee Volunteers should dispatch an inferior opponent, with their speed and immense offensive talent. It felt like Joe Milton could do no wrong against Vanderbilt, throwing for 383 yards and four touchdowns.
Milton added two rushing scores and really had great command of his game when he was on the field against the Commodores. Unfortunately for Vols fans, that was a bit too inconsistent this season, and it led to just an 8-4 overall record.
Still, Milton has plenty of talent to be remembered fondly for his time with the program. The Longtime college quarterback had a career year in 2023, throwing for 2,813 yards and 20 touchdowns with a bowl game left to go. His offseason workouts will be must-see TV for any fan of the NFL Draft.
40) Haynes King | Georgia Tech
ACC Rank: 3/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 42nd (+2)
Yards: 2,755 | TDs: 26 | INT: 15 | Comp. %: 61.9% | YPA: 7.8
This Georgia Tech team means business and Haynes King is absolutely the ringleader of a potential future ACC power. King gave the Georgia Bulldogs defense fits and the run game got rolling. While it just wasn’t meant to be, the Yellow Jackets sure put fear into the Bulldog faithful, who thought they would run over the Wrambling Wreck in Clean, Old Fashioned Hate.
It wasn’t the prettiest display of passing from King, but he still flashed his talented arm in multiple situations. Obviously, he ran the ball well, as his calling card has become his ability to break contain in non-QB-run situations and dominate on designed carries.
For the season, King has scored nine touchdowns on the ground and proven to be an unstoppable force with his legs. With a final season left, the growth that we’ve seen from King will lead many to think this team could be a contender in 2024 for the ACC. And they’re not wrong.
39) Andrew Peasley | Wyoming
MWC Rank: 3/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 40th (+1)
Yards: 1,823 | TDs: 20 | INT: 5 | Comp. %: 60.6% | YPA: 7.6
This Wyoming team was so fun to watch in 2023. They were a hard out for any opponent and oftentimes a dominant team with Andrew Peasley running the show.
In the regular season finale, Peasley threw for two scores and was on time, accurate, and primed for a big day against Nevada. Peasley threw for just 165 yards but had a total of four touchdowns with his underrated dual-threat ability.
Peasley is one of the toughest quarterbacks across the country and showcased that plenty in 2023. He’d do everything he could to extract every yard on each play for the Cowboys and he rallied his team around him just as he elevated his playmakers in space.
It was a tremendous season for the long-time college quarterback in every facet.
38) Shedeur Sanders | Colorado
Pac-12 Rank: 6/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 34th (-4)
Yards: 3,230 | TDs: 27 | INT: 3 | Comp. %: 69.3% | YPA: 7.5
The year ended quietly for the Colorado Buffaloes and Shedeur Sanders. In fact, the year ended so quietly that we missed the news that Sanders had a fractured back that kept him out of the Buffs’ final game of the year against Utah.
Sanders is absolutely one of the most talented quarterbacks in the Pac-12, or the Big 12 even, for 2024. If he returns to the Buffaloes offense next fall, expect Colorado’s staff to put an emphasis on keeping him safe and clean in the pocket.
When he was able to stand in the pocket, Sanders showcased the talent he has with his arm and his ability to see the field. He was forced to move the pocket and run for his life far too often as the season progressed and the Buffs suffered because of it.
There isn’t a throw Sanders can’t make on the football field, he just needs to have some surrounding pieces that don’t fall apart around him to do so.
37) Byrum Brown | USF
AAC Rank: 6/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 36th (-1)
Yards: 3,078 | TDs: 23 | INT: 11 | Comp. %: 64.3% | YPA: 7.7
What a job it’s been by Alex Golesh and staff to get this USF team to a bowl game in 2023. But as much credit as you give to Golesh, you have to also give to Byrum Brown. The dynamic dual-threat quarterback has given this team a chance to succeed at every turn this fall.
Brown threw for four touchdowns against Charlotte in a game that hardly felt like it was never not in control, still flashing some solid fundamentals and growth in the process. It wasn’t without issue as he also threw an interception from a clean pocket and had some balls that could’ve been picked off all the same on the outside.
However, those feel more like the throws of a quarterback trusting his arm too much in a situation that was getting out of hand than it felt like issues that can’t be corrected. Brown is as dynamic as they come and the growth he’s shown in 2023 is a clear indicator of where this program is heading.
36) DJ Uiagalelei | Oregon State
Pac-12 Rank: 5/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 31st (-5)
Yards: 2,638 | TDs: 21 | INT: 7 | Comp. %: 57.1% | YPA: 8.4
If it was the final game for DJ Uiagalalei in an Oregon State uniform, the Beavers faithful will certainly want to thank him for his services but also have to feel a bit let down with the final product after much success. Uiagalelei played himself back into a top-tier quarterback and showcased the talent that made him such a prized recruit once upon a time.
