Ranking Top 25 Quarterbacks in College Football After Week 1
Welcome to Bleacher Report's Top 25 college football quarterback rankings.
This will be a new weekly feature published each Tuesday morning throughout the 2023 season, with the goal of identifying the 25 best QBs in the country each week as the season unfolds.
The only thing that matters here is on-field production in 2023.
That means past performance, future expectations, physical tools and NFL upside have all been removed from the equation.
Each quarterback's individual production and quality of opponent will be considered each week, and players will rise and fall based on where they ranked the previous week, so it will be a fluid process week to week.
If your favorite team's quarterback is not currently on the list, fear not. If a guy is putting up numbers, he will find his way onto the list. On the flip side, a strong first week is only going to go so far if a player falls flat in Week 2 and fails to duplicate his early success.
With only 25 spots up for grabs and 133 quarterbacks to consider, an honorable mention slide featuring the "Next 25" who just missed the cut was also selected. Those are the guys with the best chance of jumping onto the list with a strong showing in Week 2.
Let the debate begin.
Honorable Mentions: Next 25
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These 25 quarterbacks were also under consideration for a spot in the rankings but ultimately settled for an honorable mention following Week 1 action:
Joey Aguilar, Appalachian State
Luke Altmyer, Illinois
Brennan Armstrong, NC State
Bryson Barnes, Utah
Jason Bean, Kansas
Carson Beck, Georgia
Ashton Daniels, Stanford
Jayden Daniels, LSU
Jayden de Laura, Arizona
Ben Finley, California
Mitch Griffis, Wake Forest
Seth Henigan, Memphis
Will Howard, Kansas State
KJ Jefferson, Arkansas
Riley Leonard, Duke
Graham Mertz, Florida
John Rhys Plumlee, UCF
Jack Plummer, Louisville
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
Will Rogers, Mississippi State
Garrett Shrader, Syracuse
Preston Stone, SMU
AJ Swann, Vanderbilt
Grant Wells, Virginia Tech
Cardell Williams, Tulsa
Nos. 25-21
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25. Jacob Zeno, UAB
Stats: 38-of-41, 291 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 5 carries, 31 yards
Zeno was extremely efficient against an overmatched North Carolina A&T defense while helping Trent Dilfer pick up a 35-6 victory in his first game as UAB's new head coach. A much tougher test awaits this weekend on the road against Georgia Southern.
24. Garrett Shrader, Syracuse
Stats: 18-of-24, 257 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT; 8 carries, 40 yards
The Syracuse offense came away with points on six of eight drives with Shrader under center before he gave way to backup Carlos Del Rio-Wilson early in the third quarter en route to a 65-0 blowout over Colgate. He is one of the top returning quarterbacks in the ACC after throwing for 2,640 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2022.
23. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Stats: 18-of-23, 334 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT; 4 carries, 36 yards
Dart came out on top in one of the more compelling quarterback battles of the spring, earning the QB1 nod over Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders. He racked up the above numbers in roughly two-and-a-half quarters of action, building a 52-7 lead before Sanders finished out the 73-7 rout of Mercer.
22. Casey Thompson, Florida Atlantic
Stats: 20-of-25, 280 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT; 3 carries, 18 yards
After three seasons at Texas and one year at Nebraska, Thompson is a fifth-year senior in his third collegiate stop. The 24-year-old put up big numbers against Monmouth in his first game under center for the Owls, and he'll have a chance to prove he belongs on this list for the long haul in a good matchup against Ohio this weekend.
21. Quinn Ewers, Texas
Stats: 19-of-30, 260 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 8 carries, 12 yards, 1 TD
In his first seven possessions against Rice on Saturday, Ewers led the Longhorns on just one touchdown drive, settling for three field goals, one punt and two turnovers on downs. Things did start to click after that and he rattled off three straight touchdown drives before watching the fourth quarter from the sidelines in a 37-10 victory over Rice, but the slow start keeps him just outside the top 20 for the time being.
Nos. 20-16
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20. Cameron Ward, Washington State
Stats: 37-of-49, 451 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 13 carries, 40 yards, 1 TD
Ward ranked in the top five in both completions and attempts in Week 1, which should come as no surprise in the Washington State offense. The Cougars picked up a nice 50-24 victory over an FBS opponent in Colorado State in a week when more than a few teams were playing FCS schools. The junior threw for 3,232 yards and 23 touchdowns in his first year as a starter last season.
19. Donovan Smith, Houston
Stats: 22-of-34, 233 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 13 carries, 31 yards
There were not many quality wins to be had on the Week 1 schedule, and Houston's 17-14 victory over a UTSA team that many are picking to win the AAC does rank as one of the best on the slate. Smith did his part with a pair of touchdown passes and a turnover-free game under center, and he has some breakout potential after showing flashes last season at Texas Tech.
