Not all “sophomore starting quarterbacks” are created equal in college football, not in this bizarre landscape. Some are 19 years old. Others have been over the legal drinking age for a year. But we’re fans of categories, and after a recent look at which true freshmen are most likely to play in Year 1, we wanted to offer our take on which second-year starting quarterbacks are most likely to make a jump.
Because we knew our roster would be a lot more fun with some of the beloved quarterback prospects from the Class of 2023, like Nico Iamaleava and Jackson Arnold, we set some rules for our roster.
- A player needed to start at least one game last season
- It doesn’t matter if the player is in his first year with your program, as long as he started with someone last year.
- Sophomores who didn’t start last season but will this year (like Malachi Nelson at Boise State) were omitted because they are not “sophomore starters” by the letter of the law.
As for how we rank this list: In some ways it’s a ranking of a dozen second-year quarterbacks, but the message we’re trying to execute is to guess which quarterback is most likely to elevate his game to program-altering status. . .
Probably not
13. Luke Altmyer, Illinois
Someone has to start and if we can keep things in perspective: Altmyer may be last on this list, but he’s still a starting quarterback in a major conference.
Altmyer transferred from Ole Miss ahead of the 2023 season and took the starting job in Champaign. He disappointed, throwing 10 interceptions while going 4-for-5 in games played. Illinois fared better with backup John Paddock at the helm, but he left. Altmyer needs to continue strengthening his arm and keeping the ball out of harm’s way. He sometimes didn’t seem very sure where to go with football.
He just wants some respect
12. Rocco Becht, Iowa State
He may never be a superstar, but expect Becht to make a splash in his second year as a starter. She took over in a difficult situation last season and seemed more than competent. Becht grew significantly throughout the year and finished with 23 touchdown passes. Becht knows the game and comes from an NFL pedigree as a smart, heady player, and Iowa State and Matt Campbell know how to develop quarterbacks. He won’t be a household name this year, but don’t rule it out in the future.
The chip on your shoulder keeps growing
11. Miller Moss, USC
The national narrative all last season was that USC would look to the transfer portal to replace Caleb Williams, as Lincoln Riley often does. But then Moss threw six touchdowns in his first start against Louisville in the bowl game.
Moss is the starter, but USC still brought in UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava for some security at the position. There’s no elite physical ability to write home about when it comes to Moss, but he’s got a fire in his belly and if he can prove us wrong here the same way he proved it last fall, the Trojans will be fine. However, it will be an interesting year: USC has a very difficult schedule in its transition to the Big Ten and Maiva, the backup, is more accomplished. The first sign of trouble could lead Riley to pull the plug on Moss in an important third season in Los Angeles.
Having said all that, I don’t foresee a big jump.
Do they have enough weapons?
10. Drew Allar, Pennsylvania
A Class of 2022 prospect, Allar is already a mercurial figure in the world of college football after arriving at Penn State as a highly touted five-star prospect (reminds you of anyone?). Allar was a starter last season and received a lot of criticism for not being able to connect on explosive plays. I’m not so sure things are going to be much better in 2024. Penn State lost leading pass catcher Keandre Lambert-Smith and tight end Theo Johnson. Dante Cephas is also gone. The Nittany Lions added Ohio State receiver Julian Fleming, but he didn’t show much big-game ability in Columbus. Still, don’t be surprised if NFL circles fall in love with him because of his frame and strong arm.
9. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
Sorsby had some shining moments during his first season as a starter with Indiana. He threw three touchdowns in three different games and ended up throwing 15 touchdowns compared to five picks. Sorsby is now in Cincinnati after a coaching change in Indiana. At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, he can make all the throws with a soft arm and poise at the position, but he’ll need help from a room of Bearcat skill players that I’m not high on if he’s going to thrive. in his second season as a starter.
8. Anthony Colandrea, Virginia
Monticello Manziel, Colandrea could excel in 2024 if he has enough help around him. Colandrea took over the starting job last season and was an absolute blast to watch, showcasing his playmaking ability and natural arm talent en route to winning the 247Sports True Freshman All-American quarterback job. Team.
Colandrea will be much better in 2024, but will the rest of the team be? We’ll see how the receiving corps recovers from the loss of the country’s second-leading receiver, Malik Washington, to the NFL. I’m high enough on Colandrea to think he can make magic happen as a one-man show, if it comes to that.
