The 247Sports Crystal Ball is starting to trend toward Oklahoma in terms of one of the best signal callers in the country.
Jaden O’Neal, a four-star talent from Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne in the 2026 class, spent this week camping with the Sooners after receiving a scholarship offer in February.
College football quarterbacks set to silence naysayers during the 2024 season.
The quarterback position receives more attention than any other position on college football rosters, and rightfully so, as signal-callers play the most vital role on their respective teams. However, tremendous expectations frequently result in significant disappointments, as was the case for a sizable group of college football’s most highly anticipated quarterbacks during the 2023 season. However, as the 2024 campaign approaches, some of those arms will recover, while others will make advances.
KJ Jefferson and Kyle McCord are among the former players at high-end colleges seeking fresh possibilities this offseason through the transfer portal, and their changes of environment may help them to fulfill their lofty goals. Former blue-chip recruits such as Penn State’s Drew Allar may also deliver the breakout season that many predicted earlier in their careers.
While not every quarterback will be able to convince their critics this season, some will.
RELATED (VIP) — Scouting the six quarterbacks who will replace 2024’s first-round draft picks: Who is most positioned for success?
Here are ten college football quarterbacks that are ready to silence their doubters during the 2024 season:
Any doubts about Shedeur Sanders entering the 2024 season are merely wishful thinking on the part of his many adversaries. The stats from last year’s debut season at Colorado speak for themselves: this is an outstanding quarterback with serious No. 1 draft pick potential. While the college football audience continues to criticize Sanders’ playing under the Buffaloes’ offseason scrutiny, he has done nothing but provide outstanding play on the field.
Any doubts about Shedeur Sanders entering the 2024 season are merely wishful thinking on the part of his many adversaries. The stats from last year’s debut season at Colorado speak for themselves: this is an outstanding quarterback with serious No. 1 draft pick potential. While the college football public continues to criticize Sanders’ performance amid the Buffaloes’ offseason scrutiny, he was a 3,203-yard passer with a remarkable 27-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio last fall despite the nation’s worst pass protection, and he will only improve with Colorado’s influx of offensive line and wide receiver talent.
KJ JEFFERSON, UCF, has done nothing but produce outstanding performances on the field.
KJ Jefferson is a transfer portal sleeper who could benefit from his fresh start at UCF. His dual-threat talent complements the Knights’ offensive strategy, which has emphasized running quarterbacks in previous years. Jefferson, like the entire Arkansas squad, struggled last season, but as a sixth-year player, he is extremely seasoned and has two solid years on his resume. During his prime, he was one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC. There is genuine possibility for a comeback as a top Big 12 quarterback.
Kyle McCord, Syracuse.
Kyle McCord might adopt the DJ Uiagalelei approach. That is, to underwhelm as a starter for a national title contender, then improve his game at a lower-level power conference institution before re-emerging as a respected quarterback name. The primary distinction between the two is that McCord has only one year of eligibility remaining, making Syracuse his final stop before perhaps pursuing a professional career. McCord “looked really sharp this spring,” according to CuseNation’s Mike McAllister. If he improves on his 66% completion rate, 3,170 yards, and 24 touchdowns from last season with the Buckeyes, McCord will likely be on NFL radars.
Tyler Shough, Louisville
Kyle McCord might adopt the DJ Uiagalelei approach. That is, to underwhelm as a starter for a national title contender, then improve his game at a lower-level power conference institution before re-emerging as a respected quarterback name. The primary distinction between the two is that McCord has only one year of eligibility remaining, making Syracuse his final stop before perhaps pursuing a professional career. McCord “looked really sharp this spring,” according to CuseNation’s Mike McAllister. If he improves on his 66% completion rate, 3,170 yards, and 24 touchdowns from last season with the Buckeyes, McCord will likely be on NFL radars.
Tyler Shough, Louisville
Tyler Shough is under considerable pressure to have a career-best year for Louisville, and what Jeff Brohm did last year in developing Jack Plummer into an ACC title-contending quarterback should instill more confidence in Shough’s future than it has thus far. The primary issue about the former Oregon and Texas Tech transfer’s game is his extensive injury history, but as long as he stays on the field, he should demonstrate why he was once a top-100 recruit. Shough is a true winner when healthy, and anyone who has forgotten about him during his extended absence from the roster may soon find him as a star.
Ethan Garbers, UCLA
Ethan Garbers is entering his fifth year of collegiate football, and his long-time status as a backup has kept him well under the radar. Dante Moore’s departure for Oregon paved the way for Garbers to finally reach the top of the depth chart in 2024, after seeing only minimal action at Washington and UCLA over the previous four seasons. He started half of last season amid Moore’s troubles and had a very good debut, finishing with a healthy 67.1% completion rate, 1,136 yards, and a more-than-serviceable 11 touchdowns to three interceptions. He was the No. 4 pro-style quarterback in the 2020 class, and those abilities have not faded.
Iowa extensively recruited quarterback transfers this spring, but Cade McNamara still holds the starting job. The Hawkeyes’ increased depth, however, should motivate the former Michigan starter in the coming months and help him rediscover the momentum he generated early in his career. Recovery from last season’s torn ACL hampered his growth — and he was ineffective even before the injury — but the Iowa offense has a fresh look following a long-awaited coordinator change. If the Hawkeyes are to make progress on that side of the ball, the new plan and McNamara’s talent must come first.
Will Rogers, Washington
Will Rogers, the SEC’s all-time completions leader and Mississippi State program record holder for throwing yards and touchdowns, enters his last year of eligibility with a lot of questions, which is unusual. Many dismissed him as a system quarterback who suffered in the Bulldogs’ post-Air Raid era, but Rogers is on the verge of proving them wrong with a strong year at Washington. Mississippi State significantly misused his skill last season, and he now has the opportunity to develop under a renowned quarterback coach in Jedd Fisch. The comeback to prominence is approaching.
Tyler Van Dyke, Wisconsin.
Tyler Van Dyke has plateaued at Miami, struggling to rekindle the brilliance he shown in 2021 as one of the ACC’s most promising young quarterbacks. Sometimes a change of scenery is all it takes for a player to recover, and few places would have been better suited to his possible comeback than Wisconsin. Van Dyke and Phil Longo’s aerial attack are a perfect match, and with the Badgers, the fourth-year signal-caller might finally deliver the 3,000-yard campaign that escaped him the previous two years with the Hurricanes.
Payton Thorne, Auburn
Leave a Reply