Greg McElroy releases polarizing Top 10 college football quarterback rankings

With the NFL Draft over, attention has turned to the 2025 college football season. Spring ball is wrapping up across the country as well, meaning rosters are beginning to take shape. A majority of programs have the quarterback position set in stone, despite a few battles taking place heading into fall.

ESPN’s Greg McElroy has decided to rank the top ones, recently giving out a top 10 list. All come from power conference schools. The SEC has the most representatives with four, while the ACC is not too far behind at three.

Before getting started, McElroy explained he did not want to project with this list. His goal was to get quarterbacks in there who have proven themselves against “top-tier teams” in the past. That being said, let’s check out the full list from McElroy.

1. Cade Klubnik, Clemson

Klubnik ended last season on a hot streak, helping Clemson win an ACC Championship and compete in the College Football Playoff. The former five-star rating finally seems to be coming to fruition for him.

Giving Klubnik weapons has been the issue in years past. However, the Tigers have done a great job bringing some talented wide receivers in. Mix in Klubnik entering Year 3 as the starter and the formula begins to come together.

2. John Mateer, Oklahoma

Brent Venables knew Oklahoma needed a massive upgrade at quarterback heading into next season. Mateer was the easy and obvious choice from the start, given his relationship with newly hired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.

Last year saw Washington State benefit from the duo of Arbuckle-Mateer. McElroy believes the Sooners will find similar success in what will be a critical 2025 campaign.

3. Sam Leavitt, Arizona State

Another College Football Playoff participant, Leavitt enjoyed a breakout 2024 season. The bar has now been raised — enough to where the Arizona State star rounds out the top three for McElroy.

Kenny Dillingham wants to keep the momentum rolling in Tempe for a long time. It all starts with what lies ahead this fall and Leavitt is the most important piece of the puzzle.

4. Drew Allar, Penn State

Allar was just one game away from leading Penn State to the national championship game. A good core of Nittany Lions players return for the 2025 season and none are bigger than him.

Similar to Klubnik, some wide receivers were needed to help Allar out. Penn State got active in the NCAA transfer portal this offseason, giving their former five-star QB some help. McElroy expects big things from Allar.

5. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

Putting his name into this year’s draft was an option for Nussmeier. Instead, the decision was to come back to Baton Rouge for his second full season as LSU’s starting quarterback.

Surpassing 4,000 yards with 25 touchdowns was a great first run for Nussmeier. Brian Kelly will now be looking to bring in the reins a little, hoping to up the completion percentage of 64.2% and see less than 12 interceptions.

6. Carson Beck, Miami

Beck leaves one of college football’s preeminent programs in Georgia and still steps into a place with massive expectations. Miami just saw Cam Ward go No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft, guiding Mario Cristobal‘s bunch to 10 wins.

An elbow injury means Beck did not participate in spring practice. He is expected to be cleared soon though, and be ready for the season opener against Notre Dame.

7. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina

Sellers is going to be a popular name over the next 12 months. Potentially not just in the college football world either, as the dynamic dual-threat quarterback walks into his third season of college football.

To this point on McElroy’s list, Sellers is the most inexperienced player. South Carolina is hoping the jump from Year 1 to Year 2 is a massive one, pushing them into SEC contention.

8. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor

Potentially one of the more underdiscussed guys out there, Robertson finds himself at No. 8 for McElroy. Head coach Dave Aranda could potentially have one of the sport’s top signal-callers.

Robertson began his career at Mississippi State but a move to Waco has worked out for him. Over 3,000 yards, 28 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions is something Baylor would take again in a heartbeat.

9. DJ Lagway, Florida

Florida is getting a ton of preseason hype and Lagway is a big reason why. When he took over as the Gators’ full-time starter, success followed with four straight wins to end the year.

Injuries might be a concern for Lagway, currently dealing with a shoulder problem. Even so, plenty of people, not just McElroy, are high on what the sophomore can do.

10. Haynes King, Georgia Tech

King will begin the 2025 season with nearly 30 career starts under his belt, split between Georgia Tech and Texas A&M. Between COVID-19 and a redshirt year, this will be year No. 6 for King in college football.

Brent Key deployed King for 2,114 yards, 14 touchdowns, and only two interceptions while completing nearly 73% of throws. You can add 11 more touchdowns and 587 yards on the ground.