College football post-spring update: Where each Power 4 school stands at QB

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Spring practice is over and the transfer portal window has closed. There might be an addition here or there, but rosters are pretty much set. That means we have a good idea of where each Power 4 school stands at the sport’s most important position — quarterback.

We checked in on every P4 program’s quarterback situation in March, but plenty has changed. Let’s take another spin.

ACC

Boston College: Grayson James ended last season as the starter and is the favorite to win the job, but he will be competing with Alabama transfer Dylan Lonergan. Don’t expect a decision until deep into preseason camp.

Cal: Ohio State transfer Devin Brown is the front-runner based on experience, but the Golden Bears are another program that will hold off making a final call until camp. Blue-chip true freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and redshirt freshman EJ Caminong will battle Brown.

Clemson: Cade Klubnik will enter his third season as the starter and should be one of the sport’s top quarterbacks in 2025.

Duke: The Blue Devils moved on from Maalik Murphy, the 2024 starter who set a single-season school record with 25 touchdown passes, and invested a lot of resources in Tulane transfer Darian Mensah.

Florida State: The Seminoles have placed their faith in Boston College transfer Thomas Castellanos, who was benched by the Eagles last season. He is the clear starter after reuniting with new Florida State offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who signed Castellanos out of high school at UCF in the Class of 2022.

Georgia Tech: From a toughness and skills standpoint, Haynes King is a perfect fit for Georgia Tech’s offense. He and running back Jamal Haynes make for a strong backfield.

Louisville: Jeff Brohm has done a good job maximizing transfer quarterbacks the past couple of years, first with Jack Plummer in 2023 and then Tyler Shough last fall. Now he’ll try it again with USC transfer Miller Moss.

Miami: Georgia transfer Carson Beck will start but didn’t practice this spring while recovering from the elbow injury he suffered in the 2024 SEC Championship Game.

NC State: This is CJ Bailey’s first offseason as the clear-cut starter, so we’ll see how much progress he makes after showing promise as a true freshman with 2,413 yards passing and 17 TD passes in 2024.

North Carolina: Quarterback was a major question for the Tar Heels coming into the spring. They found their solution, signing South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez, who threw for 2,559 yards with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions as a sophomore.

Pittsburgh: Eli Holstein is cemented atop the depth chart and has proved he can be productive. He was banged up late last season, which contributed to the Panthers’ losing their final six games after a 7-0 start. Pitt’s QB depth took a hit recently when backup Julian Dugger entered the transfer portal.

SMU: There’s not much of a question with Kevin Jennings as the starter, but the Mustangs lost three quarterbacks to the portal this offseason. The health of Wisconsin transfer Tyler Van Dyke, who is recovering from a torn ACL, is significant for this position group’s depth.

Stanford: Elijah Brown was the clear leader in the clubhouse, but the Cardinal recently added UCF transfer Dylan Rizk, who passed for 904 yards and five touchdowns in 2024. Rizk is a credible contender for the starting role in interim coach Frank Reich’s lone season at the helm.

Syracuse: The Orange added Notre Dame transfer Steve Angeli, who backed up Sam Hartman in 2023 and Riley Leonard in 2024. He’ll have to beat out LSU transfer Rickie Collins, who has the benefit of going through spring ball in the system.

Onward. 🍊 #9 pic.twitter.com/i9InhC85NA

— Steve Angeli (@SteveAngeli_125) April 23, 2025

Virginia: The Cavaliers have not ranked higher than 95th in scoring offense during coach Tony Elliott’s three-year tenure. North Texas transfer Chandler Morris, who has also made stops at Oklahoma and TCU, will be asked to provide a spark to what has been a lifeless offense.

Virginia Tech: Starter Kyron Drones underwent an undisclosed medical procedure that kept him out for the latter part of spring practice. Neither Drones nor the Hokies lived up to expectations last season, so we’ll see whether both can bounce back in 2025.

Wake Forest: There are two candidates for the starting role: South Carolina transfer Robby Ashford, now at his fourth school in five years, and Charlotte transfer Deshawn Purdie, who started six games for the 49ers as a true freshman in 2024. Coach Jake Dickert has entertained the idea of playing two quarterbacks at the start of the season.

Big 12

Arizona: First-year offensive coordinator Seth Doege said of Noah Fifita: “I have the best quarterback in the league. Without a doubt.” Fifita underwhelmed in 2024 after a strong 2023 season, so Doege will be tasked with getting the best out of him and the Arizona offense this fall.

Arizona State: Expectations will be sky-high for Sam Leavitt, who led Arizona State to a Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff appearance in 2024.

