College Football is back.
The 2025 season is underway, and after a 2024 season which saw many QBs leave College Football, it’s time for a new generation to step into the spotlight.
With new, talented signal callers: Michigan’s Bryce Underwood, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, and Alabama’s Ty Simpson, all in their first year starting at big-time programs, showcases the next era of QBs.
Alongside them are these next ten players, who are all looking to bring success to their program, while also continuing to develop for the next level.
Here are the Top 10 QBs for the 2025 season.
10. Arch Manning, Sophomore (RS), Texas
2024 Stats: 6 Games (Started 2), 939 Passing Yards, 9 Passing TDs, 2 INTs, QBR 87.5
We are officially in the Arch Manning Era at Texas, and he has the potential to skyrocket to the top of this list as the season progresses.
The former five-star and the #1 recruit in the high school class of 2023, has had to wait for his time behind the starter, Quinn Ewers, for two years, who has given Manning little to no playing time, which puts him in the 10th spot. In the opportunities he has had, Manning has shown the potential to be an elite QB in College Football.
Manning has essentially every tool in his arsenal of an elite QB: a 6’4” frame, exceptional throwing ability, can make execute throws from inside and outside the pocket, displays poise and confidence under pressure, and, unlike his two well – known uncles, Payton and Eli, Arch has great mobility, as one of his highlights from the 2024 season was scoring a 67-yard rushing touchdown against UTSA. A true blue-chip QB. The talent is clearly there, and when he was thrown into games due to injuries or bad play from Ewers, Manning delivered. In his three games with Ewers out, Manning won all three games, racking up 806 passing yards, 8 passing TDs, and only 2 INTs. Despite these opponents were weaker competition, he was able to demonstrate that he belongs, can play at a high level, and run an offence.
This season comes with very high expectations for Manning to perform, as he will lead the AP Poll’s Preseason #1 team, against a tough SEC schedule that will include #15 Florida, #18 Oklahoma, #5 Georgia, #19 Texas A&M. Manning doesn’t get to ease into the season either as in week one he will square off against the reigning National Champions #3 Ohio State on the road.
A true test for Manning as he begins his first season starting as a college quarterback, and his chance to show off his talents and skillset every week.
9. John Mateer, Junior (RS), Oklahoma
2024 Stats: 12 Games, 3139 Passing Yards, 29 Passing Touchdowns, 7 INTs, QBR 70.9
After a disappointing first year in the SEC conference for Head Coach Brent Venables, which saw the program have a record of 6-7, and some uncertainty at the QB position. Venables went out and got the #3 QB in the transfer portal, John Mateer, an absolute game-changer.
Mateer, out of high school, was a 3-star recruit in 2022 and committed to Washington State. He had to wait for two seasons behind the most recent #1 selection in the NFL Draft, Tennessee Titans QB Cam Ward. But once Ward transferred to Miami ahead of the 2024 season, Mateer got the nod as the starting QB. Mateer showcased his electric playstyle throughout the season, which involves an array of exciting throws and game-changing runs. Defensives don’t know what’s coming next with Mateer, as he is a complete wild card, with the ability to launch the ball at any moment, extend any play with his feet, or run over or make a defender miss in the open field. He is truly a fun watch when he gets going.
Transferring to the SEC conference will be a completely different environment for Mateer. He will be playing in higher-stakes games, as well as going up against much more talented defences than he is accustomed to. He will have to elevate his game to the next level and showcase more consistency when it comes to his mechanics throwing the ball, processing his reads, and relying on his wild and hero ball playstyle when it’s the right moment. He has all the tools to make this happen, but it comes down to whether he can get it done week in and week out at a high level. A big addition to this move is that he will have the same offensive coordinator that he had at Washington State, Ben Arbuckle, which will help ease him with the transition.
This move will prove to the NFL scouts if Mateer is ready for the next level. At first, it may start slowly for him as he gets adjusted to the new environment and faster game speed, but if he gets going, he will become a problem for defences in the SEC and the rest of college football.
8. Sam Leavitt, Sophomore (RS), Arizona State
2024 Sats: 13 Games, 2885 Passing Yards, 24 Passing Touchdowns, 6 INTs, 80 QBR
The breakout program of the 2024 season was the Arizona Sun Devils. After a 2023 season which saw them only get three wins, the 2024 season was completely different, picking up 11 wins, a Big 12 Championship, and a CFP appearance, but ended in a thrilling OT loss in the Peach Bowl to Texas. At the helm leading the offence was Sam Leavitt, who is in his first season starting, proved he can play at a high level, lead an offence, and, most importantly, win football games.
