2024 College QB Rankings: Carson Beck Leads Dillon Gabriel, All 134 College Quarterbacks

The top quarterbacks show themselves week in and week out. And in 2024, it could be a movie. Records could fall, stars should be born, and some long-time veterans give it one last go in their sixth years of eligibility.

Our Top College QB Rankings return for the 2024 season, analyzing every quarterback situation from around the country, from 1 to 134.

Top College Quarterback Rankings Criteria

We made it, y’all. It’s a long offseason and an even longer lead-up to the season every offseason, but we’re finally here. And after two weeks of action, this season is shaping up to be a good one.

But, for the reason you’re here: All 134 FBS QB Rankings. 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. In fact, in some cases, last year’s statistics hardly matter because a different statistical output could be seen altogether from one year to the next.

As always, this is not a list of their pro-level abilities. We’re not looking at them as NFL Draft prospects. 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.

These are our preseason rankings so the film through this point of each player’s career has been added to the 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 | SEC | Pac-12 | AAC | CUSA | MAC | MWC | Sun Belt | Independent

FBS College Football QB Rankings, 1-134

134) Forrest Brock/Evan Simon | Temple

Preseason Rank: 127 (-7)

It wasn’t all bad for Temple against Army in Week 2. They threw a touchdown, and Dante Wright is simply dominant.

But then again, Forrest Brock is still the quarterback and the Temple offense has been incredibly limited because of his inaccuracy and indecisiveness. Brock hasn’t looked anything more than what we saw in limited sample sizes last season, struggling to find his footing against Oklahoma in Week 1 and then unable to make anything happen against Navy’s defense all the same.

Is this it for the Stan Drayton era in Philadelphia? If it is, it’s likely because of the inability to find a replacement for E.J. Warner, or get positive, consistent QB play overall.

133) Evan Svoboda | Wyoming

Preseason Rank: 125 (-8)

He’s not as big as his brother, but Evan Svoboda stands tall among the rest of the Mountain West quarterbacks this fall. He utilizes his height to see every level, but he did show struggles with pushing the ball downfield despite clear-cut vision across the field.

Despite this platform and his arm strength, the Wyoming offense has been confounding, to say the least, through two games.

They’ve scored a whopping 20 points, thrown for just 169 yards and it took nearly eight full quarters to get them to look like a competent offense. And that includes a game against Idaho (and not even in the Kibbie Dome!).

He’s been late to the sidelines, a cardinal sin for a quarterback, and he’s been inaccurate to every level and every portion of the field. Something’s got to change and change quickly for this Wyoming team because it doesn’t get a whole lot easier after their lone ‘cupcake’ game is now behind them.

132) Parker Awad | New Mexico State

Preseason Rank: 133 (+1)

Things are getting ugly for New Mexico State at this point. They were gut-punched by Liberty in Week 2 after trying to keep pace, and Parker Awad has struggled to read the field in his first two starts.

Save for his two touchdowns (throws that any college QB should be able to make), there hasn’t really been a lot of positive from the Aggies offense in 2024. He’s struggled with accuracy to every level and been limited to forcing the ball into tight windows only because of errors in judgment.

Things can get better. And frankly, they’re going to have to get better.

131) John Busha | Air Force

Preseason Rank: 115 (-10)

Josh Busha ran the offense for Air Force for essentially one whole game’s worth of snaps last year, giving us a halfway decent sample size to assume how well he’ll run the Falcons’ offense in 2024 if he holds on to the job all season long.

Unfortunately for Air Force, it wasn’t the most endearing of the game’s worth of action in 2023, and Busha left a lot to be desired. He has great size for the position, but that actually saw him struggle at the mesh point, or so it felt, at times a season ago.

In Week 1, it didn’t matter a whole lot for the Air Force offense, but Week 2 figured to be a different story. He threw two interceptions and lost the ball twice against San Jose State, ultimately costing the Falcons the game.

We know Busha is a better performer than what we saw in Week 2, but just how much better is the real question.

130) Tyler Huff/Logan Smothers | Jacksonville State

Preseason Rank: 100 (-30)

The hallmark of Rich Rodriguez’s offenses over the years has been solid quarterback play. Through two weeks of the 2024 season, however, it’s been anything but that. Whether Logan Smothers and his downright awful performance in the season opener against Coastal Carolina or Tyler Huff’s confounding day all the same, it’s been a bit of a disaster to start the year.

Against Louisville in Week 2, Huff performed admirably, albeit it was once the game was seemingly out of hand. We know there is some solid play to Huff’s game, but is the speed of the FBS defenses too much to overcome?

Huff will have to hone in on what has worked through his career, and that’s his ability to dish the ball out quickly and accurately to the first two levels of the field. There’s only one way to go for this team right now, and that’s up.

129) Payton Thorne | Auburn

Preseason Rank: 104 (-25)

Like the other quarterbacks in the SEC who essentially threw well against air, you have to look at what Payton Thorne did and how he did it against an inferior opponent in Week 1. And just like the others, we weren’t going to overreact and put Thorne up too high after torching Alabama A&M in Week 1.

It was a good thing we didn’t move Thorne up, especially after his performance against Cal that essentially threw the game away. And in the end, his four-interception game was actually a five-interception game after one pick-six got called back due to a defensive penalty that had nothing to do with the throw or the coverage.

Thorne was erratic and struggled with his accuracy all over the field. He was asked to throw it downfield far more often than he should, and he struggled in doing so. It’s rock bottom for Auburn from a passing perspective right now, and they don’t have the luxury of going to Robby Ashford for some much-needed rushing assistance this time around.

Will we see another quarterback thrust into action anytime soon? We should.

128) Brock Vandagriff | Kentucky

Preseason Rank: 75  (-53)

In a brutal performance for any that wanted to watch Kentucky play Southern Miss in person, we applaud you. After a massive delay and ultimately a game called before it was over, Brock Vandagriff and the Kentucky offense played what felt like a very sparingly performance.

Still, Vandagriff showcased what once made him a sought-after recruit. He was solid over the middle of the field, but this game wasn’t one that was going to ask too much of him. We we wary of moving him up at all in our Week 1 update, and now, we’re not even sure if we should rank him or his replacement from his performance in Week 2, Gavin Wimsatt.

Vandagriff completed three passes. Yes, just three passes. And this was against a South Carolina defense that allowed ODU QB Grant Wilson to essentially throw all over them had they not thrown too many self-inflicted wounds their way in Week 1.

He was benched and it’s unknown at this time if Wimsatt will be the starter going forward in these rankings or not, so we’ll consider both, giving them an advantage over the dead last spot here, only because we know Wimsatt is enough of an athlete to get over the hump than our last QB in the SEC Rankings.

127) Cam Fancher | FAU

Preseason Rank: 83 (-127)

Has there been a more disappointing transfer quarterback in the conference this season than Cam Fancher? The FAU offense has been stuck in the mud and couldn’t even do their stout defense a favor in either of their two games to start the year.

Against Michigan State, Fancher couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn for the most part with his accuracy and the game was still somehow within grasp. And then, in Week 2 against Army, the offense couldn’t string together any drives to keep their defense off the field for some much-needed rest.

Fancher has been late to the sidelines, later to make his reads, and downright inaccurate. Even his open throws he’s missing too high or too low all too often. It has to get better.

126) Cade McNamara | Iowa

Preseason Rank: 123 (-3)

Cade McNamara’s Week 1 first half was more and more of the same that we’ve seen from Iowa in recent years. And as we stated last week, what was concerning about his performance is that McNamara’s poorest showing came in what was the scripted offense. Meaning, that’s what Iowa wanted it to look like in the first half.

What happened against Iowa State was more of the same. McNamara couldn’t read the field and he struggled to find any open receivers to any level of the field. At some point, something will have to give for this Iowa offense to compete in the Big Ten, but at this current moment, it doesn’t appear that McNamara or maybe even the Ferentz tenure will be a part of that.

125) Bryson Barnes | Utah State

Preseason Rank: 115 (-10)

If you stayed up late to watch Utah State in Week 2, we apologize. It was a dismal affair for the Aggies against USC and it doesn’t get much easier in Week 3.

For Bryson Barnes, the gameplan looked completely changed from Week 1 to Week 2. That kind of week-to-week turnover is certainly going to change the trajectory of your footballs, going from pushing the ball downfield at will against Robert Morris to nothing over 10 yards in the air against the Trojans.

And yet, it was the fact that Barnes was inaccurate on the short and underneath passes that was the most worrisome.

It’s dire times for Utah State right now, and Barnes will have to pick up his play quickly.

124) Tate Rodemaker | Southern Miss

Preseason Rank: 113 (-11)

It’s a two-game sample size for Tate Rodemaker’s career as a starter for Southern Miss, and the results have been .. OK. Rodemaker threw two picks against Kentucky and followed that up with two touchdowns against SE Louisiana.

The offensive game plan is very underwhelming with Rodemaker at the helm and he’s failed to elevate any of the talent around him. There has been very little excitement with Rodemaker at quarterback and that likely stems from what appears to be a short leash on play-calling with him in the lineup.

More passes downfield or even to the sidelines to get his receivers in space could do this offense wonders.

123) General Booty | UL-Monroe

Preseason Rank: 131 (ranking was for Hunter Herring)

The General Booty era in Monroe began with a bang, tossing his first touchdown pass of his career after a lengthy journey to this point. It was an easy score for Booty, but it was a touchdown nonetheless, and the WarHawks got on the winning end of a season-opener for the second straight season.

Booty completed passes at a high clip but rarely went downfield with his shots. He tested the short area of the field with precision, but left some reads on the table without testing the waters past the sticks.

Overall, it was a solid performance against a decent FCS secondary from Jackson State.

And then, somehow, the ULM offense ran over UAB in Week 2 and Booty needed to do all of nothing to get the victory. He’s 2-0 to start his career, yet threw for 87 yards in one of those games and has just one touchdown to his credit.

If he plays complimentary football to what appears to be a stout defense, this team could make some serious upsets in 2024.

122) Gio Lopez | South Alabama

Preseason Rank: 119 (-3)

We’ll say it until we’re blue in the face: if you have two quarterbacks starting for your program, you actually have no quarterbacks. It doesn’t work. It won’t work. And for South Alabama, Gio Lopez or Bishop Davenport, it’s not working.

Now for the Jaguars, it appears their leading man should be Gio Lopez moving forward as he actually helped push North Texas in Week 1 to a close game before Davenport’s start in Week 2 limped to a bruising defeat against Ohio.

For these rankings, we’re sticking with Lopez as the quarterback, but given his injury already this year, have to take into account Davenport as the backup. Lopez is the better passer with plenty of arm talent and accuracy, while Davenport lacks the latter in a big way.

A healthy Lopez gives South Alabama a chance to at least be entertaining on offense this season.

121) Max Brown | Charlotte

Preseason Rank: 118 (-3)

Max Brown was brought in to take over at quarterback for Charlotte this offseason, and after two games, he hasn’t quite done so.

He limped out of the gates against JMU with a two-interception game that could’ve looked a lot worse, and followed it up with a sound performance against North Carolina. The 49ers were looking for the ACC upset against UNC, but it wasn’t to be due to some costly decisions Brown made in the process,

Brown struggled with his accuracy downfield and rarely found time to even do so in this offense and with his offensive line collapsing in front of him. Some things are there for the Charlotte offense to take advantage of, but keeping Brown or DeShawn Purdie upright in the pocket is the first step in winning a game this year.

In fact, Purdie may give this offense the best chance to win moving forward, if he’s ready for the action.

120) Mike Wright | Northwestern

Preseason Rank: 117 (-3)

It was a sound debut, overall, from a passing perspective from Mike Wright in Week 1. He’s never been known as a world beater with his arm talent, and more so utilized his legs to get the job done when necessary.

That being said, the game was in the balance until Wright used his legs to move the ball as opposed to using his legs when plays break down. There was a lot left to be desired from this Northwestern offense in Week 1, and despite their best effort in Week 2, the same could be said from their night against Duke.

Wright was erratic and made some poor decisions. His accuracy took a hit with every yard targeted downfield and it was clear his limitations as a passer.

119) CJ Ogbonna | Buffalo

Preseason Rank: 109 (-10)

The Buffalo Bulls were a far better team than Lafayette in Week 1. However, due to some ball security issues from QB CJ Ogbonna, the game was still relatively in question until late.

Ogbonna was shaky with the ball and had only a handful of throws that really turned heads in a positive way. One of those, however, was a perfectly placed downfield shot outside the numbers to Nik McMillan that was a thing of beauty.

In Week 2, Ogbonna was never going to be set up for success against the vaunted Missouri defense, but he struggled independently of the difficult opponent in front of him. In what appears to be a rebuilding year for the Bulls, can Ogbonna rebuild his own platform after a rough two-game start?

118) Owen McCown | UTSA

Preseason Rank: 97 (-21)

Sadly, the Frank Harris Era is over at UTSA. And no, even more sad, he has no more eligibility and he can’t return to the field for the Roadrunners.

Owen McCown has looked good and then very bad so far, to put it into easy-to-read terms. He performed well against Kennesaw State in their first-ever game as an FBS team but then followed that up with a dud of a game against Texas State.

Eddie Lee Margburger has come in to relieve McCown against TXST and fared no differently. At least, for Marburger, he was able to actually push the ball downfield and try to test the Texas State defense, even though it went poorly for him in the process.

