Ranking Best Quarterback Rooms In College Football: Oregon Ducks No. 1?

Oregon Football boasts one of the deepest quarterback groups in college football this year. Is it the best?

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel throws during warmups ahead of the Oregon Ducks’ Spring Game Saturday, April 27. 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

EUGENE - One of the hardest tasks for a coach in college football is putting together a quarterback room that has more than one capable player. With over 70 teams in the Power Four conferences, getting this kind of depth is nearly impossible.

How does the Oregon Ducks quarterback room stack up among the best and deepest quarterback rooms in college football?

There are a handful of quarterback rooms in the country that could field multiple passable starters, in addition to having a high-level No. 1 option.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel throws during warmups ahead of the Oregon Ducks’ Spring Game Saturday, April 27. 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

1. Oregon Ducks

Coach Dan Lanning finds himself in a rare position where he has both an elite starter and a proven backup with more upside than he has shown. Starter Dillon Gabriel is on the Heisman Trophy short list for 2024 and brings his talents over from an Oklahoma team that may not have gotten all they could out of him last season.

Gabriel is joined by UCLA transfer and former five-star recruit Dante Moore, who showed flashes of brilliance in nine starts for the Bruins last year. One has to think there’s more in the tank than what we saw, however, as UCLA was something of a mess in 2023 and Moore was pressed into action as a true freshman. If he were to see the field for Oregon, things would likely look a lot better.

2. Texas Longhorns

Speaking of the Heisman short list and high-upside backups, how about Texas? Quarterback Quinn Ewers returns for 2024 off an electric season in which he helped propel Texas to a College Football Playoff berth and looked great in the process. Ewers is considered a first round-caliber prospect for next year’s National Football League Draft and should have another great season for the Longhorns.

Backing him up is Arch Manning, the former No. 1 quarterback in the 2023 recruiting cycle. While we haven’t seen much of Manning on the field, his pedigree speaks for itself and he looked sharp in Texas’ spring game. Expect to see him take the field late in some blowout wins in 2024.

3. Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State’s quarterback room is a bit more projection-based than some of the others on this list, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t as good. The Buckeyes pulled in Kansas State transfer Will Howard this offseason who put together 2,643 passing yards and 24 touchdowns for the Wildcats last year and figures to produce even better statistics on a better roster this year.

The Buckeyes have also recruited quarterback extremely well, bringing in five-star prospect Julian Sayin for 2024 as well as the No. 7 quarterback, Air Noland. It will be interesting to see how these two develop, but needless to say Ohio State seems to have their quarterback situation handled both for this season and those to come.

4. Alabama Crimson Tide

The Crimson Tide are a team that has a number of starting options. 2023 starter Jalen Milroe did a good job for Alabama after a rocky start and propelled them to a College Football Playoff appearance. Milroe is a good stylistic fit for coach Kalen DeBoer’s offense as he has a strong arm and a penchant for pushing the ball downfield.

Some are not convinced Milroe will even start this season, however, as former four-star prospect Austin Mack followed coach DeBoer from his time at Washington and is also regarded as a strong fit for DeBoer’s scheme. Mack is joined by another former four-star in Dylan Lonergan who figures to be in the mix to start as well. Regardless of who takes the field for Alabama in 2024, they should get good quarterback play and have a chance at another playoff berth.

5. Georgia Bulldogs

Anchored more by their starter than some of the other teams on this list, Georgia’s quarterback room is as good any almost any in the sport heading into 2024. Starer Carson Beck was ultra-efficient for Georgia last season and is among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy this year.

Backing up Beck will be the No. 10 quarterback in the 2024 class, Ryan Puglisi. Puglisi is regarded as a very high-upside signing as his arm strength is second to none, having thrown a 94 mph fastball as a pitcher for Avon Old Farms High School in Connecticut as a senior. When a team recruits as well as Georgia, there are bound to be plenty of options at the game’s premier position.

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Oregon fans should be ecstatic about their quarterback situation for this upcoming season. While other teams may have starters with more experience in their respective systems, the Ducks have highly proven options in their own right and an elite cast of supporting talent around them. Look for the Ducks to get great quarterback play in 2024 and beyond.