Leavitt, who transferred to Arizona State from Michigan State, came in and won the starting job. Throughout the year, he showed amazing growth in his game, showcasing his skills. Leavitt doesn’t necessarily have any jaw-dropping priemier traits or skillsets on paper that make defences worried compared to other QBs, but in the moment when a play needs to happen and his team needs him, he has the heart and ability to respond and make something happen, by keeping drives alive as well as making game-winning football plays, that can make defensives go crazy when trying to stop him. He simply won’t give up.
When Leavitt throws, he can put great velocity on the ball; he possesses good mechanics and footwork, which helps him to be accurate most of the time. He is also a threat as a runner; he has good speed and can move well for a QB in the open field. He moves well in the pocket as well as makes accurate throws on the run. He has an overall well-rounded skillset that allows him to run an efficient offence that can make plays when needed and win football games.
The big question for Leavitt in 2025 is whether he has to prove it all over again and show that the 2024 season was not just a Cinderella run. He will have to continue to showcase every week that he is one of the top quarterbacks in the country and repeat the success he had last year, while also continuing to develop his overall skill set. In order for Arizona State to continue to have success, the weight will be on Leavitt’s shoulders for the 2025 season.
7. DJ Lagway, Sophomore, Florida
2024 Stats: 12 Games, 1915 Passing Yards, 12 Passing Touchdowns, 9 INTs, 58 QBR
Lagway and the Gators are looking to carry the momentum they picked up during the second half of the 2024 season into 2025. Lagway, as a true freshman, came out of high school as the #2 QB recruit in the country and was thrown into an up-and-down situation in the first half of 2024. From being in a QB battle with Graham Mertz, which involved a lot of splitting snaps and being thrown into the games at the worst times, and a mediocre record of 3-3. After the season-ending injury to Mertz, it was officially Lagway’s team in the second half. He won all five games that he started and finished, putting all his talent and skill set on display, giving hope for all Gator fans heading into the 2025 season.
Lagway’s biggest asset is his arm talent and strength. He has showcased his ability to launch the ball with amazing zip down the field at any given moment, making it look effortless. He has a great feel in the pocket, which allows him to step up or move side to side, leading him to throw some beautiful balls. He is a player whose arm talent is better than most QBs. He can make that one big-time throw that can completely change a game. He can also pose a threat as a runner, as he has great speed and athleticism, and the Gators can mix in certain designated QB runs for him.
Where Lagway needs to progress this season is to get into rhythm early in games and drives by ensuring quick completions in the short and medium range, rather than attempting deep balls down the field. Lagway’s completion percentage in 2024 was a low 59.9 per cent, which ranked him 85th in the country. With these changes, in 2025, he can boost his percentage while allowing his offence to get down the field effectively and not have meaningless quick drives that don’t result in points.
Lagway is poised to be a breakout candidate for 2025 and should be in the mix surrounding the Heisman conversations throughout the year. He will be an exciting player to watch, but will have to go through a gauntlet of an SEC schedule, which will prove his true talents against elite competition.
6. Carson Beck, Senior (RS), Miami
2024 Stats: 13 Games, 3485 Passing Yards, 28 Passing Touchdowns, 12 INTs, 80.9 QBR
The reset button must be hit for Carson Beck heading into the 2025 season, as he is given a fresh, clean slate after transferring to Miami from Georgia, where he spent five years with the program. In his first year, starting in 2023, Beck absolutely showed out, thriving in the system and talent surrounding him, leading the Bulldogs to 13 straight wins to start the season before falling short in the SEC title game to Alabama. The expectations were high coming into 2024 for Beck, as he was ranked at the top of many 2025 NFL draft boards. Throughout the season, Georgia was still one of the top teams in the country, but Beck wasn’t playing as dominantly as he was in 2023, revealing a lot of his flaws and mental lapses, which led to Georgia to lose a rare two games, causing his NFL stock to slowly decline. With a chance to play in the College Football Playoffs, Beck went down with a season-ending torn UCL injury in his throwing arm in the SEC Championship, and Gunner Stockton took over, ending Beck’s time at Georgia as he decided to forgo the NFL draft and return to College Football.
Beck does have a lot of positives in his game going into the new system at Miami. He is an experienced QB who has played and competed at the highest level of College Football. Beck can quickly read defences and put the ball where he wants it, with his amazing touch, and thrives running plays that involve quick, short and medium throws, while also involving the occasional deep shot. He has great awareness in the pocket, and he can sense when pressure is coming, doesn’t panic and makes the throw. He has shown in his 2 years starting at Georgia that he can run an offence, win football games as well and compete against the best of the best.
