Back by popular demand—or force of habit—are the Sports Illustrated college football most intriguing lists. Last week: most intriguing coaches of 2024. This week: most intriguing quarterbacks.
1. Will Howard, Ohio State Buckeyes
Of all the new guy quarterback story lines proliferating through this season, none have higher stakes than Howard at Ohio State. Consider his predecessor: Kyle McCord went 11–1, with the only loss by six points at soon-to-be national champion Michigan, and that wasn’t good enough for a program in a desperate drive for a title of its own. So Ryan Day rebooted and flipped the keys to his powerful offensive machine to the transfer from Kansas State. Big (6' 4"), strong (235 pounds) and sufficiently mobile, Howard has thrown for more than 5,700 yards and rushed for more than 900. The latter is an important statistic—McCord was a pocket statue, and new coordinator Chip Kelly values QB mobility. Howard doesn’t have to be a superstar given the weaponry around him, but he does have to play well in big games—especially the one on Nov. 30.
2. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado Buffaloes
This is the likely last roundup for one of the more interesting father-son duos in the history of the sport. Can Shedeur take his head-coach father, Deion, bowling before departing for the NFL draft? How high can he elevate his own stock in the process? Sanders was sensational in his first FBS season in 2023, passing for 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns with just three interceptions. But he also led the nation in sacks—in part because of a leaky offensive line, in part because he frequently held the ball too long in search of a big play. Like his old man, Shedeur is fond of brashly bathing in the limelight: cutting a hip hop track and performing at a Lil Wayne concert; driving a Bentley; wearing luxury watches on the field before games. Now it’s time for the charismatic QB to win more games.
3. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon Ducks
He’s the poster child of the modern college quarterback—a sixth-year guy on his third school, with a skill set that easily plugs into the way offenses operate in current times. Gabriel’s size (5' 11" on a very good day) has kept him in college, and his production has kept him in the starting lineup for 49 games at Central Florida and Oklahoma. If he stays healthy, Gabriel will eclipse the man he replaced at Oregon, Bo Nix, whose 61 starts are the most for a QB in FBS history. He also could end up No. 2 all-time in career passing yards and total offense (Case Keenum’s records in both areas are likely out of reach). More pertinently for Ducks fans, Gabriel is entrusted with giving Oregon a shot at conference and national championships in its inaugural Big Ten season.
4. DJ Uiagalelei, Florida State Seminoles
His coast-to-coast saga continues, with a back-to-the-ACC, full-circle element now added in. A five-star prospect out of California, Uiagalelei looked like the next big thing at Clemson in a relief role to Trevor Lawrence in 2020, then struggled through two seasons. The expectations of the position seemed to be a burden. He transferred to Oregon State and played well in less of a dual-threat role (Uiagalelei has never been a truly avid runner). Now he’s gone back across the country to take over the reins at Clemson’s biggest league rival, a move that certainly adds spice to the teams’ Oct. 5 showdown in Tallahassee. FSU hasn’t lost a regular-season game since Oct. 15, 2022, against Clemson—when the opposing QB was Uiagalelei.
5. Dylan Raiola, Nebraska Cornhuskers
He hasn’t been announced as the starter yet, but that is the expectation for the five-star freshman. If and when that happens, the hype train will be hard to contain at a program starved for a return to prominence. The top QB recruit in the Class of 2024 was previously committed to Ohio State and Georgia before following the family bloodlines to Nebraska—a huge win for second-year coach Matt Rhule. After enrolling early and dazzling in the spring, the stage is now set. Raiola wears No. 15 like Patrick Mahomes and has shown some passing creativity that calls to mind the best QB in the sport, but let’s leave it at that until further comparisons are warranted.
6. Quinn Ewers, Texas Longhorns
With the Longhorns’ running back depth seriously depleted by two major August injuries, the weight on Ewers’s shoulders increases. He stepped up from good in 2022 to very good in ’23, and now has to find greatness for Texas to do what it expects to do in ’24—contend for the Southeastern Conference title in its first season, and thus for the national title as well. Ewers lost his top five receivers from last season, but the Horns made big moves in the portal in that area by bringing in two standouts from Alabama (Isaiah Bond and Amari Niblack) and one from Oregon State (Silas Bolden). Ewers and his rebuilt receiving corps need to mesh quickly, with a trip to Michigan on Sept. 7. If that’s slow to happen, rest assured: The Arch Manning crowd will mobilize.
