Tag: college football starting QBs

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Following is a list of every FBS team playing this fall with either the named starter (bolded), who the assumed starter will likely be based upon an established previous starter returning, or who the likely candidates are (although there are sure to be some surprises).

As teams name official QB1s or release depth charts to start the season (usually within 1-2 weeks of first game) this list will be updated. Reminder – this list is only up until each team’s first game.

Listed by conference:

AAC:

• Cincinnati – Desmond Ridder was the starter last year and is #1 again
• East Carolina – Holton Ahlers returns from last season
• Houston – Clayton Tune returns after replacing D’Eriq King last year
• Memphis – Brady White returns and confirmed QB1
• Navy – Dalen Morris is the starter on the depth chart for week 1
• SMU – Shane Buechele is back starting after passing for almost 4000 yards last year
• South Florida – Jordan McCloud has been reported to be the opening starter and is the most experienced returner, Cade Fortin may be in the mix
• Temple – Anthony Russo has been called the starter by his coaches, Trad Beatty & Re-al Mitchell competing to back-up
• Tulane – Keon Howard has been named QB1
• Tulsa – Zach Smith is back after 3279 yards in 2019
• UCF – Dillon Gabriel returns, Milton McKenzie is not yet healed after a severe leg injury

ACC:

• Boston College – Phil Jurkovec (eligible after transfer from Notre Dame), got the start after being listed with an OR with last year’s part-time starter Dennis Grosel
• Clemson – Trevor Lawrence, you may have heard of him
• Duke – Chase Brice transferred from Clemson and was named starter over Chris Katrenick & Gunnar Holmberg
• Florida State – James Blackman named the starter
• Georgia Tech – Jeff Sims has been named the starter over returner James Graham as well as Jordan Yates & Tucker Gleason
• Louisville – Micale Cunningham returns after sharing time last season
• Miami – Houston transfer D’Eriq King has been named the starter
• NC State – Devin Leary was listed as the week 1 starter, but Bailey Hockman got the start due to Leary missing time in quarantine
• North Carolina – Sam Howell returns after a big freshman season
• Notre Dame – Ian Book returns from 3034 yards in 2019
• Pitt – Kenny Pickett is back after a 3000 yard passing season
• Syracuse – Tommy Devito returns and will start
• Virginia – Brennan Armstrong named starter, was backup to Bryce Perkins last season
• Virginia Tech – Hendon Hooker has been named the starter but Braxton Burmeister actually got the start as Hooker was unavailable
• Wake Forest – Sam Hartman named starter after throwing for 800 yards while Jamie Newman was injured last year

Big 12:

• Baylor – Charlie Brewer returns and will start after late-season injury
• Iowa State – Brock Purdy returns after putting up big numbers last season
• Kansas – depth chart lists OR between Thomas MacVittie & Miles Kendrick – they shared time in the first game with MacVittie taking first snaps
• Kansas State – Skylar Thompson returns and will start
• Oklahoma – Spencer Rattler has been named the starter
• Oklahoma State – dual-threat Spencer Sanders returner named QB1
• TCU – Matthew Downing was named the game 1 starter, although Max Duggan has returned to practice – Duggan actually got more time in game 1 although Downing started
• Texas – Sam Ehlinger is back after tossing 3663 yards last year
• Texas Tech – Alan Bowman returns from injury and will start week 1, could face competition from Henry Colombi
• West Virginia – Jarrett Doege has been named the starter over Austin Kendall

Big Ten:

• Illinois – Brandon Peters returns and has been acknowledged to be the starter, passed for 1884 yards in 11 games
• Indiana – Michael Penix returns after splitting time last season
• Iowa – Spencer Petras is QB1 on the depth chart, Alex Padilla #2
• Maryland – Josh Jackson opted out, Taulia Tagovailoa (eligible) and Lance LeGendre listed as OR on the first depth chart, Tagovailoa started
• Michigan – Dylan McCaffrey has opted out making Joe Milton the expected starter as he has been taking #1 reps
• Michigan State – competition may be between Rocky Lombardi (started), Payton Thorne & Theo Day
• Minnesota – Tanner Morgan is back after throwing for over 3200 yards last season
• Nebraska – dual-threat Adrian Martinez is back yet again and will start the opener, reserve Luke McCaffrey also returns
• Northwestern – a lot of QBs in the stable here – Peyton Ramsey transferred from Northwestern and will start, back are Hunter Johnson, TJ Green plus Andrew Marty from their injury-ridden season last year (Aidan Smith opted out)
• Ohio State – Justin Fields is back to likely compete for the Heisman
• Penn State – Sean Clifford returns from a 2654-23 season
• Purdue – Austin Burton transferred from UCLA, competing with Jack Plummer and Aidan O’Connell (started)
• Rutgers – Artur Sitkowski (returns after playing then redshirting last season) and Noah Vedral (started) are listed with an OR, Johnny Langan also back after filling in
• Wisconsin – last year’s starter Jack Coan was injured in preseason, so Graham Mertz will start