18. Drake Maye, North Carolina
Stats: 24-of-32, 269 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT; 4 carries, 25 yards
While many of the nation's top quarterbacks were lighting it up against lesser competition, Maye and North Carolina opened their 2023 slate against a South Carolina team that sat just outside the top 25 in the preseason AP poll. The two interceptions are enough to keep him this far down the rankings for the time being, but a solid showing against a quality opponent earns him a spot inside the top 20. Expect him to climb quickly in the coming weeks.
17. Drew Allar, Penn State
Stats: 21-of-29, 325 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 4 carries, 1 yard
After backing up Sean Clifford last season, Allar now has the keys to the Penn State offense, and in his first collegiate start he put together an extremely efficient game in a 38-15 victory over West Virginia. The top quarterback and No. 3 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class, he is one of the most hyped first-year starters in the country, and Week 1 was a great start.
16. Conner Weigman, Texas A&M
Stats: 18-of-23, 236 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT; 3 carries, 22 yards
Believe it or not, Weigman became the first quarterback in Texas A&M history to throw for five touchdowns passes in a season opener during the team's 52-10 rout of New Mexico. The 2022 5-star recruit threw eight touchdown passes without an interception in five games of action last year, and now he has a chance to be one of the breakout passers of the 2023 season.
Nos. 15-11
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15. TJ Finley, Texas State
Stats: 22-of-30, 298 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 6 carries, 18 yards, 1 TD
An afterthought in the Sun Belt preseason poll following a 4-8 season in 2022, Texas State pulled off one of the biggest upsets of Week 1 with a 42-31 victory on the road against Baylor on the strength of a stellar debut from Finley. The big 6'7", 255-pound signal caller began his college career at LSU and spent the last two years at Auburn
14. Mikey Keene, Fresno State
Stats: 31-of-44, 366 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT; 3 carries, -10 yards
Keene went 7-3 as a true freshman starter at UCF in 2021, but he lost his starting job to John Rhys Plumlee last season and made his way to Fresno State in the transfer portal during the offseason. He's undersized and not much of a threat to run, but he led the Bulldogs to a 39-35 upset of Purdue in his debut and will be one to watch in the Mountain West.
13. Joe Milton III, Tennessee
Stats: 21-of-30, 201 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 9 carries, 33 yards, 2 TD
Now in his sixth season of college football and third year at the University of Tennessee, Milton is the unquestioned starter for the first time in his career. The Volunteers ran the ball 52 times for 287 yards in an easy 49-13 victory over Virginia, so he didn't need to do much through the air, but he still had a nice all-around game with four total touchdowns.
12. Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Stats: 13-of-18, 194 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 7 carries, 48 yards, 2 TD
Milroe didn't crack 200 yards passing in Alabama's 56-7 blowout of Middle Tennessee State, but he did become the first quarterback in school history to tally three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a game. Any time you're the first player in the storied history of Alabama football to do something, it's a solid day's work.
11. DJ Uiagalelei, Oregon State
Stats: 20-of-25, 239 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 6 carries, 10 yards, 2 TD
After falling short of expectations at Clemson and entering the transfer portal, Uiagalelei has landed on his feet at Oregon State. The former 5-star recruit still possesses the exciting combination of size, arm strength, athleticism and speed that made him such a highly touted prospect when he began his college career, and he got off to a great start in a 42-17 victory over San Jose State.
Nos. 10-6
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10. Michael Pratt, Tulane
Stats: 14-of-15, 294 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT; 11 carries, 39 yards
If you're looking for the best under-the-radar performance of Week 1, look no further than Pratt who missed on just one pass attempt while averaging 21 yards per completion and connecting on four touchdown passes. The Green Wave scored a 37-17 victory over South Alabama, who were among the others receiving votes in the preseason AP poll, so that nearly flawless performance also came against a solid opponent.
9. Sam Hartman, Notre Dame
Stats: 33-of-40, 445 yards, 6 TD, 0 INT; 4 carries, 14 yards, 1 TD (2 games)
Hartman has already played two games, so keep that in mind when looking at the stats he has accumulated thus far. The Wake Forest transfer threw for 7,929 yards and 77 touchdowns during his final two seasons in the ACC, so he is capable of airing it out, but thus far he has been an efficient game-manager in a pair of easy wins.
8. Bo Nix, Oregon
Stats: 23-of-27, 287 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
A bona fide Heisman candidate on the heels of a fantastic 2022 season, Nix was virtually perfect in a Week 1 tune-up against Portland State. He left the game early in the third quarter after leading eight straight touchdown drives and building a 57-7 lead, and a road game against Texas Tech is on the docket for this week.
7. Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma
Stats: 19-of-22, 308 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 2 carries, 15 yards, 1 TD
Gabriel made a smooth transition from UCF to Oklahoma last season when he threw for 3,168 yards and 25 touchdowns, and the fifth-year senior picked apart the Arkansas State defense on Saturday while accumulating all the above stats during the first half. True freshman Jackson Arnold went 11-of-11 with 114 yards and a touchdown in relief.
6. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
Stats: 26-of-30, 280 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 1 carry, -2 yards
The Wolverines didn't light up the scoreboard against East Carolina the way some of the nation's other top teams did in their season openers on Saturday, but McCarthy still had a dominant first game. More is expected of the junior after he threw for 2,719 yards and 22 touchdowns a year ago.
5. Emory Jones, Cincinnati
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Passing Stats: 19-of-23, 345 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT
Rushing Stats: 9 carries, 26 yards, 2 TD
It's been a long, winding road for Emory Jones during his college career, with four seasons at the University of Florida and a 2022 season where he threw for 1,533 yards and seven touchdowns at Arizona State.
Now the 23-year-old is running the show for the Cincinnati Bearcats.
The dual-threat option led all quarterbacks with seven total touchdowns in Week 1, and he did it while completing 83 percent of his passes.
"I thought that Emory [Jones] played very well. I thought he did a good job in his decision making. We felt that we had some good receivers and they proved that to be true today," first-year head coach Scott Satterfield told reporters.
Six of his seven touchdowns came during the first half, and Cincinnati cruised to a 66-13 victory over Eastern Kentucky.
4. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
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Passing Stats: 38-of-47, 510 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT
Rushing Stats: 5 carries, -32 yards
Nothing like making some history to send your stock soaring among the nation's top quarterbacks.
Just a year removed from a 1-11 finish, the new-look Colorado roster under head coach Deion Sanders was one of the biggest storylines of the offseason, and they made a statement in Week 1 with a 45-42 victory over a ranked TCU squad.
"We had some guys that singled themselves out with their playing and their playing ability," the first-year coach told reporters. "A lot of guys you doubted—one of them from an HBCU—I think he had 510 yards passing in a Power 5 football game. And he happens to be my son, and I'm proud of him, tremendously."
Sanders threw for 3,752 yards and 40 touchdowns at Jackson State in 2022. What will he do for an encore against Nebraska on Saturday?
3. Jordan Travis, Florida State
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Passing Stats: 23-of-31, 342 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing Stats: 7 carries, 38 yards, 1 TD
The best win of Week 1 belongs to Jordan Travis and Florida State, as they picked up a huge 45-24 victory over LSU to make an early statement that they are legitimate College Football Playoff contenders.
With five total touchdowns, Travis was instrumental in the victory, and it's much easier to overlook his lone interception against a talented Tigers defense than it is giveaways from other quarterbacks that came against low-level opponents.
After throwing for 3,214 yards and 24 touchdowns last year while adding another 417 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, Travis entered the season with high expectations, and the Seminoles are likewise being viewed as a team that can make some serious noise.
For now, no quarterback has a better resume from a productive relative to quality of opponent standpoint, and he could quickly play his way into the top-tier Heisman conversation.
2. Michael Penix Jr., Washington
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Passing Stats: 29-of-40, 450 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT
Rushing Stats: 2 carries, -2 yards
Michael Penix Jr. finished eighth in Heisman voting last season when he threw for 4,641 yards and completed 65.3 percent of his throws while racking up 31 touchdowns against eight interceptions for an 11-2 Washington team.
He returned for his sixth collegiate season and kicked it off with a bang, throwing for 450 yards and five touchdowns in a lopsided 56-19 victory over a Boise State team that was picked to finish first in the Mountain West preseason poll.
Outside of reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams, there is no quarterback with bigger expectations on his shoulders this season, and he answered the call in Week 1 to set a high bar for the season ahead.
His five touchdowns went to four different receivers, and after a slow start he looked nothing short of unstoppable during a 28-point second quarter.
1. Caleb Williams, USC
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Passing Stats: 36-of-49, 597 yards, 9 TD, 0 INT
Rushing Stats: 11 carries, 40 yards
Who else but Caleb Williams?
The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner is back for one last ride at USC, and expectations are through the roof for the Trojans as he looks to improve on last year's 11-3 finish with a run to the College Football Playoff.
After a solid showing against San Jose State in Week 0 got his season underway, he lit up the Nevada secondary on Saturday, completing 18-of-24 attempts for 319 yards and five touchdowns before he was parked on the sidelines late in the third quarter.
The No. 1 spot in these rankings is his to lose, and a home game against Stanford awaits this week as he looks to add to his already gaudy passing numbers.
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