It wasn’t perfect, it was far from it, but DJU put forth some incredibly impressive outings in 2023. The season ended with Jonathan Smith’s departure and the end of the Pac-12, but they can look back at the 2023 season with immense pride because of Uiagalelei’s improvement in the passing game.
He threw for 21 touchdowns, one shy of his career-high, but proved he could hit downfield windows better than he ever did during three seasons at Clemson. His accuracy and touch were apparent and his power certainly showed off on multiple high-level deep passes through the middle of the field.
The future is once again bright for Uiagalalei. Unfortunately, the same thing can’t be said for Oregon State as a program right now.
UPDATE: DJU is in the transfer portal.
35) Alan Bowman | Oklahoma State
Big 12 Rank: 6/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 30th (-5)
Yards: 2,808 | TDs: 10 | INT: 11 | Comp. %: 59.9% | YPA: 6.8
What a game it was for Alan Bowman and Oklahoma State. Bowman certainly did have his finest stuff against BYU, but his running back — Ollie Gordon II — did. The Cowboys battled back and somehow, some way made it into the Big 12 Championship Game.
Against Texas, Bowman will have not to stare down his receivers like he did against BYU. He’ll have to hit every level of the field with better touch and accuracy against a ball-hawking secondary. Bowman will have to be lights out like he showcased he can do this season, albeit in inconsistent spurts.
A veteran signal-caller, once the Cowboys settled on Bowman as their leader in the backfield, Oklahoma State was better off. He’ll never wow you with his arm talent, but Bowman will (for the most part) always make the right decision to keep the offense on schedule and in front of the chains.
He’ll need to do that and more against Texas if they want to win the Big 12.
34) Jalon Daniels, Jason Bean | Kansas
Big 12 Rank: 5/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 80th (+46)
Yards: 1,681 | TDs: 12 | INT: 4 | Comp. %: 61.4% | YPA: 9.8
Once upon a time, injuries didn’t derail the Kansas Jayhawks quarterback situation and we put them all the way up to No. 1 in the conference. Well, that Jason Bean returned against Cincinnati, and he lit up the field.
Documented as the fastest quarterback in college football this season, Bean doesn’t get the credit as a passer he deserves. Sure, he’s got a bit of a long windup to get the ball out, but Bean is accurate, powerful, and poised in the pocket.
Bean will dissect defenses and understand how to pick and choose his shots. When it comes down to his, he’ll buy time with his legs and always looks to throw first, a far cry from where he was a run-first quarterback at North Texas.
Though the season ended on a high note, we’ll always wonder what this season (and last season) could have looked like had Jalon Daniels and Bean stayed healthy all season long.
33) Kyle McCord | Ohio State
B1G Rank: 2/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 28th (-5)
Yards: 3,170 | TDs: 24 | INT: 6 | Comp. %: 65.8% | YPA: 9.1
An unimpressive and ultimately costly final regular season performance from Kyle McCord cost the Buckeyes The Game. While you can point fingers at McCord all game long, head coach Ryan Day didn’t even beat Michigan with C.J. Stroud at quarterback, and it’s no knock on McCord that he isn’t Stroud.
McCord has had his limitations in 2023, noticeably arm strength and when and where to use his power. He’ll have open receivers and get to them slowly in his progressions, and even slower to pull the trigger. For all he did well in 2023, the measuring stick for any OSU quarterback is going to be how they perform against Michigan, and McCord is coming up short.
He could have elevated himself into the Elite Tier of Big Ten quarterbacks but certainly missed the cut with his performance in Ann Arbor. Now, McCord and OSU will have to wait out the conference championships and hope for some chaos to make the College Football Playoff.
32) Will Howard | Kansas State
Big 12 Rank: 4/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 29th (-3)
Yards: 2,643 | TDs: 24 | INT: 10 | Comp. %: 61.3% | YPA: 7.4
A season after leading the Kansas State to a dream finish as the Big 12 Champions, it came to a screeching halt for Will Howard and Co. in 2023. Howard fared very well on the surface, but it didn’t quite amount to the success they set a season ago.
In their final regular season game, Howard was forced to air it out in a proverbial blizzard as his defense laid an egg. The snow on the ground didn’t stop him, however, as he threw for nearly 300 yards and a touchdown, littering the field with multiple highlight-reel throws given the circumstances.
With a full slate of games at his disposal, Howard and the Wildcats lost four games by a combined score of 21 points, all of their losses coming in one-possession games. Howard reached career-high figures in every metric as a thrower and flashed his high-level decision-making almost weekly.
UPDATE: Howard has entered the transfer portal in a somewhat shocking bit of news since these rankings were been published.
31) Rocco Becht | Iowa State
Big 12 Rank: 3/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 41st (+10)
Yards: 2,674 | TDs: 20 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 63.5% | YPA: 8.1
What a season it was for Rocco Becht and the Iowa State Cyclones. From his head coach starting the season on the hot seat and even yelling at fans, ISU turned things around and they have their young signal-caller to thank for that.