This is a make-or-break year for Beck, where he will need to prove himself in a new system with less talent than he has had beforehand, continue to play at a high level, and win football games with a favourable schedule. It will be interesting to see how he plays with his new program throughout the year and if he continues the success that Cam Ward brought back to the Miami program. Beck will get to be tested right away, against one of the best defences in the country in week one, the reigning National runner-ups, #6 Notre Dame.
5. Nico Iamaleava, Sophomore (RS), UCLA
2024 Stats: 13 Games, 2616 Passing Yards, 19 Passing Touchdowns, 5 INTs, 70.5 QBR
The most polarizing move of the transfer portal was when Iamaleava transferred from Tennessee to UCLA, after not coming to an agreement on a pay raise in NIL money ahead of the 2025 season. This shocked the College Football world, as Iamaleava was one of the best and most talented starting QBs in the country, playing on a top program. This move immediately made him the #1 overall player in the 2024 transfer portal ahead of guys like Beck and Mateer. Iamaleava picked UCLA, which was an interesting move considering the program had a disappointing first year in the Big Ten, finishing with a record of 5-7. But Iamaleava has the talent and skillset to change that going into 2025.
On paper, Iamaleava has numerous traits and overall talent of an elite QB. Coming out of high school in 2023, he was a five-star and the #2 QB only behind Manning. He possesses a long, athletic 6’6” frame, has a great arm that allows him to put great velocity on the ball when he throws downfield, and he can also become a dual-threat in the run game. He was able in his first year starting, showcase his ability to make dynamic throws downfield, and quick one-read throws that keep defences on their toes, running a high-tempo pace, and being a unique vertical downhill offence at Tennessee. Where Iamaleava tended to struggle against top defences with this system was that he wasn’t able to let the plays fully develop, causing some slow reads as well as forced throws. Now that could be factored in with the unique playcalling at Tennessee, but at UCLA, Iamaleava will get to learn a fresh new offence that could be more catered to his skillset.
Overall, this transfer will be questioned all season long if Iamaleava can’t get into a groove early on and win games against top teams. Undoubtedly, he possesses all the tools necessary to be an elite QB, and has the potential to put up numbers as well as make plays that could put him into the Heisman conversations and on NFL Draft boards. When April comes around, Iamaleava can play himself into being a first or second-round pick.
4. Drew Allar, Senior, Penn State
2024 Stats: 16 Games, 3327 Passing Yards, 24 Passing Touchdowns, 8 INTs, 77.5 QBR
Allar has the potential to play himself into being one of the most talked about QBs, come NFL Draft time, as a top first-round selection. But in 2025, he has a lot to prove to NFL scouts and College Football fans that he can excel in big-time games against high-level competition. Going into his third year as a starter, Allar must utilize all the tools and experience he has gained in his previous seasons to put it all together and lead Penn State to a National Championship run. In his first two seasons, he proved that he belongs, posting a 23-6 record and throwing for 5,958 yards and 49 touchdowns. The dominance has been there, but when it comes to playing a top program, he can’t elevate his play enough to get the job done, having a 4-6 record against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll. That’s the narrative that is put upon him and his program: Penn State can’t win the big games.
Allar coming into Penn State was supposed to revive the QB position for the program, which hadn’t had enough talent at the position in previous years to get a shot at winning National Championships. Allar was the highest-rated QB commit in the program’s history. In his first two years starting, Allar showcased his strengths: His NFL QB frame, standing at 6’5”, and elite arm talent and accuracy from within the pocket, even with pressure; he is calm and smooth pushing the ball downfield, when he has time. He has overall thrived when it comes to running this system of offence, but needs to take some steps heading into his last season.
Allar needs to have better accuracy when he is moving in any sort of direction; his mistakes have come when he is forced to make any sudden movement out of his dropback, causing him to throw inaccurate balls downfield, that are on the run or off his back foot. His decision-making needs to improve if his first or second reads are not open; he must find a way to make something else happen that doesn’t involve making a force throw, which can lead to a mistake. These are fixable traits that will help elevate his game, especially when it comes to facing tougher defences.
The 2025 season, Allar will continue to develop and build off of a solid 2024 campaign and look to lead his program to its first National Championship in 38 years.
3. Garrett Nussmeier, Senior (RS), LSU
2024 Stats: 13 Games, 4052 Yards, 29 Passing Touchdowns, 12 INTs, 79.6 QBR
Nussmeier is a true gunslinging QB who is exciting to watch play the position. As a recruit, he was a four-star in the class of 2021, and had to wait three years as a backup behind Max Johnston (UNC), and Heisman winner and former #2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft Jayden Daniels. He waited patiently and got rewarded with the starting job in 2024, and started off firing on all cylinders, leading LSU 6-1 record before a tough 3-3 finish to end the season.
