Texas' Arch Manning is No. 1 in Sporting News' list of the top 25 FBS quarterbacks for 2025.
There is no reason to make the hype a half-measure with Manning – who made two starts last season and offered a glimpse of the skill set that will have the attention of NFL scouts for perhaps the next two seasons. Is that too much, too soon?
It depends on how you view these rankings long term. Where were first-round picks Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart ranked last year? We had Dart at No. 7 and Ward at No. 8. Carson Beck was our top-ranked QB heading into last season. Now, he's replacing Ward at Miami.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Manning is the only QB in our top five who isn't a returning starter. Clemson's Cade Klubnik, Penn State's Drew Allar and Arizona State's Sam Leavitt all led CFP runs. LSU's Garrett Nussmeier had a breakout season after waiting his turn. Will we get the same from Manning? What would that mean for his future? Here is a look at our preseason No. 1 QB since 2019 and where they landed in the NFL Draft:
| YEAR | QUARTERBACK | NFL DRAFT |
| 2020 | Trevor Lawrence, Clemson | No. 1 (2021 |
| 2021 | Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma | No. 150 (2024) |
| 2022 | Bryce Young, Alabama | No. 1 (2023) |
| 2023 | Caleb Williams, USC | No. 1 (2024) |
| 2024 | Carson Beck, Georgia | TBD |
Here is a closer look at Sporting News' Top 25 college football quarterbacks for 2025.
RANKING THE QBS: Big Ten | SEC | Big 12 | ACC
25. Bryce Underwood, Michigan
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
2024 stats: N/A
We rarely put freshman QBs on this list, but exceptions can be made. Underwood – the top quarterback recruit in the 2025 recruiting class – is the projected favorite to win the starting job at Michigan. The 6-foot-4, 208-pound freshman from Belleville (Mich.) High School finished 12 of 26 for 187 yards in the Michigan spring game, which suggests there will be a learning curve as a freshman. The Wolverines will live with that – especially knowing Michigan QBs combined for 12 TDs and 13 interceptions last season. Look for Underwood to emerge by the second half of the season.
MORE: Michigan suspends head coach Sherrone Moore for two games
24. Blake Horvath, Navy
Tommy Gilligan (USA Today Network)
2024 stats: 1,353 yards, 57.6%, 13 TDs, 4 INTs
Horvath put together a solid season in Navy's hybrid option offense – and he led the Midshipmen to a 10-win season which included a victory against Army in the regular-season finale and Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl. Horvath had 1,246 rushing yards and 17 TDs – and he averaged 7.1 yards per carry. He had 100 or more rushing yards in six games, including a 211-yard, four-TD performance in the 56-44 victory against Memphis. Can Horvath lead Navy to a College Football Playoff berth?
23. Dante Moore, Oregon
Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
2024 stats: 49 yards, 87.5%, 0 TDs, 0 INTs
Moore transferred from UCLA and sat behind Dillon Gabriel last season. Now, the former five-star recruit will get his chance to start for the Ducks. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound quarterback should be in line for a breakout season with Dan Lanning and offensive coordinator Will Stein as a result. Moore struggled with turnovers with the Bruins as a freshman, and he will have to be more of a threat in the running game. Given the success Gabriel and Bo Nix had with Oregon after transferring, Moore is a logical candidate to have a breakout season with the Ducks.
22. Avery Johnson, Kansas State
2024 stats: 2,712 passing yards, 58.3%, 25 TDs, 10 INTs
Johnson is a polarizing QB prospect. He showed tremendous play-making skills in his first season as a starter for the Wildcats. Johnson added 605 rushing yards and seven TDs for Kansas State, and there is a next-level arm strength. He will improve in his second year with offensive coordinator Matt Wells. Johnson had a 54.6% completion percentage and six interceptions in four losses, and he will need to show more consistency on the road this season. The opener in Dublin, Ireland, against Iowa State and Rocco Becht, another of our Top 25 QBs, will be a good showcase for the junior quarterback.