Sure, Abu Sama ran through a blizzard and brick wall at the same time in Week 13, but Becht certainly had his moments in Snowmaggedon against Kansas State. He needed just eight completions to throw for three touchdowns, after all.
His receivers largely did the work after the catch, but this season has shown more than enough from Becht to indicate just how bright the future is in Ames. Becht grew in front of our eyes this season and has not only risen up these Big 12 QB Rankings but also shown out on the national audience.
He’s cleared 2,500 passing yards and is in line for some great success if he continues his growth into the Cyclones’ bowl game and offseason circuit.
30) Gunnar Watson | Troy
Sun Belt Rank: 3/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 33rd (+3)
Yards: 2,660 | TDs: 26 | INT: 5 | Comp. %: 61.0% | YPA: 8.3
The Troy Trojans easily coasted into the Sun Belt Championship Game in 2023, riding the strength of their defense and Gunnar Watson’s game-management skills. Yet, for the first time in a sustained season, we saw Watson break free from the game-manager moniker.
Watson was a big-time play waiting to happen as he developed his rapport with Chris Lewis on the outside. He threw his receivers open at times, and in the case of Lewis, gave him ample chances at 50-50 balls to come down with highlight-reel catches that we hadn’t seen Watson throw in his career before.
By all stretches of the word, 2023 was a career year for Watson. He hit career-highs in every metric, including yards and touchdowns, and was no slouch at finding his receivers at every level of the field this season.
29) Chandler Rogers | North Texas
AAC Rank: 5/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 26th (-3)
Yards: 3,383 | TDs: 29 | INT: 5 | Comp. %: 62.2% | YPA: 8.0
Chandler Rogers is never going to be a boring quarterback, that’s for sure. And when he’s on his game, he is absolutely one of the top quarterbacks in the country. Rogers lit up the field against UAB for over 400 yards and three scores in a dramatic victory.
Considering bowl eligibility wasn’t even in the cards, Rogers’ resolve is duly noted. The Mean Green QB fought back from some poor defensive play on his side, and ended the season on a particularly high not for North Texas.
He hit every level of the field incredibly well and showcased a great feel for what the defense was presenting pre-snap. Rogers took what they gave him and forced a few balls into some tight windows with great success.
And that about sums up his entire season. Since entering the lineup for Stone Earle, Rogers gave the Mean Green a chance to win weekly. His play elevated the players around him and it’s still a shock that he wasn’t the season-opening starter.
28) Austin Reed | Western Kentucky
CUSA Rank: 3/9
Last Week’s Ranking: 39th (+11)
Yards: 3,340 | TDs: 31 | INT: 11 | Comp. %: 61.5% | YPA: 7.1
A week after tossing nearly a handful of interceptions in an ugly performance, Austin Reed closed out his Western Kentucky chapter on the right note, convincingly defeating FIU. Reed threw for four touchdowns and reached over 3,300 yards for the season in the process.
Those four touchdowns pushed Reed’s total to 31 passing scores this year and gave him 71 total touchdowns in just two seasons at the helm of the Hilltoppers.
The 2023 season wasn’t without its flaws for Reed and Co., in fact, it was largely seen as a bit of a disappointment given their preseason expectations. Still, after any poor outing, Reed rebounded nicely and continually showed his arm talent and proven ability to put the ball anywhere on the field he wanted to.
He ends his WKU career with a bowl game and likely makes the jump to the NFL because of that aforementioned arm talent.
27) Chevan Cordeiro | San Jose State
MWC Rank: 2/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 32nd (+5)
Yards: 2,558 | TDs: 19 | INT: 4 | Comp. %: 62.2% | YPA: 7.7
We’re elevating Chevan Cordeiro up to the Elite Tier of Mountain West QBs despite the Spartans missing out on the Mountain West Championship Game appearance by computer rankings alone. Cordeiro, however, deserves all the praise and did everything he could to nearly push them into the title game.
In the season’s final game, Cordeiro threw for two scores and over 250 yards against a vaunted UNLV defense. That was sort of how his season went, for the most part, exceeding expectations and flashing some elite-level talent with his arm.
A bit of a gunslinger throughout his career, the much-traveled Cordeiro had his best seasons as a college quarterback with the Spartans and is a few yards shy of 12,000 career passing yards. He’ll almost undoubtedly get that in SJSU’s bowl game later this year.
26) Joey Aguilar | Appalachian State
Sun Belt Rank: 2/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 27th (+1)
Yards: 3,271 | TDs: 33 | INT: 9 | Comp. %: 63.5% | YPA: 8.4
It’s still baffling how Joey Aguilar didn’t win the job coming out of fall camp for the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Despite the job going to Ryan Burger, Aguilar kept his head down and worked. He worked so hard he overtook the job, threw 33 regular-season touchdowns and pushed App State into the Sun Belt Championship Game in the process.
Aguilar has an incredibly gifted arm with plenty of power, layering, and accuracy. He’ll pick and choose his shots with the best of them and knows how to force the issue when the issue need be forced.
