Story by
Predicting Starting Quarterbacks for All 136 College Football Teams in 2025
- Story by
- Predicting Starting Quarterbacks for All 136 College Football Teams in 2025
(© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
College football's 2025 season is still months away, but with spring practice already underway for some teams, it's never too early to start looking at quarterbacks and how all 136 teams stack up at the position. With this being the most important position on the field, how a team develops, recruits or attracts transfers can have a significant impact on a team's outlook for the upcoming year. Since the rule change allowing immediate eligibility as a transfer, along with the creation of the portal, major movement in the quarterback ranks has been a hallmark of the offseason. Instead of waiting for the starter to graduate or depart to the NFL and take over after learning a couple of years in the system, quarterbacks can transfer to find a place to play right away.
Just how many quarterbacks could be transfers in 2025? According to our research and Athlon Sports' own spring projections, 61 percent of college football's starting quarterbacks next year are likely to be transfers. Counting Notre Dame, the early starting QB projections for power conferences indicate 40 of 68 teams are likely to start a transfer. Overall, 83 of the 136 projected starting quarterbacks for next season could potentially be a transfer. Transfer totals do not include signal-callers that arrived from the junior college level.
Advertisement
With spring practice underway, along with a second portal opening, these numbers could look different by August.
Which quarterbacks are expected to start in 2025? And how will each conference be impacted by transfers next year? Athlon Sports takes a way-too-early look into the numbers and names for each conference:
Note: These projections will be updated throughout the offseason.
Projecting College Football's Starting QBs for 2025
Power Conferences
Advertisement
ACC
| Projected Starter |
Notable Backups |
|
|---|---|---|
| Boston College |
Grayson James |
Dylan Lonergan |
| California |
Devin Brown |
Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele |
| Clemson |
Christopher Vizzina |
|
| Duke |
Darian Mensah |
Henry Belin IV |
| Florida State |
Thomas Castellanos |
Brock Glenn |
| Georgia Tech |
Aaron Philo |
|
| Louisville |
Miller Moss |
Brady Allen |
| Miami |
Emory Williams |
|
| North Carolina |
Bryce Baker |
Max Johnson/Ryan Browne |
| NC State |
CJ Bailey |
|
| Pitt |
Eli Holstein |
Julian Dugger |
| SMU |
Kevin Jennings |
|
| Stanford |
Elijah Brown |
|
| Syracuse |
Rickie Collins |
Jakhari Williams/Michael Johnson |
| Virginia |
Chandler Morris |
|
| Virginia Tech |
Kyron Drones |
William Watson |
| Wake Forest |
Jeremy Hecklinski |
Robby Ashford/Deshawn Purdie |
Big 12
| Projected Starter |
Notable Backups |
|
|---|---|---|
| Arizona |
Noah Fifita |
Braedyn Locke |
| Arizona State |
Sam Leavitt |
Jeff Sims |
| Baylor |
Walker White |
|
| BYU |
Jake Retzlaff |
Treyson Bourguet/McCae Hillstead |
| Cincinnati |
Brendan Sorsby |
|
| Colorado |
Kaidon Salter |
Julian Lewis |
| Houston |
Zeon Chriss |
|
| Iowa State |
Rocco Becht |
|
| Kansas |
||
| Kansas State |
Avery Johnson |
|
| Oklahoma State |
Hauss Hejny |
Maealiuaki Smith/Garret Rangel |
| TCU |
Josh Hoover |
Ken Seals |
| Texas Tech |
Will Hammond |
|
| UCF |
Dylan Rizk |
Tayven Jackson/Cam Fancher |
| Utah |
Devon Dampier |
Isaac Wilson |
| West Virginia |
Jaylen Henderson |
Nicco Marchiol |
Big Ten
| Projected Starter |
Notable Backups |
|
|---|---|---|
| Illinois |
Luke Altmyer |
Ethan Hampton |
| Indiana |
Fernando Mendoza |
|
| Iowa |
Brendan Sullivan |
|
| Maryland |
Justyn Martin |
Malik Washington /Champ Long |
| Michigan |
Bryce Underwood |
Mikey Keene |
| Michigan State |
Aidan Chiles |
|
| Minnesota |
Drake Lindsey |
Zach Pyron |
| Nebraska |
Dylan Raiola |
|
| Northwestern |
Preston Stone |
|
| Ohio State |
Julian Sayin |
Lincoln Kienholz/Taven St. Clair |
| Oregon |
Austin Novosad/Akili Smith Jr. |
|
| Penn State |
Ethan Grunkemeyer |
|
| Purdue |
Malachi Singleton |
EJ Colson/Evans Chuba |
| Rutgers |
Athan Kaliakmanis |
|
| USC |
Jayden Maiava |
Husan Longstreet |
| UCLA |
Joey Aguilar |
|
| Washington |
Demond Williams |
|
| Wisconsin |
Billy Edwards |
Danny O'Neil |
SEC
| Projected Starter |
Notable Backups |
|
|---|---|---|
| Alabama |
