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Kyle Lindemann prepares you with a Power Rankings list of the Top 10 NCAA Quarterbacks in college football to watch this upcoming season as well as their potential for making waves in the 2024 NFL Draft class.
Get ready to mark your calendars and dust off those foam fingers, folks, because Saturday, August 26, 2023, is the day college football makes its way back into our lives! This year's arsenal of quarterbacks is so impressive that Hollywood may already be scrambling for the movie rights. Many scouts already consider the 2024 QB Class (as things currently stand) to be one of the best ones we have seen in recent years. The buzz from some of them has been that the top-two wonder kids on this list would've been the top-two picks in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Meanwhile, the transfer portal has turned college football into a magic revolving door and we're likely to see more quarterback showdowns than a Tarantino movie in the coming years. Covid-19 shook up the game in 2020 and we've got plenty of 5th and 6th-year seniors out there on the field doing their best college impersonation of Van Wilder. To say that the game as we know it is rapidly changing is the understatement of the year.
The top-rated quarterback in this article is coming off a season where he won the Heisman Trophy and looks like a real-life Avenger out there with his inventive style of play and rocket-powered arm that seems to cut through defenses as if they were mere paper planes in his way. As we gaze into our crystal ball for the 2023 season, it's clear that these rankings may look very different by the end of the year, but let's dive in anyway shall we?
10. Sam Hartman, Notre Dame
After spending the last 5 seasons at Wake Forest, Hartman transferred to the Fighting Irish early in 2023. He had 2 very successful seasons going 18-8 and leading the Demon Deacons to an 11-win season in 2021. Notre Dame had a glaring hole at quarterback after Tyler Buchner transferred to Alabama as well as Drew Pyne to Arizona State. Now Hartman will step in to fill that role for coach Marcus Freeman, who is working day and night to bring the Irish back. One thing Hartman has to get better at is avoiding sacks. He was sacked 37 last season and had a 22.2% pressure-to-sack rate (per PFF). Otherwise, Hartman's decision-making is sound and he provides plenty of leadership and experience for the Notre Dame offense.
Hartman has thrown 77 touchdowns over the last 2 years and brings a steady hand at quarterback to South Bend, starting 45 games in his college career on top of just turning 24 years old. While he may have already reached his ceiling, Hartman should be an important cog in the Notre Dame offense as they look to expand on their 9-4 season in 2022. As the Fighting Irish look to reclaim their place on top of the college football world, Hartman could be the centerpiece for them to get back into the BCS Playoffs.
9. Jordan Travis, Florida State
Travis, like Sam Hartman above, has already been in college for 5 years. After originally enrolling at Louisville, he transferred to Florida State in 2019. Travis spent 2 seasons under Willie Taggart before Mike Norvell was brought in to right the ship. The Seminoles only had 2 head coaches from 1976 through 2017 before shuffling through 3 different head coaches in the last 6 years! A program that was once a model of stability, Seminoles fans can only hope their beloved program reverts back to its historically steady ways. Can Jordan Travis can be the missing link this year to bring a once mighty program back to BCS glory?
Travis finally had a breakout of sorts in 2022 as he lead Florida State to a 10-3 record as a starter, threw for 3,214 yards with 24 passing touchdowns, and added 417 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns on the ground. He had a big-time throw rate of 7.1% per PFF and an adjusted completion percentage of 72.5%. Travis is one of the better dual-threat quarterbacks in college football and the Seminoles will be looking to expand off of last year's success.
8. Jayden Daniels, LSU
Daniels' career took off early as he compiled an 8-4 record as a true freshman at Arizona in 2019 and seemed destined for stardom. He passed for just under 3,000 yards and threw 17 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions as a Wildcat while adding 355 yards rushing on the ground with 3 touchdowns. However, Covid-19 had a significant impact on the PAC-12 season in 2020 and Daniels stumbled to an 8-5 finish in 2021 that saw him throw just 10 TDs to 10 INTs. He then transferred to LSU in 2022 to play with new head coach, Brian Kelly and get a fresh start.
Daniels rebounded last season leading the Tigers to a 10-4 season and got back to his efficient ways throwing 17 TDs to just 3 INTs, but he was absolutely electric on the ground rushing for 885 yards and 11 touchdowns. Expectations will be sky-high in Baton Rouge this season and the Tigers will face the rigors of a mighty SEC schedule. Daniels with his experience looks to be the part and has the potential to help LSU win the SEC. How he is perceived by scouts ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft will hinge greatly on this upcoming season.
one of the better throws you’ll see. especially considering the stakes of the game & the time in the game it took place. catch is equally impressive.
jayden daniels & mason taylor’s connection is nice. pic.twitter.com/o8w4yzhZ2u
— Kyron Samuels (@kyronsamuels) August 3, 2023
7. Cam Rising, Utah
Maybe the toughest competitor on this list, Rising is another uber-talented quarterback in the PAC-12 this season. Like many of his peers, this will be his 6th collegiate season. Rising enrolled at Texas in 2018, but transferred to Utah one year later. He's led the Utes to an impressive 18-7 record over the last two seasons but hasn't been able to stay healthy at the end of them. Rising has brought a lot of swagger to the Utah program as the Utes have won back-to-back PAC-12 titles for the first time ever.