7. Riley Leonard, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Uplifted by loving encouragement from his mother before every game in the form of “you suck” texts, Leonard decidedly did not suck at Duke—when healthy. He was 13–6 as the starter under Mike Elko, showcasing a dual-threat ability to make big plays in big moments. A severe ankle injury curtailed Leonard last season and then Elko left, sending him on a path to become Notre Dame’s latest QB pickup from the ACC (following Sam Hartman from Wake Forest). Leonard still has some proving to do as an NFL prospect, but he will have a chance to do that with a Fighting Irish receiving corps that is expected to be improved over ’23.
8. Jalen Milroe, Alabama Crimson Tide
He’s the human bridge between eras—the last Bama starter for Nick Saban and now the first Bama starter for Kalen DeBoer. While the overall excellence of the Saban program will be hard to match, the actual quarterbacking might be better under DeBoer and coordinator Nick Sheridan than last year under Tommy Rees. Milroe is a big-play threat in an offense that thrives on big plays, with the next step in his progression hinging on acknowledging the importance of little plays, too. Milroe was very good as a first-year, full-time starter—the leading returner in the SEC in pass efficiency and the leading returning vote-getter from the 2023 Heisman Trophy race. Will he wind up in New York in December? And in the playoff after that?
9. Cam Rising, Utah Utes
He’s a 25-year-old, seventh-year collegian who has played only 27 college games. There was a redshirt year at Texas, a transfer sit-out season at Utah (before that rule was changed) and then an injury redshirt last season that coincided with the Utes’ poorest season since 2020. Rising is back and healthy to lead Utah into the wide-open Big 12 as the immediate favorite. He’s the biggest part of that immediate optimism: a charismatic, dual-threat dynamo whose biggest single attribute is winning. If the Utes perform up to expectations, Rising could be their first legitimate Heisman contender since Alex Smith finished fourth in the voting 20 years ago.
10. Miller Moss, USC Trojans
Through all the quarterback churn at USC in recent years—Kedon Slovis, Jaxson Dart, Caleb Williams, Malachi Nelson, Jayden Maiava, nearly Will Howard for a red-hot minute—Moss hung around and put in his time. The SoCal kid was a backup for three seasons until getting his shot to start the Holiday Bowl last December, whereupon he promptly shredded Louisville for six touchdown passes and 372 passing yards. That yielded a 218.33 efficiency rating, which was better than any performance by Williams in his last nine games in a USC uniform before becoming the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. After a lights-out spring, Moss looks like Lincoln Riley’s guy heading into the Big Ten. But Maiava, the UNLV transfer, is on standby if things go sideways.
11. Carson Beck, Georgia Bulldogs
He might be the top draft-eligible NFL QB prospect right now, and he’s already living the lifestyle after a reported $300,000 Lamborghini purchase during the winter—that’s the NIL windfall after an impressive season in ’23. No returning player had a better combination of yards per attempt (9.5) and completion percentage (72.4) than Beck, who progressed from game manager to playmaker as the season went along. The next step will be doing what Stetson Bennett did at Georgia—winning championships. The team around him is loaded as usual, although the dismissal of receiver Rara Thomas impacts the passing game.
12. Cam Ward, Miami Hurricanes
Ward left Washington State after compiling nearly 7,000 passing yards and 61 total touchdowns in two seasons, becoming the No. 1 QB portal target in the sport. The Hurricanes won a vigorous recruiting battle, and now Ward will be counted on to restore the promise of Mario Cristobal’s (thus far) uninspiring tenure. Ward was the ultimate bellwether QB at Wazzu, with a 150.03 pass efficiency rating in wins and 124.25 rating in losses. Miami will be hoping the guy who started his college career at Incarnate Word is ready for his first stint at a place with real, big-time football trappings. The U has gone six straight seasons without winning more than eight games, the longest streak for the school since 1974–79.
