Power Ranking Top 25 Quarterbacks in College Football After Week 8
Welcome to Bleacher Report's top 25 college football quarterback rankings after Week 8.
These rankings are a weekly feature published each Tuesday morning throughout the 2024 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 2024.
That means past performance, future expectations, physical tools and NFL upside have all been removed from the equation.
Every 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.
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 half of the season will only go so far if a player falls flat in Week 9 and fails to maintain his success.
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 following Week 8 action:
Rocco Becht, Iowa State
Max Brosmer, Minnesota
Thomas Castellanos, Boston College
Brady Cook, Missouri
Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech
Billy Edwards Jr., Maryland
Quinn Ewers, Texas
Ethan Garbers, UCLA
Seth Henigan, Memphis
Josh Hoover, TCU
Kevin Jennings, SMU
Riley Leonard, Notre Dame
Brendon Lewis, Nevada
Gio Lopez, South Alabama
Maddux Madsen, Boise State
Behren Morton, Texas Tech
Miller Moss, USC
Spencer Petras, Utah State
Jake Retzlaff, BYU
Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
Kaidon Salter, Liberty
Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
Caden Veltkamp, Western Kentucky
Hajj-Malik Williams, UNLV
Hayden Wolff, Western Michigan
Injured, Did Not Play
Tucker Gleason, Toledo
Haynes King, Georgia Tech
Nos. 25-21
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25. Ben Wooldridge, Louisiana (Previous Rank: HM)
Stats: 142-of-204, 1,785 yards, 15 TD, 4 INT; 124 rush yards, 5 TD
After splitting time under center with Zeon Chriss the last two years, Wooldridge is now the unquestioned starter for the Ragin' Cajuns and enjoying a fantastic season while leading the team to a 6-1 start. He threw for a career-high 373 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-24 victory over Coastal Carolina on Saturday.
24. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt (Previous Rank: 23)
Stats: 102-of-154, 1,391 yards, 11 TD, 1 INT; 470 rush yards, 3 TD
With 275 passing yards, 82 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns, Pavia led Vanderbilt to a 24-14 non-conference victory over Ball State. The Commodores have now won three straight since their upset victory over Alabama, and they moved into the No. 25 spot in the latest AP poll. A home game against No. 5 Texas awaits this weekend with a chance to make another national statement.
23. Carson Beck, Georgia (Previous Rank: 14)
Stats: 165-of-250, 1,993 yards, 15 TD, 8 INT; 65 rush yards
Georgia scored a huge victory over Texas on Saturday, but it was the running game that led the Bulldogs to the win. Beck completed 23-of-41 pass attempts for 175 yards with zero touchdowns and three interceptions, and he has now thrown eight picks over his last four games. He will have a bye in Week 9 and a chance to reset for the stretch run.
22. Avery Johnson, Kansas State (Previous Rank: HM)
Stats: 111-of-178, 1,401 yards, 14 TD, 5 INT; 306 rush yards, 3 TD
Since a Week 4 loss to BYU, Johnson has put together three straight strong performances, completing 53-of-83 attempts for 781 yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions while also adding three rushing touchdowns in wins over Oklahoma State, Colorado and West Virginia. The dual-threat standout is averaging 6.0 yards per carry, but he has also made major strides as a passer.
21. Will Rogers, Washington (Previous Rank: 16)
Stats: 153-of-212, 1,820 yards, 13 TD, 2 INT; -46 rush yards
Rogers ranks fifth in the nation with a 72.2 percent completion rate while replacing Michael Penix Jr. under center for the Washington Huskies. He threw for a season-low 195 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a Week 7 loss to Iowa, and after a bye this past weekend, the Huskies will travel to Bloomington to take on an undefeated Indiana team on Saturday.
Nos. 20-16
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20. Drew Allar, Penn State (Previous Rank: 20)
Stats: 103-of-146, 1,492 yards, 11 TD, 4 INT; 121 rush yards, 3 TD
Allar led Penn State to an overtime victory over USC in Week 7, throwing for 391 yards and two touchdowns, though he was also picked off three times. A tough road game against Wisconsin awaits this weekend coming off a Week 8 bye, followed by a heavyweight clash with Ohio State on Nov. 2.
19. Alonza Barnett III, James Madison (Previous Rank: 19)
Stats: 124-of-218, 1,658 yards, 16 TD, 1 INT; 289 rush yards, 5 TD
After attempting just 12 passes during his first two years at James Madison, Barnett replaced transfer Jordan McCloud as the starting quarterback and he has put together a strong 2024 season. He completed 22-of-41 pass attempts for 186 yards with a touchdown on Saturday, but the Dukes suffered a 28-14 loss to Georgia Southern to fall to 5-2 on the year.