Conference USA:

• Charlotte – last year’s starter Chris Reynolds returns
• Florida Atlantic – with Chris Robison’s unexpected departure, Nick Tronti has been named the starter
• Florida International – dual threat Kaylan Wiggins returns, may face competition from Max Bortenschlager (MD transfer) and Stone Norton – all 3 were listed with an OR on the first depth chart, Bortenschlager got the first snaps but Norton the most playing time in the opener
• Louisiana Tech – Aaron Allen took the first snaps after being listed with an OR with Luke Anthony on first depth chart
• Marshall – Grant Wells has been named the starter beating out Luke Zban, as Isaiah Green does not appear to be with the team despite reports he withdrew from the transfer portal
• Middle Tennessee St – Asher O’Hara returns
• North Texas – Austin Aune & Jason Bean were listed as co-starters for week 1, Bean actually got the start
• ODU – NOT PLAYING
• Rice – potential battle between Mike Collins (was named starter), TCU transfer and JoVoni Johnson
• Southern Miss – Jack Abraham is QB1 on the first depth chart after almost 3500 yards passing last year
• UAB – Tyler Johnston has been named the starter over his injury replacement last season Dylan Hopkins
• UTEP – Gavin Hardison named starter after TJ Goodwin opted out
• UTSA – Frank Harris got the first game start, Lowell Narcisse & Jordan Weeks return, Josh Adkins transferred in from New Mexico State – team listed all 4 with an OR on their depth chart for week 1
• Western Kentucky – Tyrrell Pigrome, Maryland transfer, has been named the week 1 starter

MAC:

• Akron – Kato Nelson is back from an 1820 yard season, Zach Gibson started
• Ball State – Drew Plitt threw for 2918 yards last year
• Bowling Green – Matt McDonald, Boston College transfer, is expected to be the starter
• Buffalo – both Kyle Vantrease and Matt Myers (starter until injured last season) return
• Central Michigan – David Moore was not cleared from his suspension, Daniel Richardson started
• Eastern Michigan – Preston Hutchinson returns after backing up Mike Glass last year
• Kent State – Dustin Crum is back from a strong season, 2625 passing, 707 rushing yards
• Miami (OH) – Brett Gabbert returns after passing for 2411 yards
• Northern Illinois – Ross Bowers passed for 2130 yards last season as he dealt with concussions
• Ohio – Kurtis Rourke (brother of Nathan) likely competing with UNLV transfer Armani Rogers
• Toledo – Eli Peters and Carter Bradley are both back after some QB shuffling last year behind departed Mitchell Guadagni
• Western Michigan – Kaleb Eleby may be the frontrunner after redshirting last season, reserve Griffin Alstott is also back

Mountain West:

• Air Force – Donald Hammond is out as he is not in good standing as a cadet, Warren Bryan and Haaziq Daniels listed with an OR on the initial depth chart, Daniels actually started
• Boise State – last year’s starter Hank Bachmeier returns and will start, as does his frequent injury replacement Chase Cord
• Colorado State – Patrick O’Brien is back after throwing for 2803 yards when he took over for an injured Collin Hill, competing with Todd Centeio, a Temple transfer, listed with an OR on the depth chart
• Fresno State – Jake Haener (Washington transfer) has been named the starter over Ben Wooldridge, a reserve from last year
• Hawaii – Chevan Cordeiro is back after being a sub for Cole McDonald at times last season
• Nevada – Carson Strong returns after throwing for 2335 yards last year
• New Mexico – Tevaka Tuioti has been named the week 1 starter despite reports that Trae Hall has been taking the majority of first team reps early in camp. Brandt Hughes is out for the season with a shoulder injury.
• San Diego State – Carson Baker (Ryan Agnew’s backup last season) will be the starter
• San Jose State – Nick Starkel (transferred from Arkansas) is listed with an OR with Nick Nash, Starkel got the week 1 start
• UNLV – Kenyon Oblad took over the position last year passing for 2081 yards, listed with an OR with Max Gilliam OR Justin Rogers (TCU transfer), Gilliam actually started but shared time
• Utah State – Jason Shelley was a late transfer from Utah and will start
• Wyoming – Sean Chambers dealt with injuries last year but is back, along with Levi Williams

