On3 ranks Florida among the top 10 quarterback units in 2024
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s quarterback room is one of the team’s biggest strengths for 2024, and On3 thinks the unit is among the best in the country.
National college football columnist Jesse Simonton launched a summer series on Wednesday evaluating 2024 positional unit rankings, starting with QB.
His top 10 list consisted of seven SEC schools, two Big Ten teams and Notre Dame. Texas tops the rankings with Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning.
Simonton ranks the Gators’ quarterback room at No. 9 nationally, behind LSU and ahead of Texas A&M. Here’s what he had to say about the Florida QBs:
“The Gators have one of the more intriguing quarterback situations in 2024. Graham Mertz returns, and the former Wisconsin transfer was much better than most expected last season (20 touchdowns to just three interceptions, 73% completion).
Still, waiting in the wings is 5-star freshman DJ Lagway, who opted to hold his commitment to Billy Napier despite the head coach’s much-rumored hot seat. Lagway impressed in the spring and could push for playing time early in 2024 — despite Mertz’s strong debut season in Gainesville just a year ago.”
Among starting quarterbacks returning for 2024, Mertz ranks No. 2 nationally in completion percentage, tied for No. 2 in fewest interceptions, No. 11 in passer rating (157.8) and No. 17 in passing yards per game (263.9).
Lagway was the consensus No. 1 QB in the 2024 class and collected numerous national awards, including National Gatorade Player of the Year, Bobby Dodd National Back of the Year and MaxPreps Player of the Year.
UF’s quarterback room also includes Colorado State transfer Clay Millen, a redshirt junior who worked this spring as the third-string QB. He completed 7 of 8 pass attempts for 21 yards in the Orange & Blue Game.
Here is Simonton’s 2024 quarterback unit rankings:
- Texas (QBs Quinn Ewers, Arch Manning and Trey Owens)
- Ohio State (QBs Will Howard, Devin Brown, Julian Sayin and Air Noland)
- Oregon (QBs Dillon Gabriel, Dante Moore, Luke Moga and Austin Novosad)
- Georgia (QBs Carson Beck, Gunner Stockton, Jaden Rashada and Ryan Puglisi)
- Alabama (QBs Jalen Milroe, Austin Mack, Ty Simpson and Dylan Lonergan)
- Notre Dame (QBs Riley Leonard, CJ Carr and Steve Angeli)
- Ole Miss (QBs Jaxson Dart, Walker Howard and Austin Simmons)
- LSU (QBs Garrett Nussmeier, AJ Swann, Rickie Collins and Colin Hurley)
- Florida (QBs Graham Mertz, DJ Lagway and Clay Millen)
- Texas A&M (QBs Connor Weigman, Jaylen Henderson and Marcel Reed)
