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| Bryce Underwood, Michigan |
Spring is here across the United States and for college football fans, that means the first taste of action in preparation of the 2025 campaign. It also means it's one of the first times for quarterbacks entrenched in position battles to prove themselves against something resembling game action, which can make all the difference over the course of a long offseason. With that in mind, here are the ten quarterback competitions I'm watching over the coming spring and summer months, all of which became much more fluid and intriguing with the re-opening of the transfer portal earlier this week through April 25th.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Competitors: Austin Mack (RSo.), Ty Simpson (RJr.), Keelon Russell (Fr.)
It's an incredibly tall order to replace a legend like Nick Saban, but there's no denying it was a disappointing debut season for Kalen DeBoer in Tuscaloosa in 2024. That has put the Crimson Tide under a microscope this spring into summer, as they decide on a new figurehead of the offense with Jalen Milroe off to the NFL. It's a three-man race at the moment, but the veterans in the room, redshirt junior Ty Simpson and redshirt sophomore Austin Mack, have to be considered the early frontrunners as we look ahead to the fall. Simpson is the only one with any significant game experience to speak of, as he played in six games in 2023 under Saban and six last year for DeBoer. The veteran is a former blue-chip recruit who has certainly waited his turn here at Alabama, and he's received rave reviews from the coaching staff this spring. In fact, new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who is reunited with DeBoer after a one-year stint with the Seattle Seahawks, has been quite open about the fact that Simpson is the current favorite for the starting job. However, don't count out Mack just yet. DeBoer did bring him with him from Washington after Mack redshirted in 2023, and he's grown up in this system. Mack is more of the wild card, an unproven but supremely talented signal-caller whose athleticism and 6'6" stature jumps out at you. He'll certainly be in the hunt throughout the remainder of the offseason and into fall camp as he joins back up with Grubb, and should give Simpson enough of a push to make this worth monitoring as we inch towards the Tide's opener with Florida State on August 30. Whoever does win this job will have the luxury of throwing to one of the country's premier receiver corps, highlighted by superstar sophomore Ryan Williams.
Favorite: Simpson
Competitors: Kaidon Salter (Sr.), Julian Lewis (Fr.)
For the first time since he's been a head coach, Deion Sanders will be operating without his son Shedeur under center. It will be a significant transition for Deion and the entire Colorado offense, as Shedeur takes with him over 14,000 career passing yards and 134 touchdowns. The race to replace him will center around two newcomers, transfer Kaidon Salter and highly touted true freshman Julian Lewis. Salter has had a fascinating path through college football, culminating in what he hopes to be an impressive grand finale with the Buffaloes. He began his career at Tennessee back in 2021 but was dismissed from the team after an arrest, eventually landing with Hugh Freeze at Liberty, where he evolved into one of the best Group of Five quarterbacks in the country. He was named Conference USA Player of the Year in 2023 thanks to his impressive dual-threat ability, but he worked hard in 2024 to make the transition to a more traditional quarterback under Jamey Chadwell. He brings experience and a proven pedigree to the table, but will be making quite the jump from the C-USA to the Big 12. If he's not ready for it, there will likely be no hesitation from Deion or offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur to turn to the big-name freshman in Julian Lewis. Lewis was the No. 1 overall QB in the Class of 2026 before reclassifying and joining Colorado a year early after a winding recruitment. Reports out of spring are that the 17-year old looks well beyond his years with his polish and maturity, but he's still incredibly young at the end of the day. He'll need to impress quite a bit this offseason to seriously push Salter, given Colorado's lofty goals for 2025. Colorado's spring game, scheduled for this Saturday, will tell us just how serious of a competition this truly is, or whether Salter will head into the regular season as the clear No. 1.
Favorite: Salter
Georgia Bulldogs
Competitors: Gunner Stockton (RJr.), Ryan Puglisi (RFr.)
Carson Beck's high-profile transfer to Miami may end up being addition by subtraction for the Georgia Bulldogs. Beck was one of the best quarterbacks in the country in 2023 but he struggled mightily without his top two targets, Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey, last fall. The result was a Georgia team that was still good enough to win an SEC Title, but who flamed out in the College Football Playoff. The likely replacement for Beck will be redshirt junior Gunner Stockton, who gained valuable experience last season after Beck went down with injury. However, Stockton will face competition from redshirt freshman Ryan Puglisi, who enrolled early last January and was in the mix this spring. Puglisi looks the part at 6'3" and has elite arm talent - he certainly looks like the future at the position for the Bulldogs. But it does feel like he has a lot of ground to make up if he wants to unseat Stockton, a guy who has waited his turn here in Athens and played well when given the opportunity last season. Kirby Smart is a coach who values experience at the position and after the frustrations Georgia had with turnovers in 2024, a savvy veteran like Stockton who takes care of the ball is precisely what they need.