Pac-12:

• Arizona – Grant Gunnell, part-time starter with departed Khalil Tate last-season, returns
• Arizona State – Jayden Daniels is back from a freshman season where he threw for almost 3000 yards
• Cal – experienced Chase Garbers returns
• Colorado – Tyler Lytle, Brendon Lewis, Sam Noyer in competition
• Oregon – going into fall camp Tyler Shough is taking first team snaps, competing with Boston College transfer Anthony Brown
• Oregon State – Tristan Gebbia could be the favorite, Chance Nolan could compete
• Stanford – Davis Mills comes back from a season where he split time, Jack West also returns, West actually started after Mills had a false positive which kept him out
• UCLA – Dorian Thompson-Robinson is back from passing for 2701 yards last year
• USC – Kedon Slovis returns from a 3502 yard passing-season
• Utah – Jake Bentley, South-Carolina transfer, and Cameron Rising likely in competition, Drew Lisk also listed on preseason depth chart
• Washington – Jacob Sirmon may be the favorite, also Dylan Morris
• Washington State – may be a wide-open competition between Cammon Cooper, Jayden de Laura, Gunner Cruz, and possibly others

SEC:

• Alabama – Mac Jones will be the starter, but may get competition from Bryce Young
• Arkansas – Feleipe Franks transferred from Florida, beating out KJ Jefferson
• Auburn – Bo Nix returns after starting last season
• Florida – Kyle Trask returns this year
• Georgia – Jamie Newman (Wake Forest) opted out, JT Daniels (USC) has been cleared for practices and scrimmages but not officially medically cleared for games yet, D’Wan Mathis got the start
• Kentucky – Terry Wilson returns from injury and named starter, with others in the mix, Joey Gatewood’s waiver is still pending
• LSU – Myles Brennan has been named the starter, as expected
• Mississippi State – Stanford-transfer KJ Costello was listed with an OR with Will Rogers, but Mike Leach said he expects Costello to start, last year’s part-time QB Garrett Shrader has been working at slot receiver
• Missouri – has said they won’t announce before Game 1, Shawn Robinson got the OR with Connor Bazelek, Taylor Powell announced he will transfer – Robinson was the starter
• Ole Miss – John Rhys Plumlee and Matt Corral again in competition this year, with an OR on the first depth chart, Corral actually got the start
• South Carolina – Collin Hill (Colorado St transfer) named week 1 starter over Ryan Hilinski
• Tennessee – Jarrett Guarantano is the starter, Brian Maurer and JT Shrout also are back
• Texas A&M – dual-threat Kellen Mond returns again
• Vanderbilt – the depth chart has a 4-way OR between Ken Seals, Mike Wright, Danny Clark & Jeremy Moussa, Seals got the starting the nod

Sun Belt:

• Appalachian State – Zac Thomas returns from last season
• Arkansas State – Logan Bonner will start game 1, Layne Hatcher was listed with an OR on the depth chart and is also expected to play
• Coastal Carolina – Despite the Week 1 depth chart says Fred Payton OR Bryce Carpenter, it was Grayson McCall who actually started
• Georgia Southern – Shai Werts returns and named starter
• Georgia State – Cornelious Brown beat out Jamil Muhammad (Vanderbilt)
• Louisiana (Lafayette) – Levi Lewis returns
• South Alabama – Desmond Trotter QB1 on the depth chart
• Texas State – Brady McBride, Memphis transfer, has been named the starter over Tyler Vitt
• Troy – Gunnar Watson named starter
• UL Monroe – Colby Suits named starter, Jeremy Hunt also expected to play

Independents:

• Army – Christian Anderson started game 1 over Jabari Laws, who may be dealing with an injury
• BYU – Zach Wilson is back from injury and has been named the starter, Baylor Romney and Jaren Hall also got time in Wilson’s absence
• Liberty – Malik Willis (Auburn transfer) announced as the starter, listed as OR on the first depth chart with Chris Ferguson
• UMass – Andrew Brito was not listed on the depth chart, Mike Fallon (the only other returner who threw a pass for the Minutemen last year) is OR with Josiah Johnson OR Will Koch

If you have seen any depth charts or leads different than what you see here please tag me with a link on @FBSFantasyFoot.