CFW Preseason 2023 – The Top Quarterbacks
Will USC’s Caleb Williams repeat?
Not if Michael Penix or Drake Maye have anything to say about it. USC quarterback Caleb Williams won the Heisman Trophy in 2022. He’s back for another run. He’ll have some stiff competition from Washington’s Michael Penix and North Carolina’s Drake Maye.
And don’t count out Florida State’s Jordan Travis, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Oregon’s Bo Nix, Utah’s Cameron Rising, LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman. They are serious contenders for the Heisman too.
Meanwhile, remember quarterbacks Phil Jurkovec, Emory Jones, Kedon Slovis, Hudson Card, Tanner Mordecai, Cade McNamara, D.J. Uiagalelei, J.T. Daniels and Sam Hartman? They are still around, only at different schools. Jurkovec, Jones and Slovis are at their third school and Daniels will be playing at his fourth school in 2023.
The Quarterbacks – 2023
Without a doubt, the three top quarterbacks coming into the 2023 season are USC junior Caleb Williams, Washington senior Michael Penix and North Carolina sophomore Drake Maye. Last year, Williams (6-1, 215), along with winning the Heisman Trophy, passed for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns, while only throwing five interceptions. He completed 66.6% of his passes and rushed for 10 touchdowns. Williams quarterbacked the Trojans to an 11-3 record.
Two states north of Williams, Michael Penix (6-3, 216) passed for 4,167 yards and 31 touchdowns, leading Washington to an 11-2 record. He only threw eight interceptions, while completing 65.3% of his passes. Penix added two touchdowns rushing.
Meanwhile, on the East Coast, Drake Maye (6-4, 225) led North Carolina to a 9-5 record, passing for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns, completing 66.2% of his passes. He only had seven interceptions. Maye also rushed for 698 yards and seven more touchdowns.
Here’s a look at the other top quarterbacks in the Power Five conferences.
ACC
Right behind Drake Maye in the ACC is Florida State senior Jordan Travis (6-1, 212). Last year, Travis passed for 3,124 yards and 24 touchdowns, with only five interceptions. He completed 64% of his passes. Travis also rushed for 417 yards with seven rushing touchdowns.
Duke has an exciting quarterback in junior Riley Leonard (6-4, 209). In 2022, Leonard passed for 2,967 yards and 20 touchdowns, with only six interceptions. He completed 63.8% of his passes. Leonard also rushed for 699 yards, scoring 13 rushing touchdowns.
With D.J. Uiagalelei flying the coop, Clemson has a new quarterback this year. He is sophomore Cade Klubnik (6-2, 195). Klubnik made a few appearances for the Tigers last year, with varying success. But he has the potential to be a good one.
Syracuse has an experienced quarterback in senior Garrett Shrader (6-4, 228). Last year, Shrader passed for 2,640 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also rushed for 453 yards and had nine touchdowns rushing.
Virginia Tech hopes to do better this season with senior Grant Wells (6-2, 212). Wells, a former Marshall quarterback, had an up-and-down, mostly down, season last year with the Hokies. Miami has a capable quarterback in junior Tyler Van Dyke (6-4, 224). Van Dyke needs to be more consistent in 2023 after a topsy-turvy season last year.
Remember Phil Jurkovec? For the past few seasons, Jurkovec quarterbacked Boston College. Before that, he was at Notre Dame. After last season with BC, he decided he needed to relocate. In moving, Jurkovec (6-5, 225) stayed in the same conference but moved to a new team – Pitt. Like Grant Wells, Jurkovec has had his ups-and-downs but when he is up he is really good. This is the second-straight year for Pitt to go with a transfer quarterback. Last season, it was Kedon Slovis who transferred in from USC. Jurkovec is a senior.
Big 12
The best quarterback in the Big 12 this season is generally considered to be Kansas senior Jalon Daniels (6-0, 215). Last year, Daniels helped to revive the Jayhawks, passing for 2,014 yards and 18 touchdowns, with only four interceptions. He rushed for 419 yards, adding seven more touchdowns.
Right behind Daniels in the Big 12 is Oklahoma senior Dillon Gabriel (5-11, 207). A former UCF quarterback, Gabriel passed for 3,168 yards last year with the Sooners. He threw for 25 touchdowns and completed 62.7% of his passes, all while throwing only six interceptions.
Texas is hoping for a big season with sophomore Quinn Ewers (6-2, 204). Ewers back for his second season with the Longhorns, beat out freshman Arch Manning (6-4, 212) for the starting job. Likewise, UCF is looking for a good season with senior John Rhys Plumlee (6-0, 200). A former Ole Miss quarterback and receiver, Plumlee was UCF’s leading passer and rusher last year – passing for 2,586 yards and rushing for 862 yards.