He’s poised in the pocket and can deliver with pressure coming at him. Aguilar also showed that he can rebuild pockets with his ability to step up and continually maintain vision downfield.
He finished the year on a tear, throwing at least three touchdowns in the final five games to reach the Sun Belt Championship as the Troy defense awaits.
25) Kurtis Rourke | Ohio
MAC Rank: 2/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 25th (no change)
Yards: 2,207 | TDs: 11 | INT: 5 | Comp. %: 63.5% | YPA: 7.2
It wasn’t always pretty in 2023, but Kurtis Rourke orchestrated a 9-3 record for the Ohio Bobcats nonetheless. While a few contests could have gone the other way for Ohio — going as far back as the season opener against San Diego State — the MAC slipped out of their hand with Rourke’s unavailability due to injury this season.
When on the field and at his best, Rourke lit up the field with his standard accuracy and timely power on his passes. Rourke is a dynamic athlete and one of the best quarterbacks when he was at his best, it was just too far and few between in 2023.
24) Sam Hartman | Notre Dame
Ind. Rank: 1/4
Last Week’s Ranking: 24th (no change)
Yards: 2,689 | TDs: 24 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 63.5% | YPA: 8.9
It was a fitting end to an illustrious career when Notre Dame handled their business against Stanford in Week 13. Sam Hartman threw for two scores to reach 24 passing touchdowns on the season and a whopping 134 career passing touchdowns. He has now thrown for over 2,200 yards in four consecutive seasons and — with a bowl game to play — ranks fifth all-time in career passing yards.
Hartman has 15,656 career passing yards and is just 127 yards shy of fourth place on the all-time list, behind only Graham Harrell, Landry Jones, Timmy Chang, and Case Keenum.
He became the poster boy for veteran quarterbacks looking to prove themselves for one year before jumping to the NFL in 2023. Hartman set the road map for quarterbacks looking to break the mold of “system QB” at the college level by asserting himself as a viable passer and quick learner of a new offensive scheme.
With the era of the transfer portal firmly entrenched in college football today, Hartman’s name should now be synonymous with veteran quarterbacks looking to bridge a gap at a program due to his success this season.
23) Seth Henigan | Memphis
AAC Rank: 4/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 23rd (no change)
Yards: 3,516 | TDs: 24 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 66.4% | YPA: 7.9
In a conference dominated by top-tier quarterback play, Seth Henigan’s name belongs right near the top. Henigan finished his 2023 regular season with a four-touchdown showing against Temple and ended his third year as the starting quarterback for the Memphis Tigers on a high note.
Henigan lit up the field with his usual accuracy, touch, and power, hitting every level of the field with ease from the opening snap of the game. Henigan hit four different receivers for a touchdown against Temple and will have a bowl game to increase 3,516 passing yards to a new career-high.
Henigan has now thrown for over 3,300 yards and 22 touchdown passes or more in each of the past three seasons. He’s a touchdown away from his career-best mark of 25 and 55 yards away from his career-best mark of 3,571 passing yards. Memphis goes as Henigan goes, and that was to the tune of nine wins in 2023, a drastic improvement from last year’s 7-6 record.
22) Preston Stone | SMU
AAC Rank: 3/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 20th (-2)
Yards: 3,197 | TDs: 28 | INT: 6 | Comp. %: 59.9% | YPA: 9.3
What a first half of action it was for Preston Stone against Navy. In what felt like a Week 13 showcase game for his talents, Stone did not disappoint. Yet, the end result was very disappointing after Stone went down hard with an apparent left leg injury.
Stone threw for three touchdowns and over 300 yards on just 14 completions before injury, working the field brilliantly with his eyes and arm talent. It was the finest form we’ve seen Stone in, making his injury all the more devastating.
In relief, Kevin Jennings played well but wasn’t asked to do a whole lot. The AAC Championship Game hangs in the balance of any Preston Stone Injury Update we receive.
21) Frank Harris | UTSA
AAC Rank: 2/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 12th (-9)
Yards: 2,506 | TDs: 18 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 64.8% | YPA: 7.5
It didn’t go the way they wanted, but let it be known that the majority of the ill-fated throws from Frank Harris against Tulane weren’t his fault. A few unlucky bounces ultimately did the Roadrunners in against the Green Wave and Harris was hardly effective with the amount of pressure that got home in the de facto AAC Championship Semifinal game.
Still, at his best, Harris is arguably one of the greatest college football quarterbacks of all time. Injuries certainly got the best of him to start the season, but UTSA caught their stride once he returned.
A dynamic dual-threat, Harris stands as an 11,858-yard career thrower with over 2,100 career rushing yards. He’s not gotten the respect nationally for his accurate passes downfield and is every bit of a prototypical quarterback when he has time to do so.
Hopefully, we’ll see him for one last ride in a bowl game as the leader of the UTSA program.
