The 2024 College Football season is off to a crazy start with 5 upsets of top 5 teams occurring in the first 8 weeks, Army and Navy are ranked together for the first time this century, and the current Heisman favorite plays in the Mountain West Conference, but how has all this chaos affected the Draft Eligible QBs heading into next year’s NFL Draft?
No. 1 Overall Pick Contenders
Shedeur Sanders- Colorado
Coming into the season Sanders was considered a dark horse to be the top QB selected in next year’s NFL Draft, now he’s almost considered a lock to be a top 5 selection. At 6-2 215lbs, Shedeur provides adequate size to go along with excellent pre snap ability, post snap he provides the ability to thrive when the play breaks down and has arguably the most accurate arm in this class. The main negatives attached to Sanders come from his knack for making very divisive statements, and from his father, Deon Sanders, claim that Shedeur won’t go to certain franchises. Look for Sanders to make a big splash early on draft night.
Cam Ward- Miami
Ward initially announced he was entering the NFL Draft last offseason before cancelling that and transferring to Miami after an excellent year at Washington State, and it looks like he made the correct decision. Currently undefeated, Ward has led the Hurricanes into the Top 10 in the rankings and has himself firmly in the Heisman conversation if Ashton Jeanty and Travis Hunter ever take their foot off the gas. At 6-2 223lbs, Ward provides a very similar makeup as Sanders, Ward rivals Sanders in accuracy but adds a little bit more off schedule ability with his throws.
1st Round Guys
Quinn Ewers- Texas
Ewers started this season looking like he was going to live up to his recruiting expectations and establish himself as the Defacto No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, but an injury and a poor showing against Georgia has him on the outside looking in to earn that title. The Texas QB will still find his name called early in the draft based on his arm strength and college pedigree but expect combine interviews to determine just how high Ewers is taken.
Carson Beck- Georgia
6-4 220lbs, Beck has the size that makes him an enticing prospect for NFL GMs, add in the fact that he plays for a top program and that so far, he’s only lost 2 games in his college career, and you’ve got the makings of a Top 10 pick. The negatives affecting Beck’s NFL Draft status are his ability to operate outside of structure, and a seeming inability to carry an offense if his playmakers aren’t creating for him.
Late day 1 Early Day 2
Jalen Milroe- Alabama
In his time at Alabama Milroe has displayed some of the highest highs, and lowest lows. The most Athletically gifted QB in this class Milroe will have to answer questions about a position change when heading to the NFL, but if he’s committed to being an NFL QB, he will have to sell teams on his excellent deep ball and playmaking ability. The negatives facing Milroe are his ability to read defenses and progress through his reads on any given play,
Potential Day 2 Guys
Jaxon Dart- Ole Miss
Dillon Gabriel- Oregon
Garrett Nussmeier- LSU
Nussmeier has the highest potential to climb form this position with his excellent arm strength, but Gabriel is my pick to be a surprise NFL starter at the next level. Gabriel lacks in size but makes up for it in decision making and play making ability, should he find himself in the perfect situation to maximize his strengths and hide his weaknesses, much like Russell Wilson, Dillon could hang around in the NFL for a long time.
Day 3 guys with potential
Cade Klubnik- Clemson
Jalon Daniels- Kansas
Miller Moss- USC
Drew Allar- Penn St
Conner Weigman- Texas A&M
Riley Leonard- Notre Dame
Brady Cook- Missouri
Kurtis Rourke- Indiana
Diego Pavia- Vanderbilt
The majority of these players will return to college to attempt to increase their stock, but of the seniors who are expected to make the leap, I expect Cook, Rourke, and Pavia to last the longest in the NFL. Cook and Rourke have the makeup of perennial practice squad players that could work their way into QB2 status, while Pavia should look to transition himself into a Taysom Hill style role as a special teams ace and trick play artist. Moss, Allar, and Weigman could work their way into a much higher round discussion next year and are very unlikely to declare this early.
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1 Comment
Great write up. Very informative.