College QB Power Rankings: CBS Sports ranks Top 10 quarterbacks ahead of 2025 season

March is here and with it comes the return of Spring football. It’s not like anything more important is going on in the world of collegiate athletics — that’s just madness.

But with the return of college football to a practice field near you, CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli took the opportunity to break down the sport’s Top 10 quarterbacks. And with several of the biggest brands in college football — namely Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Oregon and defending national champion Ohio State — facing uncertain quarterback competitions this offseason, Fornelli was forced to go a little outside the box for his quarterback power ranking.

Check out CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli’s College Football QB Power Rankings Top 10 list below:

1. Arch Manning, Texas Longhorns

Fornelli went rogue by selecting “the biggest name in the sport” at No. 1 overall, and that’s undoubtedly the next Manning scion. Arch — the grandson of NFL legend Archie Manning and nephew of Hall of Fame QBs Peyton and Eli Manning — is the former 2023 No. 1 overall recruit that is taking over the reins of the potent Texas offense after two seasons of backing up Quinn Ewers. And expectations are sky-high for Arch Manning, who is currently tied as the odds-on favorite to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy.

Fornelli: “Of all the QBs on this list, Manning is the least accomplished on the field. … 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. Cade Klubnik, Clemson Tigers

Any other year, Klubnik would have a great case to be No. 1 in Fornelli’s QB power ranking, especially given how well the veteran Clemson quarterback closed out the 2024 season. Klubnik broke out in his second full season as the Tigers’ QB1 with a career-high 3,639 passing yards and 43 total touchdowns to just six interceptions while leading Clemson back to the College Football Playoff. If he continues to show progress, Klubnik could make his own Heisman Trophy case in 2025.

Fornelli: “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. … Unless Clemson starts winning those games while Klubnik plays well, he’ll never reach No. 1 in these rankings.”

3. Carson Beck, Miami Hurricanes

The former Georgia quarterback has taken his talents to South Beach, and will look to improve on what expected 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward accomplished in his lone season at Miami. And while his disappointing 2024 ended on a sour note with an elbow injury, Beck has all the traits that had some projecting him at the No. 1 overall. With a pro-ready frame and a career 68.7 completion percentage to go along with 56 career touchdowns, Beck appears primed for a bounce-back season in Coral Gables.

Fornelli: “Carson Beck’s elbow injury in the SEC Championship Game derailed Georgia’s season. … Now he’s truly gone, having transferred to Miami to drive (and lose) expensive cars with his famous girlfriend. … 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. Drew Allar, Penn State Nittany Lions

While scouts were hoping he’d leave early for the NFL, Allar instead opted to return to Happy Valley in an effort to take the Nittany Lions to the promised land. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Allar has the physical frame and cannon for an arm that has NFL teams salivating at the chance to take him in 2025. If Allar continues his development, and even takes his game to another level, it’ll mean big things for Penn State.

Fornelli: “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. … Still, the talent remains, and if he has a breakthrough this season, Penn State might make a lot of noise.”

5. Sam Leavitt, Arizona State Sun Devils

Leavitt, the former four-star Michigan State transfer, didn’t draw nearly the attention of his backfield mate Cam Skattebo last season, not that he wasn’t deserving. Leavitt proved a steady hand for the Sun Devils, throwing for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns to just six interceptions in 2024. With Skattebo heading to the NFL, Arizona State officially becomes Leavitt’s team and that could bode well in the Big 12.

Fornelli: “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. … 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. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU Tigers

After two seasons as LSU’s backup, Nussmeier finally got a turn at the Tigers’ QB1 mantle and didn’t disappoint in 2024, throwing for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns last season. That said, Nussmeier will need to improve on his decision-making after throwing an SEC-worst 12 interceptions. Should Nussmeier make strides in that department, LSU could be in for a return to the CFP in 2025.

Fornelli: “Oh, Garrett, I’ll never stop being enamored with that cannon attached to your torso, nor should you. … 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.”

7. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina Gamecocks

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Sellers was a revelation as a freshman last season in Columbia, earning multiple Freshman of the Year honors while accounting for more than 3,200 total yards and 25 touchdowns in 2024. That included his breakout 353-yard, five-touchdown game against Missouri in mid-November. South Carolina’s chances of finally making the CFP field rest squarely on Sellers broad shoulders.

Fornelli: “Sellers will be one of the more fascinating cases in 2025. He’s ultra-athletic and extremely talented. … The problem is that many never develop as passers, though the ones who do become legends. … 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. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor Bears

While much of the 2024 Big 12 QB conversation revolved around Colorado‘s Shedeur Sanders, Robertson quietly kept the Bears in the league mix with 3,071 yards and 28 touchdowns last season. And the 6-foot-4 Robertson got better as the season progressed with 17 touchdowns during Baylor’s six-game straight to close out the regular season.

Fornelli: “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. Rocco Becht, Iowa State Cyclones

Becht — the son of former NFL tight end Anthony Becht — sparked the Cyclones’ late-season push to make the Big 12 championship game before falling to Leavitt and the Sun Devils. Becht’s 3,505 passing yards and 25 touchdowns ranked in the Top 5 in the Big 12 last season. But, if Iowa State is going to make another CFP push in 2025, Becht will need to improve on his 59.4 completion percentage.

Fornelli: “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 has truly inherited the Brock Purdy Throne and run with it in Ames.”

10. DJ Lagway, Florida Gators

Outside of Manning, Lagway enters 2025 with the most hype after the true freshman practically single-handedly saved the job of beleaguered Gators head coach Billy Napier last season. After taking over as Florida’s QB1 following a midseason injury to Graham Mertz, Lagway went 6-1 over his seven starts and totaled 1,915 passing yards and 12 scores. Now the guy, the future of the Gators program clearly rests on Lagway’s shoulders.

Fornelli: “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.”

Honorable Mentions: Luke Altmyer, Illinois Fighting Illini; Avery Johnson, Kansas State Wildcats; Kevin Jennings, SMU Mustangs; Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Hoosiers; Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt Commodores.