20) Brady Cook | Missouri
SEC Rank: 5/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 21st (+1)
Yards: 3,189 | TDs: 20 | INT: 6 | Comp. %: 66.6% | YPA: 9.1
Well, Brady Cook didn’t have to do a whole lot in the regular season finale for the Missouri Tigers, but he still looked every bit like an elite quarterback. Cook threw two touchdowns against Arkansas while his team ran hogwild over the Razorbacks.
Cook spread the ball around well, as he has done all season long, and even ran for a touchdown against Arkansas following an on-field fight.
Against the Razorbacks, Cook continued his revelation of a season in 2023. Averaging an incredibly healthy 9.1 yards per attempt, Cook torched defenses this season both downfield and to the intermediate level of the field with great success. He was accurate and on time, flashing brilliance with some of his ball placement.
He threw for a touchdown in every game this season and had multiple scores in every game besides the Georgia contest. Cook blossomed before our eyes in 2023 and now the question about what his future looks like comes into play. Will he turn to the NFL Draft, or is he going back to Columbia for what could be a record-breaking year in 2024?
19) Diego Pavia | New Mexico State
CUSA Rank: 2/9
Last Week’s Ranking: 19th (no change)
Yards: 2,727 | TDs: 23 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 61.2% | YPA: 8.4
The New Mexico State Aggies are in the Conference USA Championship because of Diego Pavia. The star dual-threat quarterback continues to be overlooked by the national media and that’s probably fine for the Aggie faithful.
Coming off a two-interception performance against Jacksonville State, however, Pavia will have to tone down his ‘yolo’ balls over the middle of the field and learn to play another down against a ball-hawking Liberty defense.
Still, Pavia gives his team a chance to win any game they play in, just ask Auburn (who then turned around and gave Alabama a scare). He broke contain and recorded some crucial first downs against Jacksonville State in clutch situations, something he’s done all year long for the Aggies.
Pavia will have to bring his A-game in both facets against Liberty, however, but if there’s anyone who can rally his troops, it’s Diego Pavia.
18) Dequan Finn | Toledo
MAC Rank: 1/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 18th (no change)
Yards: 2,384 | TDs: 21 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 65.1% | YPA: 8.5
There isn’t much more to say about Dequan Finn, except to point out how exceptional he’s been for Toledo. Despite a lackluster final week of the regular season, Finn pushed his team to a convincing victory over Central Michigan as he rolls into the MAC Championship Game for the second season in a row.
Finn completed 9 of 17 passes for 97 yards but ran for another 24 and still scored a touchdown through the air. On the season, Finn has done exactly what his team has asked of him and more.
He’s thrown for over 2,000 yards in the third straight season, setting a career-high with 2,384 already in 2023. His 21 touchdowns through the air don’t match his career-best of 23 last year, but he has taken care of the ball more than ever.
Finn sees the field incredibly well, is a documented speedster, and one of the top signal-callers in this generation of MAC QBs. He can put a stamp on his elite college football career with another MAC Championship to end the season.
17) Jordan McCloud | James Madison
Sun Belt Rank: 1/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 22nd (+5)
Yards: 3,413 | TDs: 32 | INT: 9 | Comp. %: 68.9% | YPA: 9.0
What a dominant end to one of the greatest seasons in college football history it was for the James Madison Dukes. Everything went right for the Dukes in Week 13, including not enough teams attaining bowl eligibility, making it the first time in JMU history they’re eligible for a bowl game.
For as good a job that the rest of the team and coaching staff did, a lot of the season’s success lies squarely on the shoulders of QB Jordan McCloud. He guided an illustrious season as the team’s signal-caller, throwing to two different 1,000-yard receivers as just one of two quarterbacks to do so, and the other is a Heisman finalist (Jayden Daniels).
McCloud finished the season with a five-touchdown performance for the Dukes as it felt like the Dukes were a predator playing with their food with how the defeated Coastal Carolina. He dished up accurate passes all over the field, he was on time, in rhythm, and calm under pressure, sort of like his entire season.
He threw for 32 touchdowns against just nine interceptions and if we’re all being honest here, most of those picks weren’t his fault via tipped balls or slipping receivers. McCloud played a nearly flawless season against all odds from the NCAA and came out shining on the other side.
McCloud deserves shine as one of the top quarterbacks in the country and as one of the best players of the entire 2023 college football season.
16) Jayden Maiava | UNLV
MWC Rank: 1/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 17th (+1)
Yards: 2,628 | TDs: 14 | INT: 6 | Comp. %: 64.0% | YPA: 9.1
Consistency builds character as a college football quarterback, and Jayden Maiava is the new model of consistency out west. He’ll lead the UNLV Rebels into the Mountain West Championship Game despite a small setback in Week 13 against San Jose State.
Maiava threw for over 230 yards and a touchdown and was certainly not to blame for their loss against the Spartans. His touch, accuracy, and poise from the pocket are certainly the best in the conference and he’s an underrated dual-threat.
If he needs to, Maiava can break contain while maintaining his vision downfield and always looking to throw first. Since taking over for an injured Doug Brumfield, Maiava hasn’t looked back.