18. Luke Altmyer, Illinois (Previous Rank: 21)
Stats: 120-of-182, 1,506 yards, 15 TD, 1 INT; 138 rush yards, 2 TD
After throwing for 1,883 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last year following his transfer from Ole Miss, Altmyer has been one of the most improved quarterbacks in the country this year. The Fighting Illini leaned heavily on the running game in Saturday's win over Michigan, but Altmyer still did his part with a pair of touchdowns.
17. Jordan McCloud, Texas State (Previous Rank: 15)
Stats: 159-of-232, 1,891 yards, 20 TD, 7 INT; 217 rush yards, 5 TD
McCloud had his worst game of the season in Week 8, completing 17-of-33 passes with one touchdown and two interceptions in a road loss to Old Dominion. Despite that lackluster performance, he still ranks fourth in the nation with 25 total touchdowns, trailing only Cam Ward (27), Bryson Daily (26) and Chandler Morris (26).
16. Chandler Morris, North Texas (Previous Rank: 17)
Stats: 186-of-294, 2,424 yards, 23 TD, 8 INT; 140 rush yards, 3 TD
Morris had his third 400-yard passing game of the season on Saturday, piling up 445 yards and three touchdowns while also scrambling for a season-high 71 yards and adding another score on the ground. The TCU transfer has been turned loose in a North Texas passing attack that saw Chandler Rogers throw for 3,382 yards and 29 touchdowns a year ago.
Nos. 15-11
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15. Tyler Shough, Louisville (Previous Rank: HM)
Stats: 147-of-234, 2,016 yards, 18 TD, 3 INT; -8 rush yards
In his seventh collegiate seasons and his first year at Louisville following stops at Oregon and Texas Tech, Shough is putting up the best numbers of his career. He completed 31-of-51 pass attempts for 342 yards and four touchdowns in Saturday's loss to Miami, going blow-for-blow with Heisman Trophy front-runner Cam Ward in a thrilling 52-45 shootout.
14. Eli Holstein, Pittsburgh (Previous Rank: 11)
Stats: 127-of-200, 1,700 yards, 15 TD, 5 INT; 266 rush yards, 3 TD
Holstein has the Panthers off to a 6-0 start after transferring from Alabama during the offseason, and the redshirt freshman's performance has been one of the most pleasant surprises in the nation this year. A showdown with Kyle McCord and Syracuse awaits on Thursday night.
13. Blake Horvath, Navy (Previous Rank: 13)
Stats: 46-of-72, 888 yards, 10 TD, 1 INT; 621 rush yards, 10 TD
Horvath was kept in check on the ground in Saturday's win over Charlotte, tallying 56 rushing yards on 13 carries, but he made his presence felt through the air. The dual-threat signal caller completed 7-of-13 pass attempts for 117 yards and a season-high three touchdowns, and the Midshipmen improved to 6-0 with a 51-17 victory.
12. Bryson Daily, Army (Previous Rank: 18)
Stats: 27-of-47, 629 yards, 7 TD, 0 INT; 909 rush yards, 19 TD
With 171 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns, Daily led the charge in a 45-28 win over East Carolina, also connecting on his seventh passing touchdown of the season. He now leads the nation with 19 rushing touchdowns, and his 909 rushing yards are good for third on the leaderboard behind Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty (1,248 yards) and Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson (1,035 yards).
11. John Mateer, Washington State (Previous Rank: 12)
Stats: 129-of-215, 1,896 yards, 16 TD, 6 INT; 533 rush yards, 8 TD
Mateer put together a standout performance against Hawaii on Saturday, completing 23-of-27 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns while also continuing to do damage with his legs, tallying 34 rushing yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns. His 2,429 total yards rank fourth in the nation behind Cam Ward (2,728), Jaxson Dart (2,567) and Chandler Morris (2.564).
Nos. 10-6
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10. Kyle McCord, Syracuse (Previous Rank: 10)
Stats: 185-of-282, 2,160 yards, 19 TD, 6 INT; -12 rush yards, 1 TD
McCord will look to keep his run of 300-yard passing games alive against an undefeated Pittsburgh team on Thursday night, and a victory over the Panthers would likely be enough to vault the Orange into the AP poll. He had 346 yards and two touchdowns on the road against NC State in Week 7 before a bye this past weekend.
9. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU (Previous Rank: 9)
Stats: 183-of-283, 2,222 yards, 18 TD, 6 INT; 16 rush yards, 2 TD
For the first time this season, Nussmeier failed to throw a touchdown pass in Saturday's 34-10 victory over Arkansas. He still did a good job protecting the ball and moving it down field with 233 passing yards and zero turnovers, but it was running back Caden Durham who was the star of the day with 101 yards and three scores on the ground.