Rising returns to Utah this fall with unfinished business as he looks to take the Utes to the BCS playoffs. He's been one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football the last two years, throwing for 5,477 yards with 45 TDs to just 13 INTs. Rising has also been solid on the ground rushing for 897 yards and 12 TDs. He's a fearless leader who looks the part of an outlaw out there on the field with his long hair and mustache. Rising is an energetic and passionate player who is a very easy player to root for.
6. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
With just one year under his belt, the now Junior Quarterback led the Wolverines to a 12-1 record last season and absolutely destroyed the Buckeyes in college football's greatest rivalry. McCarthy was only 12 of 24 passing but threw for 263 yards and 3 TDs on top of rushing for 1 more. McCarthy bombed the Ohio State secondary with touchdown passes of 69, 75, and 45 yards on the way to a 45-23 rout. It was a big day for the Wolverines as they beat their arch-rival in back-to-back seasons for the first time in over twenty years, although their season came to a halt in the BCS semifinals losing 34-20 to TCU.
McCarthy is still raw in terms of his development, but he's an underrated athlete who should only improve as a passer in 2023. Last season, McCarthy threw for 2,719 yards and 22 TDs along with rushing for 306 yards and 5 TDs on the ground. His completion percentage was 64.1%, but his adjusted comp (per PFF) was 73.1%, as McCarthy's pass catchers in 2022 were credited with 17 drops! He was a 4-star recruit in 2021 and should be in for a big 2023 season if running back Blake Corum can return to full health. The Big Ten will be loaded this year with Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State and we shouldn't be surprised to see the conference represent half of college football in the BCS playoffs again. Michigan's return to glory rests solely on McCarthy's shoulders.
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5. Quinn Ewers, Texas
While you might be surprised to see Ewers this high, he has all the talent in the world and is in as great of a situation as he can be with pass catchers Xavier Worthy, Jordan Whittington, and Ja'Tavion Sanders, who accounted for 164 receptions between the three of them last year. Did I mention that the entire Longhorns offensive line is also returning this fall? Ewers had some big-time throws and flashed his brilliance against Alabama last season before going down with a sprained AC joint in his non-throwing shoulder. He wasn't as sharp when he returned several weeks later and will need to clean up some of his mechanics and footwork if he is to be considered among the elite quarterbacks in college football this season.
Ewers was considered by many to be the top overall recruit in the 2020 class. Last season he threw for 2,174 yards and 14 TDs in just 10 games, but he wasn't the same after coming back from injury. Ewers will have Arch Manning behind him this season, as well as the talented Maalik Murphy, so his seat could get warm in a hurry if he doesn't perform. This will be a big season for Ewers to rise to the occasion and make the most of the opportunity he's been given. If Ewers lives up to the hype it's not unreasonable to think that he could become a Top 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Quinn Ewers stares down the barrel and does a nice job of floating this one out there pic.twitter.com/7Q8ZVZHrdL
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) July 30, 2023
4. Michael Penix Jr., Washington
After battling through injuries early on in his college career, Penix finally had a breakthrough last season at the University of Washington where he led the Huskies to an 11-2 record on top of throwing for 4,641 yards with 31 touchdowns. Per PFF, Penix had 27 big-time throws (4.6% rate) and was sacked just 4 times last season! Can he put it all together for another? The draft stock of talented wideout Rome Odunze may hinge on Penix's sustained success as well. Penix is an accurate passer and quick decision-maker, something that translates well at the next level.
While Penix will be 24 next spring, it's understandable why he elected to return to Washington and finish out his final year of eligibility. Most of his supporting cast on offense returns, as well as both of his starting tackles. The PAC-12 should be exciting this season as they feature 4 of the ten quarterbacks on this list. The biggest question for Penix will be him repeating what he did in 2022 and showing NFL scouts and front offices that he can stay healthy. Penix tore his ACL twice at Indiana before transferring to Washington in 2022. He returns to school this year citing that the team has unfinished business.