One of the feel-good stories of the season, Maiava can put a stamp on one of the best performances of the season with an MWC Championship.
15) Quinn Ewers | Texas
Big 12 Rank: 2/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 15th (no change)
Yards: 2,709 | TDs: 17 | INT: 5 | Comp. %: 69.8% | YPA: 8.9
The Texas Longhorns are one of the hottest teams in the country with Quinn Ewers playing football like he has down the stretch of the 2023 season. Ewers needed to do very little against Texas Tech to obliterate the Red Raiders, yet he flashed his elite arm talent nonetheless.
Ewers finishes the regular season with 2,709 passing yards and 17 touchdowns, completing nearly 70% of his throws in the process. He is absolutely an elite quarterback across the country and has some of the top talent anywhere in the nation.
He’ll take something off a throw when necessary, find his receivers at any level with ease, and can stand tall in the pocket without fear. Ewers moves the field with his eyes and can beat any opponent in front of him when he’s on top of his game.
14) Noah Fifita | Arizona
Pac-12 Rank: 4/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 16th (+2)
Yards: 2,515 | TDs: 23 | INT: 5 | Comp. %: 73.6% | YPA: 8.5
It’s hard to imagine a world where Jayden de Laura returns to the Arizona Wildcats after the way Noah Fifita ended his 2023 season. Fifita took the reigns from de Laura back in Week 5, getting the start against Washington, and he hasn’t looked back.
In fact, in just eight starts, Fifita threw for at least 200 yards and multiple touchdowns in all but one game. He threw for 23 touchdowns in those eight starts and eclipsed 2,400 yards, averaging over 300 yards per start in 2023.
While Fifita isn’t the biggest quarterback you’ll see, it doesn’t matter with his rare blend of accuracy and touch to each level. He doesn’t force the issue because he doesn’t have to. He’ll see the field with precision, trust his arm when he does take shots, and understands how to keep the ball moving.
Fifita blossomed in front of our eyes in 2023 and his ability to accurately his his receivers in space and on the move sets up this Wildcats offense to be one of the best next season.
13) J.J. McCarthy | Michigan
B1G Rank: 1/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 11th (-2)
Yards: 2,483 | TDs: 19 | INT: 4 | Comp. %: 74.3% | YPA: 9.7
At one point during The Game, all anyone could do was say, “Wow, J.J. McCarthy!” His throw in between two defenders with the slimmest of margins was awe-inspiring.
He displays incredible touch, strong power, and excellent layering when he’s on top of his game. Interim head coach Sherrone Moore had a great game plan for McCarthy to beat Ohio State, and McCarthy executed it brilliantly.
McCarthy has at least two more games to make his case as one of the best quarterbacks in the country but he comfortably stands atop the table in our Big Ten QB Rankings as the clear-cut leader of the pack. An Iowa defense with exotic coverage schemes and talented players all around looms large.
12) Jaxson Dart | Ole Miss
SEC Rank: 4/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 14th (+2)
Yards: 2,985 | TDs: 20 | INT: 5 | Comp. %: 65.4% | YPA: 9.4
The regular season finale wasn’t the best last impression of Jaxson Dart’s 2023 season, and maybe it’s perfect that he’s set to return in 2024 for the Rebels. Dart completed 14 of 26 passes for just 96 yards with a touchdown, averaging a measly 3.7 yards per attempt.
However, Dart flashed brilliance all season long prior to the Egg Bowl performance. Dart threw for a career-high 2,985 yards and matched his previous career-high with 20 touchdowns. With a bowl game appearance left, it’s likely he tops that touchdown mark in 2023.
He flashed that ability to hit every level of the field and do so with a mix of layering, power, and accuracy. Dart’s timing was evident and he wasn’t afraid to throw his receivers open all season long. Putting the ball in places few can, Dart’s return in 2024 means he’ll be on the shortlist for the Heisman Trophy next fall.
11) Carson Beck | Georgia
SEC Rank: 3/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 10th (-1)
Yards: 3,495 | TDs: 22 | INT: 6 | Comp. %: 72.4% | YPA: 9.4
Unfortunately for Alabama fans, the inconsistent Carson Beck showed up against Georgia Tech. That just means it’s all more likely that the consistent and dominant Beck shows up in the SEC Championship Game because, all too often this season, Beck’s inconsistencies have shown up quickly and gone away the next game just as fast.
Against Tech, Beck threw for 175 yards and just one touchdown, failing to elevate his talent to a clearly overmatched team in the Yellow Jackets. He was inaccurate and slow to make his reads, something we had thought he had improved throughout this season.
Still, Beck has been dominant for the most part in 2023 and looks every bit the part of the starting quarterback of the best team in the country. Can he put it all back together against Alabama for the SEC Championship?
