College Football QB Battles Still Undecided After 2026 Spring Practices and Games

Football is a team sport, sure, but simultaneously, there's no more impactful position on the field than the quarterback.

This decision, quite literally, can make or break a season.

Given that importance, it's no wonder we spend the offseason locked into competitions all over college football. The battles rage on through spring practice, and rarely does a QB1 announcement follow the spring game.

Yes, it happens. Florida State tabbed its starter in late April, crowning Auburn transfer Ashton Daniels over redshirt freshman Kevin Sperry.

Most of the other marquee competitions, though, are continuing into the summer and won't be decided until fall camp—or even the regular season.

Alabama Crimson Tide

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Keelon Russell

Expectations have not lowered at Alabama.

Last season, a vocal portion of the fan base wanted to run Kalen DeBoer out of Tuscaloosa after the opening loss to Florida State. A late upset at home against Oklahoma didn't help, and then there were blowouts at the hands of Georgia in the SEC Championship Game and Indiana in the College Football Playoff.

In a vacuum, an 11-4 record with appearances in the league title game and the CFP is a successful year. But it's not that simple at Bama.

That's the long version of saying Ty Simpson's successor, whether that's Austin Mack or Keelon Russell, will be saddled with real pressure right away.

Russell, a top recruit in the 2025 cycle, is the consensus pick and excelled in the spring game. Mack remains a strong contender because of his three years with DeBoer, along with serving as Simpson's backup.

DeBoer recently told AL.com he intends to name a starter "probably a couple weeks before" the Sep. 5 clash with East Carolina.

Clemson Tigers

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Christopher Vizzina

There has been movement in the Clemson QB competition, although it's not exactly what we anticipated as the spring began.

Christopher Vizzina headed into the offseason as the front-runner, given his recruiting pedigree and two years in the second-string role. Vizzina threw for 317 yards and three touchdowns in a spot start last season.

He will likely be the Tigers' QB1—but this battle has a new feel.

Following the spring game, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney told reporters Vizzina and true freshman Tait Reynolds separated themselves. That leaves Chris Denson, the once-presumed backup, as a depth option. Adding to the intrigue, Swinney did not rule out a position change for the athletic QB.

How that storyline plays out will be worth monitoring, but Vizzina is still trending toward steering Clemson's offense in 2026.

Florida Gators

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Tramell Jones Jr.

Florida hired Jon Sumrall, who tabbed Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner to oversee the Gators' scoring attack. Aaron Philo followed Faulkner to Gainesville and became the anticipated starter.

So we think, at least.

Neither brings much experience to the competition, given that Philo has 102 career pass attempts and Tramell Jones Jr. has 35. Philo's key edge is having two years in Faulkner's system, whereas Jones is learning it.

Unsurprisingly, the spring brought no resolution. "We're not ready to make any decision quite yet," UF quarterbacks coach Joe Craddock told reporters.

Since the Gators open the campaign with Florida Atlantic and lower-division Campbell, this battle may linger into the regular season, too.

Iowa Hawkeyes

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Jeremy Hecklinski

No matter the choice, Iowa will finish the 2026 season with a record somewhere in the range of 8-5 to 10-4. That's the way this works.

But will Hank Brown or Jeremy Heckinski be the Hawkeyes' pick?

Brown spent two years at Auburn, then transferred to Iowa and served as the backup for part of 2025. Hecklinski jumped from Wake Forest to Iowa, rising from third-stringer to QB2 midway through last season.

The roller coaster may continue, however, as neither Brown nor Hecklinski exited the spring with a perceived edge.

One thing is clear: The winner of the competition will be tasked with navigating a brutal three-game gauntlet at Michigan, home to Ohio State and at Washington to close the first half of the schedule.

North Carolina Tar Heels

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If the Bill Belichick experiment is going to work, North Carolina had better find a productive quarterback in a hurry.

No pressure, everybody!

This offseason, the Tar Heels brought in Billy Edwards Jr. from Wisconsin and Miles O'Neill from Texas A&M, signed Travis Burgess and kept Au'Tori Newkirk. Western Carolina transfer Taron Dickens is set to arrive this summer.

The competition will likely come down to the transfers.

Edwards, the former Maryland starter who briefly led Wisconsin's offense prior to a knee injury, is the veteran. Dickens had a prolific season for WCU, but is rising to a new level. O'Neill, a redshirt sophomore, has limited experience yet was a priority for new UNC coordinator Bobby Petrino to bring from Texas A&M.

North Carolina will rely on fall camp to determine which QB will open the campaign against TCU in Dublin, Ireland.

Tennessee Volunteers

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George MacIntyre

The moment Joey Aguilar's appeal for more eligibility was denied, Tennessee knew it would be breaking in a new quarterback.

Yes, the Volunteers added Colorado transfer Ryan Staub. He started twice and made a few other significant appearances during his three seasons in Boulder, but is largely expected to serve as a veteran backup.

The main competitors are George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon.

MacIntyre, who attempted nine passes after entering two blowouts last season, holds the advantage of a year in the system. Brandon, meanwhile, is a top-rated newcomer with a dynamic skill set. Both are talented, both are unproven.

Although the Vols probably won't be a serious SEC or CFP threat this fall, the hope is that a year of experience for MacIntyre or Brandon will elevate UT in 2027.