Keelon Russell/Austin Mack |
|
| Arkansas |
KJ Jackson/Maddden Iamaleava |
|
| Auburn |
Deuce Knight/Ashton Daniels |
|
| Florida |
DJ Lagway |
|
| Georgia |
Gunner Stockton |
Ryan Puglisi |
| Kentucky |
Cutter Boley |
|
| LSU |
Michael Van Buren |
|
| Mississippi State |
Luke Kromenhoek/KaMario Taylor |
|
| Missouri |
Beau Pribula |
Matt Zollers/Sam Horn |
| Oklahoma |
John Mateer |
Michael Hawkins Jr. |
| Ole Miss |
Austin Simmons |
Pierce Clarkson |
| South Carolina |
LaNorris Sellers |
Air Noland |
| Tennessee |
Nico Iamaleava |
|
| Texas |
||
| Texas A&M |
Marcel Reed |
Jacob Zeno |
| Vanderbilt |
Diego Pavia |
Independents
| Projected Starter |
Notable Backups |
|
|---|---|---|
| UConn |
Joe Fagnano |
Nick Evers |
| Notre Dame |
CJ Carr |
Steve Angeli/Kenny Minchey |
Pac-12
| Projected Starter |
Notable Backups |
|
|---|---|---|
| Oregon State |
Maalik Murphy |
|
| Washington State |
Zevi Eckhaus |
Group of 5 Conferences
American
| Projected Starter |
Notable Backups |
|
|---|---|---|
| Army |
Dewayne Coleman |
|
| Charlotte |
Conner Harrell |
Grayson Loftis |
| East Carolina |
Katin Houser |
Jake Garcia |
| Florida Atlantic |
Caden Veltkamp |
|
| Memphis |
Antwann Hill |
|
| Navy |
Blake Horvath |
|
| North Texas |
Reese Poffenbarger |
Drew Mestemaker/Chris Jimerson Jr. |
| Rice |
Drew Devillier |
AJ Padgett/Chase Jenkins |
| South Florida |
Byrum Brown |
Bryce Archie |
| Temple |
Evan Simon |
Anthony Chiccitt/Tyler Douglas |
| Tulane |
Kadin Semonza |
TJ Finley/Donovan Leary |
| Tulsa |
Kirk Francis |
|
| UAB |
Jalen Kitna |
Ryder Burton |
| UTSA |
Owen McCown |
Conference USA
| Projected Starter |
Notable Backups |
|
|---|---|---|
| Delaware |
Zach Marker |
Nick Minicucci |
| FIU |
Keyone Jenkins |
|
| Jacksonville State |
Gavin Wimsatt |
Cade Cunningham/AJ Watkins |
| Kennesaw State |
Khalib Johnson |
|
| Liberty |
Ethan Vasko |
Ryan Burger/Ethan Houck |
| Louisiana Tech |
Evan Bullock |
Blake Baker |
| Middle Tennessee |
Nicholas Vattiato |
|
| Missouri State |
Jacob Clark |
Drew Viotto |
| New Mexico State |
Logan Fife |
Parker Awad |
| Sam Houston |
Hunter Watson |
Mabrey Mettauer |
| UTEP |
Skyler Locklear/Cade McConnell |
|
| Western Kentucky |
Maverick McIvor |
MAC
| Projected Starter |
Notable Backups |
|
|---|---|---|
| Akron |
Ben Finley |
|
| Ball State |
Kiael Kelly |
Walter Taylor |
| Bowling Green |
Lucian Anderson III |
JT Kitna |
| Buffalo |
Ta'Quan Roberson |
Jack Shields/Gunnar Gray |
| Central Michigan |
Joe Labas |
Jadyn Glasser/Angel Flores |
| Eastern Michigan |
Noah Kim |
Cameron Edge |
| Kent State |
Devin Kargman |
JD Sherrod/Ruel Tomlinson |
| Miami (Ohio) |
Daquan Finn |
Henry Hesson |
| Northern Illinois |
Josh Holst |
Jackson Proctor/Jalen Macon |
| Ohio |
Parker Navarro |
Nick Poulos |
| Toledo |
Tucker Gleason |
John Alan Richter |
| UMass |
Brandon Rose |
AJ Hairston/Grant Jordan |
| Western Michigan |
Broc Lowry |
Mason Reynolds |
Mountain West
| Projected Starter |
Notable Backups |
|
|---|---|---|
| Air Force |
Quentin Hayes |
Josh Johnson/Liam Szarka |
| Boise State |
Maddux Madsen |
|
| Colorado State |
Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi |
|
| Fresno State |
EJ Warner |
Joshua Wood/Jayden Mandal |
| Hawaii |
Micah Alejado |
|
| Nevada |
Chubba Purdy |
AJ Bianco |
| New Mexico |
Jack Layne |
|
| San Diego State |
Bert Emanuel Jr. |
Jayden Denegal |
| San Jose State |
Walker Eget |
|
| UNLV |
Anthony Colandrea |
Alex Orji/Cameron Friel |
| Utah State |
Bryson Barnes |
Jacob Conover |
| Wyoming |
Kaden Anderson |
Sun Belt
| Projected Starter |
Notable Backups |
|
|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State |
JJ Kohl |
|
| Arkansas State |
Jaylen Raynor |
|
| Coastal Carolina |
MJ Morris |
Emmett Brown |
| Georgia Southern |
JC French |
|
| Georgia State |
Christian Veilleux |
Cameran Brown/PJ Hatter |
| James Madison |
Alonza Barnett |
Matthew Sluka/Camden Coleman |
| Louisiana |
Walker Howard |
|
| ULM |
Aidan Armenta |
|
| Marshall |
Zion Turner |
Carlos Del Rio-Wilson |
| Old Dominion |
Colton Joseph |
|
| South Alabama |
Gio Lopez |
|
| Southern Miss |
Braylon Braxton |
Landry Lyddy |
| Texas State |
Brad Jackson |
Nate Yarnell/Holden Geriner/Gevani McCoy |
| Troy |
Goose Crowder |
Matthew Caldwell |
Related: College Football Top 136 Team Rankings for 2025
Related: College Football's Pre-Spring Rankings: Top 10 Quarterbacks for 2025
Related: Grading College Football's New Head Coach Hires for 2025