Baylor has an experienced quarterback in junior Blake Shapen (6-0, 200), as does Texas Tech with senior Tyler Shough (6-5, 230). Shapen passed for 2,790 yards and 18 touchdowns. Likewise, Kansas State has a good quarterback in senior Will Howard (6-5, 242). West Virginia is hanging its hopes on junior Garrett Greene (5-11, 195). Greene, a favorite with the fans, may be a better runner than a passer. Breathing down Greene’s back is freshman Nicco Marchioti (6-2, 216).
Last but not least, there are two blasts from the past in the Big 12. Remember Emory Jones? Jones began his college career with Florida. Last year, he played for Arizona State. This year, Jones (6-3, 212) is the quarterback for Cincinnati. And remember Kedon Slovis. After quarterbacking for USC and Pitt, Slovis (6-3, 215) will be leading the BYU offense this season. Jones and Slovis are both seniors.
Top-to-bottom, the Big 12 may have the best group of quarterbacks in the country.
Big Ten
Leading the signal callers in the Big Ten is Michigan junior J.J. McCarthy (6-3, 196). Last year, McCarthy led the Wolverines, passing for 2,719 passing yards and 22 touchdowns, with only five interceptions. He had 306 rushing yards, with five rushing touchdowns. Along the way, he led Michigan to a 13-1 record.
The most accurate quarterback in the Big Ten last year was Maryland senior Taulia Tagovailoa (5-11, 200). He completed 67% of his tosses in 2022. Tagovailoa passed for 3,008 yards and 18 touchdowns. Meanwhile, in East Lansing, Junior Noah Kim (6-2, 185) looks to be the starting quarterback at Michigan State.
At Ohio State junior Kyle McCord (6-3, 222) and sophomore Devin Brown (6-5, 209) are competing for the starting position in Columbus. McCord is the projected winner.
Remember Cade McNamara? He used to battle it out with J.J. McCarthy for the top quarterback spot at Michigan. Like Phil Jurkovec (BC to Pitt), McNamara (6-1, 208) transferred but stayed in the same conference. The senior McNamara will be quarterbacking Iowa this fall.
Remember Hudson Card? He used to battle it out with Quinn Ewers for the top quarterback spot at Texas. Card lost out and transferred to Purdue. In West Lafayette, the junior Card (6-2, 201) will be under the guidance of offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Graham Harrell. Harrell, the former Texas Tech quarterback, has been the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at USC and West Virginia the past two years.
And finally, remember Tanner Mordecai? The past few seasons, Mordecai racked up some big numbers, quarterbacking at SMU. Now Mordecai (6-2, 215) is at Wisconsin under first-year coach Luke Fickell. A senior, Mordecai can give the Badgers a high-flying offense.
Pac-12
The Pac-12 is loaded with good quarterbacks in 2023. We’ve already talked about USC’s Caleb Williams and Washington’s Michael Penix. Now we need to talk about Oregon’s Bo Nix and Utah’s Cameron Rising.
Last year Nix, the former Auburn quarterback, led the Ducks, passing for 3,593 yards and 29 touchdowns, with only seven interceptions. And with those numbers, the senior Nix (6-1, 213) was just the fourth leading passer in the Pac-12. Nix also rushed for 510 yards, with 14 rushing touchdowns. He led Oregon to a 10-3 record last year.
Meanwhile, Utah senior Cameron Rising (6-2, 220) passed for 3,034 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2022. He only threw eight interceptions. With those numbers, Rising was the fifth leading passer in the Pac-12. That’s how good the quarterbacks are in the Pac-12. Rising also rushed for 465 yards, adding six more touchdowns. He drove Utah to a 10-4 record last year.
The third leading passer in the Pac-12 last year was Arizona junior Jayden de Laura (6-0, 205). De Laura passed for 3,685 yards and 25 touchdowns. He completed 62.5% of his passes.
Two more good quarterbacks in the Pac-12 are Colorado junior Shedeur Sanders (6-2, 215), and Washington State junior Cameron Ward (6-2, 215). Sanders, the son of Buffaloes Coach Deion Sanders, transferred to Colorado from Jackson State.
Remember D.J. Uiagalelei? He quarterbacked Clemson the last two seasons. This year Uiagalelei, a 6-4, 251 junior, will be the quarterback at Oregon State. Will he find his mojo?
SEC
The likely best quarterback in the SEC this season is LSU senior Jayden Daniels (6-4, 205). Last year, Daniels passed for 2,913 yards and 17 touchdowns, with only three interceptions. Just as impressive, Daniels rushed for 855 yards, with 11 rushing touchdowns.
There is a wealth of talent at quarterback behind Daniels in the SEC, led by Mississippi State senior Will Rogers (6-2, 210) and Arkansas senior K.J. Jefferson (6-3, 246). Last year Rogers passed for 3,974 yards and 35 touchdowns, with only eight interceptions. He completed 68% of his passes. Meanwhile, Jefferson passed for 2,648 yards and 24 touchdowns, with only five interceptions. He also completed 68% of his tosses.
