College football's best QB/head coach duos back for 2023 season

These dynamic duos will have the most impact on the 2023 college football season

Author:
James Parks
Publish date:
Aug 18, 2023 1:07 PM EDT

Every great team needs a dynamic duo at the top to help steer the ship and coming into the 2023 college football season, there are some teams that rank well ahead of the competition when it comes to having the right mixture at the head coach and quarterback positions.

Here's your look at the best quarterback and head coach pairings coming into the 2023 season that will have the most impact on the playoff and national title race.

Arkansas

The coach: Sam Pittman

The QB: KJ Jefferson

The score: You can make an argument that Jefferson is the best returning quarterback in the SEC this season, a sturdy dual threat, a 60-plus percent passer a year ago with 24 TDs in the air and 9 more on the ground with only five picks, key to Pittman's continued rebuild of the Razorbacks program after a 7-win campaign last season that saw the team take a step back.

Washington

The coach: Kalen DeBoer

The QB: Michael Penix, Jr.

The score: This duo helped resurrect the Huskies last season, going from a 4-8 disaster to an 11-2 behemoth behind college football's most productive passer. Penix, a transfer from Indiana, hit his stride working from DeBoer's playbook, going 65 percent with 31 touchdowns and over 4,600 total yards. This time around, he gets his two 1,000-yard receivers back, too.

Oklahoma

The coach: Brent Venables

The QB: Dillon Gabriel

The score: Amid the concerns about the Sooners' defense in Year 1 of Venables' tenure, Gabriel held things down well enough on the other side, going for almost 3,200 yards passing with 25 touchdowns. He can make big-time throws and extend plays with his legs, but has dealt with injuries in his career and would benefit from some better protection this fall.

Oregon

The coach: Dan Lanning

The QB: Bo Nix

The score: After getting clubbed by Georgia in last year's opener, Nix went on a tear midseason helping lead an eight-game win streak in which the Ducks' offense scored 40 points each time out, passing for nearly 3,600 yards with 29 touchdowns while rushing for more than 500 more yards with 14 additional TDs. He lost some of his blockers coming into 2023, but has plenty of help at the skill positions to make another run.

North Carolina

The coach: Mack Brown

The QB: Drake Maye

The score: Arguably the top prospect in next year's draft coming into this season, Maye is the nation's premier pocket passer, fresh off a 4,321 yard, 38 touchdown performance a year ago. When he has time, Maye is virtually unstoppable making the right decisions with the ball and finishing with impressive ball placement, but Carolina needs to beef up his receiving targets and fine tune his protection for it to work.

Texas

The coach: Steve Sarkisian

The QB: Quinn Ewers

The score: Sark may be just 13-12 on the Forty Acres so far, but Ewers, the former five-star prospect, has all the equipment to be the best quarterback in college football with the touch to go after any secondary, not to mention key experience back at receiver and a solid-looking line to keep the pocket clean. If not for an injury early in last year's game against Alabama, he looked on his way to having a huge day. Stay upright in this year's rematch against the Tide, and Ewers can put the Longhorns on the map in a huge statement game.

LSU

LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels on the run in a college football game in the SEC. — USA Today Images

The coach: Brian Kelly

The QB: Jayden Daniels

The score: If Jefferson isn't the SEC's best returning quarterback, then Daniels is certainly in the convo a year after helping lead LSU to an SEC West title, hitting nearly 70 percent of his throws for 17 touchdowns while leading the team with 885 rushing yards and scoring 14 more times with his legs, a better showing than many running backs in the Power Five.

Florida State

The coach: Mike Norvell

The QB: Jordan Travis

The score: Travis is coming off his best season, the Seminoles' first 10-win campaign since 2016, after hitting over 3,200 yards passing with 24 TDs and 5 INTs and scoring 5 more times on the ground. He gets another solid RB rotation to balance things out in addition to receiver Johnny Wilson, transfer tight end and matchup nightmare Jahiem Bell, and transfer target Keon Coleman, a legit deep threat to make a run at the ACC title and potentially the College Football Playoff.

Oregon State

The coach: Jonathan Smith

The QB: DJ Uiagalelei

The score: It didn't work out at Clemson for whatever reason, but the former five-star prospect and dual threat quarterback is getting a new start with the Beavers, coming off a 10-win season under coach Jonathan Smith. Uiagalelei is working behind one of the Pac-12's best offensive lines and is getting help from a strong running back rotation, as well.

Texas Tech

The coach: Joey Maguire

The QB: Tyler Shough

The score: Tech returns Tyler Shough, who is 8-0 in games he has started and finished and has 3,879 career passing yards with 29 touchdowns and should have an intriguing group of skill position players around him this season. Maguire's first season at the helm including a four-game win streak to close out with wins over Texas and OU and over Ole Miss in the bowl.

Maryland

The coach: Mike Locksley

The QB: Taulia Tagovailoa

The score: This was the fourth-best total offense in the Big Ten a year ago thanks to Tagovailoa's efforts and he's already probably the most accomplished quarterback in Terps history, responsible for over 8,000 total yards and 51 passing touchdowns. He gave Ohio State fits last season and returns important targets and help in the backfield, but Maryland could stand to protect him a little better.

Kentucky

The coach: Mark Stoops

The QB: Devin Leary

The score: Stoops has helped revive the UK program, winning 10 games two years ago and his fourth straight bowl game, and now his offense has a chance to take an important step forward with Leary and coordinator Liam Coen working together. Slowed by an injury last fall at NC State, the year before Leary threw for 3,433 yards and 35 touchdowns while only being picked off five times.

USC

USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner as the best player in college football. — USA Today Images

The coach: Lincoln Riley

The QB: Caleb Williams

The score: Maybe no offense will be as lethal this season and no quarterback as critical to that success than the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, and a credible threat to unseat Archie Griffin as college football's only two-time Heisman. Williams dismembered defenses last season for 4,537 yards passing with 42 touchdowns and only five interceptions, and he brings on another rotation of skill pieces to do it again with Riley crafting the plays for another run at the Pac-12 title.

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