This is not just about the top five quarterbacks in college football going into the 2024 regular season, this is about the top five quarterback groups. Depth plays a significant role in determining which schools have the best quarterback rooms as the season gets ready to kick off in less than two weeks.
Top Five Quarterback Groups Ahead of the 2024 College Football Season
5. Ole Miss
This season is head coach Lane Kiffin’s best chance to make some noise and crash the playoff party, especially with the expansion to 12 teams.
Jaxson Dart is the clear number one in Oxford. Last season, he threw for 3,364 yards with 23 touchdowns and just six interceptions. There is a theme here with not only SEC quarterback rooms but with most of the starters on our list having thrown six picks last season. Dart only ran for 199 yards last year, but he did find the end zone eight times on the ground.
Second on the depth chart is Spencer Sanders who begins his season season with the Rebels. Sanders saw very limited action last year, causing many to question why he left Oklahoma State after a big year before he transferred to Ole Miss. Walker Howard rounds out the top three in the quarterback room.
4. Alabama
After starting the 2023 campaign as the starter, Jalen Milroe struggled early in the season and was benched temporarily. When he reclaimed his starting spot, he went on a tear for the rest of the year. Not only is Milroe viewed as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country, but he’s a very large man which should lessen the chance of injury. Milroe ran for 531 yards on the ground and had an astounding 12 scores with his feet. He also threw for 2,834 yards with 23 touchdowns and six interceptions. Milroe is a very trendy pick to pick up the Heisman Trophy at season’s end.
Backing up Milroe will be Austin Mack, following incoming head coach Kalen DeBoer who led Washington to the national championship game last season and takes over after Nick Saban’s retirement.
3. Georgia
Carson Beck returns as the unquestioned starter, having only lost one start in two seasons which was a close one in last year’s SEC championship game against Alabama. Beck put up impressive numbers by throwing for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Beck is also an underrated running threat as he did find the end zone four times on the ground last year.
The Bulldogs do have depth at the position, just not experienced depth which is why they come in at the third spot on our list. Gunner Stockton came to Athens as a freshman last year as the second-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the country. He performed well in limited duty last season.
2. Texas
Selecting the Longhorns quarterback group over Georgia was a close call, but depth is the primary reason. After transferring in to Austin in 2022, Quinn Evers begins his third season as the starter. Last season, he threw for 3,479 yards with 22 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Ewers also completed 69.0% of his passing attempts on the season.
Sitting behind Ewers is redshirt freshman Arch Manning, one of the most hyped players during his recruitment, in part because of his talent and in part because he carries the Manning name. Manning only attempted five passes last season. Expect him to see more action this season, especially in mop-up duty and he’s more than capable of stepping into the starting role if Ewers gets injured.
1. Oregon
After losing Bo Nix to the Denver Broncos in the first round of the NFL draft, the Ducks landed two top-level signal callers through the transfer portal. The presumed starter is Dillon Gabriel, who threw for 3,660 yards with 30 touchdowns and only six interceptions at Oklahoma. Backing up Gabriel will be dual-threat quarterback Dante Moore who saw spot starting duty last season at UCLA.
As a true freshman last year, Moore’s numbers were decent in his five starts throwing for 1,610 yards with eleven touchdowns and nine interceptions. He has tremendous upside and will benefit from sitting behind Gabriel and having quality coaching from offensive coordinator Will Stein.
In less than two weeks, the 2024 college football season will get underway. As in every season, quarterbacks will play a central role and more than likely one of the players listed above will carry home The Heisman and other hardware. With the college football playoff expanding to 12 teams this season, more teams will be in the mix later in the season making for some compelling late-season matchups.
We might also see starters remaining in blowouts later to get style points. Buckle up, make sure you have access to as many games as possible, and get ready for a great season.
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