Some things are meant to be cleaned up and Jeff Traylor is the guy for the job, but it appears that neither of these quarterbacks may be the guy to get the job done in San Antonio.

117) Grant Wilson | ODU

Preseason Rank: 79 (-38)

The ODU Monarchs had the Carolinas on the brink through two weeks of the season. First, they were a bad decision away from knocking off South Carolina. And then they were practically given the game against ECU but couldn’t capitalize on the numerous mistakes by the Pirates to win.

Grant Wilson has gotten away with some poor decisions in 2024 already, throwing just three interceptions when it felt like it could’ve been far more. The big-armed signal-caller can play great complimentary football to ODU’s stout defense, but can he take the next step that sees him throw receivers open and elevate the talent around him?

We saw it happen against Virginia Tech last year. Maybe the Hokies are the recipe for success in Week 3 of 2024 again?

116) Davis Bryson | Kennesaw State

Preseason Rank: 116 (no change)

We knew it would be a tough road ahead for Kennesaw State and we knew Davis Bryson wouldn’t want to throw the ball all too often to try and win their games. However, we also said in our preseason rankings, in order for the Owls to try and compete in their opening season stretch, they were going to have to throw the ball.

Unfortunately for the Owls, they’ve not been able to throw the ball consistently and have limped to an 0-2 start as many predicted.

Bryson, however, did show some promise with keeping his offense on schedule against Louisiana in Week 2. More of that, at leas through the air, may be able to get a couple of wins on their schedule because Bryson is certainly a talented rusher with the ball in his hands.

115) Jack Turner | Louisiana Tech

Preseason Rank: 102 (-13)

With just a one-game sample size to go off of in our Week 2 rankings for Louisiana Tech, it’s hard to get a read on what this team wants to do offensively. Yes, we know they want to win and score more points, but are they a pass-first team that wants to throw it deep down the field, or does Sonny Cumbie want to dish it to his playmakers quickly on the outside?

Jack Turner threw the ball deep and inaccurately while Blake Baker was thrust into the action against Nicholls and kept something off his throws to keep his accuracy up.

It’s a unique situation that is unfolding in front of our eyes, but one that they’ll have to figure out because Louisiana Tech doesn’t appear to have the firepower to keep up in the CUSA if they can’t get their QB situation right.

114) Sam Leavitt | Arizona State

Preseason Rank: 134 (+20)

The Wyoming defense was overwhelmed with Sam Leavitt’s performance in Week 1. Leavitt produced an incredibly solid outing against the Cowboys, throwing for two touchdowns and flashing some pretty high-end athleticism in the process.

But as good as that performance in Week 1 was, the Week 2 outing left more to be desired for Leavitt. He was moved off his spot and couldn’t make plays happen, lacking any sort of creation capacity. The majority of the work was done by Cameron Skattebo in Week 2, but Leavitt did play a clean game in terms of decisions, so there is still some to build off.

113) Jake Retzlaff | BYU

Preseason Rank: 99 (-14)

In a performance that feels like it was a QB1-cementing outing, Jake Retzlaff was incredibly sharp in Week 1 for BYU. He threw the ball incredibly well against an overmatched Southern Illinois defense, dotting his throws well to every level of the field.

But despite the result in Week 2, it felt like there was some shaky, erratic moments in Retzlaff’s game. He struggled with decision-making and got away with some ugly throws in the end. SMU’s a prickly opponent, but certainly not the best defense they’ll face this season.

Retzlaff will need to pick up his accuracy, footwork, and general quarterback mechanics quickly for the Cougars.

112) Devin Kargman | Kent State

Preseason Rank: 96 (-16)

What a rough stretch it has been to open the season for Kent State and Devin Kargman. The Golden Flashes are 0-2 with losses to ACC foe Pittsburgh and an FCS upset at the hands of St. Francis.

Kargman isn’t completely to blame, but the offensive inefficiencies sure are. The Golden Flashes aren’t pitting to Kargman’s strengths, but he’s not accurate either.

The offense has struggled to keep him upright, but Kargman has struggled when pressured and can’t get the ball out quick enough. Something’s got to change, and whether that’s at the coaching staff level or the starting quarterback level remains to be seen.

111) Ethan Garbers | UCLA

Preseason Rank: 90 (-21)

At times, we had to ask, ‘Ethan Garbers, what you doing?’ in Week 1 against Hawaii. This UCLA offense is a mess; there are no two ways around it. Garbers hardly completed the majority of his passes and without a late game-winning touchdown effort, it all would have been for not.

We know that Garbers has some talent in terms of throwing ability, but is this offense going to be able to find a way to harness that? After Week 1, we think not. And his decision-making will have to get better within this new structure or UCLA could be in for a long season.

Garbers only moved up following Week 2 because the Bruins were off, and the quarterback below him had a terrible showing.

110) Conner Harrell | North Carolina

Preseason Rank: 63 (-47)

The drop-off from Drake Maye to Max Johnson was always going to be stark, but the level of play we saw from Johnson against Minnesota certainly would have left a sour taste in UNC fans, had Johnson not suffered a catastrophic injury. Against Minnesota, Johnson went down in the third quarter with what is now known to be a season-ending leg injury.

Prior to the injury, however, Johnson was erratic, inaccurate, and played a downright sloppy game of football. Thrust into the action in Johnson’s relief was Conner Harrell, who threw for 34 yards and led the Tar Heels to a game-winning field goal drive late in the fourth quarter.

However, Harrell struggled with his accuracy and decision-making as well as his ball security. But we give Harrell the benefit of the doubt as he was thrust into the action and still flashed his athleticism on the ground.

And it was a good thing we did. Against Charlotte, Harrell performed admirably, throwing two touchdowns and averaging nearly nine yards per attempt. It wasn’t a ground-breaking performance against an underrated Charlotte secondary, but it certainly did get the job done.

Harrell and the Tar Heels will move quickly up these rankings if they string together a few of these performances, if not improve themselves in the process.

109) Skyler Locklear | UTEP

Preseason Rank: 110 (+1)

Okay, so UTEP lost to FCS Southern Utah. Sure, that’s not good. But this team is far more a team to worry about because of their defense and lack of firepower at the skill positions than they have been at quarterback.

Skyler Locklear has given the Miners a chance to be in the game against the Thunderbirds, throwing for nearly 300 yards and looking sharp in the process. An untimely fumble cost him, and his ball security as he attempts to create will be crucial, but he was lighting up the field against Southern Utah only to be let down.

Locklear has terrific command of his deep balls and the UTEP offense should look to try to take the lid off opposing defenses more in the coming weeks.

108) Tahj Bullock/Ben Finley | Akron

Preseason Rank: 103 (-5)

Okay, so the starts have gone to Tahj Bullock, but the majority of the action has seen Ben Finley at quarterback for Akron in 2024. Two-QB systems rarely work (just ask SMU this year too) and it’s not working for the Zips.

For all the work that Joe Moorhead’s clearly done with this program, the quarterback situation has not improved and that has the Akron faithful deeply upset and concerned. And rightfully so.

Bullock struggles with accuracy when targeting anywhere past the line of scrimmage and Finley looks a shell of the quarterback that he was when he played at NC State or Cal.

However, against Rutgers in Week 2, Finley did give the Zips a minor spark. It’s a long road ahead, but the bottom-dwelling Akron offense looks like it will be better suited with Finley at quarterback, as long as they can keep him protected.

107) Kadin Semonza | Ball State

Preseason Rank: 107 (no change)

It’s a one-game sample size for Kadin Semonza through the first two weeks of action as Ball State was off in Week 1 only to decimate Missouri State through the air in Week 2.

However, their decimating of Missouri didn’t really happen until the fourth quarter as they played sluggish through the air in the first three quarters. Semonza, who was thrust into action last fall far too early, didn’t have to do too much with the skill players manufacturing yardage for him, and he left some plays on the table in his debut.

Things have to get better for the Ball State offense and that includes Semonza’s overall abilities as a football player in addition to his quarterback mechanics.

106) Hunter Watson | Sam Houston

Preseason Rank: 106 (no change)

We were relatively stunned when Hunter Watson won the job out of camp, but after two games, it appears the leash is short for the well-traveled QB. Jase Bauer replaced Watson against UCF and the Central Michigan transfer showcased what made him a talented dual-threat in the MAC in limited action during their Week 2 loss.

Bauer has the smarts and the legs to do damage in the CUSA, but will the offensive scheme actually allow him to use his dual-threat abilities?

When he’s able to sit in the pocket and diagnose coverages and read the defense, Bauer has the arm talent to make most the throws the Sam Houston offense will ask him. It was relatively stunning to see him not the starter when the season opened, and it’ll be just as interesting if he hasn’t taken over officially by Week 3.

105) Joe Labas | Central Michigan

Preseason Rank: 55 (ranking was for Bert Emanuel Jr., not Labas)

What a game it was for Joe Labas, inferior opponent or not. Labas played a near-flawless game from the pocket against Central Connecticut. He was patient and decisive, standing tall to deliver accurate passes all over the field.

Labas even looked defenders off and successfully utilized the Central Michigan play-action game to his advantage.

There was some serious yardage that came after the catch, but that was more from Labas throwing his receivers open so brilliantly than anything else. He was terrific in his debut for CMU, considering his last game with Iowa in 2022.

As good as his day against Central Connecticut was in Week 1, however, his Week 2 debut left much more to be desired. He threw five interceptions against a staunch FIU secondary that gave him no open throwing windows and forced him off his spot multiple times. Still, Labas’ decision-making was suspect and FIU made the most of each mistake.

Labas has now reverted to the mean after two weeks and that average type overall performance won’t win many games for CMU in the future.

104) Athan Kaliakmanis | Rutgers

Preseason Rank: 98 (-6)

The Rutgers fans got the entire Athan Kaliakmanis experience against Howard back on Thursday night of Week 1. Kaliakmanis was confounding to watch from all angles.

He was erratic as a passer, late to his reads, and inaccurate to boot. If you thought Kaliakmanis played a good game, then it’s a prime example of a quarterback getting the benefit of a box-score scout because he did finish with 147 yards and three touchdowns in the game.

However, no part of Kaliakmanis’ performance against Howard led those in attendance to believe he’s the best option they had in the transfer portal.

In Week 2, it was clear that the Scarlet Knights understood that as they leaned heavily into the run game. And what did that do? Played into Kaliakmanis’ strength of throwing off play action. That’s the recipe for success in Piscataway in 2024, but can that hold up against much better defenses than Howard and Akron?

103) Davis Warren | Michigan

Preseason Rank: 68 (-35)

After Week 1, we had questions about what’s going on in Ann Arbor. We got those answers against Texas with Davis Warren the full-time signal-caller going forward it appears.

We warned last week that the defense wouldn’t be able to hold up against tougher opponents for four quarters while they tried to figure out the quarterback situation, and that was proven in Week 2 against Texas.

Against Texas, Warren looked sharp when he was forced to sling it downfield. He wasn’t perfect, but he was certainly at his best when he was able to play free and trust his instincts and his arm talent.

Can Michigan turn it around behind Warren, though? After they were exposed by Texas, we doubt it.

102) Ashton Daniels | Stanford

Preseason Rank: 88 (-14)

Ashton Daniels is such a talented athlete. There is so much to like in his game. But then there’s also so much to be frustrated about as well.

At times, Daniels looks like a world beater. He can grip it and rip it to tight windows. He’ll slam passes in with great anticipation. But then, at other times, he’ll forget all of that and become incredibly gunshy and unwilling to let it fly.

When that happens, he all too quickly looks to take off with his feet and his pocket presence will have to increase as the Cardinal get into their ACC schedule. Honing in on the basics is key for the growth of Daniels and this Stanford offense.

Against Cal Poly in Week 2, Daniels was lights out, but in order to increase his completion percentage the way he did in the generic box score, he limited himself to just easy reads and easier passes. Can he keep up that kind of clean performance against a stout defense or even just simply an FBS defense?

101) D.J. Uiagalelei | Florida State

Preseason Rank: 27 (-74)

As we said in our preseason write-up, DJU is at his best when he’s able to set his feet and throw from within the structure of the offense. That was quite apparent from Dublin, Ireland when Uiagaleli struggled from the get-go with the Seminoles.

However, it wasn’t all bad for Uiagalalei. During the Seminoles’ game-tying drive in the fourth quarter, DJU was asked to sling it downfield and he was on time, decisive, and showcased the power that he has in his arm.

But the good was certainly overshadowed by the bad in DJU’s season-opening performance.

Uigalalei wasn’t asked to torch the defense, instead, it seemed like FSU brought with them exactly what Notre Dame did last year with ushering Sam Hartman slowly into the lineup. The caliber of the opponent, however, was significantly different than ND’s opponent last year (Navy) and FSU’s this year (Georgia Tech). And as such, FSU got caught in a hole they couldn’t get out of.

Of his 19 completions, 13 of them came from within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage or behind it. He had negative air yards per attempt in the first half and it was clear that the trust just wasn’t quite there for Uiagalelei.

We know how talented he is when he gets going, but this FSU offense looked dramatically different with Uiagalelei at QB. There’s a lack of creation capacity, he struggled to move quickly through his reads, and he was all too concerned with collapsing pockets than moving downfield through his progressions.

