Forty names, games, teams and minutiae making news in college football, where Idaho State provided the first stellar trickeration of the season. First Quarter: Terms of College Football Playoff Engagement.
Second Quarter: Quarterback Relationship Status
It’s still August, so love is everywhere when it comes to a fan base’s relationship with its starting quarterback. There will be rocky times ahead, of course, but also some beautiful moments of mutual affection. The Dash does a romance check for every power-conference program (plus Notre Dame) and its QB.
Old Married Couple (11)
Ten teams where the head coach has the same QB who has started all or most of the previous two seasons at least:
James Franklin and Drew Allar, Penn State. It hasn’t always been perfect, with the coach and QB both having their angst-inducing moments when the lights are brightest. But Allar is 26–6 as a starter and this looks like Franklin’s best team.
Dabo Swinney and Cade Klubnik, Clemson. Dabo is trying to rekindle the red-hot bromance he had with Trevor Lawrence for three years. Doing so would require Klubnik to raise his game a little higher against top-level competition—he’s thrown 15 touchdowns and one interception against non-power-conference teams, and 42 TDs and 17 picks against high-level opponents.
Bret Bielema and Luke Altmyer, Illinois. This didn’t look like a natural chemistry when the Starkville, Miss., native transferred from Mississippi to Illinois, but it’s worked out nicely. Altmyer will have some crucial September QB battles when the Illini play Duke (Sept. 6), Indiana (Sept. 20) and USC (Sept. 27).
Joey McGuire and Behren Morton, Texas Tech. The Red Raiders went hard in the transfer portal for new talent but stuck by Morton, who has started two dozen games over the previous three seasons.
Lance Leipold and Jalon Daniels, Kansas. Daniels is in his sixth season at Kansas at just 22 years old, so he’s packed a lot of experience into his young life. Staying healthy has been a concern over the years. He was lights-out in the Jayhawks’ opening romp over Fresno State, dropping a 213.4 pass efficiency rating in that game.
Matt Campbell and Rocco Becht, Iowa State. Their trust in one another showed in the opener in Ireland, as the Cyclones stayed the course through a sloppy start. Becht wound up making the big plays in the second half, leading three scoring drives and running out the clock for a three-point victory over rival Kansas State.
Brent Key and Haynes King, Georgia Tech. Key hitched his wagon to the tough-minded King early in his Tech tenure, and the result has been steady improvement. King threw just two interceptions in 269 attempts last season while also running for 587 yards and 11 TDs. He was nothing short of heroic in the crazy overtime game against Georgia.
Sonny Dykes and Josh Hoover, TCU. Replacing Heisman Trophy finalist Max Duggan was never going to be easy, but Hoover took over that job in the second half of 2023 and hasn’t relinquished it. His 304 passing yards per game last season trailed only Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders in the Big 12.
Dave Aranda and Sawyer Robertson, Baylor. An up-and-down relationship strengthened in the latter half of last season when Robertson propelled the Bears to a six-game winning streak that saved Aranda’s job. He had 17 touchdown passes and four interceptions during that streak.
Crush Stage (12)
They’re feeling the intoxicating rush of a new relationship. Everything is just perfect. So far.
Steve Sarkisian and Arch Manning, Texas. Forget cautious beginnings. It’s finally time to go head over heels for Arch on the Forty Acres. He’s been built for this moment, and he’s working with one of the best offensive minds in football. Let the Scion start flyin’.
Sherrone Moore and Bryce Underwood, Michigan. In a noted contrast to how Texas brought along Manning, the nation’s No. 1 freshman recruit will be the Wolverines’ opening-game starter. That says a lot about Michigan’s disheveled QB depth chart coming out of the Harbaugh era, but also says something about Underwood’s talent and maturity.
Jedd Fisch and Demond Williams Jr. Washington. Williams forced his way into the lineup by the end of last season as a true freshman, showcasing a dynamic run-pass ability. After accounting for five touchdowns in the Sun Bowl against Louisville, everyone in Seattle is ready to see what he can do for a full season.
One Year in, Everything Is Dreamy (13)
Diego Pavia and Vanderbilt. Not many players in recent memory have had a more profound instant impact on a program than Pavia, who injected swagger and toughness into the Commodores. After suing the NCAA for this extra year of eligibility, Pavia says (with a straight face) that he wants to compete for a national championship.
LaNorris Sellers and South Carolina. Sellers went from promising prospect to smash success last season in helping the Gamecocks to nine wins. If he can cut down on his negative plays (sacks and turnovers), this year could be an NFL first-round audition. But the team around him might not be as good.
DJ Lagway and Florida. Played earlier than expected last season as a freshman after the injury to Graham Mertz, but Lagway’s progress helped the Gators turn their season around late—and save Billy Napier’s job. He’s a big-play maker, as long as he stays healthy.
