2025 NFL Draft: Mel Kiper makes surprising changes to Top 10 QB rankings ahead of Bowl season

Bowl season is nearly upon us and with the 2024-25 college football season drawing toward its conclusion, it’s clear that some NFL-eligible quarterbacks have separated themselves from the rest of the country as NFL Draft season approaches.

ESPN’s NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper has held a steady top 10 list for quarterbacks throughout much of the season. Following the news that LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier will return to Baton Rouge in 2025, Kiper was forced to shake up his weekly rankings before bowl games get underway.

While the top three remain the same, Kiper made some tweaks to his list and had to add at least one new name to his top 10:

1. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

Both Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter will play in Colorado’s bowl game against BYU on Dec. 28 despite Sanders being Kiper’s No. 1 quarterback available for much of the 2024 season.

He enters bowl season with 3,926 yards passing on a 74.2% completion percentage to go with 35 touchdowns and eight interceptions as one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country during the 2024 season.

2. Cam Ward, Miami

Cam Ward’s exciting brand of football will not be showcased at the College Football Playoff but despite Miami’s loss to Syracuse during Week 14, Mel Kiper does not think anything different of the veteran college QB.

Throwing for 4,123 yards, 36 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, Ward’s 88.0 QBR is rated No. 1 overall in the country and will undoubtedly be one of the first QBs taken off the board in April barring any unforeseen setbacks.

3. Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Like Ward, Milroe’s Alabama squad just barely missed out on this season’s CFP festivities. However, that doesn’t take away the fact that Milroe is one of the most productive dual-threat quarterbacks in college football today.

Logging respectable passing numbers for the Crimson Tide in 2024, Milroe’s 719 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground stand unrivaled by any other quarterback in the nation.

4. Drew Allar, Penn State +1

Drew Allar wasn’t able to lead Penn State past undefeated Oregon in the Big Ten Championship game, throwing three touchdowns and a pair of interceptions during a 45-37 loss.

On the season, he has 2,894 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also has six rushing touchdowns to his credit. He’ll look to lead his Nittany Lions into the CFP against SMU on Saturday, Dec. 21.

5. Carson Beck, Georgia -1

Carson Beck was injured on the final play of the half during Georgia’s 22-19 SEC Championship victory over Texas in overtime. His status for the CFP remains uncertain, but remains in the top half of Kiper’s list despite being the only player to drop a spot from last week’s rankings.

If his season is over, he passed for 3,485 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Interceptions were an issue during a stretch this season but has not turned the ball over in his last four games.

6. Quinn Ewers, Texas

One play could have made the difference in the SEC Championship game, and Quinn Ewers did all he could to keep his time in the game down the stretch. While he threw two crucial interceptions during the contest, he threw for 358 yards and a touchdown during the matchup.

On the season, he has 2,665 passing yards and 25 touchdowns compared to nine interceptions.

7. Kurtis Rourke, Indiana +1

A 10,000-yard career passer, Rourke spent two seasons tearing up the MAC as Ohio‘s starting quarterback and hasn’t skipped a beat after transferring to Bloomington. After all, his team is now in the College Football Playoff.

On the season, he has 2,927 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and four interceptions. Those statistics closely resemble the best season he had at Ohio, meaning the uptick in competition has not hindered Rourke at all.

8. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss +1

Jaxson Dart rewrote Ole Miss record books during his 2024 campaign. His 3,875 yards passing yards tops the SEC, his 84.7 QBR ranks fourth in the country and has a 25-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio this season.

He already announced that he will play in the Rebels’ Gator Bowl appearance against Duke on Jan. 2 where Dart will look to add to his record-breaking numbers one more time.

9. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon +1

Dillon Gabriel is the only quarterback yet to suffer defeat during the 2024 season. During his lone season at Oregon, he’s not only been named a Heisman Trophy finalist, but he’s a Big Ten Championship-winning quarterback for the No. 1 team in the country. Their first-round bye in the College Football Playoff reflects those accolades.

On the season, he’s completed 73.2% of his passes (297-406) with 28 touchdowns and six interceptions. He’s also responsible for seven more scores on the ground.

10. Kyle McCord, Syracuse (NR)

Kyle McCord is the only new addition to Kiper’s list and after his performance against Miami during Week 14, it should come as no surprise that some NFL teams may look to take McCord sometime during April’s Draft.

He threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns during Syracuse’s 42-38 win over the Hurricanes and has over 4,300 yards to his credit on the season.