8. Will Howard, Ohio State (Previous Rank: 8)
Stats: 121-of-165, 1,574 yards, 14 TD, 3 INT; 77 rush yards, 5 TD
Howard had a terrific game in Week 7 when he threw for 326 yards and tallied two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown, but the Buckeyes suffered their first loss of the season to Oregon. Now after a bye week, they face Nebraska before another big matchup with undefeated Penn State on Nov. 2.
7. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (Previous Rank: 7)
Stats: 151-of-215, 2,384 yards, 14 TD, 3 INT; 183 rush yards, 3 TD
After tallying just two touchdowns in his last three games, Dart had a chance to reset with a bye in Week 8. He still ranks third in the nation with 2,384 passing yards, and only one of the Rebels final five games are against a ranked opponent, with No. 2 Georgia on Nov. 9 the toughest remaining test.
6. Jalen Milroe, Alabama (Previous Rank: 3)
Stats: 121-of-177, 1,722 yards, 13 TD, 6 INT; 330 rush yards, 11 TD
Milroe posted his second straight two-interception game in Saturday's loss on the road against Tennessee, completing 25-of-45 pass attempts for 239 yards and one touchdown. Things don't get any easier going forward, with No. 21 Missouri and No. 8 LSU up next on the schedule, sandwiched around a Week 10 bye.
5. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
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Previous Rank: 6
Stats: 195-of-270, 2,268 yards, 19 TD, 6 INT; -19 rush yards, 2 TD
Shedeur Sanders threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns while also adding a third score on the ground in Saturday's 34-7 victory over Arizona, and the Buffaloes improved to 5-2 on the year.
That came on the heels of back-to-back three-touchdown performances, and after an inconsistent start to the year, he is once again looking like one of the nation's marquee passers.
The Buffaloes do not face another ranked opponent the rest of the way, and he should be able to put up some quality numbers next week against a Cincinnati defense that ranks 88th in the nation in passing yards allowed per game.
4. Kurtis Rourke, Indiana
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Previous Rank: 4
Stats: 135-of-181, 1,941 yards, 15 TD, 3 INT; 45 rush yards, 2 TD
Kurtis Rourke has been a revelation this year after transferring from Ohio University during the offseason, and he has the Indiana Hoosiers off to a 7-0 start and looking like serious playoff contenders.
He completed 17-of-21 pass attempts for 189 yards with one touchdown and one interception in Saturday's blowout win over Nebraska, but he spent the second half on the sidelines after suffering a thumb injury.
The dark horse Heisman Trophy contender is out "indefinitely" with the injury, though he is expected to return at some point during the 2024 season. He is not expected to play on Saturday against Washington, with backup Tayven Jackson handling quarterback duties in his absence.
3. Cade Klubnik, Clemson
8 of 10
Previous Rank: 5
Stats: 146-of-219, 1,836 yards, 20 TD, 3 INT; 227 rush yards, 4 TD
With 308 passing yards and three touchdowns in a win over Virginia, Cade Klubnik furthered his case to be mentioned among the nation's top-tier passers.
Since throwing for just 142 yards and an interception in a Week 1 loss to Georgia, Klubnik has been as good as anyone in the country, throwing for 1,694 yards and 20 touchdowns against just two interceptions.
While Clemson does not have to face Miami during the regular season, a tough stretch of the schedule awaits following a Week 9 bye, with Louisville, Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh up next, including road games against the Hokies and Panthers.
2. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
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Previous Rank: 2
Stats: 174-of-226, 2,098 yards, 15 TD, 4 INT; 92 rush yards, 4 TD
Following a dramatic 32-31 victory over Ohio State in Week 7, the Oregon Ducks cruised in a short week with a 35-0 win on the road against Purdue on Friday night.
Dillon Gabriel was his usual efficient self in the lopsided win, connecting on 21-of-25 pass attempts for 290 yards and two touchdowns, and his 77.0 percent completion rate leads all qualified FBS quarterbacks.
The Ducks will look to remain undefeated against No. 20 Illinois on Saturday, and Gabriel will take aim at an Illini defense allowing fewer than 200 passing yards per game on the year.
1. Cam Ward, Miami
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Previous Rank: 1
Stats: 169-of-246, 2,538 yards, 24 TD, 5 INT; 190 rush yards, 3 TD
The Miami Hurricanes faced their toughest test to date when they squared off against Louisville on Saturday, and they maintained their undefeated record with a 52-45 victory.
Heisman Trophy favorite Cam Ward completed 21-of-32 pass attempts for 319 yards and four touchdowns, though it was the running game that found the end zone twice in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
Ward has thrown for at least 300 yards in all seven games this season, and Saturday marked the sixth time he has connected on at least three touchdown passes. After testing the NFL draft waters, Ward decided to return to college, and he has undoubtedly raised his stock with a terrific 2024 campaign.
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