Marcel Reed and Texas A&M. Reed took over the starting position as a redshirt freshman, providing a dual-threat dynamic the offense lacked under veteran Conner Weigman. The Aggies’ late-season slide was more a product of defensive lapses than Reed’s play.
Sam Leavitt and Arizona State. He certainly wasn’t guaranteed a starting spot upon arrival last year as a Michigan State transfer, but Leavitt took over the job and kept playing better as a dream season unfolded. The ultra-competitive Leavitt now has his eyes on bigger things, and bigger QB names.
Kevin Jennings and SMU. The dynamic, fearless free-lancer led the Mustangs to the ACC championship game and the College Football Playoff. And then he led them out of the playoff with a nightmare performance at Penn State. If Jennings cuts down on his reckless plays without losing his daring mindset, look out.
CJ Bailey and NC State. Started nine games as a freshman and established himself as a playmaker—a rangy 6'6" slinger who became more of a running threat as the year progressed. Bailey has gained 25 pounds since last year and will have a veteran offensive line in front of him.
Still Building Trust (14)
There were some good moments last season. There were some bad moments. Continued growth is expected.
Dylan Raiola and Nebraska. The nation’s No. 1 QB recruit of 2024 went right into the fray and had a good September, throwing nine touchdowns and two interceptions. Then the struggles began—he had four TD passes and nine picks the rest of the way. The Cornhuskers’ soft schedule sets up for another fast start and a potential playoff push—if Raiola is up to it.
Aidan Chiles and Michigan State. Jonathan Smith came to East Lansing with his handpicked QB in tow from Oregon State. Chiles struggled for much of his first season as a college starter, but should be better this year for the experience.
Eli Holstein and Pittsburgh. The Alabama transfer got off to a torrid start at Pitt, leading the Panthers to 7–0. Injuries scuttled his season thereafter, and Pitt lost its last six games. Keeping him upright and healthy will be paramount this season.
Jayden Maiava and USC. The Trojans went 3–1 after moving Miller Moss out of the starting lineup and going with Maiava, the transfer from UNLV who injected some verve into the offense. But he also threw five interceptions in the last two games, including pick-sixes of 99 and 100 yards in the loss to Notre Dame.
Gunner Stockton and Georgia. Bulldogs fans have a palpable desire for Stockton to be great—partly because they love his unpretentious North Georgia backstory, and partly because they want to stick it to former QB Carson Beck, now at Miami. Kirby Smart is probably looking for more of a game manager than a 40-passes-a-game chucker, and Stockton should be that guy.
Just Met, Vibe Uncertain (15)
They’ve won the quarterback competitions at their schools. Now what?
Ty Simpson, Alabama. Experience: 50 passes over three seasons. Simpson feels like a superior fit for the Ryan Grubb/Kalen DeBoer offense than Jalen Milroe was last year. And the surrounding cast is very good.
Julian Sayin, Ohio State. Experience: 12 passes last season. Sayin is not the most physically impressive QB on the Buckeyes’ roster, but he’s regarded as accurate and astute. Job one is simple: Throw it to No. 4.
CJ Carr, Notre Dame. Experience: zero college passes. The grandson of Michigan coaching legend Lloyd Carr beat out the more mobile Kenny Minchey late in preseason camp. Now all he has to do is take on Miami on the road in his first game.
Dante Moore, Oregon. Experience: 221 passes over two seasons, just eight of them at Oregon. Moore was a five-star prospect who played immediately at UCLA in 2023, then wound up on the bench most of the second half of that season and transferred to back up Dillon Gabriel. We’ll see how much his passing has progressed.
Austin Simmons, Mississippi. Experience: 32 passes last season. Simmons got more reps in the 2024–25 athletic year at Ole Miss as a baseball relief pitcher, logging 13 appearances with a 2–0 record. The left-hander can throw smoke in both sports, and Lane Kiffin is eager to plug him into his QB-friendly offense.
Drake Lindsey, Minnesota. Experience: five passes last season. Lindsey is a big athlete (6'5", 230 pounds) from Arkansas who will probably be more of a cog in a ground-based offense after the Gophers uncharacteristically threw it more than they ran it last year.
Dylan Lonergan, Boston College. Experience: eight passes over two years at Alabama. Bill O’Brien grabbed one of the players he coached under Nick Saban to be his new QB with the Eagles. Lonergan was a highly rated recruit out of Snellville, Ga.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, California. Experience: none. Sagapolutele won the job late at Cal, just the latest plot twist in his college career. He committed to Cal, decommitted and enrolled at Oregon last winter, then transferred to Berkeley. Now he’s the Golden Bears’ starter.
Rebound Relationships With Promise (16)
Transfers with talent who could be just what their new schools need.