We’re not calling for it yet, but the ‘Noles may be in for a tough season in which some fans will start asking for a change at the QB position.

100) LaNorris Sellers | South Carolina

Preseason Rank: 94 (-6)

At times, LaNorris Sellers looked lost against ODU. There is plenty to like about his athleticism and pure arm talent, but there is an equal amount of room to grow as a passer and as a pure quarterback.

He struggled mightily as a dropback passer, but did showcase just enough to get over the hump and avoid a disastrous loss to start the season with his rushing ability. The bottom line for Sellers was this: He must improve as a passer or SC fans will be quick to wonder how they got to the point where he’s the best option for them at quarterback.

Against Kentucky, he only got the win because his opponent was far worse than he was (see Brock Vandagriff). Sellers struggled with his decisions, accuracy, and simple quarterback reads at times. In the end, the defense did their part to erase what was an abhorrent showing on offense to save Sellers here.

99) Christian Veilleux | Georgia State

Preseason Rank: 112 (ranking was for Zach Gibson)

After two starts in a Georgia State uniform, former all-Pennsylvania quarterback Christian Veilleux has given us a big enough sample size to indicate what he’ll bring to the table in 2024.

After transferring in from Pittsburgh via two years at Penn State, Veilleux has thrown for three scores and over 450 yards, finding a lot of success in the short passing attack offered by the Panthers.

The Georgia State offensive line has been a revelation in 2024, and Veilleux has played his best football when he’s been able to stand tall in the pocket and deliver accurate passes. That’s a good thing, because Veilleux’s creation capacity is clearly limited at this point of his career.

98) Jacob Zeno | UAB

Preseason Rank: 47 (-51)

We’re not quite sure what to make of the UAB team after two weeks. Are they a team struggling to find an identity? Are they a team too dependent upon Jacob Zeno elevating the talent around him?

What happened this offseason is unknown, but this offense looks a shell of itself from a year ago, and Zeno is partially to blame. He’s been late to make his reads and far too high or too powerful on his easy throws.

Zeno isn’t testing the waters anywhere past the line of scrimmage, making matters even worse, when you consider how inaccurate he’s been so far in 2024. Things better pick up soon or this whole UAB team may be in for a world of hurt.

97) Goose Crowder | Troy

Preseason Rank: 93 (-4)

A new era of Troy football has unfolded in front of our eyes with Goose Crowder as the season-opening starting quarterback. He orchestrated a disastrous performance in a loss to Nevada that wasn’t quite his fault, but he’ll ultimately take blame for.

And then Crowder exited the game against Memphis with a shoulder injury in Week 2, pushing Matthew Caldwell into action.

The big quarterback who’s jumped around from Gardner-Webb by way of Jacksonville State in his career performance admirably in relief of Crowder. Caldwell didn’t do much to scare the Tigers or put any fear into their unblemished record as they head to Tallahassee in Week 3, but he certainly played on-schedule football that may give Troy an advantage going forward.

It’s a new era, as we stated, but it’s the same kind of middling quarterback play when anyone other than Gunnar Watson is playing quarterback for the Trojans.

96) Eli Holstein | Pittsburgh

Preseason Rank: 130 (+34)

Well, it’s clear why Eli Holstein got the start for the Panthers in Week 1 after his performance against Kent State. But it was also just as clear why it was a battle until the end.

Holstein showcased some solid poise in the pocket and found plenty of success to his receivers underneath. However, that was all but forgotten when he took to the air and struggled to make progressions against a Kent State defense that lacks top tier talent.

He was late to the sidelines in a crucial situation, leading to an interception, his big mistake of the day. And as we spoke about in Week 1’s writeup, that’s a throw that can be cleaned up.

But at the end of the day, he didn’t quite clean that up in Week 2 against Cincinnati, he was just about the luckiest of quarterbacks with a handful of dropped interceptions and even more bad decisions overall. Holstein is ready to grip it and rip it, but he’ll have to clean up his decision-making, and do it quickly.

95) Tyler Van Dyke | Wisconsin

Preseason Rank: 64 (-31)

Summing up Wisconsin’s offensive performance behind Tyler Van Dyke and Phil Longo to start the season isn’t hard. The Badgers offense was .. OK.

Van Dyke himself has plenty of arm talent and is an underrated athlete with the ball in his hands. However, his strengths are throwing to closing windows, pushing the ball into the tiniest of separation, and slinging it from the pocket over the middle of the field. The Longo system does not approve of Van Dyke’s overall game choices.

And it felt like the Badgers were trying to fit a square peg into a round hole against Western Michigan, and sure he threw for his first touchdown in Week 2 against South Dakota, but it feels like they’re stuck in mud in the passing game. They should lean into the run game more.

94) Stone Earle | Marshall

Preseason Rank: 71 (ranking was for Braylon Braxton)

If you have two quarterbacks in college football, you have no quarterbacks. You’re in serious trouble if you’re trying to play three quarterbacks at any sort of regular cadence.

Sure, Stone Earle appears to be the man to hold the job, as he played all the snaps against Virginia Tech in Week 2, but his performance was lackluster and left much to be desired.

Braylon Braxton and Cole Pennington each played meaningful snaps in Week 1, and each likely outplayed Earle. If there’s a quarterback controversy brewing in Huntington, expect this team to fall out of our rankings and our grace quickly.

93) E.J. Warner | Rice

Preseason Rank: 77 (-16)

After two weeks with Rice, E.J. Warner continues to be the same gunslinging quarterback we’ve all become accustomed to seeing on Saturdays. His arm strength and total arm talent have never been in question, but his decision-making always has.

He’ll rifle an accurate seam splitter on one down and then baffle the world watching with an underthrow into triple coverage on the next play. Making amends for mistakes haven’t quite followed in 2024 and he’s beholden to the Rice rushing attack and skill players making plays after the catch at this point.

Can Warner step up the decision-making process and begin to read the defenses faster or are we stuck for another year of double-digit interceptions from him?

92) Hayden Wolff | Western Michigan

Preseason Rank: 92 (no change)

What a ridiculously tough two-game slate to open the season for Hayden Wolff and Western Michigan. Despite their best efforts, they weren’t quite good enough to knock off Wisconsin in Madison, and were out of it early against Ohio State in Columbus in Week 2.

For Wolff, it’s hard to put much stock into these two performances because WMU was so overwhelmed and overmatched in these contests, but still, Wolff didn’t do anything to elevate or uplift his team, so we’ll have to discredit him there.

At his best, the big-armed, big-bodied signal-caller is a great pocket passer with ample arm strength. But that’s only when he can stand tall in the pocket and deliver. Perhaps getting into the MAC play will actually see him able to stand up and not be immediately pressured in 2024.

91) Parker Navarro | Ohio

Preseason Rank: 108 (+17)

A tough road loss to Syracuse in Week 1 didn’t do much to lend into the potential legacy of the quarterback position at Ohio, as Parker Navarro was erratic and struggled with ball security. In the end, it was a hard-fought battle that saw the emergence of running back Anthony Tyus rather than give hope for the passing attack in 2024.

But in Week 2, Navarro came back alive. He threw for 204 yards and found his receivers incredibly well through some nice progressive reads while keeping his offense on schedule against South Alabama.

It wasn’t world-beating, but Navarro flashed some dual-threat abilities against South Alabama that wouldn’t make the Rourke Family blush, but certainly keep them entertained. It’s a long road ahead for the Bobcats with Navarro at the helm, but if he improves on what he did in Week 2 with his passing abilities, they could make a splash this fall.

90) Danny O’Neill | San Diego State

Preseason Rank: 95 (+5)

Danny O’Neill won the starting job out of fall camp at San Diego State, earning the praise of head coach Sean Lewis in the process. O’Neill, who was a three-star recruit and the 40th overall QB prospect in the class of 2024, was recruited by Lewis at Colorado and followed him to the Aztecs.

With his winning the job out of camp, the time to focus in on what O’Neill brings to the table comes a bit sooner than we were expecting. And we got our sample size of two games to go off of now.

He looked the part against Texas A&M Commerce in Week 1, but the “Power Five” defense he saw in Week 2 stymied the SDSU attack overall. He threw for just over 100 yards on less than 50% completions, struggling to read the field all night long in the process.

It’s not all doom and gloom, however, as the defense picked up the slack during a lackluster performance, giving this team a potential chance to make a run toward bowl eligibility in 2024.

89) Maddux Madsen | Boise State

Preseason Rank: 80 (-9)

It should be noted that, yes, the Boise State Broncos almost knocked off Oregon a week after defeating Georgia Southern in hostile territory. But it should also be noted that Ashton Jeanty deserves all the credit for those games for Boise State.

Maddux Madsen has played a solid game and a decent half for the Broncos this year, faltering a bit down the stretch and in clutch moments against Oregon. Despite forcing the ball downfield a ton against the Ducks, Madsen’s accuracy clearly took a hit as the night went along in Eugene.

He is a tough, gritty quarterback, but when pressure is applied, his decision-making process goes out the window. Getting back to basics and understanding the need to live and play another down in specific situations won’t win games. As the expression goes, scared money don’t make money, especially when you have an Ace in the Hole like Jeanty.

88) Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi | Colorado State

Preseason Rank: 45 (-43)

Announcing his name on the biggest stage last year, Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi’s gunslinging attitude was on display in Week 3 against Colorado. In that game, only his second collegiate start, Fowler-Nicolosi showed off his pure arm talent and willingness to test any defender across the field.

Sure, he got into some trouble last season with that trust in his arm, but more often than not, he kept the offense moving with a strong display of throw power and accuracy.

We learned nothing from the Colorado State team in Week 1 against Texas and we certainly weren’t impressed in Week 2 against Northern Colorado. Still, Fowler-Nicolosi brought back some of the solid gunslinging we’ve come to expect, carving up the defense in the deep portion of the field with on-time rockets.

He’ll need every bit of firepower and to make sure his cannon has the tracking system attached against Colorado in Week 3.

87) Brayden Schager | Hawaii

Preseason Rank: 44 (-43)

There were times in Week 0’s season-opener that Brayden Schager looked like himself. That was decisive, power-throwing, on schedule, and with great accuracy.

But then there were times that Schager looked a bit flustered and had trouble controlling his power and altitude on his throws. He was a bit erratic with his accuracy in the first half, struggling out of the gates with completing even basic passes.

However, when the game was all said and done, Schager’s body of work was exactly what we’d come to see. He threw for two scores and ran for two more, but it was his improvement with his shots downfield in the second half that turned the tide for his game overall and the scoreboard for his team.

Against UCLA in Week 2, however, Schager let the bad version get the better of himself in a close-fought loss to the Bruins. He struggled to see the field, specifically the second-level defenders dropping into coverage, and attempted to force too many throws into tight coverage.

The secondaries may not get a whole lot easier given the lapses and lack of talent on UCLA’s roster for “Power Four standards,” but getting that game out of their way early was key. Though he didn’t pass that test, the Rainbow Warriors still look to be a much improved team this fall.

86) Ethan Hampton | Northern Illinois

Preseason Rank: 86 (ranking was for Jalen Macon, not Hampton)

What a season it’s been for Ethan Hampton and the Northern Illinois Huskies. Everyone’s favorite from Week 2 after upsetting Notre Dame, it’s been a great start for Hampton in his first season back as the starter since he started three games in 2022.

Hampton has proven to be a great distributor of the ball from within the structure of the offense and his highlight-reel throw into a tight window against Notre Dame will be etched into memory for years to come. Splitting a closing safety and a trailing linebacker, Hampton fit a ball into Antario Brown with the smallest degree of separation for a momentum-swinging touchdown early against the Irish.

He then put forth multiple game-sealing moments on the game-winning drive against ND that will also be etched in to the NIU memory banks and record books all the same. This level of play may not be sustainable, but even half as good as he’s been to start the year gives this NIU team a chance to make some noise in the conference in 2024.

85) Cole Snyder | Eastern Michigan

Preseason Rank: 57 (-28)

We know what Cole Synder is and we know what Cole Snyder is not. Against UMass in Week 1, Snyder was his typical gun-slinging self, launching beautifully placed balls all over the field and throwing for 8.3 yards per clip.

But in Week 2, Snyder was forced to work through his progressive reads and try to find space underneath against a tough Washington defense. He and the Eagles limped to just 4.8 yards per attempt and got away with an errant throw or two in the process.

The road gets easier than a staunch Big Ten defense coming up, but Snyder will have to be a mix of the two if the Eagles want to compete in the MAC this fall.

84) Brendan Sorsby | Cincinnati

Preseason Rank: 86 (+2)

We have to continue to remind people that just because statistical showings look like quarterbacks played incredibly well in the early parts of the season, sometimes these quarterbacks were essentially throwing against air. That wasn’t the case always for Brendan Sorsby, but in Week 1’s outing against Towson, Sorsby had a lot of the work done after the catch or in wide open situations for him to nearly reach 400 yards.

In fact, over 50% of the yards for Sorsby against Towson came after the catch and via manufactured touches on the outside from the skill players. That fact reared its ugly head against Pittsburgh in Week 2 as the Bearcats couldn’t do enough in the passing game to come from behind late nor hold the lead against their rival.

Sorsby still threw three scores and was able to lead his team ahead at times, but it wasn’t enough. There’s room to grow in the Queen City.