All of Nussmeier’s traits and skillset were displayed throughout the 2024 season. He can simply rip the ball and excels at making throws on the move with accuracy. On tape, his arm talent is clearly shown with his ability to drop in perfect passes with touch, thread the needle in zone coverages, and make amazing anticipation throws. Overall, a true threat that can burn defences downfield, make quick reads and decisions when getting the ball out of his hand, giving teams a hard time adjusting. He can extend plays with his feet, and no matter whether it’s on the move, off platform, or with pressure seeking, there’s not a throw he can’t make.
Returning for another season at LSU was the right call by Nussmeier, as he needs to fine-tune some aspects of his game that are crucial for his development to play at the next level. Where he struggled in 2024 was when the Tigers lost three straight games to Texas A&M, Alabama, and Florida. In these games, Nussmeier’s flaws and lack of experience were exposed, with a low completion percentage from trying to fire in force passes and make big plays, not reading the defence well enough, leading to inefficient offence as well as turnovers. Coming back allows Nussmeier to gain more experience, which NFL teams look for, and these flaws can be fixed throughout the year.
With the exciting and high-paced way Nussmeier plays, it automatically shoots him up into an early Heisman favourite. His last year won’t be easy, but it’s crucial that he continues to prove himself against high-level defences, as he will have to face: #4 Clemson, #15 Florida, #21 Ole Miss, #13 South Carolina, #19 Texas A&M, #8 Alabama, and #18 Oklahoma. This extra year of experience will prepare him for the next level, and if he performs, he is a future NFL starting-calibre QB.
2. LaNorris Sellers, Sophomore (RS), South Carolina
2024 Stats: 12 Games, 2534 Passing Yards, 18 Touchdowns, 7 INTs, 69.8 QBR
The sky is the limit for Sellers; with his playstyle and skillset, he can establish himself as a possible #1 pick come late April. In his first year, starting in 2024, Sellers got off to a slow start, but as the season progressed, he continued to develop and got much better, showing off his ability to play the QB position in the SEC Conference. This is bringing in a lot of hype and expectations heading into 2025.
Sellers plays tough and fast-paced; he’s a true dual-threat QB that will pose a challenge to any defence with his legs and his arm talent, and his solid frame at 6’3” and 242 pounds. He’s a truly gifted runner, having 674 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. He’s able to excel in designed run plays, escaping pressure, extending plays, and has great pocket awareness and movement for a young QB. His arm talent is off the charts; he can push the ball downfield and has great velocity when throwing, having solid accuracy in all three levels of the field.
The aspects of his game that he needs to work on are that he has to be able to read defences quicker. He also tends to hold onto the ball for too long, causing turnovers and sacks, as he was sacked 33 times, while also needing to protect the ball when he is running, as he had 11 fumbles.
Overall, when you watch Sellers play, the highs are really high, but the lows are low. Sellers has the potential to put up incredible numbers, have crazy highlight reel plays, and be talked about being the best QB in the country during the 2025 season. If he puts it all together, he will be a nightmare for defences to stop.
1. Cade Klubnik, Senior, Clemson
2024 Stats: 14 Games, 3639 Passing Yards, 36 Passing Touchdowns, 6 INTs, 78.7 QBR
Klubnik heading into 2025 tops the list and for very good reason, the former five-star and #1 QB recruit in 2022, took major strides last season in his second year starting. He possesses all the skills and traits of an elite QB and has already put them all on display. The one thing he is looking for is big-time statement wins and success deep into the playoffs for a shot at the National Championship.
Klubnik has the ability to air out the ball, with good touch and velocity, he has a quick and smooth release, and can stand in the pocket, take hits still be able to make the throw. His deep ball accuracy is near perfect, and he can give his receivers a chance to make a play on the ball. His overall arm talent and accuracy are near NFL-ready. Klubnik can also take care of the ball, and won’t panic when chaos ensues, and can extend the play to make something happen. He is also a dual-threat with great athleticism, can take off at any moment and pick up big yards.
What Klubnik needs to work on is letting the game come to him, focusing on reading the defences, trusting his reads, and ensuring that he is putting it all together. He has everything he needs to be successful; it’s just ensuring that he stays confident and focused throughout each game, to avoid falling into slumps, staying consistent throughout a game, not trying to force passes and taking what the defence gives him.
Overall, going into his third year starting for Klubnik is to gain more experience, polish his game, and get an opportunity to continue playing in high-stakes games. He has all the tools in his bag to be the best QB in the country, and this is his time as he has arrived as the premier QB of College Football trying to lead Clemson to a National Championship.