10) Dillon Gabriel | Oklahoma
Big 12 Rank: 1/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 13th (+3)
Yards: 3,660 | TDs: 30 | INT: 6 | Comp. %: 69.3% | YPA: 9.5
What a game it was for Dillon Gabriel against TCU. Leaving nothing to chance, Gabriel was his dominant self to the deep portion of the field; although he underthrew a deep post that was intercepted, he easily cruised to an impressive 69-point outing against the Horned Frogs.
Needing a win and some help to reach the Big 12 Championship Game, Gabriel did all he could to ensure the Sooners didn’t squander their potential opportunity to make their conference’s postseason bid. He threw for 400 yards and three scores and rushed for another.
Gabriel spread the ball around incredibly well and found his receivers open across the field and at every level. It was another game of what we know Gabriel is as a quarterback: An accurate downfield thrower of dimes, and TCU got torched.
With 3,660 passing yards this season, Gabriel has now set a new personal best for passing yards in a season, surpassing his tremendous true freshman season with UCF. Gabriel now has 14,865 career passing yards and 125 career passing touchdowns. What a career its been for No. 8.
9) Drake Maye | North Carolina
ACC Rank: 2/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 8th (-1)
Yards: 3,608 | TDs: 24 | INT: 9 | Comp. %: 63.3% | YPA: 8.5
In yet another display of a potential top overall pick trying to play Superman, Drake Maye couldn’t quite get his North Carolina team over the hump in Week 13. The Tar Heels dropped their game against NC State in a rather convincing fashion, and if that was the final game from Maye in Carolina Blue, he was outdueled by NC State’s Brennan Armstrong as well.
Still, there is no denying the talent that Maye has. Similar to USC’s Caleb Williams, Maye was forced to play world-beater and suspect to a struggling defense at times. That is not a sustainable way to win games at any level and it proved itself with the Tar Heels dropping four of their final six games this season.
Maye had a sound year and a better career in Chapel Hill, flashing some rare arm talent at almost every turn. Few can put the ball in places he does and he consistently elevated talent around him. His professional career will be bright, but we’ll look back at his college days and wonder what he could’ve done with a better defense.
8) Jordan Travis, Tate Rodemaker | Florida State
ACC Rank: 1/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 6th (-2)
Yards: 2,755 | TDs: 20 | INT: 2 | Comp. %: 63.9% | YPA: 8.5
It’s quite clear that Jordan Travis was the lifeblood of this Florida State team in 2023. His horrific injury has changed the course of the College Football Playoffs and the ACC Championship Game all the same.
Yet, it didn’t stop the Seminoles from toppling the Florida Gators in their annual heated rivalry.
Tate Rodemaker struggled mightily in the first half against the Gators, but the offense rebounded nicely at halftime and the defense figured out how to stop UF on the other side of the ball. Still, in order to persevere and win the ACC title, the ‘Noles must get better play from Rodemaker against Louisville.
The Seminoles hold on to the top spot in the ACC because of two reasons: Who else is better and this is now a season-long review of the programs with the regular season being over. Travis was the best QB in the conference, hands down, and this offense is among the best in the country even without him.
7) Jalen Milroe | Alabama
SEC Rank: 2/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 9th (+2)
Yards: 2,526 | TDs: 21 | INT: 6 | Comp. %: 66.4% | YPA: 10.6
The Iron Bowl leads to heroics and crazy finishes almost every year and 2023 was no different. And to be fair, Jalen Milroe played an incredible game all throughout the contest against Auburn. Alabama got the last laugh because of Milroe but now enters the SEC Championship Game with a lot to prove.
Milroe threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns against Auburn, none better than his game-winning touchdown toss to Isaiah Bond. On the game-winner, Milroe flashed the potential elite arm talent he has, if he can harness it on a down-by-down basis.
Fortunately for Alabama, it’s looking more and more like he can do such a thing. The Georgia defense proved beatable against Georgia Tech, and Milroe will certainly have to play his best game, but the blueprint for a potential late push to the Heisman Trophy ceremony is there for Milroe.
6) Kaidon Salter | Liberty
CUSA Rank: 1/9
Last Week’s Ranking: 7th (+1)
Yards: 2,431 | TDs: 29 | INT: 5 | Comp. %: 58.9% | YPA: 10.1
What a season it turned out to be for Kaidon Salter and he’s not quite done just yet. Salter put forth another dominant day at the office with his legs against UTEP in the regular season finale, needing to do very little with his arm against the Miners.
He ran for nearly 100 yards and threw for a score, but the rushing game quite literally ran over UTEP. That wasn’t always the case for the Flames in 2023 as Salter was surely called upon enough to defeat teams with his arm talent.
He’ll coast into the CUSA Championship Game after throwing for 29 touchdowns and rushing for another 11. Salter flashed his elite arm talent on multiple occasions and was typically the best dual-threat quarterback performance of the week.
5) Michael Pratt | Tulane
AAC Rank: 1/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 5th (no change)
Yards: 2,168 | TDs: 21 | INT: 4 | Comp. %: 66.4% | YPA: 8.7
If it were his final regular season game as a member of the Tulane Green Wave, what a way it was to go out for Michael Pratt. The longtime Tulane signal-caller put forth an impressive effort against a very talented UTSA defense and came out victorious, pushing the Green Wave back to the AAC Championship Game.