83) Jake Garcia | ECU

Preseason Rank: 76 (-7)

Jake Garcia did all he could to try and throw the game away for the Pirates in Week 2 against ODU. Seriously, he tried. Four interceptions later, we were left to wonder what was going on, but they weren’t all his fault after all.

Still, Garcia was brought in to play much better football than he has so far at ECU and the Pirates have to understand that.

At his best, he can dish the ball out accurately and on time. He hasn’t quite done that consistently so far for ECU and the interception total shows it (7!!).

He’s on pace to throw for all new career-highs, which wasn’t going to be hard to do, but if he can’t clean up the interceptions and poor decisions, than he’ll find his way to the bench sooner than later.

82) Ethan Vasko | Coastal Carolina

Preseason Rank: 132 (+50)

Well, what a strange game it was for Coastal Carolina vs. Jacksonville State. The Chanticleers ran away with it in the end, thanks largely to their defense, but also because of Ethan Vasko’s ability to see blown coverages and spot receivers open quickly in this one.

Both long touchdowns certainly came at the expense of the defense, but credit to Vasko for spotting the one-on-one matchups or blown assignments that led to big-time scoring plays that pushed this game out of reach.

In the end, Vasko completed just 12 passes but almost eclipsed 250 yards in the process. He also showcased his athleticism on the ground by rushing for another in what was an unexpectedly solid start to the year for Vasko.

Week 2 followed up that performance with more of what we’d thought we’d see from Vasko with sub-50% completion percentage against an FCS secondary from William & Mary. So, which QB is he?

81) Preston Stone/Kevin Jennings | SMU

Preseason Rank: 15 (-66)

We now have a three-game sample size to go off of for Preston Stone this year, and his Week 1 performance against Houston Christian was more of what we’d come to expect.

But then that was followed up with a stinker against BYU that saw Kevin Jennings enter the fray and not play up to the standard we’ve come accustomed to his group in the past. So, is it the quarterback or is it the system?

There are reasons we don’t like two-quarterback systems, and this is one of them. The product of two quarterbacks usually ends up with no good quarterbacks, as the expression says ‘if you have two starting quarterbacks, you have no starting quarterbacks’ in college football. Oh, okay, if that’s not an expression, then it should be, and you know who said it.

Jennings was stymied all night long but his athleticism shined a few times against BYU. If it weren’t for heat-seeking missile Jack Kelly, Jennings could have had a bigger night, but that’s going to be the way forward for SMU: playing ACC defenses that are much faster than they realized.

The step up in competition is going to hurt SMU this season if this is the quarterbacking they’re going to get.

80) Nicholas Vattiato | Middle Tennessee

Preseason Rank: 70 (-10)

Getting the Ole Miss game out of the way was going to be critical for the Middle Tennessee offense and Nicholas Vattiato, specifically. Now that he played relatively well against Ole Miss, all sights are set ahead on competing in the CUSA.

Vattiato has shown he’s able to run the new-look MTSU offense with some skill and his arm talent is documented from his 3,000-yard season last year. Can he continue to make the right reads and test the opposing defenses well enough to keep his teams in games this year?

The jury’s out there, but one thing is for sure, he’ll have to step up his accuracy and decision-making as he increases the depth of target this year.

79) Blake Horvath | Navy

Preseason Rank: 105 (+26)

Blake Horvath began to come into his own down the stretch last season. And in two games through the 2024 calendar year, he’s done more of the same.

Horvath is reading the defense very well, both in the run game, but also in the passing game. He was always the better of the passing quarterback options for the Midshipmen, but in 2024, it’s actually become a part of the offense and not just a gimmick or play to catch the defense off guard for Navy.

Horvath has thrown for three touchdowns and is averaging 110 yards per contest through the air. Sure, these contests are against Bucknell and Temple, but the fact of the matter remains: Horvath has been accurate and shown off a strong arm.

He’s also doing this while rushing for over 150 yards this season and three touchdowns against Temple in Week 2. Horvath — and Navy — is on the rise.

78) Riley Leonard | Notre Dame

Preseason Rank: 36 (-42)

Look, Riley Leonard’s start to the year in South Bend has not been good. A year after the Irish ushered in the ‘bring a veteran QB in from the portal’ era of Notre Dame football with Sam Hartman, it’s been a harsh 180 with Leonard playing for them in 2024.

Leonard has been slow to process, make throws, and be inaccurate to boot. The offense feels like they’re stuck in the mud, with Leonard calling the shots.

Making matters even worse, he could use his legs to get himself out of trouble at Duke in spurts. Through two games, he’s put the ball on the turf nearly the same amount of times he did in a full season’s worth of work the past two years each.

Something will have to change for Notre Dame, this season or the next, because getting a quarterback as a one-year band-aid will not pan out long-term if this is the result they receive.

77) Taisun Phommachanh | UMass

Preseason Rank: 72 (-5)

Finally looking the part in 2023, Taisun Phommachanh turned back the clocks with UMass a season ago. Phommachanh delivered some high-level play for the Minutemen at quarterback, something they haven’t had for quite some time.

He presents an upgrade on offense and is one of the more unique throwers of the football at any school this fall. Phommachanh has great arm talent but a long wind-up, requiring him to hide or feign his deep shots more than most.

And so far in 2024, despite two more powerful MAC defenses, Phommachanh and the Minutemen have looked the part of a team getting ready to make the move back to the MAC.

It hasn’t led to victories, but Phommachanh’s arm talent has been on display a handful of times, especially against Toledo when he ripped multiple balls up the seams just at the numbers to streaking receivers. He can spray the field evenly to every side with just the same amount of success, and eventually, this will lead to victories for UMass.

76) Donovan Smith | Houston

Preseason Rank: 29 (-47)

Oh, how ugly it was for Houston and Donovan Smith in Week 1. Smith threw two interceptions, completed less than 50% of his throws, and looked downright lost at times against UNLV. He couldn’t hit any window downfield and even struggled with his decision-making and accuracy at or behind the line of scrimmage.

The play-calling was limited, the offense was shockingly bad, and Smith didn’t do anything to justify his ranking here. In Week 2, however, Smith gave a glimpse of the full Donovan Smith Experience, playing well against Oklahoma.

He was unable to get the job done, however, but he still played a better game overall with his decisions and his accuracy. We’re tempted to move him up here, but the aforementioned Donovan Smith Experience indicates we’re better off waiting.

75) Aidan Chiles | Michigan State

Preseason Rank: 52 (-23)

There’s a different feeling in Aidan Chiles’ performance than all other transfer quarterbacks playing their first game of 2024 at a new location. That’s because Chiles was uber-confident in his abilities and his familiarity with head coach Jonathan Smith and the way this duo wants to run their offense.

The fact of the matter, however, is that Michigan State looked abhorrent on offense behind Chiles in Week 1. And Week 2 looked similar to start the game.

Sure, the game ended in dramatics and ultimately a victory, but Chiles was erratic, to say the least against Maryland. There was far more good in his Week 2 outing than the previous week, but Chiles will have to rein in the poor decisions and improve his accuracy on a throw-for-throw basis moving forward.

74) Graham Mertz | Florida

Preseason Rank: 67 (-7)

It couldn’t have gone worse for Florida in Week 1. Not only did they suffer a brutal and demoralizing loss to the hands of in-state rival Miami, but they also lost Graham Mertz to a concussion in the third quarter.

While DJ Lagway’s entrance into the game was met with cheers by the fans in attendance, the nature of the situation is this: Mertz still gives the Gators a better chance to win due to Lagway’s inexperience and inefficiencies at this stage of his young career.

And don’t be fooled by his ‘lights-out performance’ against Samford, Lagway probably faced better defenses in high school than he did on Saturday in Week 2.

Still, it has to be said, Lagway did indeed look like the highly sought-after recruit that he was entering the picture, and he’s outplaying a lot of other SEC QBs if he continues what he did against Samford into conference play.

73) Blake Shapen | Mississippi State

Preseason Rank: 73 (no change)

It was a solid debut for Mississippi State and Blake Shapen. Limited as an athlete, Shapen still showed off his impressive skill set as a passer while throwing for three touchdowns and completing 75% of his passes.

Ball security in the pocket and when he breaks contain will remain an issue, it appears, especially after this reared its ugly head once again in Week 2. Similarly, his decision-making when he pushes the ball downfield came back to bite him against Arizona State as he was late to make some reads and all too often against the Sun Devils, was too late to find any receivers open.

The final score is less indicative of how they were outplayed, but Shapen did indeed bring the Bulldogs back to a more respectable outing in the end. Keeping him off his back and within the pocket will be crucial in 2024.

72) Fernando Mendoza | Cal

Preseason Rank: 62 (-10)

It appears to be the Fernando Mendoza show in Berkeley, and that’s .. OK. For now.

Mendoza completed nearly 70% of his throws but averaged barely over 7.0 yards per pass and threw for less than 160 yards in Week 1, but then wowed in Week 2. Throwing for just 6.5 yards per attempt again, however, Mendoza was solid with his play, but not world-beating.

This was a game, though, against a tough Auburn secondary that saw him light up the cornerbacks and underneath defenders with accuracy and some solid progressive reads. Is this the Mendoza that won the job? Because if so, the way Cal’s defense played, this is a sleeper team in the ACC.

We’ll be happy to have been wrong on our preseason reads with Mendoza if he keeps this play up.

71) Maalik Murphy | Duke

Preseason Rank: 61 (-10)

An Elon defense ripe for the picking is just what the Duke offense needed to start the 2024 season and the Manny Diaz/Maalik Murphy era(s). What it didn’t need was the slow and sluggish start that saw many Diaz haters flock to the fence to yell and scream into the abyss.

Murphy, however, improved his play over the stretch of the game and even found his groove, at times looking incredibly sharp with his reads and quick decisions. And then the same thing happened against Northwestern in Week 2.

The game started off slow for the Blue Devils and Murphy struggled with his accuracy and decision-making. Finally, though, the second half saw him come alive and save for an overturned fumble call that went their way, Murphy was dominant with his throwing ability.

He quickly read the defenses and slammed home some beautiful slant passes to Jordan Moore, proving his arm talent in the process. Ball security will be an issue moving forward, but if he cleans that up, the Duke offense has a chance with how stout their defense can be.

70) Josh Hoover | TCU

Preseason Rank: 69 (-1)

There’s an effortless power behind Josh Hoover when he’s on top of his game. He can push the ball to the deep portions of the field with the flick of a wrist, and he did so almost at will against Stanford.

The only problem in Hoover’s game is his decision-making and inability to take something off his throws to the short area and in clutch situations. Despite his win over Stanford, we were never going to learn much from TCU’s game against LIU in Week 2.

Can he improve with a doozy of a matchup in Week 3 on the horizon against UCF?

69) Billy Edwards | Maryland

Preseason Rank: 84 (+15)

Though we had questions as to who the quarterback was going to be and more so about what the quarterback situation was going to look like following the departure of all-time great Taulia Tagovailoa, it’s clear that head coach Mike Locksley had a plan all along. And that plan was Billy Edwards Jr.

Making his first season-opening start, Edwards was nearly perfect against a UConn defense that was clearly overmatched. He spotted his receivers open at will and threw some of them open all the same. Edwards then followed that up with a solid performance against Michigan State, though it soured a bit at the end.

Edwards is a sound quarterback and has plenty of arm talent. About the only question remaining around him revolves around whether or not he has talent-elevating skills to help his team around him?

68) Max Brosmer | Minnesota

Preseason Rank: 56 (-12)

If sloppy QB play is what you wanted to watch on Thursday night to start the season, then you waited through an hour-long delay to kick off the season for Minnesota. That’s exactly what Max Brosmer and his opponent (Max Johnson and Conner Harrell) provided for fans to start the year.

Brosmer was slow to react, slower to deliver, and looked like a shell of the quarterback he was at New Hampshire. Of course, he had one solid drive that makes us question this whole review of his game and gives us hope for this season, but then again, there are all the throws before what would have been the game-winning drive had Dragan Kesich made his field goal.

However, the good in Brosmer’s play from their season-opening performance was back in Week 2 and he left the bad back in time for the Gophers. Yes, it was against Rhode Island (a team he has now thrown eight touchdowns against in his career), but the fact of the matter remains: Brosmer was dropping downfield dimes left and right, and his night should’ve looked even more statistically savvy had it not been for drops by his receivers.

67) Cade Klubnik | Clemson

Preseason Rank: 58 (-9)

You see what happens when you let Cade Klubnik throw down the field, Dabo?! Let the kid throw the ball.

Klubnik and the Clemson offense dispatched of the App State defense so quickly that Klubnik was just one of three quarterbacks to see the field in Week 2. He was dominant.

Throwing for five touchdowns and averaging well over 14.5 yards per attempt, Klubnik had the best performance of his career. And it’s because the calls were downfield throws, seam-splitting dimes, and just simply NOT behind the line of scrimmage.

Klubnik was near perfect, and before we crown him anything more than a flash-in-the-pan, we know how talented he is, so we’re ready to move him up a few spots here. However, we’ll wait to see if the offensive game plan looks the exact same as the season goes on before moving him too far.