21. Jake Retzlaff, BYU
2024 stats: 2,947 yards, 57.9%, 20 TDs, 12 INTs
Retzlaff led BYU to an 11-2 record last season with a workmanlike-style that reflected his rise from two stops on the JUCO circuit before landing at BYU. He added 417 rushing yards and six TDs last season. He struggled a bit down the stretch in losses to Kansas and Arizona State, and he will need to cut down on the interceptions if BYU wants to make a run toward a Big 12 championship. Retzlaff ranked seventh among Big 12 QBs in passing yards and eighth in TDs, but he was 2-1 against Top 25 teams with victories against Kansas State and Colorado.
20. Miller Moss, Louisville
Jayne Kamin-Oncea
2024 stats: 2,555 yards, 64.9%, 18 TDs, 9 INTs
Moss did have six games with at least 280 passing yards at USC last season, but he ultimately lost the starting job and transferred to Louisville. A year with Jeff Brohm should pay dividends for Moss. In the last three seasons, Aidan O'Connell, Jack Plummer and Tyler Shough averaged 3,296 yards, 22 TDs and 10 interceptions playing for Brohm. All three QBs are in the NFL. Moss could see that kind of come-back season for the Cardinals, which makes him one of the more intriguing sleeper transfer quarterbacks in the ACC.
19. Dylan Raiola, Nebraska
2024 stats: 2,819 yards, 67.1%, 13 TDs, 11 INTs
Raiola – the No. 1 QB in the 2024 recruiting class – made progress in his first season as Nebraska's starter. He led the Huskers to a 7-6 record and a 20-15 victory in the Pinstripe Bowl against Boston College – stepping stones for coach Matt Rhule heading into Year 3. He is the top returning QB in completion percentage, and the addition of new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen should help with Raiola's development as a sophomore. Raiola averaged 227.7 passing yards with two TDs and five interceptions against Illinois, Ohio State and Indiana – the three ranked Big Ten teams on the schedule. Nebraska opens with Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
18. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
2024 stats: 3,071 yards, 62.2%, 28 TDs, 8 INTs
Roberton played in 10 games last season, and he was one of the hottest QBs in the FBS in the second half of the season. He finished with a 153.1 passer rating – which ranked second among Big 12 quarterbacks. Robertson led the Bears to six straight victories – where he averaged 230.2 passing yards with 15 TDs and four INTs. He totaled 445 passing yards in the 44-31 loss to LSU in the Texas Bowl. Robertson easily could be higher on this list, but his completion percentage drops to 56.5% against ranked teams. A home opener against Auburn on Aug. 29 could build the hype for the Bears.
17. Kevin Jennings, SMU
2024 stats: 3,245 passing yards, 65%, 23 TDs, 11 INTs
Jennings had a tough game in the 38-10 loss to Penn State in the first round of the College Football Playoff – but the Mustangs would not have been in the CFP if not for the quarterback's emergence in the second half of the season. Jennings had four games with three TD passes, and he added 354 rushing yards and five TDs. He took the starting job after the opener against Nevada and led a run to the ACC championship game in SMU's first season in the conference. The pressure to replicate that performance is there - and Jennings played his best at home, where he compiled a 158.2 passer rating with 13 TDs and two interceptions.
16. Rocco Becht, Iowa State
2024 stats: 3,505 yards, 59.4%, 25 TDs, 9 INTs
Becht is a three-year starter with a 17-8 record with coach Matt Campbell. He ranked fifth in the Big 12 in passing yards last season, and he closed the season with 270 passing yards and three TDs in the 45-42 victory against Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. According to Pro Football Focus, Becht had a 43.9% completion percentage with six TDs and one interception on passes of 20 yards or more in 2024. Receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel were Day 2 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Will Becht maintain that production without those targets?
15. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
2024 stats: 2,616 passing yards, 63.8%, 19 TDs, 5 INTs
Is this the right spot for Iamaleava – a five-star recruit from the 2023 class who led Tennessee to a 10-3 record and a CFP berth in his first year as a starter? Of course, Iamaleava became the centerpiece of the spring season because of a NIL dispute with Tennessee that led to a transfer to UCLA. Iamaleava was 2-2 as a starter against ranked teams last season, and he will have to make a quick adjustment to playing in the Big Ten. Iamaleava will arguably be the most-scrutinized QB on this list in 2025.
MORE: Were there lessons to be learned from the Nico Iamaleava saga?
14. Josh Hoover, TCU
2024 stats: 3,949 yards, 66.5%, 27 TDs, 11 INTs
Hoover took advantage of his first full season as TCU's starter. He ranked second in the Big 12 in passing yards and closed the season with four straight victories as a starter. He had six games with at least 300 passing yards, but the Horned Frogs were 3-3 in those games. Given the Big 12 has 10 returning starters, Hoover will have to perform well in his second full season as a starter with offensive coordinator Kendal Briles. TCU plays North Carolina, SMU and Arizona State in September.
13. Carson Beck, Miami
2024 stats: 3,485 yards, 64.7%, 28 TDs, 12 INTs
This is Beck's third time on his list. He was No. 17 in 2023 before his first year as a starter with Georgia. Beck transferred to Miami, and there are questions because he will be coming off elbow surgery after suffering an injury in the SEC championship game. Beck is 24-3 as a starter and owns a 68% completion percentage from his time as a two-year starter with the Bulldogs. Yet, the need to prove it all over again with the Hurricanes in the ACC makes Beck one of the more-difficult QBs to rank on this list.
12. Haynes King, Georgia Tech
2024 stats: 2,114 yards, 72.9%, 14 TDs, 2 INTs
King enters his sixth year in the FBS and his third year as a starter with Georgia Tech – and he led the ACC in completion percentage last season. He's a tough runner who finished with 125 carries for 587 yards and 11 TDs. He averaged 22 rushing attempts and 101.5 yards in the thrillers against Miami and Georgia last season. King is 14-10 as the starter for the Yellow Jackets – and he did have a shoulder injury last season that limited his effectiveness. Expectations are higher this season – especially with the return of running back Jamal Haynes.
11. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
2024 stats: 2,293 yards, 59.4%, 20 TDs, 4 INTs
Pavia is back with the help of a JUCO rule that allows for another year of eligibility –and he made his mark with Vanderbilt last season with 252 passing yards, 56 rushing yards and two TDs in the 40-35 upset against Alabama. Pavia is 21-15 as a starter between his time with Vanderbilt and New Mexico State, but he needs to become a more efficient passer for the Commodores in his second season as a starter. He added 801 rushing yards – which ranked eighth among QBs – and eight rushing TDs.
10. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
2024 stats: 84 yards, 41.7%, TD
How could Sayin be in the top 10 without taking a snap as the starter? This is almost a program placement here. Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz and freshman Tavian St. Clair all are vying for the Buckeyes' starting job – and the winner will throw to future first-round picks in Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. Sayin finished 17 of 24 for 175 yards and a TD in the spring game. We still think he wins the starting job – and the high-level production will follow.
9. John Mateer, Oklahoma
© Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
2024 stats: 3,139 yards, 64.6%, 32 TDs, 8 INTs
Mateer transferred from Washington State to Oklahoma along with offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. Mateer averaged 330.4 yards per game in total offense last season – the most of any returning QB in the FBS. Mateer had a 74.3% completion percentage in Washington State's last five games. Mateer is paired with Cal transfer Jadyn Ott in the backfield, which will be explosive. Will Mateer be able to enjoy the same success through the grind of SEC play? A Week 2 test against Michigan will be telling.
8. Luke Altmyer, Illinois
2024 stats: 2,717 yards, 60.8%, 22 TDs, 6 INTs
Altmyer is a third-year starter for the Illini after leading a 10-win season in 2024. He ranks second among returning Big Ten QBs with 22 TDs – and that came with just six interceptions. Altmyer had a 160.1 passer rating in games decided by seven points or less. Illinois is one of the trendy preseason CFP picks, and if Altmyer continues to improve as an efficient QB under Bret Bielema and offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr., then that could happen.