BYU: The focus for returning starter Jake Retzlaff is on finishing stronger in 2025 and leading the Cougars to a conference championship. Retzlaff threw two touchdown passes and three interceptions in four November games last year. BYU went 2-2 in those contests and fell out of the Big 12 title picture.

Baylor: Sawyer Robertson enjoyed a breakthrough 2024 season with 3,071 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. There is plenty of optimism about the Bears after they won the final six games of the regular season.

Cincinnati: Brendan Sorsby passed for 2,813 yards, rushed for 447 yards and accounted for 27 total touchdowns in 2024. He’ll return for another season as coach Scott Satterfield searches for his first winning season with the Bearcats.

Colorado: Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter is expected to hold down the starting role this year while promising freshman Julian Lewis develops and acclimates to the college game.

Houston: After an injury-plagued few years at Texas A&M, Conner Weigman has another shot to live up to his five-star pedigree with the Cougars.

Iowa State: Rocco Becht was one of the more prolific passers in the league last season (3,505 passing yards, 25 touchdown passes) and is near the top of a conference that’s deep at the position again this season.

Kansas: Jalon Daniels didn’t have the season he wanted in 2024 and wasn’t a full participant this spring after undergoing a knee procedure. His absence provided more reps for backups Cole Ballard and Isaiah Marshall.

Kansas State: It’s Year 2 of the Avery Johnson show for the Wildcats, who will need their talented quarterback to take a step forward in 2025.

Oklahoma State: The Cowboys’ crowded QB competition is down to two after Maealiuaki Smith and Garret Rangel transferred out. TCU transfer Hauss Hejny is the favorite, but Zane Flores will also get a look.

TCU: Josh Hoover was among the list of Tennessee’s QB targets this spring, but he remained with the Horned Frogs and is the top returning passer in the Big 12 after a breakthrough 2024.

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders have thrown around a lot of name, image and likeness money this offseason but didn’t chase Nico Iamaleava when he hit the portal. They’re sticking with returning starter Behren Morton in a critical year for the program.

UCF: Scott Frost didn’t name a starter this spring and will decide between Indiana transfer Tayven Jackson, FAU transfer Cam Fancher and holdover Jacurri Brown.

Utah: The Utes have dealt with uncertainty at quarterback the past two seasons but are invested in dynamic New Mexico transfer Devon Dampier, who will take over the offense along with former Lobos coordinator Jason Beck.

West Virginia: This is another competition that will extend into training camp as Nicco Marchiol, Texas A&M transfer Jaylen Henderson and Charlotte transfer Max Brown battle it out for the starting role in Rich Rodriguez’s first year back with the Mountaineers.

Big Ten

Illinois: Luke Altmyer is one of the main reasons for the offseason optimism about the Fighting Illini. When the Tennessee quarterback job opened, Altmyer turned to social media to reaffirm his commitment to Illinois.

pic.twitter.com/FDBmhr27gA

— Luke Altmyer (@lukealtmyer9) April 22, 2025

Indiana: The Athletic’s Dane Brugler included Fernando Mendoza in his 2026 NFL Mock Draft earlier this week. Kurtis Rourke did a lot for the Hoosiers last season, but Mendoza, a Cal transfer, possesses a higher ceiling.

Iowa: South Dakota State transfer Mark Gronowski had surgery to repair a slight shoulder tear, which limited him during the spring, but he should be fully healthy and ready to go for the 2025 opener.

Maryland: Blue-chip freshman Malik Washington is the Terrapins’ future at quarterback. Will he beat out UCLA transfer Justyn Martin and become Maryland’s present at the position?

Michigan: Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene missed spring practice with an injury, which opened the door for uber-talented, five-star freshman Bryce Underwood to gain traction as the potential starting quarterback.

Michigan State: Aidan Chiles displayed all the highs and lows you’d expect from a young first-time starter, so consistency will be key as he enters his third season in coach Jonathan Smith’s offense.

Minnesota: Drake Lindsey is the overwhelming favorite after his main competition, Zach Pyron, transferred out after just a few months with the program.

Nebraska: Everything revolves around talented sophomore Dylan Raiola. He’ll need to improve in every facet in 2025, but that could be said for a lot around him offensively, too.

Northwestern: The Wildcats offense has not been fun to watch for several seasons. Maybe SMU transfer Preston Stone, a top recruit who was productive for the Mustangs, can help change that.

Ohio State: The Buckeyes have big shoes to fill after Will Howard led them to a national championship. Julian Sayin, the No. 1 QB in the Class of 2024, and Lincoln Kienholz will compete in fall camp to determine who will replace him.