66) KJ Jefferson | UCF

Preseason Rank: 32 (-34)

One thing is for sure after UCF’s season opener: The backfield possesses an embarrassment of riches for the Knights in 2024. However, one thing is also very clear for the Knights in 2024: That embarrassment of riches pertains to just their success on the ground from Week 1.

KJ Jefferson put forth an ugly display of passing in the UCF game against New Hampshire. He was erratic, slow to make the right read, and, after the scripted offense, late to make any decision on his own.

His good moments were far and few between in Week 1, but against Sam Houston in Week 2, don’t let the box score fool you, Jefferson had some dots. He was sharp from the pocket and clearly looked to have improved his mechanics in the week leading up to the game.

Sure, he needed only 15 attempts in this game, but that’s a good thing for this UCF offense that wants to live through their stacked RB room.

65) Joe Fagnano | UConn

Preseason Rank: 120 (+55)

Perhaps you’ve missed UConn play their first two games this season. Maybe you missed just their game against Merrimack in Week 2.

If you have, you need to get yourself checked out because Joe Fagnano is playing lights out for the Huskies and making them fun again. The former four-year starter at Maine has dished out a dynamic display of dual-threat quarterbacking the likes of which we didn’t know he had in him.

Fagnano now has six touchdowns through the air and another on the ground, as the big bruising quarterback went on a six-touchdown rampage in Week 2.

Fagnano’s had the luxury of some help after the catch with his receivers, but he’s placed a handful of special balls downfield that have turned heads. It’s a relatively standard offense, and when the offensive line holds up it’s end of the bargain, Fagnano can stand tall in the pocket and use his height and arm talent for terrific things in 2024 in Storrs.

64) JC French | Georgia Southern

Preseason Rank: 122 (ranking was for Dexter Williams)

Georgia Southern’s JC French has put on a show through two weeks leading the conference in passing yards after two games. French has thrown four touchdowns and for over 550 yards in these two games, falling to Boise State in Week 1 in a thriller and knocking off Nevada in Week 2.

He’s proven to be able to dish the ball to every level of the field and doesn’t lose any accuracy when he goes downfield. French can read the field well over the middle and shown promise with his ability to process.

Keeping the ball out of harm’s way as he tests the deep waters will be crucial, but this Southern offense is exciting and entertaining with an ability to knock off most of the remaining games on the schedule in the process.

63) Emmett Brown | San Jose State

Preseason Rank: 129 (+66)

Well we now know who the starting quarterback is for San Jose State as head coach Ken Niumatalolo watied to showcase Emmett Brown until the first snap of the game. Brown threw for three scores and nearly 300 yards, but the game against Sacramento State was much closer than the final score indicated, and largely, it was Brown’s inefficiencies to keep drives moving that kept it close.

However, in Week 2, it was Brown who dramatically improved and came through for the Spartans against Air Force. Brown is slinging it downfield with terrific success, and had it not actually been for a couple of costly drops, the game against the Falcons could have been a bit more lopsided.

It was a different offense for those expecting a Coach Ken option offense, as it was a standard, straight dropback, get the ball out quickly type attack with Brown leading the charge. They’re going to lull defenses to sleep for a bit and then take the top off the defense with deep stuff all season long it appears.

And after seeing a dramatic improvement from week to week in Brown’s game, San Jose State may be a team to reckon with under coach Ken.

62) Alonza Barnett III | JMU

Preseason Rank: 81 (ranking was for Dylan Morris)

Someone thankfully woke up the JMU offense at halftime in Week 2 against Gardner-Webb, and even then, it was almost too little too late. Alonza Barnett III’s first three starts of his career have come as a mixed bag.

Flash back to Week 1 of last season before he was benched for Jordan McCloud and now to this year where he played very well against Charlotte and then limped to the finish line against an FCS foe.

What do we make of the uber-talented Barnett after three starts and two in 2024? His legs can carry him to success, but he’s provided a limited sample size of solid play from within the structure of the Dukes offense.

Perhaps head coach Bob Chesney can pit to his strengths and get Barnett moving out of the pocket and able to find some clear throwing lanes in the weeks to come.

61) Joey Aguilar | App State

Preseason Rank: 46 (-15)

It took everything in them to get out of Week 2 with a victory against Tulsa and Jaylen Raynor is both the reason for that and the culprit. Throwing a costly interception (and getting away with two other errant throws), Raynor put the Red Wolves in a position to have to come back to knock off the AAC foe who clearly outplayed by Arkansas State the whole way through.

Still, two games into his second season, Raynor has displayed his usual dynamic self on multiple occasions and has already rushed for over 130 yards in the process. Decision-making and honing in on his accuracy to the short and intermediate levels will be integral going forward if the Red Wolves want to compete in the Sun Belt.

60) Brendon Lewis | Nevada

Preseason Rank: 121 (+61)

Well, what do you know. Brendon Lewis has clearly stepped up his game this offseason and the work he put in clearly showed during the Week 0 outing against SMU. Sure, it ended in defeat ultimately, but that was clearly not Lewis’ doing.

In fact, Lewis was the reason the Wolf Pack had a chance of knocking off the ACC’s SMU in this game due to his ability to play on time and situational football awareness.

Oh, and his dual-threat ability was clearly leaned heavily upon in this outing, something we hadn’t quite seen in years past. When the Wolf Pack needed a conversion, it was Lewis’ number they called, and he rewarded them time and time again in this one.

It wasn’t quite enough to get over the hump in Week 0, but it sure was in Week 1 and nearly enough in Week 2. With a three-game sample size on the new-and-improved Lewis, it’s clear that he’s got the goods and is playing the best football we’ve seen from him in his career.

Though it hasn’t been the most exciting play from a passing perspective, it sure has been enough to keep Nevada in each of their first three games. They may be able to get over the proverbial hump here soon enough.

59) Kirk Francis | Tulsa

Preseason Rank: 78 (+19)

While we thought we may see more of Cardell Williams this season in Tulsa, it’s been the Kirk Francis show. The former walk-on showed why he won the job out of camp in Week 1, tossing four touchdowns against Northwestern State.

However, in Week 2, he and Tulsa let the game slip through their fingers against a struggling Arkansas State team. Francis struggled to get the ball out on time against the Red Wolves.

He had his moments, however, and did a good job of distributing the ball to his receivers all over the field. Improving his accuracy on a down-for-down basis is the next step in his development as he seemed to lose that against Arkansas State.

58) Joey Aguilar | App State

Preseason Rank: 46 (-12)

What a difference a week makes as Joey Aguilar and App State ran over East Tennessee State before getting put through the wringer against Clemson. Scratch that Clemson performance from the record at this point, that’s not who App is and that’s clearly not who Aguilar is.

In their Week 1 opener against ETSU, Aguilar threw for two scores and displayed his usual power, accuracy, and ability to layer shots over every wave of the defense.

The defenses get a bit easier than going against Clemson, and we’d be remiss to mention that even against the Tigers, Aguilar’s garbage-time touchdown and work over the middle of the field gave us great pause for more highs to come.

57) Grayson McCall | NC State

Preseason Rank: 18 (-39)

Western Carolina gave the Wolfpack a bit of a scare back on Thursday night, but in the end, the same accurate and poised Grayson McCall stood tall at the final whistle. It took some time for McCall to get acclimated to the NC State system and, arguably, the speed of the team around him, and there was absolutely a bump in the road.

But it was all for not at the end of the game. McCall threw for over 300 yards and three scores, shaking off an early interception that he threw late to the sidelines in the first quarter.

That same, decisive self that was saw in Week 1 went by the wayside in Week 2 against Tennessee, falling off the rails following a terrible throw that ended with a pick-six against the Vols. McCall couldn’t quite rebound and looked confused, confounded, and downright lost at times against Tennessee’s defense.

There was nothing to bring home with about this performance other than throw the tape in the trash and go back to his roots. McCall is a much better quarterback than what we saw in Week 2.

56) Devon Dampier | New Mexico

Preseason Rank: 114 (+58)

The Bronco Mendenhall era got off to a quick start with Devon Dampier running a brilliant RPO game against Montana State in Week 0 (and their defensive spark). It was Dampier who stole the first half of the game with his terrific all-around play while the Lobos rode his success both through the air and on the ground to a victory against a highly-touted Bobcats team.

Dampier’s ability to run this offense was on display, and it was clear the trust that the coaching staff had in him doing just that. He was clean with his reads, decisive with his decisions, and showcased both solid arm talent to each level and the rushing ability we’ve become accustomed to seeing.

What really stole the show was his ball skills, both as a passer and essentially as a no-look assist-machine of a point guard in the RPO game.

But then, the second half came, and everything changed. Montana State scored 21 straight points to knock off UNM because the game plan seemingly shifted for the Lobos.

Still, Dampier wasn’t quite at fault for that, nor a costly drop that may have sealed their fate on a third-down pass attempt that was a bit off, but still catchable, that would’ve kept the ball in UNM’s hands a bit longer.

And against a much more powerful team in Arizona during Week 1, Dampier improved in basically all facets. He threw it well from within the structure of the offense, looking off his reads quickly and making the right snap decisions even quicker.

Despite landing at 0-2 to start the year, this New Mexico team could make some serious noise with Dampier playing his best football ever.

55) Gevani McCoy | Oregon State

Preseason Rank: 111 (-56)

Well, what do you know? Former Idaho QB Gevani McCoy, please stand up. And while you’re at it, please showcase what made you such a highly sought-after recruit in the portal.

Two weeks in, McCoy has been terrific for the Beavers with his arm talent in 2024, tossing two touchdowns and averaging a ridiculous completion rate if you adjust for outside factors. McCoy has thrown for just under 300 yards, but he’s hardly thrown a ‘full game’s’ worth of attempts because they haven’t needed him to.

We know he has the ability to take games over as he did during that now-famous 2022 season when he won the Jerry Rice Award, but we haven’t had to see that just yet from him. And that’s a good thing for Oregon State.

54) Luke Altmyer | Illinois

Preseason Rank: 59 (+5)

We didn’t learn anything from Luke Altmyer that we didn’t already know about Luke Altmyer in Week 1. In fact, it was an on-par performance against an overmatched Eastern Illinois team that saw him throw for over 200 yards and four touchdowns, rarely tested or asked to do too much before the game got out of hand.

Altmyer was sharp with his reads, however, and he looked even better from the pocket against EIU. It was a great start to the season for Altmyer and the Illini offense that went firing on all cylinders from the get-go.

Then, against Kansas, it was a strong display of quarterbacking from Altmyer from the pocket yet again. He will need to ensure his ball security issues don’t show up again as the Illini get into conference play, but he’s playing some expectation-exceeding football.

53) Will Rogers | Washington

Preseason Rank: 60 (+7)

What do you know, Will Rogers completed nearly 75% of his throws and led the Washington Huskies to a rather dominant win over Weber State in Week 1. After a tumultuous offseason for the Huskies and Rogers himself, it was good to get their feet wet in the late window and actually put their product on the field.

Rogers was solid to the short area of the field, finding his receivers on time and in rhythm. But he showed his sporadic accuracy when pushing the ball past the sticks at times as well. Things need to be cleaned up, but Rogers’ abilities as a passer aren’t necessarily one of them.

Those items that needed to be cleaned up did indeed get cleaned up in Week 2, throwing for four touchdowns and over 300 yards against Eastern Michigan. He’s averaging career-high figures in yards per attempt and starting to get his footing within the Washington offense.

If Jedd Fisch is a quarterback whisperer, we’ll know it by the end of this season with Rogers’ overall body of work.

52) Tucker Gleason | Toledo

Preseason Rank: 91 (+39)

Like other MAC QBs who starred on Thursday’s Week 1 slate, Tucker Gleason was asked to do very little in a victory over an FCS team. He was sharp over the middle of the field, notably finding his talented skill players on time, but he did struggle to spot the ball deep downfield against what was an incredibly overmatched Duquesne defense.

However, Gleason played very well within the structure of the offense and made plenty of solid reads that a veteran of his stature should. He wasn’t asked to do much, but he certainly did enough to warrant his ranking as he distributed the ball well enough against a hapless defense.

Gleason followed his Week 1 performance up with a decent performance against UMass, lighting up the scoresheet with three touchdowns, but really struggling with his down-to-down accuracy. On just 34.8% completion percentage against a hapless UMass secondary, somehow Gleason threw for three scores and 175 yards.

That kind of hit-or-miss throwing won’t get the job done in the MAC, but it at least pushed the Rockets to 2-0.

51) Keyone Jenkins | FIU

Preseason Rank: 49 (-2)

In a tale of two games, Keyone Jenkins struggled with his accuracy and decision-making in Week 1 against Indiana and then looked like a world-beater with his dual-threat ability in Week 2 against Central Michigan.

Jenkins’ elongated release and long wind-up will spell trouble at times, but when he can make his snap decisions (and make them correctly), there aren’t many quarterbacks at the Group of Five level who are as accurate and powerful as him with his arm talent.

He needs to clean up several facets, including that release and his footwork, but the sophomore seemed to round into form in front of our eyes as the FIU offense got on track against CMU. More of that and this FIU team can make most of their remaining games interesting.

50) Behren Morton | Texas Tech

Preseason Rank: 39 (-11)

It was a good thing that Behren Morton was on top of his game in Week 1 against Abilene Christian because the Red Raiders needed every single throw he made to get a gutsy overtime victory. Morton lit up the field against ACU, throwing five touchdowns and for nearly 400 yards.

