Ranking the quarterbacks that Stanford will be facing in 2023

Stanford is set to face some of the best quarterbacks in college football

There are two major headlines surrounding the Pac-12 in 2023, and that is of course how deep the conference is as a whole, and the elite group of quarterbacks. 

The conference had six quarterbacks throw for over 3,000 passing yards last season, and is poised for arguably one of the most entertaining seasons in conference history thanks to all of the talent. However, while fans of those programs and offenses themselves are thrilled about seeing those quarterbacks, their opponents are not.

Especially a team and fan base like Stanford who is looking to bounce back and start fresh with new head coach Troy Taylor, who took over for David Shaw after three losing seasons in four years. The Cardinal unfortunately will not have an easy path in 2023, playing four of the top-10 quarterbacks in the country with a secondary that doesn't return a single starter and will likely be relying on incoming freshmen. 

With so many talented quarterbacks on their schedule, here are my rankings of the quarterbacks that Stanford will be facing from least challenging to most challenging to stop. 

12. Carson Camp (Sacramento State)

Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

2022 Stats: 904 yards, 4 TDs, and 5 Ints

Troy Taylor's former program is in the midst of a quarterback battle of their own between South Dakota transfer Carson Camp, former Boise State/Nevada quarterback Kaiden Bennett, Dorian Hale, and freshman Carson Conklin. Camp is the most experienced, and was actually quite productive in his first two seasons at South Dakota. He threw for 2,252 yards, 17 TDs, and seven interceptions in 2021, but only played in seven games before being benched, after throwing for 904 yards, four TDs, and five interceptions. A lot of inexperience in this room, and in the two Power 5 programs Camp played against he struggled. 

11. Brayden Schager (Hawaii)

Meg Potter/Sun-News / USA TODAY NETWORK

2022 Stats: 2,348 Passing Yards, 13 TDs, 10 Ints

Hawaii struggled in 2022, but Brayden Schager did provide some consistency at the quarterback position. He was able to build experience last season, and while his stat line isn't the prettiest, PFF revealed that he had the second highest percentage of drops from his receivers, 14% in the Mountain West. With this program still rebuilding, Schager likely still needs to grow. 

10. Sam Jackson V (Cal)

Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

2022 Stats: 63 Passing Yards 

Jackson gets the nod here over the two more experienced quarterbacks behind him due to potential alone. He has a massive arm and is one of the most dynamic athletes at quarterback in the country. While he hasn't won the job yet, most predictions indicate it's his job to lose over NC State transfer Ben Finley. His ability to create with his legs should give him an advantage over Finley, and adds a dynamic that makes defending him tougher. 

9. Dante Moore (UCLA)

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

2022 Stats: N/A

The five-star freshman is viewed as the frontrunner to win the job over Ethan Garbers and Kent State transfer Colin Schlee. While he obviously hasn't competed at the college level yet, his arm talent and more importantly his intangible traits which were viewed as elite as a recruit should make him quite the predecessor to Dorian Thompson-Robinson. 

 

8. Jayden de Laura (Arizona)

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

2022 Stats: 3,685 Passing Yards, 25 TDs, 13 Ints

The gunslinger is one of the six Pac-12 quarterbacks that threw for over 3,000 yards in 2022, and has frequently showcased his arm talent. With a very underrated receiver corps that is actually one of the better ones in the conference, de Laura should have no issues dismantling defenses. Someone with his arm talent and weapons at his disposal will make life hard for the inexperienced Stanford defense. 

7. Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

2022 Stats: 3,732 Passing Yards, 40 TDs, 6 Ints

A lot of the attention in Colorado has gone to his father and head coach Deion, but Shedeur is a very talented quarterback. He has one of the stronger arms in the Pac-12, and at Jackson State rarely made mistakes. If he is able to not force the issue in Boulder, Sean Lewis' offense should really showcase how talented of a quarterback he can be. 

6. Cam Ward (Washington State)

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

2022 Stats: 3,232 Passing Yards, 23 TDs, 9 Ints

The hype around Cam Ward when he entered the transfer portal was astronomical thanks to the big numbers he put up at Incarnate Word, and while he got off to a slow start in 2022 he still had an impressive year. He's elusive and has a big arm, so even when defenses get pressure on him (which they will), he has an innate ability to elude the pressure and make plays. 

5. DJ Uiagalelei (Oregon State)

Brian Hayes/Statesman Journal / USA TODAY NETWOR

2022 Stats: 2,521 Passing Yards, 22 TDs, 7 Ints

Clemson transfer DJ Uiagalelei could be everything that Oregon State needs at quarterback, and in an offense more tailored to his skillset he could shine. Once rated as a five-star, Uiagalelei struggled at Clemson when called upon to sling their way to victory, but in a more balanced offense where he will be able to just hit open receivers and rely on the run game he will become more efficient.

4. Sam Hartman (Notre Dame)

Greg Swiercz / USA TODAY NETWORK

2022 Stats: 3,701 Passing Yards, 38 TDs, 12 Ints

One of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country is now at Notre Dame after they had the not so dynamic duo of Drew Pyne (Arizona State) and Tyler Buchner (Alabama). Hartman is an improviser who just makes winning plays, and threw for an ACC-record 110 TD passes with the Demon Deacons. He will provide the Irish an ability to stretch the field more than last year, and is a great leader. 

 

T-2. Bo Nix (Oregon)

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

2022 Stats: 3,593 Passing Yards, 29 TDs, 7 Ints

After having a career year in 2022, Nix opted to run it back for one final year. Not to be dramatic, but Oregon may have revived his career and future as a pro. He showcased arm talent, accuracy, and is one of the best dual threat quarterbacks in the country. He made life difficult for Stanford last season, and that likely will happen again in 2023.

T-2. Michael Penix Jr. (Washington)

Aaron E. Martinez / American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

2022 Stats: 4,641 Passing Yards, 31 TDs, 8 Ints

Michael Penix Jr. showed amazing flashes at Indiana, and then was derailed by injuries. He reunited with Kalen DeBoer this past season and reemerged as one of the best quarterbacks in the country. He's as accurate as they come, and is able to make every throw on the field. He and his elite wide receivers will be terrorizing every  secondary they face.

1. Caleb Williams (USC)

jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

2022 Stats: 4,641 Passing Yards, 31 TDs, 8 Ints

The 2022 Heisman winner is widely viewed as the best quarterback in the country and is one of the best quarterback prospects since Andrew Luck. He has drawn comparisons to Patrick Mahomes, if Mahomes himself was more advanced at the college level. There really is no stopping Williams, you just have to hope you stumble into a rare mistake made by him.