3. Bo Nix, Oregon
A player who had a drastic fall from grace early on, Nix dazzled as a freshman in 2019 at Auburn before sputtering out with his accuracy and consistency as former Tigers head coach, Gus Malzahn was fired. Nix then made his way to Eugene in 2022 and lead the Ducks to a 10-3 record while throwing for 3,594 yards and 29 TDs while adding 510 yards and 14 rushing TDs on the ground! Nix like some of his peers above is a 5th year senior looking to make the most of every opportunity he's been given this season.
Nix has his work cut out for him in 2023 as his former Offensive Coordinator, Kenny Dillingham left for Arizona State. With how much the current NFL meta is beginning to favor athletic quarterbacks, it's understandable why some scouts feel excited about Nix and some are even buzzing right now saying that Nix has the potential to be a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He has lowered his pressure-to-sack rate in every season, all the way from 16.2% in 2019 to just 6.5% in 2022 (per PFF). Nix was also able to cut back on some of his turnovers and bad decision-making in 2022 as well, but the question is this: how much higher can he take the Ducks in a loaded PAC-12? Nix also had an impressive 82.3% adjusted completion in 2022 (per PFF).
2. Drake Maye, North Carolina
After sitting behind Sam Howell for the 2021 season, Maye stepped in as a redshirt freshman and hit the ground running immediately. He took the college football world by storm and wowed the scouts with his incredible leadership and poise. At 6 foot 5 inches and 220 lbs., Maye fits the bill of what a prototypical quarterback looks like in the current NFL and many scouts and analysts have him already tabbed to be a top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Maye displayed incredible maturity as a passer having just a 2.4% turnover-worthy play rate and had 45 big-time throws (8.4% per PFF) in 2022, which were the highest in all of college football. Maye threw for 4,293 yards with 37 passing touchdowns to just 7 interceptions. He was also deadly on the ground as well rushing for 698 yards and 7 TDs.
Maye's father: Mark played quarterback for the Tar Heels in the 1980s. He won't have talented wide receiver Josh Downs to throw to this year and his offensive coordinator, Phil Longo left for Wisconsin. Maye will have to break in a new group of wide receivers for the upcoming season, but after last year it's hard not to think he won't be up to the task. Maye made some breathtaking throws last year and seems to be the only quarterback with similar superhuman-like abilities to the top quarterback on this list. The only area of his game that needs to be cleaned up is that he was sacked 43 times last season and PFF put his pressure-to-sack rate at 18.3%. If he wants to succeed at the NFL level he will have to get used to not being able to throw from a clean pocket a lot of the time.
As a freshman, Drake Maye impressed with a low 2.4% turnover worthy play rate & made 45 big-time throws, the most in CFB per @PFF.
While Caleb Williams gets the attention, Maye was equally impressive. They could each go 1-2 in the 2024 NFL Draft. #UNCommon pic.twitter.com/yZQuXWwU0v
— Kyle Lindemann (@LuckIsMadeFF) August 3, 2023
1. Caleb Williams, USC
While he was impressive as a freshman at Oklahoma in 2021, Williams went absolutely nuclear in 2022 after following Lincoln Riley to USC. He threw for 4,539 yards to go with 42 touchdowns and just 5 INTs and basically set the entire College Football world ablaze. Williams added 382 yards rushing on the ground along with 10 more TDs! He was an absolute wizard throwing the football and had an uncanny ability to get outside the pocket and extend plays that some scouts even started comparing him to Patrick Mahomes. While that might be quite a lofty comparison, Williams does display some of those simply jaw-dropping attributes that Mahomes does on Sundays.
After winning the Heisman Trophy and being regarded as the bonafide No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, what will Williams' motivation be for this upcoming season? Getting the Trojans back into the BCS playoffs as well as trying to repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner would be an impressive feat! Ohio State running back Archie Griffin is the only such player to win the Heisman Trophy twice. Williams featured a 6% big-time throw rate in 2022 and an impeccably low 1.8% turnover-worth play rate (per PFF). When you factor in that he threw 502 passes last season, that's even more impressive. While Williams may make your heart stop with his Houdini-like abilities outside the pocket, he is very careful with the football. At this juncture, he is the unquestioned king of the college football world and has a chance to go down as one of the greatest ever.
Caleb Williams' arm talent is a weapon of mass destruction against opposing defenses. pic.twitter.com/zcsNfZAj8d
— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) July 27, 2023
What did you think about this list? Will be more than happy to hear your grievances on Twitter, or I mean "X."
Honorable Mentions: Kyle McCord (Ohio State), Joe Milton (Tennessee), Spencer Rattler (South Carolina), Carson Beck (Georgia), Riley Leonard (Duke), Cade Klubnik (Clemson)
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