This is it. The final week of college football’s regular season. It has been a wild ride getting here, but here we are.
One of the wildest storylines this year has been the 2024 draft class and how deep it is for the quarterback position.
With this being rivalry week, these games have more emotion for fans and players alike. This isn’t just another win. It’s bragging rights. There are 365 days worth of trash talk and superiority on the line, not to mention some clear opportunities for signature performances.
Here are some of the games to keep your eye out for when it comes to 2024 draft-eligible quarterbacks:
- TCU @ #13 Oklahoma (Friday, 11 a.m. CST, Fox)
- Miami @ Boston College (Friday, 11 a.m. CST, ABC)
- UTSA @ #23 Tulane (Friday, 2:30 p.m. CST, ABC)
- Texas Tech @ #7 Texas (6:30 p.m. CST, ABC)
- #16 Oregon State @ #6 Oregon (7:30 p.m. CST, Fox)
- #2 Ohio State @ #3 Michigan (11 a.m. CST, Fox)
- Texas A&M @ #14 LSU (11 a.m. CST, ESPN)
- Colorado @ Utah (2 p.m. CST, Pac-12)
- Vanderbilt @ #21 Tennessee (2:30 p.m. CST, SECN)
- Maryland @ Rutgers (2:30 p.m. CST, BTN)
- James Madison @ Coastal Carolina (2:30 p.m. CST, ESPN2)
- Washington State @ #4 Washington (3 p.m. CST, Fox)
- #18 Notre Dame @ Stanford (6 p.m. CST, Pac-12)
- #24 Clemson @ South Carolina (6:30 p.m. CST, SECN)
- North Carolina @ #22 NC State (7 p.m. CST, ACCN)
South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler
I know he’s been inconsistent, but he’s so interesting.
Rattler and the Gamecocks have not had a good year on the offensive end. There is no question about that. But it was this Clemson game last season that impressed me the most from his time at South Carolina thus far.
He has a chance to have a repeat impressive performance against the eighth-best passing defense in the country.
If you look at his pocket movement and arm ability, he is an NFL quarterback. The ceiling is there. It’s the floor, which I think we’ve seen, that can be just as low.
As a potential late day-two to early day-three prospect, that’s a perfect spot for him.
He’s there if you want to develop him, but he is not a franchise guy. Not yet anyway.
South Carolina regains the lead on this 17-yard TD pass from Spencer Rattler to Xavier Legette. Great block by Djay Braswell on the play.
The Gamecocks overcame a 3rd-and-15 and a 2nd-and-26 on that drive.
17-14 USC // 7:44 Q4 pic.twitter.com/viPyj7dTJC
— Jordan Kaye (@jordankaye_23) November 19, 2023
Oregon QB Bo Nix
Nix has been intriguing in the quest for QB3 in this upcoming draft.
Oregon has been a top-five offense consistently throughout the season, and it is due in part to the second-best passing game led by Nix.As a passer, he has the best completion percentage and the second-best quarterback rating in the country.
Of course, there are concerns about his ability to consistently push the ball down the field butut as the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Nix has been operating this offense at an elite level, a level that has Oregon in the hunt for a College Football Playoff berth and a Heisman trophy.
NIX. SIX. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/r45FDnbHAO
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) November 18, 2023
Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy
These last three weeks were supposed to be the best tell-tale of what to expect from J.J. McCarthy as an NFL prospect.
The first week, he threw the ball eight times. Not ideal, but a win is a win. Next week, he looked disastrous at times against an inferior Maryland defense. Not good, but a win is still a win.
Now comes the biggest game of the season: The Game between Michigan vs. Ohio State.
Can McCarthy shake off a disappointing couple of weeks to help lead his team over a talented Ohio State defense? Does he have what it takes to step up in what can be called the most important moment of the college football season?
If so, it will do wonders for his draft stock heading into the postseason.
The @UMichFootball 🏈 Wolverines are looking forward to implementing a simple method to get J.J. McCarthy back on track 😃 Saturday against Ohio State. pic.twitter.com/L3sJdR81V8
— BCSN (@BCSNsports) November 23, 2023
Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.
Speaking of QB3, Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. continues to tear it up for the Huskies.
Penix leads the country with 3,695 yards in 11 games (335 yards/game). He’s third in passing touchdowns and tenth in QB rating.
His ability to place the ball in advantageous situations for his receivers makes him an intriguing prospect for virtually any offense. Penix argues for the best deep ball in the class.
How he looks without his insane receiving corps will be a concern, as having receivers the caliber of Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk makes life easier.
Penix does have a great argument for the third-best quarterback in this class, as Washington has firmly grooved their way into the College Football Playoff hunt.
Michael Penix Jr. showing off the moves after that TD 🔥 pic.twitter.com/R3NPgJti8M
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 19, 2023
North Carolina QB Drake Maye
With the discourse around Caleb Williams, the biggest beneficiary is North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.
Maye has been consistently making big plays for the Tar Heels despite it not showing up in the win-loss column. Maye’s arm strength, with his ability to extend the play outside of the pocket, scramble and make plays downfield, make him a bona fide candidate for the top quarterback in this class.
Now, Maye has a chance to play spoiler for a ranked NC State while continuing to make his case for the QB1 spot.
Driving throws past coverage off his back foot. Just another example of Drake Maye’s arm strength.
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) November 18, 2023
LSU QB Jayden Daniels
The most interesting prospect leading up to the draft continues to be LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.
As the season has gone on, Daniels has not only improved, he has excelled. His evaluation has become one of the hottest topics in the upcoming draft.
His ability to run the football is exceptional.
He is one of the most productive quarterbacks while also being the most efficient.
Usually, that combo is enough to make Daniels the number one quarterback in the draft, but he is fighting for his spot as QB3.
As he goes into the pre-draft process, it will be interesting to see where he finally ends up and how high the hype can take him in the upcoming draft.
Daniels to Thomas
That's another TOUCHDOWN
📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/AFnqxfdc0Q— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) November 19, 2023