He dotted the field with some incredibly accurate and head-turning throws, and didn’t make what we’d call a single mistake with his arm or his legs. Considering he was seen as a gunslinging, boom-or-bust quarterback entering the season, Morton’s careful yet dominant display of passing was a good sign for TTU to start the year.

But that same Morton didn’t show up once again in Week 2. He threw two costly turnovers against Washington State and looked a shell of himself against the Cougars. Morton leads the conference in passing yards, but he struggled with accuracy and decision-making in the Pacific Northwest during the late window on Saturday.

49) Dequan Finn | Baylor

Preseason Rank: 17 (-32)

Welcome to the Big 12, Dequan Finn. Against Tarleton State, Finn threw for two scores and was asked to do very little following a shaky start. Things won’t come as easy in the Big 12, even against their ‘cupcake’ schedule, and Finn learned that quickly in Week 1.

And Week 2 reared its ugly head as Baylor, led by Finn, struggled against a tough Utah defense in an early conference game. Finn completed under 50% of his passes and was abysmal with his accuracy and couldn’t make anything happen with his legs to boot.

It’s a new world for Finn, and it seems like there’s a big adjustment window he’ll have to overcome because we know how talented he is.

48) Byrum Brown | USF

Preseason Rank: 21 (-27)

A tough showing against Alabama wasn’t ever really going to hurt Byrum Brown’s ranking in our system. However, his lack of accuracy through two games will.

Brown has a howitzer for a right arm and he knows how to use it. However, it seems like his missile-guidance system hasn’t come back to play since last season and he’s yet to throw a touchdown through two games.

Can he rebound and start trusting his arm to make the right decisions and ultimately fit the ball into tight windows like he did last year? In the meantime, he’s as dynamic as they come on the ground, but hopefully, USF doesn’t have to rely on him to make plays with his arm going forward until he gets back to form.

47) Darian Mensah | Tulane

Preseason Rank: 87 (+40)

Giving the Green Wave a chance to win both games to start the season, it’s clear why head coach Jon Sumrall gave the keys to the car to Darian Mensah. He’s a dynamic passer with a cannon for an arm, and a solid tracking system.

Mensah has shown to be able to pick apart defenses with his power early on in his career. Considering he’s two starts into his tenure and he almost upset Kansas State in the process, it’s a clear indicator of talent.

He’s at his best when he’s able to set his feet and look downfield, and he’s been particularly dominant throwing to his receivers streaking down the middle of the field. Mensah is absolutely a player for AAC Player of the Year as he keeps climbing up the ranks here.

46) Connor Bazelak | Bowling Green

Preseason Rank: 101 (+55)

The Bowling Green Falcons offense needs to do so little from the quarterback spot. That’s mainly because of their talented skill players across the formation, and that’s exactly what Connor Bazelak did against Fordham in Week 1.

Back on Thursday of the season-opening weekend, Bazelak ran a successful offensive scheme and played error-free football, but did so in a relatively boring way. The offense is better when they feature Harold Fannin, and that came to life in Week 2 against Penn State.

Pushing Penn State to a nearly fatal result, BGSU was led by Bazelak who finally featured Fannin in the passing game. Despite two massive errors in judgment (both that were picked), Bazelak and the Falcons put a scare into Penn State in Happy Valley.

It was the kind of performance from the Bowling Green offense that should make them the darkhorse to compete in the MAC. Bazelak will have to play a bit cleaner, but forcing balls was the only way to come close to an upset against Penn State.

45) Alan Bowman | Oklahoma State

Preseason Rank: 53 (+8)

With a great display of what he brings to the table at his best, Alan Bowman directed the South Dakota State defense seemingly at will. He threw the ball very well all over the field, pushing the ball when necessary and taking something off his throws when the coverages called for it.

He followed that up with some clutch throws against Arkansas and an ice-cold performance when it mattered the most. So far, in 2024, this is the best two-game stretch we’ve seen from Bowman in some time.

His over-the-middle accuracy has always been a hallmark of his game, and he’s starting to improve his anticipatory throws and accuracy on the outside. If he keeps playing like this, it’d be no surprise to see Bowman quickly climb higher here.

44) Conner Weigman | Texas A&M

Preseason Rank: 23 (-21)

The general consensus feeling about Conner Weigman’s performance against Notre Dame could surely be seen as negative. He struggled the entire game, completing just 12-of-30 pass attempts against the Irish, and it could be said that the majority of the mistakes were largely his fault.

He was inefficient and though the play-calling and general offensive mechanics seemed slow and sluggish, Weigman did nothing to elevate the cast around him. The rust from not being on the field since early in the year last season showcased itself in Week 1, but not in Week 2 against McNeese.

In fact, the second game of the season is the kind of performance that Weigman needed. He threw for two scores and hardly over 125 yards on just 14 attempts, but it was the way that Weigman diced up the Cowboys’ defense that stood out.

He threw with great anticipation and dotted the field with power, layering, and accurate passes all over. At times, it felt like he was throwing on air, so we’ll wait to move him up until he showcases this against an FBS defense.

43) Anthony Colandrea | Virginia

Preseason Rank: 54 (+11)

Last season, there was such a boom-or-bust mantra to Anthony Colandrea’s game. He was thrust into the lineup and it was almost like he knew he didn’t have the ability to “live to play another down” with some of his decisions and passes.

Against Richmond in Week 1, however, Colandrea was a tamed version of himself, but still able to showcase his arm talent on a handful of throws. He ripped it up the seams very well and even found his receivers on the outside even better.

We said in Week 1 that this version of Colandrea won’t make the highlight reels as often, but it will win games for the Cavs, and that’s exactly what happened in Week 2. Colandrea was clean with his decisions, making an errant throw or two here and there, but it was mainly solid decisions, good reads, and accurate passes only from the true sophomore.

There was a lot of room to grow for Colandrea, and if his performance in Week 2 is any indicator, we’re starting to see it unfold in front of our eyes.

42) Hank Bachmeier | Wake Forest

Preseason Rank: 48 (+6)

Okay, Michael Kern got the start for Wake Forest, but the job is seemingly Hank Bachmeier’s after the game was all said and done. Bachmeier looked terrific during his first action in the Wake Forest offense, running the slow mesh to perfection and showcasing his athleticism and uber-talented arm.

He was clean with his reads in the mesh, letting plays develop in front of him with the utmost of ease, and made the right decisions on seemingly every attempt. When the play needed, Bachmeier got the pass out quickly. When he could, he let the routes develop and coverages break down.

In Week 2, the same, vintage Bachmeier was back, dropping accurate passes and on-time throws left and right. Had it not been for an untimely fumble from Taylor Morin, the Wake offense likely would’ve been able to come-from-behind and secure the victory because of Bachmeier’s play.

He himself was not clean with the ball all game long, but the good with Bachmeier’s play far outweighed the bad, and he gave the Deacs a chance to win until the game’s final play.

41) Avery Johnson | Kansas State

Preseason Rank: 42 (+1)

The Avery Johnson era began with a solid performance against UT-Martin, throwing two touchdowns but rarely moving the ball too far downfield with his arm. In what felt like a calculated offensive gameplan to slow Johnson into the role, Johnson didn’t do anything to warrant a shift up, but he certainly didn’t do anything to justify losing a spot here.

To a degree, the Wildcats did just that in Week 2 against Tulane. They let Johnson throw from within the structure downfield and gave him some easy reads against a feisty Green Wave defense that kept things interesting.

It appears Kansas State is prepared to wait to unleash his talents on downfield shots, while also keeping him from using his legs too much. Is that too much of a hinderence to his development overall, though?

40) Matthew Sluka | UNLV

Preseason Rank: 66 (+26)

Rewind to what we said when we ranked Matthew Sluka No. 4 in our Mountain West QB Rankings to start the year:

“This is likely a bit too low for Matthew Sluka if we’re being honest. However, this is a cautiously optimistic ranking for the former Holy Cross quarterback as we await to see if his skills will truly translate to the FBS level and just how quickly they will do so.”

Now, two games and a Power Four victory into his UNLV career, it’s clear that he’s adjusted just fine. Sluka isn’t completing over 50% of his passes, worrisome to perhaps more than a few viewers, but he’s whipping the ball downfield more than any other quarterback in the country in Brennan Marion’s offense.

It’s almost a guarantee that when we see Sluka’s average depth of target revert back to the mean, we’ll see him complete more of his throws. Sluka has all the goods from a passing standpoint and is a dynamic athlete in space with the ball in his hands.

UNLV has the makings of something special in 2024 with Sluka leading the show.

39) John Mateer | Washington State

Preseason Rank: 126 (+87)

To say John Mateer has been a revelation would be an understatement of massive proportions. Through two games this year, Mateer has been nothing short of dominant and the Washington State Cougars may have found something special in No. 10.

We waited to push him any higher after a Week 1 game against Portland State that looked like he was throwing on air, but after Week 2, it’s safe to say we have something here to go off of.

With two games in the bag, Mateer has showcased something different and potentially special in each. His darts up the middle and blown-coverage viewing against the Vikings was top-notch. And then, his ability to make defenders miss in space during their Week 2 matchup against Texas Tech was terrific to watch.

Yes, there are some things to clean up in the passing game for Mateer, but he gives the Cougars a chance to win games like we hadn’t seen in a while, at least from a dual-threat perspective. It was a ridiculous display of contact balance and elusiveness we saw against Texas Tech in Week 2 that really turned our heads, but we’ll want to see him continue to improve as a passer before he goes much higher in the national rankings.

38) Ben Wooldridge | Louisiana

Preseason Rank: 82 (ranking was for Chandler Fields)

What a start for Louisiana’s offense and for Ben Wooldridge. He’s played mistake-free football and looks more like the quarterback that played incredibly well for Louisiana back in 2022 than every before.

It feels like a college football forever ago that Wooldridge was seen as the future at Fresno State, but now he’s the present in Lafayette. And what a start it’s been.

With five touchdowns and nearly 500 yards to his credit through two weeks, Wooldridge and this new-look Louisiana offense is seemingly firing on all cylinders. He’s been solid throwing to every level of the field, lulling defenses to sleep with the run game and short passing attack before dishing accurate deep shots at will.

Wooldridge isn’t quite the athlete at the quarterback position, but his creation capacity is certainly an underrated aspect of his game.

37) Bryson Daily | Army

Preseason Rank: 89 (+52)

It hasn’t been the best display of passing, if that’s what you’re looking for among all the AAC quarterbacks, especially if Bryson Daily has one of the prettier passes of the whole group through two weeks.

Daily, however, has been dominant with his reads on the ground for Army. He’s seeing the field well and reading his keys even better. The Black Knights are humming offensively, dominating the ground game with Daily’s abilities shining left and right.

Through two games, Daily has nearly eclipsed 200 yards, but it’s his security that’s taken a big sigh of relief, keeping the ball in his hands for the most part (even though, at times, he looks like he wants to make late pitches he knows he shouldn’t make).

More of that clean football and Army will keep winning.

36) Chandler Morris | North Texas

Preseason Rank: 85 (+49)

We’ve come a long way in the Chandler Morris camp. Since enrolling at Oklahoma in 2020 and battling to start over a three-year tenure at TCU, including a start over Max Duggan once upon a time, Morris took to the portal to find greener pastures.

And you better believe that he found Mean Green(er) pastures in the process.

Okay, bad pun aside, Morris has been a revelation for Eric Morris and Co. at North Texas. The Mean Green have one of the nation’s longest active winning streaks and are doing so with the help of Morris at quarterback.

He’s leading the AAC in passing yards and touchdowns after two weeks, showing off a dominant display of downfield passing, noticeably dominating over the middle of the field with his vision and anticipation.

Some decisions against Stephen F. Austin are head-scratchers, but it’s clear those seemed to be more ‘testing the waters’ as opposed to throws he thought he could get away with against the Lumberjacks.

35) Brett Gabbert | Miami (OH)

Preseason Rank: 30 (-5)

We have just one game to go off of for Brett Gabbert’s 2024 review, and it wasn’t a good one. Still, what we know of Gabbert from the past five seasons has much more weight than a sloppy slugfest against Northwestern.

He remains the pinnacle of MAC quarterbacking until he’s dethroned and his accuracy, ball placement, and leadership abilities all lead him to the No. 1 ranking in the conference.

In the end of his Week 1 performance, Gabbert threw two interceptions, but let’s face it, the receivers against Northwestern did not help him. The Miami offense will need more firepower and need it quickly.

34) Diego Pavia | Vanderbilt

Preseason rank: 41 (+7)

As we said in our preseason rankings:

“SEC fans need to know who Diego Pavia is. Well, SEC fans that aren’t from Auburn, Alabama, need to know who Pavia is. Just ask War Eagle.”

Now, you can just ask Virginia Tech fans who Diego Pavia is. The answer will be met with a brutal reaction, so proceed carefully.

Pavia lit up the field with his arm and his legs, knocking off the Hokies in dramatic fashion. He’s a gritty and tough quarterback who will sell out for the last inch on the field for his teammates.

Against Vandy’s Week 2 opponent, Alcorn State, Pavia was asked to do so little as the ‘Dores rolled to victory. In the end, Pavia still flashed his athleticism and his talents downfield with his mix of accuracy on deep shots (fine, intermediate shots) as well as his rushing ability once more.

