Projecting Every Conference's Best QBs in 2024 CFB Season

No position in college football lands more attention than quarterback.

While it's probably an oversimplification to say a QB makes or breaks a roster, there certainly isn't a player on the field who can impact a team—positively or negatively—more than a signal-caller.

As we look ahead to the 2024 season, B/R is breaking down every position in every conference and projecting the best unit within each league. The choices are subjective but consider past production—including from transfers—and meaningful position-related context.

Previous editions of this offseason series include running backs, defensive lines, the secondary and wide receivers.

Note: Oregon State and Washington State, which are affiliated with the Mountain West in 2024, are considered within the MWC.

AAC: Memphis Tigers

South Florida dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown is fun to watch. Thanks to him, USF is a contender in the American. Tulane has plenty of depth with Oregon transfer Ty Thompson and Kai Horton, too.

The preseason favorite is Memphis, though, and that's in no small part because of Seth Henigan. In three years as the starter, he's thrown for 3,300-plus yards at 8.0 yards per attempt or greater each season. Henigan is a proven star within the conference.

C-USA: Liberty Flames

No surprise here. Kaidon Salter flourished in Jamey Chadwell's offensive system, one that showcased the quarterback's mobility and launched the Flames to a Conference USA title and New Year's Six bowl.

Salter threw for 2,876 yards at 9.9 per attempt—the fourth-best rate in the nation—with 32 scores to six interceptions. On the ground, he scampered for 1,089 yards and 12 more touchdowns. Salter's production may drop a little in 2024, but he'll be a feared matchup.

MAC: Miami Redhawks

I am once again asking for a healthy season from Brett Gabbert. He's piled up 7,893 yards at 8.3 per attempt with 59 touchdowns to 19 interceptions in 39 career games at Miami. The problem is those appearances have been scattered across five seasons due to injuries.

Put simply, that trend is decidedly not in his favor. Gabbert, nevertheless, has a favorable outlook behind a veteran offensive line and should be a very efficient passer. He just needs to stay on the field.

MWC (and Pac-2): Fresno State Bulldogs

Boise State's Malachi Nelson, a recent 5-star prospect who initially enrolled at USC, is the biggest name. And, hey, by the time December rolls around, Nelson might be leading the best team in the Mountain West.

For now, however, the known commodity is Mikey Keene. He put together a terrific first half of the campaign in 2023 before injuries held him back later on. In total, he passed for 2,976 yards and 24 scores with 10 picks. Durability questions will linger for Keene, but he enters the season holding a slight edge on Colorado State's Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi.

Sun Belt: Texas State Bobcats

Considering he's the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year, Jordan McCloud is not a surprising pick. He's not a simple selection, though, since the James Madison transfer has moved to a fourth college in six years.

The bright side is McCloud's supporting cast gives him a chance to quickly adjust in San Marcos. Texas State returns a pair of 700-yard receivers and landed a lower-level Freshman All-American, so McCloud is absolutely a threat to repeat as the league's top player.

The Pick: Florida State Seminoles

Strictly from a talent perspective, Miami's Cam Ward is a more impressive player. Quite simply, however, I'll have to see Mario Cristobal let an offense truly evolve past a run-first approach to believe it.

Florida State coach Mike Norvell, on the other hand, has done a quality job adjusting his offense to match its personnel. There is little reason to believe that will not continue with DJ Uiagalelei, who transferred to the Seminoles after spending a year at Oregon State and is set to replace Jordan Travis in Tallahassee.

Last season, Uiagalelei threw for 2,638 yards at 8.4 per attempt with 21 touchdowns to seven interceptions. He's not an explosive dual-threat QB but is a mobile threat, adding 219 yards and six scores on the ground in 2023.

While a new-look receiving corps is cause for hesitation, FSU's stability offers some benefit of the doubt for Uiagalelei.

The Pick: Oregon Ducks

Six months from today, Dillon Gabriel might have "Heisman Trophy winner" attached to his resume.

In the meantime, the former UCF and Oklahoma star is the headliner of Oregon's entrance to the Big Ten. Gabriel has collected nearly 16,000 yards of total offense and 151 combined touchdowns in four-plus seasons as a starter. He's clearly the class of the conference.

There is plenty of intrigue elsewhere, though.

Ohio State's room is ridiculously loaded, but Will Howard probably won't be expected to carry the offense. Same for Drew Allar at Penn State, which—like OSU—has a pair of terrific running backs. Miller Moss dazzled in his starting debut for USC during a 2023 bowl, too.

Still, every single one of them is chasing Gabriel in Oregon's high-tempo, high-scoring offense.

The Pick: Colorado Buffaloes

For good reason, Kansas State's Avery Johnson is a popular breakout pick. Arizona standout Noah Fifita enjoyed an excellent freshman year, and Utah is ready to welcome back veteran Cameron Rising.

I expect all of those programs to end much higher than Colorado in the final Big 12 standings. But that's not the conversation.

Shedeur Sanders had a superb 2023 season despite throwing behind a poor offensive line. He passed for 3,230 yards at 7.5 per attempt with 27 touchdowns to just three interceptions.

In theory, CU upgraded the blocking unit while bringing in a couple of talented receivers. On paper, the Buffs are going to have a dangerous offense in what likely will be the last season that Sanders, a potential first-round NFL draft pick, spends in college.

The Pick: Alabama Crimson Tide

You could easily pick Georgia's Carson Beck. Texas boasts impressive depth with Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning. Since the SEC has three—or four, with Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart—outstanding QBs in the conversation, this is surely a controversial pick to some.

So, why Jalen Milroe? The load he'll likely be required to carry.

Georgia has a sturdy receiving corps, and Texas brought in several impact transfers. Ole Miss, for good measure, arguably has the best pass-catching unit in the stacked conference.

Alabama doesn't have that luxury, yet a prolific offense is expected in Tuscaloosa. Part of that credit belongs to new coach Kalen DeBoer, considering he's unleashed high-powered scoring attacks at every stop. Much of it, though, is trust in Milroe building on a breakout year. He piled up 3,365 yards and 35 total touchdowns to six interceptions, leading the Crimson Tide to an SEC title last season.

Georgia and Texas are high-end contenders. But if Alabama returns to the CFP, it's probably the result of Milroe's individual talent propelling a rebuilt team through some early growing pains and a tough schedule.