Oregon: The Ducks didn’t name a starter this spring. Dante Moore, a five-star who started five games at UCLA in 2023, is the presumptive favorite, but Austin Novosad is also in the mix.

Penn State: Drew Allar is back but needs to be better in big moments. Can the addition of highly touted Syracuse receiver transfer Trebor Pena help with that?

Purdue: This race seems wide open with transfers Malachi Singleton (Arkansas) and Evans Chuba (Washington State) among those in the mix, as well as Ryan Browne, who left the Boilermakers for North Carolina earlier this offseason only to transfer back to Purdue.

Rutgers: This one is pretty straightforward with Athan Kaliakmanis back for his second season as the starter.

UCLA: There weren’t a lot of winners in the Nico Iamaleava/Tennessee dispute, but the Bruins were able to upgrade at quarterback. A large spotlight will be placed on this team and its high-profile transfer.

USC: Lincoln Riley told reporters Jayden Maiava is “clearly the No. 1 quarterback right now,” so there’s not much drama with this situation.

Washington: Demond Williams Jr. played extended snaps in just a handful of games last season but flashed enough promise, playmaking and explosiveness to indicate he could be one of the most exciting young quarterbacks in the country next season.

Wisconsin: Maryland transfer Billy Edwards Jr. has Big Ten experience and has produced in the league, so he figures to start for the Badgers, who also brought in San Diego State transfer Danny O’Neil.

SEC

Alabama: Last month, new Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said, “At the end of the day, if we’re playing a football game tomorrow, Ty Simpson would start. And he earned that.” Not too surprising considering Simpson was the backup last season. There are a few months before Alabama has to make the call, but Simpson has a leg up on Austin Mack and five-star freshman Keelon Russell.

Arkansas: Taylen Green returns as the starter. The main intrigue surrounding the Razorbacks quarterback position is whether Arkansas’ collective can obtain the buyout money from Madden Iamaleava, who followed his older brother, Nico, to UCLA after just a few months with the Razorbacks.

Auburn: Based on experience in the league and talent level, Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold is considered the favorite to start. What’s more interesting is where Deuce Knight, a five-star true freshman, lands on the depth chart.

Florida: DJ Lagway is the face of the program but was limited this spring and didn’t throw while recovering from shoulder soreness that has lingered for months. That provided Louisville transfer Harrison Bailey with plenty of reps this spring.

Georgia: Gunner Stockton entered the spring as the favorite to win the starting role and did nothing to damage his position as the front-runner during those 15 practices.

Kentucky: Incarnate Word transfer Zach Calzada, who has spent time at Texas A&M and Auburn, is Kentucky’s QB1 as he enters his seventh collegiate season. Cutter Boley will be the backup.

LSU: Garrett Nussmeier was very productive in his first season as the full-time starter and should be a top-10 player at the position this fall. Mississippi State transfer Michael Van Buren is an intriguing backup.

Mississippi State: Florida State transfer Luke Kromenhoek and blue-chip freshman Kamario Taylor are promising additions, but it’s difficult to envision Blake Shapen — health permitting — not opening the season as the starter.

Missouri: Sam Horn is in his fourth season with the program, but the staff brought in Penn State transfer Beau Pribula in the offseason. Neither has started a game, so Missouri will be relatively inexperienced at QB, no matter who wins the job.

Oklahoma: The mindset in Norman: “In John Mateer we trust.” There’s really no other option if the Sooners hope to get back on an upward trajectory this fall.

Ole Miss: Austin Simmons will start, but Ole Miss added transfer Trinidad Chambliss, who led Ferris State to a Division II national championship last fall, to bolster its depth this spring.

South Carolina: LaNorris Sellers is the obvious starter. The main competition will be among Luke Doty, Cutter Woods and Ohio State transfer Air Noland for the backup role.

Tennessee: The Volunteers just lived through one of the wildest NIL sagas we’ve ever seen, but things have stabilized somewhat now that they completed the QB swap and signed UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar. A two-year starter at Appalachian State, Aguilar is expected to compete for the starting role with Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre. Those two have more time in the Tennessee system, but Aguilar possesses more experience.

Texas: There’s already growing buzz about Arch Manning and the 2026 draft. If he plays well enough, Manning will have a tough decision to make in January: return to school or head to the NFL?

Texas A&M: Marcel Reed took over the starting role last season and is in the middle of his first offseason as the Aggies’ unquestioned leader.

Vanderbilt: Last spring, Diego Pavia was still a relatively unknown transfer from New Mexico State. A year later, there’s a strong case he’s the most entertaining quarterback in college football.

(Photo of LaNorris Sellers: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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