Pratt threw for two scores and could have had a much better day with a bit more help from his receivers against the Roadrunners. His dual-threat ability remains undefeated, and Pratt ran for another 50 yards on the ground as he once again proved he’d do whatever it took to get the win for his team.
For the season, Pratt has closed off a history feat, throwing for at least 20 touchdowns for the fourth straight season. In 2023, however, he’s cut down on the interceptions and is playing his best football as he leads the Wave back to the AAC Championship and likely a New Year’s Six Bowl Game.
4) Caleb Williams | USC
Pac-12 Rank: 4/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 4th (no change)
Yards: 3,633 | TDs: 30 | INT: 5 | Comp. %: 68.6% | YPA: 9.4
The final game of the season saw Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans inexplicably lose to a UCLA team that was dominated by Cal the week after. There is, however, no denying the talent that Williams possesses.
In fact, Williams had arguably his best throw of the season against UCLA when he stepped up to rebuild the pocket and launched a 50-yard dart downfield from his back foot with perfect accuracy. It was the lone highlight of a disastrous performance from his whole team, and that’s sort of how it went in 2023 for USC.
The decorated Williams threw for 30 touchdowns, having to play the role of Superman more often than not. He accomplished 93 career passing touchdowns, won a Heisman Trophy, and ultimately didn’t play for anything meaningful because of letdowns from the other side of the ball.
No matter how you slice it, Williams did everything humanly possible to will his teams to victory and it’s no wonder why someone who was consistently let down would be emotional. Williams’ legacy is secured and he’s one of the all-time great college football quarterbacks, even if what likely amounts to his final season wasn’t as good as his 2022 season was.
3) Michael Penix Jr. | Washington
Pac-12 Rank: 2/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 3rd (no change)
Yards: 3,899 | TDs: 32 | INT: 8 | Comp. %: 65.6% | YPA: 9.1
The Apple Cup stays in Seattle after Michael Penix Jr. and the Washington Huskies toppled their archrival Washington State Cougars. Penix Jr. threw for two scores but just a touch over 200 yards as he and the Huskies offense has cooled off considerably.
Still, with 32 touchdown passes and nearly 4,000 yards this year, Penix Jr. has set himself apart from almost every other quarterback in the country. There are few things prettier than Penix throwing a deep dagger down the middle of the field or throwing one of his talented receivers open past the coverage.
He makes every throw on the football field look effortless and has shown he can break contain, maintain vision downfield, and is no stranger to the highlight-reel play. Penix Jr. will need to make all those throws we’ve become accustomed to seeing from him against Oregon the second time around if they want to win the Pac-12’s final championship game.
2) Jayden Daniels | LSU
SEC Rank: 1/14
Last Week’s Ranking: 2nd (no change)
Yards: 3,812 | TDs: 40 | INT: 4 | Comp. %: 72.2% | YPA: 11.7
Just another day at the office for Jayden Daniels as the LSU signal-caller ended his 2023 campaign on a high note. Sure, it got off to a slow start against Texas A&M, but Daniels still put forth his dominant form to the tune of four passing touchdowns and another 100 yards on the ground.
Daniels finishes his regular season campaign as a worthy Heisman Trophy candidate, leading the Tigers to a 9-3 record despite some abhorrent defensive play this year. He led the nation in yards per carry, averaging a ridiculous 8.4 yards per carry.
Finishing with 3,812 passing yards and 40 touchdowns against just four interceptions, it could be said that no player meant more to his team than Jayden Daniels this season. He finishes atop the list of SEC QB Rankings and officially pushed Bo Nix for the top spot overall.
1) Bo Nix | Oregon
Pac-12 Rank: 1/12
Last Week’s Ranking: 1st (no change)
Yards: 3,906 | TDs: 37 | INT: 2 | Comp. %: 78.6% | YPA: 9.7
Bo Nix has proven to be the pinnacle of excellence and success at the quarterback position in 2023. In his most recent outing, Nix lit up the field with his array of touch downfield and accurate passes to the intermediate and short range.
Nix threw for over 350 yards and multiple touchdowns for the fourth consecutive game, finishing his regular season with 37 passing touchdowns to just two interceptions. He’s played perfect football this season for Oregon and has the Ducks set up to make a College Football Playoff appearance in the process.
Nix himself is also about to earn some top tier awards following the Pac-12 Championship. In his future is an appearance in New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony and he should rake in some other individual awards come the season’s end as well.
When it comes down to it, no other quarterback has played to the level Nix has all season long. There hasn’t been a down game, there hasn’t been an off night, and there certainly hasn’t been any catastrophic mistakes that plagued his team’s season. Nix has excelled in all facets, to every level of the field, and positioned himself to join the top six all-time in terms of passing yards.
What a career it’s been from Nix, and at this point, it’s far from over.