Joel Klatt reveals his top five quarterbacks in college football

Week 1 of the 2024 college football season is finally ready to kickoff. With that, analyst Joel Klatt revealed his top five quarterbacks in all of college football during an episode of The Joel Klatt Show.

There’s not necessarily a formula to how Klatt ranks his quarterbacks. It’s not based on their statistics or the success of their team last season. Instead, it’s an opinion from Klatt. However, among the things that he clearly holds in high regard for these quarterbacks are experience, ball security, and a proven ability to succeed. He also shared some of his reasoning for each of the players he chose.

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Here is a look at that list of the top-five quarterbacks in all of college football, according to Joel Klatt.

1. Carson Beck, Georgia

Carson Beck comes into the 2024 season as the top-ranked quarterback that Joel Klatt has in his rankings. He’s now in his second season as the starter at Georgia where he’ll look to build on last year to try and win the SEC and bring the Bulldogs back to the College Football Playoff. Certainly, he looks ready to compete at that level.

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Last season, Beck threw for 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns while completing 72.4 percent of his passes. He’s a player that Klatt says gives Georgia as a team in the number one ranking in the country before the games are played. He also added, “He is really accurate but he’s got to make up for some weapons that he does not have around him…but they’ve got talent, so he’s gonna have a good year.” That year could turn into an excellent one quickly for Beck, especially if he gets Georgia back to the Playoff.

2. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

Now in his second season with the Colorado Buffaloes, Shedeur Sanders is widely considered one of the best quarterbacks in the college game. Plenty of others expect him to make his impact felt in the NFL one day too. For now, he’s looking to be the key player in Colorado’s efforts to turn the program around and compete at the top of the Big 12.

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Last season, Colorado had issues on offense around Sanders, particularly the lack of offensive line or running game success. Still, he was able to flash potential. As Klatt said, “He became one of the most efficient and accurate quarterbacks that we had in college football football. If you really watched this guy and you watch him play and you watch him operate, his accuracy down the field, his decision making, he takes care of the ball…Shedeur Sanders is an excellent player.”

3. Cam Rising, Utah

Joel Klatt’s number three quarterback is someone who he feels “has gotten totally forgotten” going into 2024 thanks to not playing in 2023 with injury issues. That’s Cam Rising, the quarterback at Utah. He had been phenomenal in years prior but the injury does leave plenty of reason to be concerned. Despite that, Klatt is all in on the veteran signal caller.

In particular, Klatt praised Rising for how much success Utah has had under Rising, with him being widely considered one of the best quarterbacks in the game at one point and taking Utah to two Rose Bowls. Now in his seventh year and with talent around him, he should be able to thrive in the Big 12 this season.

4. Quinn Ewers, Texas

Quinn Ewers came into college as one of the most anticipated quarterbacks in his recruiting class. Now, he’s a proven starter who led Texas to the College Football Playoff in 2023. Now, as he leads the Longhorns into the SEC, he’s hoping to find a way to replicate that success this season.

Now, Ewers is looking to take a step forward. That’s something Klatt thinks he can do, even if it won’t be easy. Klatt explained, “I think he just takes another step. I understand there’s some pieces around him that he’s gonna have to navigate.” Those pieces around him to navigate include injuries to the running backs, a talented quarterback behind him, and that SEC schedule. At the same time, he’s “comfortable and confident” at Texas.

5. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel brings plenty of experience to Eugene. Now in his sixth college season and on his third team, Gabriel has put up massive numbers in his career with 14,865 yards through the air and 125 passing touchdowns going into the season.

Klatt explained, “Dillon Gabriel, I think, is going to have a phenomenal season for Oregon…now you get into that experience factor, which you know is a big factor for me.” Gabriel is looking to replace Bo Nix and help the Ducks find immediate success in the Big Ten. That’s something Klatt thinks he can do, largely because of how he fits into the offense at Oregon.

In all likelihood, the five quarterbacks that Joel Klatt has ranked here won’t be his top five in this order by the end of the season. After all, things change and players can surprise you. Still, for now, this is a good snapshot of where things currently stand.