Favorite: Stockton
Maryland Terrapins
Competitors: Justyn Martin (RJr.), Malik Washington (Fr.)
It was a rough 2024 in College Park last fall. Maryland started the season off with promise, at 3-1, before falling apart down the stretch. A one-point win over USC was their lone victory past the first month of the season, and they finished 4-8 overall and 1-8 in the Big Ten. It was clear the Terrapins needed some fresh blood, including a new start at QB, and Billy Edwards' transfer to Wisconsin opened up the door for a new signal-caller. UCLA transfer Justyn Martin came in over the offseason and looked to have the early edge, but true freshman Malik Washington has been the talk of the spring for the program. Washington was a four-star recruit who Mike Locksley and staff managed to keep inside the state, despite national attention. His huge arm and athleticism at the position could unlock something for an offense that never quite had much of an identity in 2024, their first season without Taulia Tagovailoa. Martin should still in the mix, as the staff brought in the veteran quarterback for a reason, but Washington has the momentum right now as we look ahead to fall camp and the regular season.
Favorite: Washington
Michigan Wolverines
Competitors: Bryce Underwood (Fr.), Mikey Keene (Sr.), Davis Warren (Gr.)
As frustrating as 2024 was for most of the season for Michigan as they defended their National Title, the Wolverines ended their year on a high note, setting the stage for what could be a much improved 2025. However, any hopes of Michigan rising back up the Big Ten totem pole this next fall hinge on significantly improved quarterback play after the position was a disaster for most of last season. The addition of two newcomers will likely change Michigan's fortunes, punctuated by the nation's top recruit, Bryce Underwood. Underwood was committed to LSU throughout much of his recruiting process, but a lucrative NIL deal bankrolled heavily by Oracle's Larry Ellison was the catalyst for his flip to the Wolverines. Naturally, Michigan fans are foaming at the mouth to see the ultra-talented quarterback on the field, but Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene also arrives, and brings with him ample experience. Keene has made 35 starts over stints with the Bulldogs and UCF, and has thrown for 65 career touchdown passes. That experience at multiple stops will be a major selling point for Keene as he fends off Underwood for the starting job. Davis Warren, who made nine starts for the Wolverines last fall, also remains on the roster, albeit spending most of his offseason rehabbing a torn ACL. Warren is almost surely a depth piece and leadership guy in the locker room than serious contender for the job, but he'll be worth keeping an eye on into 2025.
Favorite: Underwood
North Carolina Tar Heels
Competitors: Max Johnson (Gr.), Gio Lopez (RSo.), Bryce Baker (Fr.)
One of the most crucial decisions Bill Belichick will make in his first season as North Carolina head coach will be identifying his starting quarterback. He'll be deciding between a group of contenders that now includes South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez, who announced his decision to come to Chapel Hill earlier in the week. Lopez threw for 2,559 yards and 18 touchdowns for the Jaguars last fall and is a true gunslinger at the position. However, the jump to power conference football will be an interesting one for him as the Tar Heels break in new faces throughout their offense. He'll be battling veteran Max Johnson and true freshman Bryce Baker, with Johnson considered the most serious contender. The former LSU and Texas A&M transfer never quite got going in his first season with the Heels last fall, as a broken leg in the opener against Minnesota cost him essentially the entire year. He's expected to return to full health by the season opener, but the fact this staff didn't bring him in originally and instead brought in Lopez seems to indicate he'll have his work cut out for him battling back to secure this starting job.
Favorite: Lopez
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Competitors: C.J. Carr (RFr.), Kenny Minchey (RSo.)
We got some clarity on the Notre Dame quarterback competition earlier this week, when veteran Steve Angeli entered the transfer portal, making this a two-way battle as the Irish wrapped spring. Angeli did see some action in the College Football Playoff after Riley Leonard was briefly knocked out of the game, but it was the youngsters, C.J. Carr and Kenny Minchey, who were receiving all the attention throughout the spring. Carr, who is the grandson of Michigan coaching legend Lloyd Carr, in particular has stood out with a strong showing in the spring game and seems to be the favorite as things stand today. Carr is quite inexperienced, appearing in just one game in his young career to this point, but folks have raved about his arm strength and overall feel for the game. Kenny Minchey has seen at least some more game action, but that isn't saying a whole lot considering he's appeared in just four games total. Minchey has been used more as a runner and his athleticism could add an interesting element to this Irish offense in 2025. Either way, the fact Marcus Freeman did not add a transfer QB, as he did the last two seasons with the one-year rentals of Leonard and Sam Hartman, seems to indicate he's confident in what the two already on his roster can bring to the table.