The road gets tougher, but Pavia is battle tested and after the game against Alcorn, he’s now battle rested.

33) Kyron Drones | Virginia Tech

Preseason rank: 13 (-20)

For Virginia Tech, they’ll wonder what happened in their 2024 season opener for years to come. But for Kyron Drones, it was another solid performance that saw more and more of what we’ve become accustomed to seeing from him.

The lone knock on Drones’ play over the past 12+ games has been inconsistency and not reaching the highs we know he has the talent for. Against Vandy, Drones was actually efficient, it was the cast of characters around him that saw the downfall of the Hokies.

In Week 2, it was more of a clean performance against Marshall for the whole Hokie team, and Drones was the recipient of some solid work after the catch in a simplified game plan. For Drones, it’s about ball security and playing on time and in rhythm. He did that against Marshall but now the Hokies will hope he can continue that and help elevate the talent around him.

32) T.J. Finley | Western Kentucky

Preseason Rank: 19 (-19)

The first game of the season is not what we wanted to see from T.J. Finley and crew, but then again, playing in hostile territory against an Alabama team hellbent on a revenge tour in 2024 was never going to end up going well.

In Week 2, however, it was more of what we thought we’d see from Finley, throwing for nearly 370 yards and proving he’s ready for the challenges of running the WKU offense quickly and on time.

Finley is the biggest body we’ve seen take snaps for the WKU offense in some time, but his quick release for his size has shown to behoove him and the receivers. If he can keep stringing together performances like the one he had against EKU in Week 2, this team could challenge Liberty for the throne.

31) Kurtis Rourke | Indiana

Preseason rank: 26 (-5)

Perhaps you missed us when we said that Kurtis Rourke was among the best quarterbacks in the conference once he transferred to Indiana. And perhaps you didn’t quite believe us after he and the Hoosiers offense took care of FIU in Week 1. That’s fine, it wasn’t the most impressive debut but that’s okay.

Maybe you didn’t even watch the brilliant first half worth of work from Rourke in Week 2 against Western Illinois. But at this rate, you’re only doing yourself a disservice. Rourke and Indiana dispatched WIU as the starters need only two quarters (they probably only needed the first drive, if we’re being honest) to do so.

Rourke was nearly perfect, throwing two touchdowns on 15-of-17 passing for 268 yards, cashing in on two long touchdowns including a 71-yarder to JMU transfer Elijah Sarratt. Rourke’s play inside the Curt Cignetti offense has been nothing short of awe-inspiring through two weeks.

Like Card above him here, the only reason Rourke falls is because of the rise of Raiola and Moss in our rankings, but this is the floor of the elite or near-elite QBs in the Big Ten.

30) Mikey Keene | Fresno State

LPreseason rank: 22 (-8)

We’re not ready to dethrone Mikey Keene just yet from atop the Mountain West QB Rankings, but we sure are watching right behind him closely. Fresno State’s QB has thrown four total interceptions this season next to just three touchdowns, but, save for that terrible decision against Michigan, he’s actually played much better than any box score data would ever indicate.

He lit up the field against Sacramento State in Week 2, proving just exactly who he is and what we can expect from this Bulldogs team under interim coach Tim Skipper. Keene saw the field nicely and ripped his standard seam shots and deep bombs with ease.

He’ll have to continue to work on the trust he has in his arm as he gets a bit to crafty and too trusting at times, but as Mountain West play looms, Keene’s track record is too good not to stay at the top.

29) Hudson Card | Purdue

Preseason rank: 51 (+22)

The first of the Big Ten quarterbacks that were essentially throwing on air in Week 1 was Hudson Card. Purdue took care of Indiana State, easily disputing the Sycamores in Week 1 behind Card’s near perfect performance.

As stated, some of these throws were incredibly easy and every college quarterback should be able to make them. But how come other FBS QBs that threw against FCS defenses didn’t do just that? That’s because Card’s performance was lights out.

He truly saw the field faster than everyone else, throwing with great anticipation and even better accuracy. Card, at the top of his game, is an elevator of talent and one that can take games over with his ability through the air and creation capacity with his legs and athleticism.

In Week 1, we saw the best that Card has to offer with his throwing abilities. And it was beautiful to watch. He only falls in our rankings because of the explosion of Moss and Raiola.

28) Dylan Raiola | Nebraska

Preseason rank: 74 (+46)

If you weren’t impressed with Dylan Raiola’s high school tape, then there’s something wrong with you. And if you weren’t impressed with his first-ever collegiate outing, then you need to check your pulse.

All that to say, if his outing against Colorado took you aback, then you need to wake up.

With the comparisons to Patrick Mahomes flying in blindly, the 6’3″, 230-pound true freshman executed on nearly every throw and every situation for Nebraska in his first two starts.

Raiola passed both tests with flying colors and has left some downfield dimes in his wake in the process. Next up for Nebraska is Northern Iowa before arguably the biggest test yet: Illinois in Week 4.

27) Garrett Nussmeier | LSU

Preseason rank: 40 (+13)

The final result wasn’t quite his fault, and let’s face it, the interception Garrett Nussmeier threw on the game’s final play was out of desperation and nothing more. In his first start, Nussmeier looked the part of a solid starting quarterback in the SEC.

His arm talent is well documented, and he put that on display against USC, and his decision-making at times was just as sharp. It’s clear that Nussmeier has studied behind some all-time greats at quarterback.

We also said following his Week 1 performance that Nussmeier would be OK, but it took a bit against Nicholls in Week 2 to find that rhythm again. When all was said and done, Nussmeier threw for over 300 yards and six touchdowns, but a sluggish start to the game will leave some scratching their heads as to the plans offensively and defensively.

Independent of it all, Nussmeier was his same powerful self from within the structure, absolutely destroying the intermediate section of the field with his accuracy and anticipation. More of these, LSU, more of these.

26) Rocco Becht | Iowa State

Preseason rank: 43 (+17)

The final numbers didn’t look it, but Rocco Becht and the Iowa State offense did a solid job of picking their shots and keeping the ball away from North Dakota in Week 1. Becht threw for 10.3 yards per attempt and two scores, keeping the ball safe and in places where his playmakers could do just that, make plays.

It was a masterful passing attack for the most part, routinely taking the top off the defense with throws to slot receivers over the middle and past the sticks, but it felt like there was something holding them back overall.

In Week 2 against Iowa, it felt like they were held back once again, at least for 45 minutes. The second half was a different game for Becht and the Cyclones, and once he got his footing about him and adjusted to the speed of Iowa’s defense, Becht was able to let loose. He threw for two touchdowns, shook off a rough start, and pulled out a terrific victory in the historic battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy.

25) Garrett Greene | West Virginia

Preseason rank: 28 (+3)

The season debut for Garrett Greene and the West Virginia Mountaineers certainly could have gone a lot better. We know what Greene is as a passer, but after the display against a stout Penn State defense, we’re a bit more wary of the fact that 2023 is starting to feel like an anamoly.

Like all situations following a one-game sample size, we said we’ll be mindful of moving Greene too much, mainly because we have five seasons to go off of here, but he’d have to improve his accuracy and decision-making significantly. Well, in Week 2, that happened all right.

Greene dotted the field with accurate dimes and extended the WVU passing attack to an all-level assault. With his athleticism and arm talent, Greene’s rounding into form can spell a lot of victories for the Mountaineers.

24) Tyler Shough | Louisville

Preseason rank: 50 (+26)

A lot of quarterbacks put up gaudy numbers in Week 1, playing inferior opponents. That was no different for Tyler Shough, who beat up on an Austin Peay secondary that just couldn’t hang with the Cardinals.

When evaluating performances against FCS opponents, it’s important to look to the isolated situations for the quarterbacks. Did he elevate the talent around him? Did he throw with accuracy, anticipation, and power? Did he drive the ball and take the shots that were going to be there?

For Shough, he answered yes to all of those aforementioned questions in Week 1. And then in Week 2, he followed that up with a solid performance against a Jacksonville State defense that has been anything but strong this season.

Shough threw for nearly 350 yards and two touchdowns, lighting it up over the middle of the field while hitting several deep shots that lifted the lid off the Gamecocks defense. We know his arm talent. Is this the offense that finally fits his skill set the best? It looks like it.

23) Taylen Green | Arkansas

Preseason rank: 38 (+15)

We were very clear in our preseason writeups here: We’re going to process cautiously and optimistically with Taylen Green’s ability to translate his success on the field for Arkansas. And I don’t care about the level of the competition, what Green showcased in Week 1 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff was downright dominant.

Green tossed the ball effortlessly around the field with precision and ran the Arkansas offense to perfection. He ran the rock for two scores and made defenders look silly in his wake, but his effort through the air was even more impressive.

In fact, Green had the best throw of the day on Thursday, and perhaps the weekend, when he broke contain and maintained vision downfield, lofting a brilliant and perfectly placed shot while rolling to his left into the end zone for a touchdown.

And then in Week 2, Green followed it up with a great performance against Oklahoma State, save for two costly mistakes. We’re going to chalk up his mistakes to trying to be Super-Man for his team, as opposed to shaky ball security, something he may have gotten away with at Boise State, but not in the SEC, or against a top Big 12 defense.

He has a terrific arm and brilliant athleticism. When he’s on top of his game like he was in the second half against Oklahoma State, there are few defenses that will be able to contain him.

22) Jackson Arnold | Oklahoma

Preseason rank: 35 (+13)

In a blowout performance over Temple, the Jackson Arnold era got off to a great start for Oklahoma. In just his second start, Arnold threw for just 141 yards, but reached four touchdowns in the process.

It’s clear that he was able to work up some quick and solid chemistry with Deion Burks, and the manufactured touches for Burks was a smart and creative way to usher in the Arnold era slowly.

In Week 2, however, Arnold was able to let it fly a bit more. Some accuracy issues presented themselves against Big 12 foe Houston, but he wasn’t helped by a couple of untimely drops either. Keeping Arnold clean will prove to be paramount for the Sooners in 2024.

21) Kyle McCord | Syracuse

Preseason rank: 31 (+10)

Hello, Kyle McCord. Syracuse fans got their first taste of what McCord brings to the table for the Orange in Week 1 against Ohio, and it’s safe to say they may understand why he was shown the door at Ohio State.

Sure, they won. Sure, he threw four touchdowns. But McCord got the benefit of the doubt all too often at Ohio State and for the Orange’s sake, that wasn’t the case again in Week 2.

The Kyle McCord Experience we can call it saw him dice up a ‘soft’ Tech defense, as he was seen yelling about on the broadcast. He was sharp to all levels and threw his receivers open nicely with anticipation and power. McCord hasn’t quite followed up his strong performances at Ohio State all too nicely, proving to be too inconsistent at times.

With Stanford and Holy Cross on the docket next before not playing a home game in the month of October, the Orange better hope he follows up this performance better than he has before.

20) Jalon Daniels | Kansas

Preseason rank: 16 (-4)

Like most quarterbacks in Week 1 who took on overmatched FCS foes, Jalon Daniels was asked to do very little against Lindenwood. Daniels still showcased what makes him so special on multiple occasions, dotting the field with accuracy and commanding the pocket with poise.

The offense may be a bit different in 2024, but Daniels looked to be the same dominant athlete with incredible arm talent to boot. As we said in Week 1, the road wouldn’t always be as easy as it was in to start the season, and that was proven in Week 2 against Illinois.

Daniels looked incredibly human against the Illini, but his decision-making took a big hit in this one overall. He was late to the sidelines and he was confused at times by Illinois. As history has shown, however, there’s a clunker in Daniels’ season every now and again, and we’ll hope he got this one out of the way early.

19) Miller Moss | USC

Preseason rank: 65 (+46)

With ice in his veins, Miller Moss delivered an elevating performance against LSU in front of a national audience in Las Vegas on Sunday night of Week 1. Moss was terrific almost all game long and showcased why he was the man for the job within Lincoln Riley’s offense.

There were throws he made — specifically to Kyron Hudson — that got lost in the shuffle due to Hudson’s ridiculous catches, but need their own time to shine. He was anticipating windows opening and slamming footballs in quicker than the LSU defense could react.

It was the most impressive debut performance from a quarterback in the Week 1 window. Then, in Week 2, his performance went largely under the radar due to the time window USC played in (11 p.m. ET, c’mon schedule-makers) but he was the same Moss we saw before.

His abilities in the passing game are top notch and he throws his receivers open like a seasoned veteran. USC is humming and firing on all cylinders because their leading man can do it all from the quarterback position.

18) Will Howard | Ohio State

Preseason rank: 20 (+2)

Like most quarterbacks starting their seasons for a new program, Will Howard and Ohio State got off to a bit of a slow start. When Howard began targeting the sensational Jeremiah Smith, however, that start rocketed into a potentially dynamic duo and historic pairing.

Howard threw for three touchdowns and wasn’t asked to do too much, but his accuracy was on display more than a handful of times. Then Week 2 happened, and the proverbial leash was unlocked for Howard against Western Michigan. He averaged 11.2 yards per attempt against the Broncos, and the Buckeyes were near-perfect against WMU.

Howard has the tools to overtake most quarterbacks in the Big Ten, but has he reached his ceiling in the Buckeyes’ soft non-conference schedule? We hope not.

