Seven college football quarterback battles to watch this spring

With spring practices getting underway across the country, quarterback battles are going to be the biggest storylines throughout. Some of the biggest named programs will have competitions, with head coaches having important decisions to make before their season openers.

CBS Sports laid out seven different quarterback battles to watch this spring. Spanning from the ACC’s biggest power to four different SEC programs, the upcoming college football season could change based on the results of these competitions.

College football quarterback battles to watch

Clemson Tigers

D.J. Uiagalelei, Cade Klubnik – Both former five-star prospects, Uiagalelei will come into spring practice with a year of starting experience from the 2021 season. However, he did not live up to the expectations of previous Clemson quarterbacks, completing 55.6% of his throws and having more interceptions than touchdowns. Klubnik will enter camp with lofty expectations, being the No. 3 quarterback in the 2022 class and leading Austin Westlake High School to their third consecutive state championship. Head coach Dabo Swinney has an important season upcoming and figuring out the quarterback position will be the top priority.

Texas Longhorns

Hudson Card, Quinn Ewers – Heading into Year Two of head coach Steve Sarkisian, he is dealing with another quarterback battle. This time, it’s both in-state prospects with Card being the Austin native and Ewers being from the DFW metroplex. However, Ewers is transferring into the program from Ohio State, coming with lofty expectations as one of the highest-ranked quarterbacks in recruiting history. As for Card, he was shuffled in and out of the lineup last season before dealing with an injury. Sarkisian will have to make his decision and stick to it, needing stability at the position for the 2022 season.

Texas A&M Aggies

Haynes King, Max Johnson, Conner Weigman – King outright won the starting job last season before suffering an injury in the Aggies’ second game of the season against Colorado. Now, he will have some competition with a couple of newcomers. Johnson comes into the program via the LSU Tigers, where he was last seen beating Texas A&M on Thanksgiving weekend. Weigman as a true freshman will be the biggest name on campus, being ranked a five-star prospect and the No. 2 quarterback in the 2022 class by the On3 Consensus. A rare three quarterback race, where head coach Jimbo Fisher decides to go will change the trajectory of his program for the next few years.

Oregon Ducks

Bo Nix, Ty Thompson, Jay Butterfield – Two young quarterbacks have brought excitement to Euguene, with Thompson and Butterfield also competing for the job last season. While Anthony Brown ended up winning and starting all season, the two will have another opportunity to make a name for themselves. In their way is another veteran transfer in Bo Nix. New head coach Dan Lanning brought a little bit of SEC flair with him as Nix has been a starter in the league for three seasons. It could be viewed as his job to lose unless the two inexperienced quarterbacks can make a push throughout spring.

LSU Tigers

Jayden Daniels, Myles Brennan, Garrett Nussmeier – Brian Kelly has been aggressive in filling out his quarterback room, hitting the transfer portal two different ways. Daniels was a surprise commit after deciding to leave Arizona State, while Brennan entered the portal and was pulled back into the program by Kelly. As for Nussmeier, he decided to keep his redshirt season alive by only playing in four games last season. Two of the three could be considered short-term, possible one-year solutions while Nussmeier would have a long-term plan for Kelly.

Florida Gators

Anthony Richardson, Jack Miller – Emory Jones was originally listed by CBS in the competition but since then, the quarterback has entered the transfer portal. First-year head coach Billy Napier will now have to choose between Richardson and Miller, another Ohio State transfer as a result of CJ Stroud winning the job. Richardson was a fan favorite last season, playing in seven games and displaying his dual-threat ability. However, Miller will enter camp wanting to prove himself as more of a pro-style quarterback. Napier has two different styles to work with and can mold his offense how he sees fit based on the decision.

Auburn Tigers

T.J. Finley, Zach Calzada – With Bo Nix out of the program, it’s going to be a new era for Auburn. A few quarterbacks transferred in but Calzada is the biggest name from Texas A&M. He is best well known for beating the Alabama Crimson Tide last season, something the Tigers have done on the road in over a decade. Finley will have something to say about that, though, as he ended the year as the starter. Head coach Bryan Harsin desperately needs to improve on offense and with the offseason flip flop at offensive coordinator, the decision will come down to him.