ESPN ranks Top 10 quarterbacks in college football

As spring ball begins to wrap up for various teams around the country, there’s even more clarity on who has what going into the 2024 season. And at quarterback, there are dozens of programs that feel really comfortable with their situation going into the fall.

ESPN took the time to rank the top 10 returning quarterbacks earlier this week in a full-length article. There are several good ones, but the list is sure to invite at least some controversy.

Let’s take a look at who ESPN has ranked as the top 10 quarterbacks in the country going into next season. We begin below.

1. Carson Beck, Georgia

Beck is coming off a phenomenal season, one in which he helped make the transition from Stetson Bennett to him an afterthought. He stepped right in and had no issues commanding the team, playing quite well throughout the season as Georgia reached the SEC Championship Game.

The 6-foot-4 senior will be looking to take his game to the next level in 2024 after throwing for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. Beck even ran for four scores last season, showing some mobility when called on.

2. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon

The transfer portal giveth and the transfer portal taketh away. Oklahoma was on the wrong end of a two-time transfer when it lost Gabriel to Oregon this offseason. The Ducks, on the other hand, just got a quality starting quarterback.

Gabriel is one of the best dual-threat prospects in the country. He’s also one of the most experienced. He’s had four seasons now throwing for at least 3,000 yards, while he has racked up 26 career rushing touchdowns across his five seasons in college.

3. Quinn Ewers, Texas

Few returning quarterbacks will be as hungry as Ewers, who helped guide his team to a College Football Playoff appearance in 2023 after beating Alabama during the regular season. That playoff appearance didn’t quite go how Ewers wanted it to, despite it being a thrilling game for fans to take in.

Ewers has all the tools to be a monster this fall. Better, Texas has loaded him up with weapons via the transfer portal, adding Isaiah Bond and Amari Niblack from Alabama, Silas Bolden from Oregon State and Matthew Golden from Houston. Ewers should have no shortage of options as he looks to build on a 3,400-yard, 22-touchdown campaign.

4. Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Arguably no quarterback had a better improvement during the course of the season than Milroe, who was benched just two games into the season and then returned to emerge as a fringe Heisman Trophy candidate. Milroe seems to be understanding his fit in the offense, too, knowing when to challenge defenses with his dynamic legs.

The real question will be how Alabama utilizes him in its new offense under head coach Kalen DeBoer. If Milroe can make a quick transition there’s little reason to doubt him as one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC, if not the entire country.

5. Noah Fifita, Arizona

Speaking of up-and-comers, the Arizona signal caller was excellent after taking the reins early in the 2023 season. Fifita didn’t get quite as much game time as some of the others on this list, but he was playing deadly football by year’s end.

Fifita finished with 2,896 yards passing and 25 touchdowns, despite not playing in every game. He also threw only six interceptions, showing he could be trusted with the football even when flinging it around with a high volume of throws. He’s definitely one to watch in 2024.

6. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss

Dart had a really strong season for Ole Miss last fall but it still feels like he’s only just scratching the surface of his enormous potential. He’s one of the most interesting quarterback prospects in the game, having a good ability to move around in the pocket and make things happen when plays break down.

The Ole Miss standout also has some of his top pass-catchers back in the likes of Tre Harris and Caden Prieskorn, which should go a long way toward picking up where he left off. Dart threw for 3,364 yards and 23 touchdowns last year. Don’t be surprised if both totals go up considerably this fall.

7. Jalon Daniels, Kansas

Health, health, health. That’s the one thing that has been holding back Daniels the past two years. When he’s on the field he’s electric, but far too often he’s been kept off it by injury. He needs that to change if he’s going to justify this ranking in 2024.

Daniels has plenty of experience at this point. He passed for 2,014 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2022, when he had most of a full season. He has the rushing ability to be real nuisance when he wants to be, too. Again, it really is just a matter of whether or not he can remain healthy.

8. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

Sanders found his way onto some early Heisman Trophy watch lists a year ago as Colorado came out of the gates hot. He found it harder to maintain that level of hype once the depth began to wear down and it was clear Sanders had to make plays if the Buffaloes were going to win games.

For Sanders in 2024 it’s all about how much additional help he can get. Colorado’s had an interesting program-building philosophy, relying much more heavily on the transfer portal than the recruiting ranks. We’ll see if that helps Sanders a bit more in 2024 after he has thrown for 10,193 yards and 97 touchdowns over the last three years.

9. Cameron Rising, Utah

Rising missed the entire 2023 season due to injury, unable to return even if only briefly. But the good news is he should be in great shape to make a real return this fall, healthy once again. Rising has some serious ability, too.

He’s a dual-threat prospect who has run for nearly 900 yards in his previous two campaigns, to go along with 12 touchdowns. He has also thrown for more than 5,500 yards, with 46 touchdowns against just 13 interceptions. It may take a little time to get back up to speed again, but once he does, expect Rising to be among the nation’s best yet again.

10. Cameron Ward, Miami

One of only two 2024 transfers on the list, Ward makes his second move, going to Miami after previously going from Incarnate Word to Washington State. Ward proved with the Cougars he could play at a power conference level. Not only that, but he can do so at a high level.

Ward threw for 3,735 yards and 25 touchdowns last season, while throwing only seven interceptions. He also ran for eight scores, though his overall yardage totals on the ground were relatively small. Now at Miami, he’ll have a chance to step in and immediately lead an offense with some weapons.

There you have it, ESPN’s Top 10 quarterbacks going into the 2024 season. The list is sure to change as the year goes on and certain players rise to play above expectations and others disappoint. For now, though, it’s a pretty good sampling of the best at the game’s most important position.