This is March, and March means one thing in the world of college sports and one thing only: It’s time to rank college football quarterbacks!
Spring practices, which still exist at the moment, are beginning across the country. Some are already underway. With spring practice comes position battles, and while they’re all important, none receive nearly as much attention as the competition at QB. This spring, in particular, is quite interesting. Many of the top programs in the country, the ones that compete annually for national titles, are having QB competitions.
We don’t know who the starting QB will be when Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame or Oregon will be this fall. And these QB Power Rankings, which are highly scientific and can read a vibe like no other, will not include anybody from these schools. Yes, we expect Julian Sayin and Gunner Stockton to win the jobs at Ohio State and Georgia, respectively, but they haven’t won them yet. And if you haven’t won the job, how much power do you have?
2025 Heisman Trophy contenders, pretenders: Texas’ Arch Manning, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith lead list
Will Backus
2025 Heisman Trophy contenders, pretenders: Texas’ Arch Manning, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith lead list
Thankfully, there are plenty of QBs with power, and our March check-in leads with one who doesn’t have much experience on the field but has plenty in the spotlight.
QB Power Rankings
1
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Arch Manning
TEXAS LONGHORNS QB
Of all the QBs on this list, Manning is the least accomplished on the field. He hasn’t led his team to a conference title or the College Football Playoff (though one can argue Texas doesn’t accomplish this things without him last year), but if you were to ask who the biggest name in the sport is at QB heading into 2025, it’d be Arch Manning. There’s been so much anticipation for his career since he was a high schooler, and this fall, we’ll all finally get to see him at the helm of the Texas offense.
2
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Cade Klubnik
CLEMSON TIGERS QB
It is I, Noted Cade Klubnik Hater Tom Fornelli, putting Klubnik at No. 2 in the spring QB Power Rankings. Listen, I’m not excited about it, but I can’t deny the finish to the season Klubnik had. He had a nightmare performance against Georgia to begin the year but played extremely well to close out the season against South Carolina, SMU and Clemson’s playoff loss to Texas. Alas, therein lies the rub. Klubnik played well, but Clemson lost two of those games. Unless Clemson starts winning those games while Klubnik plays well, he’ll never reach No. 1 in these rankings.
3
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Carson Beck
GEORGIA BULLDOGS QB
Carson Beck’s elbow injury in the SEC Championship Game derailed Georgia’s season. The ‘Dawgs hung on to win the game, but their national title hopes were lost the moment Beck was gone. Now he’s truly gone, having transferred to Miami to drive (and lose) expensive cars with his famous girlfriend. All of these things matter in the QB Power Rankings! Of course, the influencer life will only carry him so far. He’ll actually need to play well with the Hurricanes to remain this high, and I wonder which version of Beck we’ll see in Miami — the guy from 2023 or the one from 2024. The former would be best.
4
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Drew Allar
PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS QB
Allar is a Rorschach test of a QB, and at times, it can be hard to defend him. He’s über-talented and shows flashes of brilliance, but while Penn State reached the semifinals of the College Football Playoff, one could argue they did so in spite of Allar. In three playoff games, he completed only 54.3% of his passes for 6.2 yards per attempt and three touchdowns. And all three touchdowns came against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal. Still, the talent remains, and if he has a breakthrough this season, Penn State might make a lot of noise.
5
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Sam Leavitt
ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS QB
Leavitt spent last season in the short, thick and round shadow of Cam Skattebo, but if Arizona State is to remain in contention to win the Big 12 and get back to the playoff, he’ll need to carry more of the load. I expect Arizona State’s offensive philosophy won’t change much overall, but we’ll see more put on Leavitt’s plate. And we should. He was a monster over the back half of the season as he grew more comfortable and is poised to take a significant step forward in 2025.
6
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Garrett Nussmeier
LSU TIGERS QB
Oh, Garrett, I’ll never stop being enamored with that cannon attached to your torso, nor should you. Of course, considering the throws I see you unleash at times, I don’t think I need to worry about it on your end. It’s clear you love that thing, and you love to show it off, which is what I love about you. However, it may be better for your draft stock and LSU’s ability to compete in the SEC if you harness it a little. Or don’t. It’s cool. You’re still here, right?
7
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LaNorris Sellers
SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS QB
Sellers will be one of the more fascinating cases in 2025. He’s ultra-athletic and extremely talented, but we’ve seen plenty of similar stories in college football over the years. The problem is that many never develop as passers, though the ones who do become legends (and occasionally beat Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowls). Sellers has that kind of ceiling, and with the amount of contributors the Gamecocks need to replace from last year’s team, he’ll need to take that step forward.
8
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Sawyer Robertson
BAYLOR BEARS QB
I saw a tweet a few weeks ago about how nobody ever talks about Sawyer Robertson, and it made me so angry. Robertson appeared in these rankings multiple times last season! True Ball Knowers are well aware of Sawyer Robertson! He’s the primary reason I see Baylor as a legitimate threat in the Big 12 after he finished with 3,301 total yards and 23 total touchdowns in his final eight starts last year.
9
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Rocco Becht
IOWA STATE CYCLONES QB
You can’t have a QB Power Ranking without at least one MOXIE AND GRIT guy, and Becht happily slides into that role. What I love about Becht is he’s liable to do anything at any given time. He could unleash the most picturesque pass you’ve ever seen, or he might make a decision that’s so awful you’d think he saw a spider on the football and just wanted to get away from it. He has truly inherited the Brock Purdy Throne and run with it in Ames.
10
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DJ Lagway
FLORIDA GATORS QB
I had to include Lagway in the rankings because he’s poised to have an outsized impact on the 2025 season. If he approaches the potential that saw him ranked as the No. 1 QB in the 2024 recruiting class, Florida just might be back. If he doesn’t, we’re going to get so many Billy Napier hot-seat articles and Florida coaching candidates lists. Not to mention transfer rumors. There’s a lot riding on Lagway’s shoulder, but they’re quite broad, so I believe he can handle it.
Honorable Mention: Luke Altmyer, Illinois; Avery Johnson, Kansas State; Kevin Jennings, SMU; Fernando Mendoza, Indiana; Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt