Final Top 25 Quarterback Rankings After 2023 College Football Season
We have arrived at Bleacher Report's final Top 25 college football quarterback rankings of the 2023 season following championship week.
The only thing that matters in these rankings 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 Tuesday morning throughout the 2023 season, we've ranked the nation's top signal-callers, with players rising and falling based on where they ranked the previous week, so it has been a fluid process throughout the year. While recent performance played a role in those rankings, the final version is all about the 2023 campaign as a whole.
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 is also included.
Let the debate begin.
Honorable Mentions
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These 25 quarterbacks were also under consideration for a spot in the rankings but ultimately settled for an honorable mention:
Drew Allar, Penn State
Rocco Becht, Iowa State
Chevan Cordeiro, San Jose State
TJ Finley, Texas State
Darren Grainger, Georgia State
Garrett Greene, West Virginia
Frank Harris, UTSA
Sam Hartman, Notre Dame
Haynes King, Georgia Tech
Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Kyle McCord, Ohio State
Graham Mertz, Florida
Joe Milton III, Tennessee
Andrew Peasley, Wyoming
Jack Plummer, Louisville
Michael Pratt, Tulane
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
Austin Reed, Western Kentucky
Chandler Rogers, North Texas
Brayden Schager, Hawaii
Donovan Smith, Houston
Preston Stone, SMU
DJ Uiagalelei, Oregon State
Gunnar Watson, Troy
Jacob Zeno, UAB
Nos. 25-21
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25. Dequan Finn, Toledo
Stats: 201-of-317, 2,657 yards, 22 TD, 9 INT; 563 rush yards, 7 TD
Between a season-opening loss to Illinois and a MAC championship defeat to Miami (Ohio), Finn led Toledo to 11 straight victories. He made incremental improvements to his completion percentage (59.8 to 63.4), yards per attempt (7.2 to 8.4) and passer rating (136.5 to 151.0) in his third season as the Rockets' starting quarterback en route to MAC MVP honors.
24. Diego Pavia, New Mexico State
Stats: 210-of-341, 2,915 yards, 26 TD, 8 INT; 851 rush yards, 6 TD
Pavia spent his first two collegiate seasons at New Mexico Military Institute before transferring to New Mexico State and throwing for 1,450 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions in his first year at the FBS level in 2022. He took a huge step forward this season, leading the Aggies to their first 10-win season since 1960 and a spot in the Conference USA title game.
23. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Stats: 208-of-318, 2,985 yards, 20 TD, 5 INT; 375 rush yards, 7 TD
At surface level, Dart put up nearly identical numbers to his 2022 season when he threw for 2,974 yards and 20 touchdowns. However, he cut his interception total by more than half while upping his yards per attempt from 8.2 to 9.4 while leading a 10-win Ole Miss squad that checked in No. 11 in the final AP poll before bowl season.
22. Will Howard, Kansas State
Stats: 219-of-357, 2,643 yards, 24 TD, 10 INT; 351 rush yards, 9 TD
In his four seasons at K-State, Howard surpassed Josh Freeman for the school's career passing touchdowns mark with 48, half of which came during the 2023 season. He entered the transfer portal last week and does not plan to return to the Wildcats, so he will be one of the more high-profile departures heading into next year.
21. Brady Cook, Missouri
Stats: 233-of-351, 3,189 yards, 20 TD, 6 INT; 253 rush yards, 8 TD
Cook threw for 2,739 yards with 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions for a 6-7 team in 2022, and his improvement this year is a big reason why Missouri was one of the nation's most surprising teams. The Tigers finished 10-2 and earned a spot in a New Year's Six bowl game, squaring off against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.
Nos. 20-16
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20. Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland
Stats: 290-of-437, 3,377 yards, 25 TD, 11 INT; 18 rush yards, 5 TD
Tagovailoa became the Big Ten's all-time leading passer this season with 11,256 yards for his career. He overtook Curtis Painter (Purdue) for the record while also joining Adam Weber (Minnesota), Drew Brees (Purdue), Clayton Thorson (Northwestern), Sean Clifford (Penn State) and Brett Basanez (Northwestern) as the only 10,000-yard passers in conference history.
19. Byrum Brown, South Florida
Stats: 257-of-401, 3,078 yards, 23 TD, 11 INT; 745 rush yards, 11 TD
One of the nation's top dual-threat quarterbacks, Brown set the South Florida single-season passing record with 3,078 passing yards while also leading the Bulls in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He tallied four passing touchdowns against Charlotte in the regular-season finale to get South Florida to six wins, and it will face off against Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl.
18. Seth Henigan, Memphis
Stats: 294-of-442, 3,519 yards, 28 TD, 9 INT; 247 rush yards, 4 TD
A true freshman starter in 2021 who has thrown for at least 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns in three straight seasons, Henigan has a chance to become the all-time leading passer at Memphis and in the AAC if he can provide more of the same next year. He currently sits sixth on the all-time list for the fledgling conference with 10,400 career passing yards.