17) Thomas Castellanos | Boston College

Preseason rank: 25 (+8)

Everyone will remember Thomas Castellanos’ rushing ability that he showcased a year ago. But few will remember some of his dominant downfield passing and accurate shots to every level of the field.

And in Bill O’Brien’s offense at BC this fall, it’s safe to say that Castellanos will need to unleash more of those efficient shots than ever before. Good thing for BC fans, however, is the fact that Castellanos improved in seemingly every game from the pocket.

When push comes to shove, however, if BC needs a big play, it’ll be Castellanos giving it to them. He toted the rock over 200 times for over 1,200 yards a year ago, and it seemed like he barely broke a sweat while doing so.

Finding that natural rhythm between a natural passer and dominant rusher will be key for his development and BC’s success this season.

16) Cam Rising | Utah

Preseason rank: 33 (+17)

The night was over for Cam Rising early on in Week 1 but he certainly did enough to warrant the expression: I’m back.

Rising threw for five touchdowns and over 250 yards in his return to the field, his first game since 2022. He was terrific from a clean pocket, and utilized the impressive play-calling to his advantage, finding his receivers well over the middle of the field.

Layered shot after layered shot (or moon shot in the case of one of Brant Kuithe’s touchdowns), Rising put his arm talent on display on a handful of occasions and took care of business as the leader of a strong Utes team.

But then the inevitable happened, given Rising’s injury past. After throwing just 14 passes against Baylor, Rising left the game in the first half with a hand injury and would not return. If Rising’s healthy, the Utes are the favorite to win the Big 12. But if not, it’s anyone’s league.

15) Haynes King | Georgia Tech

Preseason rank: 24 (+9)

After everyone watched Haynes King defeat FSU in Ireland during Week 0, King’s performance against Georgia State in Week 1 went largely under the radar. And that’s kind of how the Yellow Jackets seem to like it.

King read the field nicely, but wasn’t asked to do too much in their defeat over Georgia State. In fact, King hardly pushed the ball downfield at all and instead was asked to utilize his underneath receivers and backs more than we’ve seen from them in this outing.

Then the tone shifted, however, in Week 2 when the Yellow Jackets found themselves hard pressed into action against an upstart Syracuse team. Despite the final result, King played well and gave the Tech offense a chance to win the game. It wasn’t to be, but King’s display of arm talent and his dual-threat ability continues to be underrated nationally.

14) Shedeur Sanders | Colorado

Preseason rank: 10 (-4)

Darts Only, from Shedeur Sanders, Darts Only. And that’s how he played against North Dakota State on Thursday night of the opening weekend.

In front of a record audience and sold-out crowd, the moment has never proven to be too much for Sanders. In fact, he almost thrives off the big-time moments it appears as he truly dominated when the situation mattered and needed him to.

Sanders was terrific in every facet, but he showcased two timely items around his game: his creation capacity and his toughness. It just so happened that both showed up on the same play to extend a drive and ultimately put points on the board.

But against Nebraska, his offensive line let him down once again. Sanders still showcased his innate talent with his arm, but if he’s going to struggle to stay upright once again, it’ll be tough sledding this season once again.

It didn’t help that he was late on multiple throws either, but Sanders now has injury concerns, as he was seen exiting the game early against Nebraska in Week 2.

13) Drew Allar | Penn State

Preseason rank: 14 (+1)

When he’s allowed to throw the ball down the field, Drew Allar rivals most quarterbacks. And when he does test the deep waters, he’s usually incredibly successful.

Allar found his rhythm against West Virginia, even if the weather tried to stop him, and found great success in a new preferred target in Harrison Wallace. In Week 2, Allar and the Nittany Lions needed some late-game heroics to stave off an upset bid from Bowling Green, but he was able to still showcase multiple high-level throws and decisions.

He’s shown he can take over games when Penn State needs him to, and he’s rivaling for the top spot in the conference at the current moment. These early-season matchups have proven Allar can take the Nittany Lions far this season.

12) Jalen Milroe | Alabama

Preseason rank: 3 (-9)

Week 1 was a dominant outing for the entire Alabama team, on both sides of the ball, but it took shaking off a slow start with his accuracy before Jalen Milroe righted the ship. It was over before this game really began.

By throwing for three scores and rushing for another two, Milroe became the first quarterback in Alabama history to both pass for three touchdowns and rush for two in a single game. He put all his skills on display in the outing against Western Kentucky, including the patented power that we’ve become accustomed to seeing.

However, Week 2 saw a bit more of the same that is the only cause for concern with Milroe. He was inaccurate against USF and struggled to make decisions when pressure got to him. The USF pass-rushing unit feasted all evening long and stifled the passing attack as well as Milroe’s decision-making for about 50 minutes.

The defenses get a bit more difficult going forward and the Alabama offense will have to get the run game going if they want to spark Milroe back into action and allow him some opening passing lanes off play action.

11) Noah Fifita | Arizona

Preseason rank: 7 (-11)

Living up to our billing as the top-ranked Big 12 quarterback in his season debut, Noah Fifita was lights out against New Mexico in Week 1. If you stayed up late for the show, what a great decision you made.

Tetairoa McMillan isn’t human, but Fifita also deserves his praise for his ability to light the field up with his accurate and powerful passes to every level. For a player of his stature, the arm strength never ceases to amaze viewers as he routinely pushes passes to windows and spots where only his players can make the play.

It was a slower start for Fifita in Week 2, however, yet he threw for 173 yards and a touchdown against a tough Northern Arizona secondary. This offense can’t afford to be hot and cold this year in the Big 12, but the conference is wide open for the taking with a potential injury to Cam Rising and the Utes’ appearing beatable without him.

10) Jordan McCloud | Texas State

Preseason Rank: 11 (+1)

Two games into Jordan McCloud’s Texas State tenure and the Bobcats are flying high at 2-0 and a big in-state win over UTSA in Week 2 capping it off. McCloud has thrown five touchdowns against two interceptions, and is nearly averaging 9.6 yards per attempt.

He’s been decisive and sharp at every level of the field and, surprisingly, hasn’t been asked to do much. When he has force the issue downfield, McCloud has once again been able to display the accuracy we’ve come to expect the past 13 months.

In the Texas State offense, pushing the ball to the boundary will be key and that’s where McCloud has shown to make great strides. So far, so good and McCloud looks ripe to make a run as one of the top G5 quarterbacks in 2024.

9) Kaidon Salter | Liberty

Preseason Rank: 6 (-3)

There is no debate about who the best Conference USA QB is, and it’s Kaidon Salter by a landslide. However, the first two games of the season have been nothing short of disappointing by Salter’s standards.

We know the type of quarterback that Salter is, but it appears he’s forgotten how talented he is at times so far in 2024.

Somehow, he’s still averaging 9.4 yards per attempt and has two touchdowns against no interceptions. In fact, he’s the only full-time starting quarterback whose primary role is throwing the ball (looking right atcha Kennesaw) who hasn’t thrown a pick yet in the conference.

He’s efficient and sharp with his reads, but the Liberty offense seems to still be finding their rhythm this season. Their offensive line is dominant and Salter should be able to pick things up quickly here.

8) Seth Henigan | Memphis

Preseason Rank: 9 (+1)

It’s a two-game sample size to go off of from Seth Henigan before heading down to Tallahassee and their highly-anticipated matchup against Florida State, and it’s clear that the Tigers are firing on all cylinders. Henigan has thrown for just 468 yards this season, and we say just like 468 yards through two games isn’t a good figure, but he’s played remarkably consistent and strong football in the process.

He lit up the field against North Alabama and then took something of his throws against Troy in Week 2. All together, however, Henigan has been as good as advertised.

Henigan now ranks within the top 75 all-time passing yard leaders in college football, and he’s got at least 10 more games to do some more damage on that list. The way this season is going, though, it’s clear that Henigan will have more than 10 games to do so, including a likely berth in the AAC Championship Game and the Tigers eyeing the College Football Playoff.

Those two postseason games are thanks in part to Henigan’s play.

7) Nico Iamaleava | Tennessee

Preseason Rank: 34 (+27)

Sheesh, what a debut it was for Nico Iamaleava. Get to know how to pronounce his name now, folks, because he isn’t the ‘future’ anymore, he’s the RIGHT NOW for Tennessee.

Iamaleava was brilliant against UT-Chatanooga in Week 1, sometimes throwing it against air it felt like, but he still flashed plenty to move him up in our rankings. The velocity on his throws was only matched by the intense accuracy he showed off all game long.

Then, fast forward to a game against a very talented NC State secondary in Week 2. He wasn’t perfect, but in his first primetime and big-time start, Iamaleava nailed the performance.

Iamaleava threw dart after dart and kept his offense humming in the second half, more than enough to knock off NC State easily. The aforementioned velocity that presents itself with his passes is unmatched.

6) Cam Ward | Miami

Preseason Rank: 12 (+6)

What a debut it was for Cam Ward and the Hurricanes. After a shaky start and a minor hiccup (see: interception), it was clear sailing and dominant play from Ward throughout against Florida in Gainesville.

It should be said that Ward’s season-opening performance is arguably the best of all the transfer-portal QBs playing in their first game with their new team across the Week 1 landscape. Yes, some threw for more yards. Yes, some threw for more touchdowns. But did they go into SEC country and hand a Gators team their worst season-opening home loss in over 100 years?

No, Ward did that. And he followed that up with a dominant display against Florida A&M in his new backyard. We weren’t going to learn anything in that game except for Ward’s consistency and his foot on the gas, and he passed that test against FAMU easily.

The sights for the Hurricanes are rightfully set on the ACC Championship this season.

5) Brady Cook | Missouri

Preseason Rank: 5 (no change)

There wasn’t anything in particular that we loved about the Missouri opener against Murray State, but we certainly did see the same Brady Cook that we became accustomed to seeing last year. The offense ran swimmingly early and Cook wasn’t asked to do seemingly anything.

Still, Cook was sharp with his reads and played an incredibly disciplined game from within the pocket. And he followed that up with a crisp performance against Buffalo, one error aside, of course.

The Bulls secondary is a top unit in the MAC and their linebacking corps plays complementary football very well underneath. All that to be said, Cook diced up the Buffalo defense underneath all game long, but nothing happened to break the right way.

Save for a single bad decision, it was a sound performance from Cook and the Tigers offense as they prepare for the tougher road ahead.

4) Quinn Ewers | Texas

Preseason Rank: 8 (+4)

It was a dominant showing for Quinn Ewers and the Texas Longhorns in Week 1. Despite playing just a single drive in the third quarter, Ewers was able to throw for 260 yards and two touchdowns, with his lone hiccup coming on a pass that was tipped at the line and intercepted.

Ewers showed the poise, power, accuracy, and touch we’ve gotten used to, and followed that up with a dominant showing in Ann Arbor in Week 2.

He was usual self, patient and observant, surprisingly athletic and decisive, and it all lead to an emphatic victory over Michigan. Ewers’ performance in Week 2 against the Wolverines is the kind of performance Texas will need week in and week out once they hit SEC play.

3) Jaxson Dart | Ole Miss

Preseason Rank: 4 (+1)

Jaxson Dart was lights out for Ole Miss in Week 1. Yes, it was against Furman, but yes, it was only a single half that saw him set all new personal highs and reach a mark previously set by Joe Burrow.

Dart’s first half against Furman marked a new career-high in total touchdowns, and his 445 total yards in the first half made him the first SEC quarterback since Joe Burrow to surpass 350 passing yards in a single half​. He then followed that performance up with a dominant display of passing against Middle Tennessee that may not have touched the end zone, but it was certainly what you wanted him to do.

He was clean from within the pocket and seamlessly ushered in the rushing attack with a mix of solid play-action passes off the success of Henry Parrish and Co. When it came time to unleash it downfield, Dart was accurate and on time, a calling card of his success when he’s on his game.

2) Dillon Gabriel | Oregon

Preseason Rank: 1 (-1)

Sheesh, Dillon Gabriel was utilized more than we likely thought he was going to be needed in Week 1 against Idaho. He threw for 380 yards and two touchdowns, but it certainly felt like there was meat left on the bone from his and Oregon’s offensive performance to start off the season.

And then Week 2 happened. Gabriel was hardly utilized in the first half, until he was needed to be deployed in the second. In the end, Gabriel certainly didn’t have his best day, and hasn’t had his best two-game start to his career, and yet he’s 2-0 and thrown for a Big Ten high 622 yards.

The Ducks have a few more weeks to figure it out before their highly-anticipated showdown with Ohio State, but it’s not trending correctly if they can’t figure out how to correctly utilize Gabriel and his talents. Gabriel himself has to pick and choose his shots and improve his downfield accuracy as well.

1) Carson Beck | Georgia

Preseason Rank: 2 (+1)

Carson Beck was solid against Clemson to open the season. Beck completed 23 of 33 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Bulldogs to a commanding win after a slow start.

Beck’s play improved significantly in the second half as his ability to connect with his receivers on critical plays, particularly on third downs, was a key factor in Georgia’s offensive success. He then carried that over to Week 2 in which he dominated Tennessee Tech through a half of play.

Beck has now thrown for seven touchdowns after a 5-TD game in Week 2, completing passes at a high clip but not quite wowing in the process. We know who Beck is, and his season-opening performances have indicated the best is yet to come.

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