Favorite: Carr
Ohio State Buckeyes
Competitors: Julian Sayin (RSo.), Tavien St. Clair (Fr.), Lincoln Kienholz (Jr.)
The one season rental of Will Howard proved to be quite the resounding success for Ohio State, as the former Kansas State transfer went out and won the Buckeyes their first National Title in over a decade. Following Howard's graduation and the early offseason transfers of Devin Brown (Cal) and Air Noland (South Carolina), it seemed to clear the way for Julian Sayin to be the next guy up. However, reports out of Columbus so far this spring are that junior Lincoln Kienholz is very much in the mix as we look ahead to the regular season. Kienholz hasn't seen significant usage beyond an appearance in the 2023 Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri, but he's now well-versed in this offensive system, even as the Buckeyes break in a new offensive coordinator with Chip Kelly off to the NFL. It would still come as a major surprise if Kienholz were to take the job, as Sayin is a former high-profile recruit who transferred over from Alabama, despite not playing a game for the Tide. The quarterback has the perfect skillset for the modern game and he looked the part in Ohio State's spring game, when he completed 17 of 24 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown. With what the Buckeyes bring back at receiver, including Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss, Sayin could be in store for a monster 2025 campaign. That is, assuming he can hold off Kienholz and true frosh Tavien St. Clair, who is considered the future at the position, but unlikely to be seriously in the mix this fall.
Favorite: Sayin
Oregon Ducks
Competitors: Austin Novosad (RSo.), Dante Moore (RSo.)
After they saw their perfect 13-0 season dashed by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, Oregon should be back with a vengeance in 2025. However, to accomplish their lofty goals, they will need the right quarterback to lead them there, and will have to make do without Dillon Gabriel after his Heisman finalist final season. Fortunately, former UCLA transfer Dante Moore appears to be the heir apparent, a former five-star prospect who earned valuable experience with the Bruins in 2023 before sitting behind Gabriel in Eugene last fall. It was a struggle at times for Moore at UCLA, but it did feel like the offense was not in any way catered to his skillset, and the talent around him was fair below what he'll have to work with at Oregon. Offensive coordinator Will Stein's resume speaks for itself, and the Ducks will boast weapons at receiver and a typically elite offensive line. Now, that's not to say Moore has the starting quarterback spot completely on lock. Austin Novosad has been on the roster for several years and still is in the mix. He learned a lot as the backup to Bo Nix, and he has seen game action. Even so, it would come as a notable surprise if he were to unseat Moore, who the Ducks added in the 2024 portal window with an eye towards this season.
Favorite: Moore
Tennessee Volunteers
Competitors: Jake Merklinger (RFr.), George MacIntyre (Fr.)
No story has dominated this spring in college football quite like the Nico Iamaleava drama. Iamaleava first made waves years ago as one of the first high school quarterbacks to receive a multimillion dollar NIL deal (at least that we know of) and after sitting for a year, he was the clear-cut starter for Tennessee last year. The Volunteers made the College Football Playoff and Iamaleava was good enough, but it did feel like the Tennessee offense took a major step backwards with him in charge, especially after a monster start to 2024. Despite that, reports leaked this spring that Nico was essentially holding out for a significant NIL raise, in much the same way NFL players do during contract disputes. Instead of giving into his demands, Josh Heupel let his starting quarterback walk, and now turns to the other two on his roster, redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger or freshman George MacIntyre. Iamaleava since looks to be heading to UCLA, a school that interestingly enough, his younger brother de-committed from during a shocking National Signing Day flip. Back in Knoxville, not much is known about either Merklinger or MacIntyre, although the former was at least on this CFB Playoff roster last fall. That likely gives Merklinger an early edge given he appeared in a few games last season and seems to know Heupel's system. One important caveat with this QB battle, though - the portal is not closed. The Volunteers could bring in another transfer of their own, with Notre Dame's Steve Angeli rumored to be visiting around the time of publishing. That would obviously completely change the complexion of this competition as we look ahead to fall camp.
Favorite: Merklinger
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