ESPN releases Top 12 QB rankings for 2025 NFL Draft

Bowl season is in full swing for the college football world, the 12-team College Football Playoff is underway and the 2025 NFL Draft looms large above it all.

With that in mind, it’s clear that some NFL-eligible quarterbacks have separated themselves from the rest of the country. ESPN’s Jordan Reid decided to rank them, choosing the Top 12 as draft season approaches.

Some names, like Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, have adorned the top of the list from experts all season long. However, the CFP is doing some favors for a number of players, like Dillon Gabriel, Quinn Ewers and Will Howard. Check out the ESPN NFL Draft analyst’s Top 12 below.

1. 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, Reid still has the Hurricanes signal-caller as the top option for the 2025 NFL Draft.

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

2. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

Both Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter will play in Colorado’s bowl game against BYU on Dec. 28. It’s the final chance for the Buffaloes stars to prove why they belong at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Sanders enters bowl season with 3,926 yards passing on a 74.2% completion percentage to go with 35 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He’s been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country during the 2024 season, elevating his entire team throughout the process, as well.

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. He’ll be a fascinating project, even if he has to sit a bit at the next level.

4. Carson Beck, Georgia

Carson Beck was injured on the final play of the half during Georgia’s 22-19 SEC Championship victory over Texas in overtime. He more than likely will not have another shot to prove himself due to the injury, unless he decides to return to Athens in 2025.

He passed for 3,485 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Interceptions were an issue during a stretch this season, but he didn’t turn the ball over his last four games. Regardless, his draft stock took a bit of a hit over the course of the season, as he entered the 2024 campaign as the top quarterback on many expert’s boards.

5. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon

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

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 team 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. Arch Manning has loomed large over his season, but Ewers has performed well. Still, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he returns to college football, although he’d likely have to leave Austin to do so.

7. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss

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. Him and Lane Kiffin have been a tremendous duo for Ole Miss.

8. Kurtis Rourke, Indiana

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, he brought his team to 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. Unfortunately, a disappointing performance against Notre Dame over the weekend could certainly have an effect on his stock.

9. Max Brosmer, Minnesota

Max Brosmer joined Minnesota this season after spending the previous four at the University of New Hampshire. He helped bring the Golden Gophers to a 7-5 record, and an appearance on Jan. 3 in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

His flew under the radar a bit, but he was one of the more efficient quarterbacks in the nation, passing for 2,617 yards, 17 touchdowns and only five interceptions during his first season in the Big Ten.

10. Tyler Shough, Louisville

College football has been a rollercoaster for Tyler Shough. He started his career at Oregon, then spent three seasons with Texas Tech before taking his talents to Louisville for his sixth. All told, his time with the Cardinals was easily his best.

Shough passed for 23 touchdowns to six interceptions, while slinging it for 3,195 yards, as well. He’s more of a pocket passer than anything, and perhaps his experience in multiple different offenses will come in handy at the next level.

11. Kyle McCord, Syracuse

Kyle McCord was an afterthought after deciding to leave Ohio State for Syracuse. However, the move paid off in spades for the Orange and their quarterback, as he elevated the ACC program to nine wins, as they prepare for the DirecTV Holiday Bowl on Friday.

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.

12. Will Howard, Ohio State

It was an uneven season for Will Howard during his lone go-round at Ohio State. He joined the Buckeyes after four solid seasons with Kansas State, and he ran the Buckeyes’ impressive offense to the best of his ability, despite their mostly inferior competition.

While his numbers from the regular season were solid, Howard had his best game yet on the biggest stage against Tennessee during this past weekend’s First Round of the CFP. He completed 24-of-29 pass attempts for two beautiful touchdowns and 311 yards in total, and he can continue to raise his stock if he plays that way over the next couple of weeks.