Carson Beck, Miami. He was expensive as a multimillion-dollar transfer. He was productive, albeit not without flaws, at Georgia. He might not be Cam Ward 2.0 as the Hurricanes’ next instant-impact QB transfer, but coordinator Shannon Dawson should put Beck to good use.
Nico Iamaleava, UCLA. The damage Iamaleava did to his reputation on the way out of Tennessee will be water under the bridge in Westwood if he plays well and elevates the Bruins back above .500.
Fernando Mendoza, Indiana. He was very productive in two seasons at Cal and should be an improvement for the Hoosiers over Kurtis Rourke, who played through injury the second half of last season. Mendoza has a live arm and good mobility, and has put himself on the NFL radar.
Mark Gronowski, Iowa. He had a huge FCS career at South Dakota State, producing more than 12,000 yards of total offense and 84 total touchdowns. Gronowski could immediately energize an Iowa offense that had become a punchline for the last several years.
Devon Dampier, Utah. He’s short but dynamic, racking up nearly 4,000 yards and 31 touchdowns last year at New Mexico. Dampier was an interception machine for the first two-thirds of last season before cutting down on the mistakes. Utah has been starving for good QB play since 2022.
Miller Moss, Louisville. Lost his job at USC but had an admirer in Jeff Brohm after lighting up the Cardinals for six TD passes in the 2023 Holiday Bowl. Plugging Moss into a high-octane offense could produce another leap up NFL draft boards after Tyler Shough did it last season in Louisville.
Preston Stone, Northwestern. The Wildcats’ quarterback play was pretty dismal last season. Stone struggled to recover from a broken leg and lost his job to Kevin Jennings at SMU, but he was a 3,000-yard passer for the Mustangs in 2023.
Gio Lopez, North Carolina. Bill Belichick’s handpicked starter was a savvy and productive player in 16 games at South Alabama. It will be interesting to see how much Belichick deviates from a pro-style approach to take advantage of Lopez’s running ability (more than 600 rushing yards and nine TDs at USA).
Conner Weigman, Houston. He was a high-profile recruit who flashed some real talent at Texas A&M before being sidelined by injuries and the coaching change from Jimbo Fisher to Mike Elko. Weigman threw 16 touchdowns and only two interceptions in his first two seasons with the Aggies before last year went sideways.
Kaidon Salter, Colorado. Salter has been one of the most productive QBs in FBS, racking up nearly 8,000 total yards at Liberty. Colorado will likely go with more of a dual-threat QB role with Salter than it did with Sanders the last few seasons.
Darian Mensah, Duke. After Mensah showed out as a freshman at Tulane, the Blue Devils shelled out big money to land one of the biggest talents in the portal. Can he lead Duke into ACC title contention?
Needed a Last-Minute Wedding Date, Who Knows? (17)
Joey Aguilar, Tennessee. Aguilar was the player to be named later in a de facto trade with UCLA, arriving in Knoxville, Tenn., after the Nico work stoppage in the spring. He was a productive player at Appalachian State the previous two seasons.
Jake Retzlaff, Tulane. He had a productive year at BYU, then left school after an honor code violation and landed in New Orleans this summer. No idea how up to speed he will be with the Green Wave, who welcome Northwestern to town in a high-profile home opener.
Bear Bachmeier, BYU. The freshman got the job that was vacated by Retzlaff. He will be BYU’s fourth starter in the last four years, and he will wear jersey No. 47.
Steve Angeli, Syracuse. He lost out in the competition to start at Notre Dame in the spring and was a late addition for the Orange. Angeli will always have a place in Fighting Irish hearts after a clutch emergency relief performance in last season’s Orange Bowl.
Still Playing the Field (18)
No public commitments made at this time.
- Missouri is still deciding between Sam Horn (who is also a baseball player) and Penn State transfer Beau Pribula. The Tigers can play both against Central Arkansas and try to keep Kansas guessing for Sept. 6.
- Oklahoma State has not made a public declaration between Zane Flores or Hauss Hejny. Flores, who has not played in two seasons of college due to a redshirt and an injury, is considered the likely choice.
- Maryland won’t commit between Malik Washington and Justyn Martin. Washington is a redshirt freshman with more upside, while Martin played sparingly in two seasons at UCLA.
Been Around the Block (19)
Well-traveled veterans who have been tabbed to start in new places by first-year coaches.
Robby Ashford, Wake Forest. Previous stops: Auburn and South Carolina. Ashford had more than 2,300 yards total offense for the Tigers in 2022. He was recently named the starter for the Demon Deacons by new coach Jake Dickert.
Cam Fancher, UCF. Previous stops: Marshall and Florida Atlantic. Beat out Indiana transfer Tayven Jackson to earn the nod from Scott Frost. Fancher has played a lot of football, producing nearly 6,500 yards of total offense.