7. DJ Lagway, Florida
2024 stats: 1,915 yards, 59.9%, 12 TDs, 9 INTs
Lagway is the high-upside QB in the top 10 on this list. He finished 6-1 as a starter as a freshman, and he compiled a 154.9 passer efficiency rating, which ranked 10th in the FBS. Lagway led four straight wins through a brutal season-ending schedule, and Billy Napier has the right QB for the future. Is there a downside? Lagway will need to push his completion percentage into the mid-60% range, and he needs to cut down on the interceptions. Florida has a three-game stretch against LSU, Miami and Texas in the first half of the season.
6. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
2024 stats: 2,534 yards, 65.6%, 18 TDs, 7 INTs
Sellers finished 8-3 as a starter last season, and he can take over a game with his ability to break off a huge run out of the pocket. He had 100-plus rushing yards in the victories against Texas A&M and Clemson. Sellers also had a completion percentage of 70% or better in four of South Carolina's last five games. Sellers' ability to do all that at 6-foot-3, 242 pounds has contributed to offseason Heisman hype heading into the opener against Virginia Tech.
5. Sam Leavitt, Arizona State
2024 stats: 2,885 yards, 61.7%, 24 TDs, 6 INTs
Leavitt led Arizona State to the Big 12 championship in 2024 and was one of the hottest QBs in the FBS in the second half of the season. He ranked fourth in the Big 12 in passer rating (150.2). Leavitt had six games with at least three TD passes, and he threw just one interception in those six games. He added 443 rushing yards and five TDs – and that mobility and ability to extend plays in the pocket will be enticing at the next level. We like the fit with third-year coach Kenny Dillingham.
4. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
2024 stats: 4,052 yards, 64.2%, 29 TDs, 12 INTs
Nussmeier's placement on this list was tough. You could make a case for him to be as high as No. 2. He ranked second in the SEC in passing yards, and he closed the season with 307.3 yards per game, seven TDs and one interception in LSU's last three games. He did have four games with multiple interceptions, and the numbers should be that high given he had 525 passing attempts. Nussmeier waited his turn to start – and that paid off – but he will have to prove it all over again starting with a Week 1 showdown against Clemson.
3. Drew Allar, Penn State
2024 stats: 3,327 yards, 66.5%, 24 TDs, 8 INTs
Allar – a three-year starter – has the opportunity to silence the critics one more time. He led Penn State to the CFP semifinals and has compiled a 23-6 record as a starter. He has 53 TDs and 10 interceptions and improved his accuracy in 2024 with offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. Of the post-spring top-five teams, Allar is the only returning starter. The big-game reputation – Allar had a 60% completion percentage or less against Ohio State, Oregon and the three CFP games – is the nagging criticism. Allar can put that to rest in 2025.
2. Cade Klubnik, Clemson
2024 stats: 3,639 yards, 63.4%, 36 TDs, 6 INTs
Klubnik is 19-9 as a starter, and he's coming off a productive year paired with offensive coordinator Garrett Riley. Klubnik had four 300-yard games and closed last season with 336 yards, three TDs and an interception against Texas. He struggled in losses to Georgia and South Carolina – and another SEC opponent awaits in the season opener against LSU. Klubnik is a high-volume passer and needs to be more efficient in those games. Klubnik led Clemson to the ACC championship and CFP appearance last season. How does he build on that?
1. Arch Manning, Texas
2024 stats: 939 yards, 67.8%, 9 TDs, 2 INTs
Manning waited two years behind Quinn Ewers, and that patience will be rewarded in 2025. According to PFF, Manning has a 42.1% completion percentage with four TDs and one interception on passes of 20 yards or more, and he added 108 rushing yards and four TDs. He's effective against the blitz, and his uncles Peyton and Eli were ready to deliver when it was their turn. Why would Arch be any different? If the Longhorns beat Ohio State in the opener, then the hype will be impossible to contain.