QB Battles to Watch As the College Football Season Kicks Off

Programs like Texas have their starting signal-caller locked in, while the likes of Alabama have yet to announce any big decisions.

Week 1 is here, and despite the fact that conference indecision still runs rampant throughout college sports, on the field it’s starting to clear up regarding who exactly will be starting behind center for respective teams. Some are keeping it close to the vest, while others long ago decided who was QB1.

We’ve seen teams handle this in different ways recently. Playoff contender Michigan, for instance, announced before last season started that they would play both J.J. McCarthy and Cade McNamara in each of their two opening games.

But as the season is due to commence, here’s where the offseason’s most intriguing QB battles stand.

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Jalen Milroe is one of three likely QB candidates still in the running for Alabama’s starting job.  :: Gary Cosby/USA TODAY Sports

Alabama: Jalen Milroe or Ty Simpson or Tyler Buchner

The Tide have no plans to head into Week 1 against Middle Tennessee with you (or anyone outside the building) knowing who the starter will be. And that’s not just at the QB position; that’s at any position. Nick Saban told reporters in his Monday press conference that a list of starters and backups “creates a lot of distractions.” This is, reportedly, the first time in 17 seasons that the Tide have not released a formal depth chart in Week 1, and Saban went on to harp on the fact that “I don’t want anybody on our team to think they’re a backup player or whatever.” The translation is: We’ll see, and it’s a novel tactic to cloak the rest of the roster in a similar lack of clarity. 

Arizona State: Jaden Rashada

ASU coach Kenny Dillingham announced that freshman Rashada will start Week 1 against Southern Utah on Thursday night. The announcement comes after a camp in which Rashada’s competition at the position—Notre Dame transfer Drew Pyne—was hampered by an injury during camp. But Dillingham had no intent to hide secrets about who the Sun Devils’ QB1 was going to be, as he said at Pac-12 media days back in July this was always the plan.

“I think that’s the thing about quarterback, everybody should know he’s the quarterback,” Dillingham said. “Shouldn’t have to be me stating this is our quarterback. You would hope, right, that one person is clearly the guy. When that person steps up, we’ll name the starter. No matter what, we’ll name the starter at least a week before the first game if nobody clearly separates themselves. It’s not going to be, like, random starter runs out there Week 1, it’s a mystery. Our team needs to know who their captain is. The sooner we can tell them who that is, the better.”

Auburn: Payton Thorne

The Michigan State transfer gets the nod for the Tigers. Coach Hugh Freeze said, according to ESPN:

“The reason Payton is getting the nod is the leadership ability and understanding of the offense, and he’s been in some really good battles and just seems like he was more efficient in decision-making to this point, not that the others were terrible by any means," Freeze said. “It was not a slam dunk. I hope everyone will handle it right.”

But it is clear that Robby Ashford, who became the starter last year, will have a role in the offense in some packages. 

Florida: Graham Mertz

The Gators added Mertz in the offseason as a transfer from Wisconsin, and after an NIL fiasco involving Rashada not ever showing up on campus to enroll at Florida despite signing, it was fairly clear Mertz would be the guy all offseason. Coach Billy Napier put any lingering doubt to rest early in preseason camp. 

Georgia: Carson Beck

Carson Beck may be a new name to football fans nationwide, but he’s been a part of Georgia’s program since the 2020 season. You wouldn’t know it given Stetson Bennett’s steady hand in the QB1 role since getting the job in the fall of ’21 when then starter JT Daniels was forced out with an injury. But interestingly enough, Kirby Smart said on the College GameDay podcast that Beck was in line to take over for Daniels until former offensive coordinator Todd Monken flagged that Bennett should be the one.

“The interesting thing about Carson that people don’t talk about is that there was a time when he was the two in our first national championship run and Stetson was the three,” Smart said to Rece Davis.

“Stetson only took reps with the threes. We play Clemson, Carson’s the two. We come out of the game, and JT Daniels has an oblique injury. We’ve got to go the next week and we weren’t sure if he was gonna be able to play or not. So, enter Carson. … I think we’re getting ready to play UAB. Right at the end of the week, coach [Todd] Monken came to me and said, ‘Hey, look, I think we gotta go with Stetson here. I think Stetson gives us a better chance to win. He’s played a little better this week.’”

The rest is UGA history, but now it’s time for Beck to write his own. 

Carson Beck will finally take over the QB1 role at Georgia after Stetson Bennett’s departure :: Joshua L. Jones/USA TODAY NETWORK

Ohio State: Kyle McCord

McCord will start against Indiana, but Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Devin Brown will also play against the Hoosiers (how much is unclear). Day has earned the benefit of the doubt with QB decisions, but there is still one left to be made, and any sort of two-QB system is “uncharted territory,” per Day. 

Ole Miss: Jaxson Dart or Spencer Sanders

Lane Kiffin said as plain as day, “We’ve not made that final decision,” but it is between the two players. Kiffin’s decision here is interesting as Sanders has started dozens of games at his previous school, but Dart has proven he can produce in this offense. 

Oregon State: DJ Uiagalelei

The Beavers have their starter in the Clemson transfer, named about a week ago. It’s certainly not his first start, but it is his first in a new place. 

Penn State: Drew Allar (likely)

James Franklin declined to announce his starting quarterback Tuesday, but it is widely expected to be Allar when the Nittany Lions take the field against West Virginia. Mobile option Beau Pribula gives Penn State a different dimension with his legs that may be called upon in spots this season. 

Texas: Quinn Ewers

You could see a potential QB controversy coming from a mile away, but credit to Steve Sarkisian for getting well out in front of it by naming Ewers QB1 after the spring game in April. The hype may be around his much more famous backup, Arch Manning, but note that an early fall camp depth chart had Manning behind Maalik Murphy as well. Manning’s time will undoubtedly come; it’s just not time now. 

Arch Manning may be garnering plenty of attention, but Quinn Ewers is Texas’ QB1 :: Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman/USA TODAY NETWORK

Texas A&M: Conner Weigman

Weigman started last season as QB3 before being pressed into duty after Haynes King and Max Johnson both went down. In Bobby Petrino’s new offense, it’s indeed Weigman’s show from Day 1. Weigman, who was a true freshman last year, wasn’t ready then. It’s the Aggies’ hope that he’s ready now. 

UCLA: Ethan Garbers

Garbers may take the first snap, but coach Chip Kelly said, “All three deserve to play,” which means you will see five-star freshman Dante Moore and Kent State transfer Collin Schlee on Saturday, as well, when the Bruins take on Coastal Carolina. It’ll be the first time since 2017 that Dorian Thompson-Robinson hasn’t been in the QB room. 

Utah: Cam Rising?

There was no battle here of sorts, but the status of Rising remains something to keep tabs on. Rising tore his ACL in the Rose Bowl against Penn State on New Year’s Day and has been limited in preseason camp, but he certainly has been practicing, as the Utah X (formerly known as Twitter) account tweeted a highlight from early August that did not show his lower body. Head coach Kyle Whittingham won’t be revealing if Rising is cleared or not heading into the season opener against Florida on Thursday night. If Rising doesn’t end up going, Bryson Barnes, Brandon Rose or Nate Johnson will go in his place.