13. Drew Allar, Penn State Nittany Lions
He’s gone from heralded recruit to popular backup to a starter who couldn’t hit the high notes when the Nittany Lions needed it most in big games. Now comes the next act as a doubted incumbent. New offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki is charged with helping both Allar and head coach James Franklin polish up some lost luster. His completion accuracy in losses to Michigan, Ohio State and Mississippi was a brutal 45% with a receiving corps that frankly didn’t help him out much. Penn State was in the bottom half of a not-very-explosive Big Ten in passing plays of 20 yards or longer; will that improve in 2024?
14. Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee Volunteers
The Volunteers sent the state attorney general after the NCAA to shut down an investigation of Iamaleava’s recruitment, among other potential issues, and wound up altering the national landscape of enforcement of NIL rules. The recipient of a reported $8 million deal to come to Tennessee now steps into a starring role after offering a few flashes of his potential last season—most notably producing four total touchdowns in a bowl rout of Iowa. The long and lanky (6' 6", 215 pounds) Californian looks like a natural fit with Josh Heupel’s offense and has an experienced array of receivers to target. If he plays at a Hendon Hooker level, Tennessee could be the surprise of the SEC.
15. Alex Orji, Michigan Wolverines
The most unsettled QB situation in the AP top 10 is in Ann Arbor, with Orji the presumed leader at this point but plenty of competition. He’s thrown exactly one collegiate pass, in September 2022, otherwise serving as a change-of-pace running threat in spot situations. Michigan did trust Orji enough to use him in big games last season, playing in the final four contests against Ohio State, Iowa in the Big Ten title game, then Alabama and Washington in the College Football Playoff. An elite athlete, the 6' 3", 238-pound Orji has to prove he’s mastered the passing game to hold off seventh-year collegian Jack Tuttle and Davis Warren.
16. Cade Klubnik, Clemson Tigers
Klubnik might be down to his last attempt to prove Dabo Swinney’s program hasn’t become a five-star QB graveyard. After the Trevor Lawrence–Deshaun Watson run, the Clemson starter has finished 12th, sixth and 10th the past three seasons in the ACC in pass efficiency. The first two of those seasons were with Uiagalelei, and then last year was Klubnik. The junior from Texas is a talented playmaker who occasionally tries to do too much, but there is hope that a second season working with Garrett Riley will bring out the best in both the QB and the offensive coordinator. “It’s a team that’s just a lot smarter,” Klubnik said earlier this month. “I’ve just learned how to manage the game better.” The first IQ test is a doozy: Georgia in Atlanta.
17. Aidan Chiles, Michigan State Spartans
Few, if any, QBs nationally carry more optimistic fan curiosity than Chiles. He came with new Spartans head coach Jonathan Smith from Oregon State, where he flashed his potential as a freshman in a backup role (309 passing yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions, a sharp 180.45 efficiency rating). After the Spartans averaged a measly 15.9 points per game and never scored more than 24 last year, the Chiles/Smith tandem has savior potential. For a Michigan State program that has been beaten down the past two seasons by losing (a 9–15 record), scandal (goodbye, Mel Tucker) and Michigan glory, there is a ravenous appetite for a comeback season.
18. Jaxson Dart, Mississippi Rebels
Lane Kiffin brought in multiple QB challengers to Dart via the portal last year, and he fended them off to keep the job. Dart cut his interception rate from 3% of his attempts in 2022 to 1.4% in ’23, relying less on making freelance plays and more on the structure of the offense. Now he’s heading into Year 3 as the Ole Miss starter with expectations at their highest. Kiffin has built a good team around Dart with a veteran offensive line and receiving corps. With Alabama off the schedule for the first time since 1991 and no game against Texas, the opportunity is there for a run at the Rebels’ first-ever SEC title game.
19. Brady Cook, Missouri Tigers
Tigers fans have gone from waiting for someone to take Cook’s job to appreciating how much better he’s gotten at it. His 157.2 pass efficiency rating last season was the highest for a Mizzou starter since Drew Lock was running a Heupel-led offense in 2017, and the Tigers’ 11 wins were their most since ’14. Cook has thrown just six interceptions in his last 19 games, and last season Missouri was undefeated when he threw fewer than two picks in a game. With offensive coordinator Kirby Moore back along with the wideout trio of Luther Burden III, Theo Wease Jr. and Mookie Cooper (a combined 171 catches for more than 2,300 yards), it’s time to gear the offense around the passing game and let Cook cook in pursuit of a playoff bid.