Another good quarterback is South Carolina senior Spencer Rattler (6-1, 218). In 2022, Rattler passed for 3,012 yards and 18 touchdowns for the Gamecocks. He completed 66.2% of his passes. Rattler is a former Oklahoma quarterback.
Two other quarterbacks to keep an eye on in the SEC are Tennessee senior Joe Milton (6-5, 242), and Ole Miss junior Jaxson Dart (6-2, 220). Dart passed for 2,974 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2022.
Independents
Remember Sam Hartman? Without a doubt, the best quarterback among the Independents is Notre Dame senior Sam Hartman (6-1, 210). This is Hartman’s first year at Notre Dame after having several good seasons at Wake Forest. Last year with the Deacons, Hartman passed for 3,071 yards and 38 touchdowns.
The Group of Five conferences have their share of good quarterbacks too. Four of the best are UTSA’s Frank Harris, Tulane’s Michael Pratt, Western Kentucky’s Austin Reed and Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall.
AAC
Two of those four quarterbacks play in the AAC. They are UTSA senior Frank Harris (6-0, 205) and Tulane junior Michael Pratt (6-3, 220). Harris led the Roadrunners to an 11-3 record last year. He passed for more than 4,000 yards. Pratt quarterbacked the Green Wave to a 12-2 record, including the AAC championship and a Cotton Bowl victory over USC.
Another good quarterback in the AAC is Memphis junior Seth Henigan (6-3, 210). In two seasons at Memphis, Henigan has thrown for more than 6,000 yards. Keep an eye on Temple sophomore E.J. Warner (6-0, 190). E.J. is the son of former NFL quarterback Curt Warner. As a freshman, E.J. moved into the starting position halfway through the season last year and threw for 3,028 yards – most ever by a Temple freshman. He put up some big numbers.
Remember J.T. Daniels? Daniels (6-2, 226) began his college career at USC, transferred to Georgia for a year and then transferred to West Virginia, where he played last year. This year, Daniels, a senior, will be playing at Rice.
C-USA
C-USA has two good quarterbacks and the best of the two is Western Kentucky senior Austin Reed (6-2, 230). Reed passed for 4,746 yards and 40 touchdowns last year.
The other good quarterback in C-USA is New Mexico State senior Diego Pavia (6-0, 200).
MAC
The top quarterback in the MAC is Ohio senior Kevin Rourke (6-5, 216). Rourke was the MAC’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2022. He passed for 3,257 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Three other good quarterbacks in the MAC are Toledo junior Dequan Finn (6-2, 210), Miami junior Brett Gabbert (6-0, 215) and Northern Illinois senior Rocky Lombardi (6-3, 227). Finn passed for 2,260 yards and 23 touchdowns last year. He also rushed for 631 yards, with nine rushing touchdowns.
MWC
The one good quarterback in the MWC is San Jose State senior Chevan Cordeiro (6-1, 187). Last year, Cordeiro passed for 3,251 yards.
Sun Belt
The Sun Belt Conference has three good quarterbacks led by Coastal Carolina junior Grayson McCall (6-3, 215). McCall is a three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year. After last season, he initially entered the transfer portal. Most thought he would follow his coach – Jamey Chadwell – to Liberty. But shortly after he entered the transfer portal, he withdrew from it, choosing to remain at Coastal Carolina.
Two other good quarterbacks in the Sun Belt are South Alabama senior Carter Bradley (6-3, 216) and Troy senior Gunnar Watson (6-3, 207). Last year, Bradley passed for 3,326 yards and 28 touchdowns.
TT’s Top 10 Favorite Quarterbacks at Preseason
1. Michael Penix – Washington
2. Drake Maye – North Carolina
3. J.J. McCarthy – Michigan
4. Riley Leonard – Duke
5. Caleb Williams – USC
6. Austin Reed – Western Kentucky
7. Michael Pratt – Tulane
8. Sam Hartman – Notre Dame
9. Bo Nix – Oregon
10. Cade Klubnik – Clemson
And I also like:
Jordan Travis – Florida State; Frank Harris – UTSA; Jalon Daniels – Kansas; Grayson McCall – Coastal Carolina; John Rhys Plumlee – UCF; E.J. Warner – Temple; Jayden Daniels – LSU, and Carter Bradley – South Alabama.
Also, Hudson Card – Purdue; Jaxson Dart – Ole Miss; Kevin Rourke – Ohio; Will Howard – Kansas State; Diego Pavia – New Mexico State; Tanner Mordecai – Wisconsin; Dillon Gabriel – Oklahoma; Dequan Finn – Toledo, and Chevan Cordeiro – San Jose State.
That’s your look at the nation’s best quarterbacks. I’ll return tomorrow – August 18 – with a look at the best running backs and the other positions.
Touchdown Tom
August 17, 2023
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