17. Cameron Ward, Washington State
Stats: 323-of-485, 3,736 yards, 25 TD, 7 INT; 144 rush yards, 8 TD
One of a handful of quarterbacks on this list who has entered the transfer portal, Ward ranks fifth among FBS quarterbacks with 3,736 passing yards, and he improved across the board in his second year as the starter at Washington State. It will be interesting to see how he performs in a less pass-centric offensive attack.
16. Drake Maye, North Carolina
Stats: 269-of-425, 3,608 yards, 24 TD, 9 INT; 449 rush yards, 9 TD
Maye fell well short of duplicating his 4,321-yard, 38-touchdown performance as a first-year starter in 2022, but he still showed the tools to rank among the top quarterbacks NFL teams will be targeting for the upcoming draft class. He finished his season with lackluster performances on the road against Clemson (16-of-36, 209 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) and NC State (22-of-38, 254 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT), but he will have a chance to finish on a high note against West Virginia in the Duke's Mayo Bowl.
Nos. 15-11
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15. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Stats: 298-of-430, 3,230 yards, 27 TD, 3 INT; -77 rush yards, 4 TD
Sanders threw for 1,251 yards and 10 touchdowns in wins over TCU, Nebraska and Colorado State to help Colorado get off to a 3-0 start while capturing the college football world's attention. The Buffaloes went just 1-8 the rest of the way and Sanders missed most of Week 12 and all of Week 13 with an injury, but he still finished with stellar overall numbers in his first year at the FBS level after transferring from Jackson State.
14. Joey Aguilar, Appalachian State
Stats: 275-of-428, 3,546 yards, 33 TD, 9 INT; 231 rush yards, 2 TD
Aguilar won Newcomer of the Year honors in the Sun Belt after transferring from Diablo Valley Community College. He led the conference in passing yards, passing touchdowns and total yards while piloting the Mountaineers to an eight-win season and a trip to the conference championship game.
13. Quinn Ewers, Texas
Stats: 248-of-351, 3,161 yards, 21 TD, 6 INT; 21 rush yards, 5 TD
Despite missing two games with a shoulder injury, Ewers still put together a strong overall statistical season, and his four straight wins after returning to action helped secure a spot in the College Football Playoff for the Longhorns. The redshirt sophomore threw for 452 yards and four touchdowns in the Big 12 championship game against Oklahoma State.
12. Carson Beck, Georgia
Stats: 289-of-399, 3,738 yards, 22 TD, 6 INT; 127 rush yards, 4 TD
After attempting just 58 passes during his first three years on campus, Beck finally got his opportunity to lead the Georgia offense in 2023. He ranked in the top 10 among FBS quarterbacks in completion percentage (72.4, sixth) and passer rating (166.3, 10th), but he failed to throw a touchdown pass for just the second time all year in the SEC championship game loss to Alabama.
11. Noah Fifita, Arizona
Stats: 217-of-295, 2,515 yards, 23 TD, 5 INT; 2 rush yards
Fifita took over as Arizona's starting quarterback in Week 5 when Jayden de Laura was sidelined with an injury. He began his time in that role with losses to Washington and USC, but he rattled off six straight wins from there to vault the Wildcats all the way up to No. 14 in the latest AP poll. He closed out the regular season with 527 yards and five touchdowns in a blowout win over Arizona State.
Nos. 10-6
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10. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
Stats: 213-of-287, 2,630 yards, 19 TD, 4 INT; 146 rush yards, 3 TD
McCarthy threw just one touchdown pass over Michigan's final five games, including a modest 147 yards passing and zero scores against Iowa in the Big Ten championship game, but he filled his role extremely well on one of the nation's best teams. Aside from a bizarre three-interception game against Bowling Green in Week 3, he threw just one interception all year, and he ranked in the top 10 among FBS quarterbacks in passer rating (170.3, sixth) and completion percentage (74.2, second).
9. Jordan Travis, Florida State
Stats: 207-of-324, 2,756 yards, 20 TD, 2 INT; 176 rush yards, 7 TD
A broken leg brought Travis' season to an abrupt halt against North Alabama on Nov. 18, and while the Seminoles managed to pull out wins over Florida and Louisville with him on the sidelines, they were ultimately snubbed from the College Football Playoff field. Even with that time missed, Travis earned his spot among the nation's top 10 signal-callers in 2023.
8. Jordan McCloud, James Madison
Stats: 261-of-379, 3,400 yards, 32 TD, 9 INT; 311 rush yards, 8 TD
After stops at South Florida and Arizona, McCloud landed at James Madison where he led the Dukes to an 11-1 record. He was one of only six quarterbacks with at least 40 total touchdowns, and he threw a season-high five touchdown passes against Coastal Carolina in the regular-season finale. Could he follow coach Curt Cignetti to Indiana after entering the transfer portal once again?
7. Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Stats: 177-of-261, 2,718 yards, 23 TD, 6 INT; 468 rush yards, 12 TD
Milroe rebounded from an early benching to lead the Crimson Tide to a 12-1 record, an SEC championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff. He tallied 13 total touchdowns over his final four games, including 192 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-24 victory over Georgia in the SEC title game.
6. Caleb Williams, USC
Stats: 266-of-388, 3,633 yards, 30 TD, 5 INT; 142 rush yards, 11 TD
After throwing for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns to win Heisman Trophy honors in 2022, Williams fell short of lofty expectations. And after a 6-0 start, the Trojans stumbled to a 1-5 record during the second half of the year. He still finished fifth in the nation with 41 total touchdowns and remains the favorite to be the first quarterback off the board in the 2024 NFL draft.
5. Kaidon Salter, Liberty
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Passing Stats: 162-of-266, 2,750 yards, 31 TD, 5 INT
Rushing Stats: 153 carries, 1,064 rush yards, 12 TD
Off-field issues led to Kaidon Salter being dismissed from the University of Tennessee football team after he originally committed to the Volunteers out of high school, but he received a second chance at Liberty.
After playing sparingly in 2021, he threw for 1,088 yards and eight touchdowns last year before leading the Flames to a 13-0 record and a New Year's Six bowl game this year in the team's first season in Conference USA.
Aside from his stellar passing numbers, he also finished 30th in the nation with 1,064 rushing yards, joining Jayden Daniels as the only quarterbacks to tally 1,000 rushing yards.
4. Michael Penix Jr., Washington
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Passing Stats: 307-of-466, 4,218 yards, 33 TD, 9 INT
Rushing Stats: 29 carries, -18 yards, 3 TD
Michael Penix Jr. led the Washington Huskies to an undefeated regular season and a spot in the College Football Playoff after beating Bo Nix and Oregon for a second time in the Pac-12 championship game.
He broke 4,000 yards passing for the second year in a row after throwing for 4,641 yards and 31 touchdowns in his first season with the Huskies last year, and he enters bowl season as the 2023 FBS leader with 4,218 yards through the air.
Wide receivers Rome Odunze (81 catches, 1,428 yards, 13 TD) and Ja'lynn Polk (60 catches, 1,000 yards, 8 TD) both had huge seasons in one of the nation's most prolific offensive attacks.
3. Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma
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Passing Stats: 266-of-384, 3,660 yards, 30 TD, 6 INT
Rushing Stats: 93 carries, 373 yards, 12 TD
After three seasons at UCF and two seasons at Oklahoma, Dillon Gabriel entered the transfer portal on Monday ahead of his final year of college eligibility.
With 14,865 career passing yards, he already ranks eighth on the all-time list, so he will have an opportunity to etch his name atop the college football record books with another strong season in 2024.
The Sooners stumbled with losses to Kansas and Oklahoma State in Week 9 and Week 10 to fall out of the College Football Playoff picture, but Gabriel had a signature performance against Texas to hand the Longhorns their only loss of the season in the Red River Rivalry.
2. Bo Nix, Oregon
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Passing Stats: 336-of-435, 4,145 yards, 40 TD, 3 INT
Rushing Stats: 53 carries, 228 yards, 6 TD
Bo Nix has come a long way from throwing for 2,542 yards and 16 touchdowns as a true freshman starter at Auburn in 2019, and while he never quite lived up to expectations during his time in the SEC, he took a significant step forward after transferring to Oregon last year and put together a Heisman-caliber season in 2023.
Two losses to Michael Penix Jr. and Washington were the only bumps in the road for the Ducks, but Nix even played well in those two losses with 576 passing yards and five touchdowns against one interception.
His efficiency and athleticism make him an intriguing NFL prospect, but before he turns his attention to pro ball, he has committed to taking the field against Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl.
1. Jayden Daniels, LSU
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Passing Stats: 236-of-327, 3,812 yards, 40 TD, 4 INT
Rushing Stats: 135 carries, 1,134 yards, 10 TD
It's been a unique season in that the nation's top-tier teams don't have a clear Heisman Trophy contender, leaving Jayden Daniels from a three-loss LSU team as the front-runner to take home the hardware ahead of Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix.
Daniels led all quarterbacks with 1,134 rushing yards, and his 8.4 yards per carry are tops among all 1,000-yard rushers for the 2023 season.
If LSU had anything remotely resembling a competent defense, it might have been a national title contender with Daniels under center. With 46.4 points per game on offense, he was at the helm of the nation's highest-scoring team.
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