20. Noah Fifita, Arizona Wildcats
Undersized and lightly recruited, the 5' 11" (maybe) redshirt freshman entered the starting lineup in the fifth game last season and never left. Over the final nine games of the season, he threw 25 touchdowns with just six interceptions, leading the Wildcats to seven straight victories heading into this season. Then he really endeared himself to the Arizona fan base by staying in Tucson—along with star wideout Tetairoa McMillan—after head coach Jedd Fisch departed for Washington. Those two are the top returning pass-and-catch combination nationally from 2023. One or both could emerge as Heisman contenders in ’24, if the Wildcats can sustain their momentum in a new season with a new coach.
21. Preston Stone, SMU Mustangs
A Dallas kid and a Dallas school bet on each other when Stone committed in January 2020, and here comes the payoff. Stone was a highly recruited prospect who chose the Mustangs when they were in the American Athletic Conference, stuck it out through a coaching change, backed up Tanner Mordecai for two seasons, and then excelled as the starter in ’23 (3,197 yards passing, 32 total touchdowns). Now Stone will lead SMU into the ACC as an instant contender, with a deep reservoir of returning talent from an 11–3 team that should have gone to a New Year’s Six bowl game last season.
22. Jalon Daniels, Kansas Jayhawks
One of the larger what-ifs in the sport is what the Jayhawks might do with Daniels healthy for a full season. They dearly hope to find out in 2024. Daniels has missed 21 full games plus parts of several others over four seasons, curtailing one of the more dynamic talents in the nation. Daniels averaged 7.6 and 7.9 yards per play of total offense over the past two years. With his top three receivers returning and a 3,000-yard rushing sidekick in Devin Neal, the Kansas offense should be an efficiency machine again. In what appears to be a wide-open Big 12, the Jayhawks could make a run at the title and the playoff.
23. Kaidon Salter, Liberty Flames
He’s the nation’s leading returning QB in pass efficiency (176.6) and yards per play (8.75) after leading the Flames to a 13–1 record and New Year’s Six bowl bid. Salter signed with Tennessee out of high school but was dismissed from the team in June 2021 after a couple of off-field incidents, then transferred to play for Hugh Freeze and back up Malik Willis at Liberty. After Freeze left for Auburn, Salter stayed and became a star under new coach Jamey Chadwell—who knows how to build an offense around a dual-threat QB after his work with Grayson McCall at Coastal Carolina. Salter briefly entered the transfer portal in January but chose to stay at Liberty.
24. Jackson Arnold, Oklahoma Sooners
Everyone has to start somewhere, and the Sooners hope Arnold’s first college start was will not be repeated in 2024. Thrust into a patchwork lineup for Oklahoma’s bowl game against Arizona, Arnold threw three interceptions and lost a fumble. The five-star Texas prospect, who was targeted early in the recruiting process by then-Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, has had an offseason to mesh with new coordinator Seth Littrell. Arnold’s work over the past several months has fostered cautious optimism for a strong SEC debut season from the QB in particular and the Sooners as a whole. Just in case things go sideways, though, Oklahoma did land seventh-year mega-veteran Casey Thompson in the portal as a backup to Arnold.
25. Dequan Finn, Baylor Bears
The Dave Aranda job salvage campaign is built around a new offensive coordinator (former Texas State head coach Jake Spavital) and a new quarterback from the Mid-American Conference (Finn). The Detroit native is taking a step up from Toledo, but he has been around (and around, and around) the college block. The sixth-year player has appeared in 45 college games, producing nearly 9,000 yards of total offense and 88 total touchdowns. His arm and legs will be counted on to reinvigorate an offense that averaged just 23.1 points per game last season, tied for last in the Big 12. In a league full of interesting quarterback situations, this one is near the top of the list.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as The 25 Most Intriguing College Football Quarterbacks for 2024.