Boom or bust?
7. Maalik Murphy, Duke
Duke was a bit of a surprise transfer destination after Murphy left Austin, but he was a little behind the eight ball (transferring in mid-December, which is after most QBs) and needed a guaranteed starting job. Making the jump for Murphy would mean becoming a bona fide Day 2 NFL Draft prospect, which I think he can do. Murphy has elite physical tools at 6-foot-5, 238 pounds with a high-powered rifle for an arm. He started two games in 2023 and made some notable downfield shots, but he also made some strange decisions and had some moments where he threw a duck.
Murphy looked good this spring in Durham, but we’ll see if he can put together a full season of consistency.
6. Josh Hoover, TCU
A name many don’t know, Hoover has an exciting talent under his arm and can make throws from all different platforms. He threw for over 400 yards in two of his six starts with TCU in 2023, but also threw multiple interceptions in two games. He took the job from veteran Chandler Morris, so there’s a reason he’s made some waves in Fort Worth. If Hoover can keep the ball out of coverage in 2024, expect him to have a huge year in a revamped Big 12.
5. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Everyone loves a gritty gunslinger at the quarterback position and that’s exactly what Nussmeier will bring to the table when he replaces Heisman winner Jayden Daniels. Nussmeier waited his turn and is ready to unleash in 2024. Nussmeier plays with great confidence (he’s already 22 years old!) and will test tight windows with what I like to call “aggressive intelligence.”
LSU’s offense will look different with receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas out of the NFL and a new offensive play-caller. I give Nussmeier a very good chance to make a jump and possibly even work his way into Day 1 NFL Draft territory, but we’ve also seen the long-awaited backup fall on his face before, so I’ll stick with him. of our two highest levels.
How much better can it get?
4. Noah Fifita, Arizona
Fifita had one of the best freshman (redshirt) seasons in Pac-12 history. He threw 25 touchdowns and six interceptions and won seven of nine games in which he started. Even in the two losses to USC and Washington, Fifita threw eight touchdowns and completed 70% of his throws.
Fifita has precision, accuracy and decisiveness for a young quarterback and plays with the maturity of a fifth-year kid. There are a lot of changes with head coach Jedd Fisch leaving for Washington, but Fifita still has Tetairoa McMillan to throw the ball to. The 5-foot-10 Fifita will be a redshirt sophomore this fall. Frankly, we believe he has already made “the leap” and we placed him here because of that. Unless he transforms into a Bryce Young starting kit, we think his ceiling is lower than the next three guys as well.
We are absolutely sure that they will make the leap.
3. Avery Johnson, Kansas State
Johnson has the word “star” written all over him and may be the most fun quarterback to hit sticks with in the upcoming video game College Football 25. The dynamic Johnson has genuine speed and is packed with so much talent that he pushed Will Howard to Ohio State, and the consensus is that Kansas State retained their absolute best quarterback.
If Johnson continues to develop as a passer, he will be unstoppable at the college level and Kansas State’s best Heisman contender since Collin Klein. In a game against Texas Tech this year, Johnson ran for five touchdowns. Kansas State also added some good weapons around it for 2024, so it’s really just getting started.
2. Jackson Arnold, Oklahoma
Arnold started in Oklahoma’s bowl game against Arizona and there were definitely growing pains and lumps in the first year, but there were also some magnificent plays where the Texas native showed wonderful footwork, breakaway ability and an arm explosive. Arnold was a five-star in the class of 2023, and his ability pushed starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel (one of the most prolific passers in college football) to Oregon. We really like Arnold’s receiving weapons with Deion Burks, Andrel Anthony and Nic Anderson.
1. Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee
Iamaleava may have the most upside of any quarterback in the country at 6-foot-6, 205 pounds with excellent mobility. Nico got his feet wet last season with blowout wins and started the bowl game for the Vols, where he showed off his dynamic running ability and huge arm, burning a stingy Iowa defense for three rushing touchdowns and one passing.
Under the watchful eye of Josh Heupel, don’t be surprised if Iamaleava ends up as one of the SEC’s top quarterbacks by the end of the year. He won’t leave Knoxville before heading to New York City to attend a Heisman ceremony.
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