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As the 2024 college football season approaches, there are some notable teams that are still trying to figure out who their starting quarterbacks will be.
And no, Texas isn’t one of those teams. Quinn Ewers is back after a stellar season in 2023 and will be backed up by Arch Manning. The former five-star recruit spent much of his freshman season as the Longhorns’ No. 3 quarterback.
However, there are at least two top teams that are competing for the QB spot as the season approaches. Here are some of the teams that have not officially decided who their starter will be.
University of the South
Who will succeed Caleb Williams? Miller Moss will get the first crack at the end of the 2023 season and appears to be the favorite to be the starter, but former UNLV QB Jayden Maiava also has a chance to be the team’s starter in Week 1.
Moss threw for 372 yards and six touchdowns in the Trojans’ 42-28 Holiday Bowl win over Louisville last season. Williams missed that game after opting out ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. Maiava, meanwhile, emerged as the Rebels’ top QB as a freshman last season as UNLV reached the Mountain West title game. Maiava threw for more than 3,000 yards and had 20 total touchdowns.
Maiava initially transferred to Georgia after the 2023 season before choosing USC. With Carson Beck entrenched at Georgia, he has a much better chance of being a starter in 2024 with the Trojans.
USC would be well served by having Moss or Maiava become the undisputed starter in August. The Trojans have a tough schedule to start the season. USC plays LSU to open the season and the third game of the season is at Michigan.
State of Ohio
We’ll start by saying that it will be a big surprise if Kansas State transfer Will Howard isn’t the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback this season. Howard is a preseason Heisman favorite and appears to be a good fit for Chip Kelly in his first season as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator.
However, head coach Ryan Day spent the spring without officially naming a starter, and the competition in Ohio State’s quarterback room could be very intriguing even if Howard wins the job easily.
After Kyle McCord transferred at the end of the 2023 season, Ohio State entered the Cotton Bowl with Devin Brown and Lincoln Kienholz as the team’s top two options. Brown was injured and Kienholz looked overmatched.
Both players are back for this season along with freshmen Julian Sayin and Air Noland. Both players were five-star members of the 2024 recruiting class. Given the nature of college football, it’s highly unlikely that all four players (presumably) behind Howard will be back with the Buckeyes in 2025. The QB pecking order that plays out this fall will have ramifications for 2024 and beyond at Ohio State.
Nebraska
Heinrich Haarberg stabilized the Huskers’ 2023 career after Jeff Sims was plagued by turnovers early in the season. Haarberg appeared in 10 games last season and threw for 967 yards with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also led the team in rushing with 477 yards on 120 carries.
As you can see, those numbers are far from spectacular. That’s why five-star freshman Dylan Raiola is considered the favorite to start right away at Nebraska. The son of former Nebraska offensive lineman Dominic Raiola was the The No. 2 player in the class of 2024 and the best quarterback, according to RivalsHe may have some growing pains in his first season, but Nebraska’s potential appears to be much greater with Raiola as the starter in Week 1.
Tulane
Kai Horton didn’t look overwhelmed when he replaced Michael Pratt during the 2023 season. In five games, Horton threw for 604 yards and three touchdowns. However, he completed just 13 of 20 passes for 119 yards in a rainy Military Bowl loss to Virginia Tech.
When head coach Willie Fritz left for Houston at the end of the season, new Green Wave coach Jon Sumrall brought in former Oregon quarterback Ty Thompson to compete with Horton. Thompson was a five-star recruit in the class of 2021 and spent the past two seasons as Bo Nix’s backup with the Ducks. Thompson is the favorite to win the starting job as Tulane hopes to win the American Athletic Conference and compete for a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff.
North Carolina
The Tar Heels made it clear the competition for the starting quarterback job is not decided when head coach Mack Brown brought Max Johnson and Conner Harrell to ACC media days.
Harrell spent the 2023 season as Drake Maye’s backup. He started in the Tar Heels’ 30-10 blowout loss to West Virginia in Duke’s Mayo Bowl after Maye opted not to play to prepare for the NFL Draft.
Johnson arrives after spending two seasons at LSU and two seasons at Texas A&M. He threw for over 1,400 yards in eight games last season with the Aggies. Johnson had his best season in 2021 for the Tigers when he completed 60% of his passes and threw for 2,814 yards and 27 TDs.
Brigham Young University
Gerry Bohanon transferred to BYU for his seventh season of college football after sitting out last season at South Florida. Bohanon spent the first four seasons of his career at Baylor and threw for 2,205 yards and 18 TDs in 2021 before transferring to USF.
BYU brought in Bohanon after Jake Retzlaff played late in the season in place of the injured Kedon Slovis. Retzlaff will be back in 2024 after completing 50% of his passes for 648 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions. He also rushed for 116 yards and three scores.
State of Arizona
There have been plenty of changes in ASU’s quarterback room. Jaden Rashada transferred to Georgia and former Notre Dame quarterback Drew Pyne left for Missouri. The only one who stayed and got playing time in 2023 is Trenton Bourguet.
Bourguet has thrown 12 touchdowns in 15 games in 2022 and 2023. However, only one of those touchdowns came in 2023, and he threw 248 passes last season. Former Nebraska and Georgia Tech quarterback Jeff Sims is now in Tempe to compete with Bourguet for the starting job, as is former Michigan State quarterback Sam Leavitt. He played in four games last season for the Spartans.