Already on the Rocks (20)
Ben Gulbranson, Stanford. One start into his Stanford career after transferring from Oregon State, Gulbranson at least has a week off to regroup. He completed 15-of-30 passes for 109 yards and a game-turning interception in a loss to Hawai’i.
Some Scar Tissue Here (21)
Returners with starting experience who are hoping this year will be better.
Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers. The Greg Schiano offense is not exactly a QB showcase. Kaliakmanis, who has played one season for the Scarlet Knights after two for Minnesota, has at least seen it all, having played in 36 college games.
Blake Shapen, Mississippi State. Unlike Rutgers, Mississippi State is set up to highlight quarterback play under second-year coach Jeff Lebby. Shapen started the first four games last season before getting injured, and before that played a ton of ball at Baylor. Last roundup for a four-star high school prospect.
Ryan Browne, Purdue. He started two games for the Boilermakers last season, hit the transfer portal to North Carolina, did not win the job there and returned to West Lafayette. Now he’ll get the nod under first-year coach Barry Odom. If Browne can bottle the game he had last season against Illinois (297 yards passing and 118 rushing), Purdue might have something.
Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati. After transferring in from Indiana, Sorsby was solid but the team was not. After a 5–2 start, the Bearcats lost their last five games and averaged just 18.4 points per game in that slide as Sorsby’s production tailed off. Scott Satterfield is betting his job that sticking with Sorsby this year will lead to better results.
Nicco Marchiol, West Virginia. He saw three seasons of spot duty under Neal Brown and now is taking over under Rich Rodriguez. No idea how this will work out, but RichRod usually has productive quarterback play.
Avery Johnson, Kansas State. Johnson’s first game of this season was like others the past two seasons—statistically productive, but left you wanting a little more. His inability to pick up a key first down on a fourth-down run was illustrative of his career in Manhattan so far—he’s a good player, but can you win a championship with him?
Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech. Like Satterfield at Cincy, Hokies coach Brent Pry is running it back with Drones in a must-win season. Opening against South Carolina and Vanderbilt the first two weeks will say a lot about Tech’s season and Pry’s continued tenure.
Save Me From Myself (22)
Coaches on hot seats who desperately need their quarterbacks to play really well.
Brent Venables and John Mateer, Oklahoma. Mateer was a dual-threat monster at Washington State last season. Will it translate to the SEC and a brutal schedule? The Sooners not only brought him in via the portal, they hired his offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle.
Brian Kelly and Garrett Nussmeier, LSU. The bigger issue for Kelly might be getting his defense to make stops, but some more consistent play from Nussmeier in big games and tight spots would certainly help as well. Playoff or bust?
Hugh Freeze and Jackson Arnold, Auburn. Arnold had an unhappy stay at Oklahoma and will reboot on The Plains, where Freeze has been a major disappointment in his first two seasons. Freeze is usually good with QBs; can he get Arnold to cut down on his mistakes?
Brent Brennan and Noah Fifita, Arizona. Fifita had two very productive seasons throwing to first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan. Now we’ll see how it works out in his second season with Brennan, who needs a rebound from a 4–8 debut year.
Sam Pittman and Taylen Green, Arkansas. Green was very good in Bobby Petrino’s offense last season, but the Razorbacks went only 7–6 with the usual empty-calorie victories over Arkansas Pine Bluff, UAB and Louisiana Tech. Pittman needs Green to maximize his consistency for a big three-game September stretch: at Mississippi, at Memphis and home against Notre Dame.
Mike Norvell and Thomas Castellanos, Florida State. Castellanos arrives from Boston College with his mouth running, talking noise about opening opponent Alabama. He’s a legit dual-threat player with no shortage of confidence and a lot of experience, and could plug in well with new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.
Luke Fickell and Billy Edwards Jr., Wisconsin. Fickell is course correcting to a more physical, run-based offense after a failed two-year dalliance with a spread attack. Edwards’s 2024 season at Maryland mirrored the Terrapins as a whole: pretty good through the first seven games, then the wheels fell off.
Mark Stoops and Zach Calzada, Kentucky. This is Stoops’s third straight season grabbing a portal insta-starter, and he needs this one to work out better than the last two. Calzada did some decent things at Texas A&M in 2021, then transferred to Incarnate Word and had two big seasons—last year in particular.
Tony Elliott and Chandler Morris, Virginia. Morris has gone from Oklahoma to TCU to North Texas to the Cavaliers. He revived his stalled career last season with the Mean Green, throwing for nearly 3,800 yards, and Elliott needs some QB verve in his fourth season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Forde-Yard Dash: Rating Starting QB Relationship Statuses for Power 4 and Notre Dame.
