Quarterback Dominoes: 2025 passers beginning to come off the board

Three months remain until the biggest date of the 2024 recruiting cycle — the first day of the Early Signing Period — but things are already rolling along in the 2025 class. And particularly when it comes to quarterback dominoes beginning to fall.

Of the nation’s top 10 passers in the On3 Industry Ranking, five are already committed almost 15 months out from when they can sign. If you expand to the top 20, nine are already accounted for.

The nation’s top two players at the position, Bryce Underwood and George MacIntyre, are still on the board though, and things are getting very interesting with some new contenders in the race.

Colorado surging for No. 1 Bryce Underwood

Coming out of the summer, Michigan and LSU looked to be the two programs in best position to land Five-Star Plus+ QB and No. 1 overall prospect Bryce Underwood. Each program has a longstanding relationship with him and has made him their top target in the cycle. But a new contender has emerged — in a big way. Colorado, led by Deion Sanders and his quarterback son, Shedeur Sanders, have taken college football by storm.

And the Underwoods have taken notice. Bryce visited Boulder last weekend as the Buffaloes hosted Colorado State, moving up his planned visit from Sept. 30. Michigan will look to get him back on campus for a game this fall, and The Bengal Tiger’s Shea Dixon reports that he is expected to be at LSU for the Auburn game on October 14. Underwood has a tentative commitment date set in January, so there’s still time for moves to be made.

But the Buffaloes are coming, and the younger Sanders performance has opened a lot of eyes. Early playing time in Boulder would almost certainly be available, and the excitement around that program from a national perspective is hard to deny.

This weekend though, Underwood will be at Penn State as the Nittany Lions look to break into that top group as well.

SEC schools battling for George MacIntyre

LSU’s other top target is MacIntyre, the No. 13 overall player in the class and No. 2 quarterback. He is expected to visit the Tigers this weekend, and he told On3’s Josh Newberg earlier this month that he has a very strong connection with quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan.

“Coach Sloan, he’s one of the best out there. He’s a great recruiter, great coach, great guy,” MacIntyre said. “And I’ve really enjoyed being at LSU. I’ve got a couple friends down there now that are also recruits and a couple are committed. It’s been great going down there and I’ve talked to Coach Kelly quite a bit. It’s kind of a family feel with their staff.”

As of now though, the two teams that look to be in the best position with the Nashville (Tenn.) Brentwood Academy star are Alabama and Tennessee. He visited the Crimson Tide earlier this month and was also at Tennessee’s first game in Nashville.

“My interest in Bama is very high,” MacIntyre told On3’s Chad Simmons. “I love it more every time I go. They are still Alabama, despite one loss.”

No commitment timeline is in place, but MacIntyre told Newberg he plans to have a decision before his senior season.

Deuce Knight comes off the board to Notre Dame

One team who will no longer be in the market for an arm is Notre Dame, which landed On3’s No. 4 QB in the class, Deuce Knight, earlier this week. Knight recently moved back to Mississippi after a stint at Nashville’s Lipscomb Academy, and he was a top target for Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin, as well as Tennessee.

The Fighting Irish were also trending with four-star Bear Bachmeier, but he’ll now look at some other options, including Michigan. The Wolverines have been all-in on Bryce Underwood, but are expected to host Bachmeier in the near future.

Florida in the mix for a few coveted signal-callers

One of the most coveted arms in the class and On3’s No. 3 passer is Fort Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot star Carter Smith. Miami, Florida and Florida State have all pursued the state’s top QB, but Penn State is also making a strong push, Smith told Simmons.

“I visited Penn State for the first time in June and it was great,” he said. “I spent the day there and I got to tour the gorgeous campus, see the stadium, look at the facilities and meet the coaches. The biggest highlight was probably the people. All were so welcoming to me and my family and that stood out. I got to spend time with Coach Mike Yurcich and Coach Slim (Chris Mahon). They are great guys and Coach Slim is my guy. Coach Yurcich is great too. He is such a smart coach and we had a great meeting up there.”

At the same time, Florida looks to be shifting its focus elsewhere and prioritizing a few other passers in this class.

The Gators are also high on a couple of other targets after losing 2025 quarterback commit Austin Simmons this summer to Ole Miss. UF is among the top schools for Findlay (Ohio) four-star Ryan Montgomery and is in heavy communication with four-star Antwann Hill as well.

Both were present for Saturday’s victory over Tennessee.

“The atmosphere was electric,” Hill told GatorsOnline.com’s Corey Bender. “I feel like every time I go out there, the fans are always going to show out, put on a show and always going to support the Gators. The atmosphere was electric. Night game, the lights, everything was a good vibe.”

Added Montgomery, according to Chad Simmons: “The atmosphere was better than advertised. The fans were just constantly screaming the whole time. It was insane.”

SMU trending heavily for DFW star Keelon Russell

Of the uncommitted passers on the board, the most likely to commit next could be Duncanville (Texas) standout Keelon Russell.

The local program, SMU, is trending heavily, while Ole Miss, TCU and a few others remain in the mix.

“SMU has the strongest relationship with me and they’ve been having their eyes on me since the end of my sophomore season,” Russell, the No. 81 player in the country, told On3’s Sam Spiegelman. “Having that connection and building it up with me, it’s been great with them.”

He also hinted that a decision could come any day now.

“I’ve already been telling some people where I want to go,” Russell said. “I feel like the phone call is gonna come very soon.”