Ranking the 25 Best QBs in College Football for 2025
- Owen Pannell
- Aug 10
- 5 min read
By Owen Pannell | KZA Sports
Who are the best QBs going into the 2025 College Football season? I rank them here, but a lot can change in a long season.
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Cade Klubnik – Clemson
Klubnik came back to Clemson with one goal: a National Title. He’s the most talented QB in the country in my eyes, and he has had many years at Clemson, all leading up to this.
John Mateer – Oklahoma
Coming from Wazzu with his OC Ben Arbuckle, Mateer is going to lead the Sooners’ offense back to what it once was. Drawing comparisons to OU legend Baker Mayfield, expectations are sky-high for John Mateer in 2025.
Garrett Nussmeier – LSU
Nussmeier leads arguably the most talented offense in the country. Coming off a good season for the Tigers, he has lethal weapons all around him, which should lead to a monster season.
Drew Allar – Penn State
In a rather shocking move, Drew Allar decided to return to PSU for his senior year. He and the Nittany Lions have title hopes, and Allar will need to be elite for that to happen.
LaNorris Sellers – South Carolina
LaNorris Sellers is one of the best running QBs in the country, and his arm is spectacular too. The Gamecocks look to make the CFP for the first time in program history, and they’ll need him to do so.
Sam Leavitt – Arizona State
The Michigan State transfer shocked the world last season, leading the Sun Devils to the playoffs and almost upsetting Texas. He’s back for another year under Kenny Dillingham, and it should be special.
Kevin Jennings – SMU
A lot of folks expected Preston Stone to be great for the Mustangs last year, but it ended up being Kevin Jennings. Jennings looks to snag that ACC title and make another appearance in the playoffs. He’s in for a big year.
Arch Manning – Texas
Arch Manning is currently the betting favorite to take home the 2025 Heisman Trophy. Personally, I haven’t bought into the hype. He has a heck of a lot of pressure on him, and he has to perform or the folks down in Austin are going to be real disappointed.
Luke Altmyer – Illinois
Altmyer is one of the most underrated QBs coming into the season. He’s got a lot of talent around him at Illinois, and I expect big things from him and the Fighting Illini this year.
Sawyer Robertson – Baylor
Following a great year at Baylor, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 28 TDs, he could be even better this season. Baylor has real CFP potential, and Robertson wants to be a high draft pick next season.
DJ Lagway – Florida
The hype around DJ Lagway is NUTS. I think he’s good, but not a top 10 QB yet. It’s very likely that after the season I would put him in the top 5, but right now I’m going to slide him in at 11.
Darian Mensha – Duke
I’m a big fan of the Tulane transfer. I believe he is going to thrive at Duke and lead them to a very successful season. He’s getting hardly any national attention, but he should be.
Rocco Becht – Iowa State
People don’t appreciate Rocco Becht. Going into his 3rd season in Ames, he is about to have a crazy year. The Cyclones are a dark horse playoff team, and Becht is a dark horse Heisman contender.
Avery Johnson – Kansas State
This could be the year that Johnson really breaks out in Manhattan. He was good last year, but with lofty goals for the Wildcats this season, he needs to be even better. Johnson has All-Big 12 First Team potential, which is very impressive in a conference stacked with QBs.
Behren Morton – Texas Tech
Another Big 12 QB, Morton and the Red Raiders are primed for a huge year. I’ve predicted them to win the Big 12 and make a CFP appearance, and that shows my confidence level in Morton. He is a top 15 QB right now but could definitely move up to the top 10 by the end of the year.
Carson Beck – Miami
Beck was very overrated last year, but he’s arguably underrated this year. He threw for over 3,400 yards and 28 TDs and led the Bulldogs to an SEC Title (which he obviously got hurt in). He hit the portal, and he could end up having a really good year at Miami.
Josh Hoover – TCU
Josh Hoover may just be the most underrated QB in college football. He threw for nearly 4,000 yards and 27 TDs and is returning to a good TCU offense. The Big 12 can go anywhere this year, so Hoover and the Frogs are going after it.
Haynes King – Georgia Tech
King is an elite rusher and efficient passer. He’s rushed for 21 TDs over the past 2 years (missed 2 games last year) and has shown flashes of being an elite passer. Georgia Tech is a playoff contender, so prepare for an outstanding year from Haynes.
Kaidon Salter – Colorado
Hardly anybody is talking about the Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter. He had an injury-filled 2024 campaign, but in 2023 he threw for 32 TDs with only 6 interceptions. In my opinion, he has a real chance of being a top 10 QB, but it’ll be tough.
Diego Pavia – Vanderbilt
This man just has the aura it takes to be an SEC QB. Leading the Dores to their best season in a decade, he claims he’s coming for the National Title. That seems just a tad bit delusional, but hey, you never know with college football.
Maddux Madsen – Boise State
All the focus was on Ashton Jeanty, but Madsen actually had a very good year in 2024. He could be worse without his star RB, but he showed last season that he is a top-25-caliber quarterback.
Fernando Mendoza – Indiana
Some Hoosier fans think this guy will win the Heisman. While I wouldn’t go that far, I do think he is very talented and is about to have a great year in Bloomington, surrounded by great weapons.
Nico Iamaleava – UCLA
In a surprising transfer, Nico had to settle for a big downgrade—now a UCLA Bruin. He is very talented, no question. However, I do question his character, leadership, and ability to mesh right away with his new team.
Dante Moore – Oregon
After starting at UCLA in 2023 and then learning under Dillon Gabriel in 2024, Dante Moore has sky-high potential. There are a lot of question marks, but it’s entirely possible for Moore to be a Heisman candidate and a top 5 QB by the end of the year.
Blake Horvath – Navy
An ELITE runner, Blake Horvath might be a better running back than quarterback (just kidding). Leading the Midshipmen to a big bowl win over the Sooners, he’s back for another great season with big expectations.
HM: Marcel Reed, Gunner Stockton, Dylan Raiola, Devon Dampier, Noah Fifita
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