JD PicKell projects the top QB to WR duos for the 2024 college football season

On3’s JD PicKell projected the top QB to WR duos for the 2024 college football season and there are some fascinating combinations.

These are combos that can make or break offenses, being the biggest difference between wins and losses. Plus, they can certainly be the most exciting.

Here are the top QB-WR duos in college football this season, per PicKell.

1. Quinn Ewers to Isaiah Bond – Texas

Here’s your top combo going into the 2024 season, featuring a Heisman candidate and an Alabama transfer. Bond is electric and he only adds to the Longhorns’ offense.

Bond spent two years at Alabama, compiling 65 catches, 888 yards, five touchdowns and 13.7 yards per catch. But he had 48 catches last year, vastly improving. Ewers threw 22 touchdowns and nearly 3,500 yards in 2023.

2. Brady Cook to Luther Burden III – Missouri

Burden might be the most electric wide receiver in college football this season, depending upon who you ask. He has a veteran in Cook back under center to throw him the football.

Cook tossed a career high 21 touchdowns last season and 3,317 yards. As far as Burden, he was a beast with 86 catches, 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns.

3. Dillon Gabriel to Tez Johnson – Oregon

Gabriel transferred into Eugene for his final collegiate season after stellar years at UCF and Oklahoma throughout his career. There’s no reason to expect 2024 will be any different.

Johnson truly broke out in 2023 in his first year at Oregon. He had 86 catches for 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns. That’ll help Gabriel, who can regular throw 30+ touchdowns in a season.

4. Noah Fifita to Tetairoa McMillan – Arizona

Fifita turned a lot of heads last season when he threw for almost 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. He’ll have quite the weapon to hook up with this fall, putting them in the top five of QB-WR duos.

McMillan helped him out in 2023. He finished the year with 90 catches for 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns. Expect more of the same.

5. Shedeur Sanders to Travis Hunter – Colorado

Sanders and Colorado made a lot of headlines last season on and off the field. One thing’s for sure, Sanders played as well as he could behind a porous offensive line.

He threw for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns and three interceptions. Hunter, who plays both ways, could be the best player in college football if he stays healthy. As a receiver last year, Hunter had 57 catches, 721 yards and five touchdowns.

6. Garrett Nussmeier to Kyren Lacy – LSU

Nussmeier takes over for Jayden Daniels but people know about the arm talent. It’ll help that Lacy could be his top option this fall.

In limited action in his career, Nussmeier is 129-of-219 (58.9%) passing for 1,720 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Lacy broke out last year with 30 catches, 558 yards, seven touchdowns and 18.6 yards per catch. Perhaps he can go over 20 yards on average!

7. Nico Iamaleava to Squirrel White – Tennessee

Iamaleava is the new quarterback but there’s a lot of hype around the five-star QB. So as far as QB-WR duos are concerned, this one could be fascinating. 

White also broke out last season, like some wide receivers on this list. He had 67 catches, 803 yards, two touchdowns and 12 yards per catch. He didn’t score a lot, but he was more productive and another leap is expected in 2024.

8. Cam Ward to Xavier Restrepo – Miami

Ward spent the last two seasons at Washington State and put his name on the map as a dual-threat quarterback. But he highlights one of the best QB-WR duos this year.

In two years at the Division 1 level, Ward has 6,968 yards, 48 touchdowns, 16 interceptions and a 65.5% completion percentage. Restrepo had his best year in 2023, catching 85 passes for 1,092 yards, six touchdowns and 12.8 yards per catch.

9. Will Howard to Emeka Egbuka – Ohio State

Howard is the new guy in town after transferring in from Kansas State while Egbuka’s been in Columbus for a bit. This should be a fun QB-WR duo.

Howard’s best year was 2023 with the Wildcats, throwing for 2,643 yards, 24 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 61.3% completion percentage. Egbuka had a career year in 2022 but has a three-year stat line of 124 catches, 1,857 yards, 14 touchdowns and 15 yards per catch.

10. Carson Beck to Dominic Lovett – Georgia

Beck is considered one of the Heisman favorites going into the 2024 season and Lovett could very well help him get the award. In his first year as a starter, Beck threw for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns, six interceptions and a 72.4% completion percentage.

Lovett was a part of Georgia’s squad in 2023 after two years at Missouri. Over the course of his career, Lovett has 138 catches, 1,636 yards, seven touchdowns and 11.9 yards per catch.

So there you have it. Those are the top 10 QB-WR duos going into 2024 according to On3’s JD PicKell. You gotta wonder how this list will hold up going into the season as far as who will move up and down.