College Football QB Power Rankings: Carson Beck enters 2024 season on top with Quinn Ewers on his heels

Let's have a look at some of the more notable signal-callers in the country as the 2024 season get underway

By Tom Fornelli

Aug 28, 2024 at 10:27 am ET • 5 min read

Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports

The 2024 college football season begins with a void at the quarterback position. Last season, there were plenty of big-name, experienced QB options across the country. While there are recognizable names this season, there's an overall lack of hardware to go with them.

Not only are the last two Heisman Trophy winners (Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels) in the NFL, but of the other 11 QBs to finish in the top 10 of Heisman voting the last two seasons, only Alabama's Jalen Milroe is back.

All of this means that my vibes-heavy approach to QB Power Rankings is heavier on vibes than ever before. It also means that we could have an entirely new list by next week! Hell, there's a name in this week's top 10 that I had no intention of putting here until a few days ago. You'll find out who it is shortly, but before we get to the rankings, here's a quick refresher on how this works.

This is not a draft board ranking, nor is it based on any kind of statistical formula. Your numbers matter, sure, but overall, I'm ranking quarterbacks based on the "juice" they have at the current moment in time. It's a combination of how well you're playing, what you have accomplished, and what you might accomplish in the near future. If you believe a QB I haven't listed should be listed, I only kept them off the list because I don't like you. Or, perhaps it's this second part.
I don't rank any QB the week after a loss. You could be the greatest QB of all time, but if you lose on Saturday, you won't be here. That's the burden the QB must carry. If you win, it's because your teammates did their jobs. If you lose, it's on you. Embrace it.

Now let's rank them!

QB Power Rankings

1	Carson Beck Georgia Bulldogs QB
Beck and the Bulldogs fell short last season when their undefeated season came to an end against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. As a result, the two-time defending champs were left out of the College Football Playoff and instead dismantled the decaying husk of what was left of Florida State in the Orange Bowl. But now Beck returns at the helm of the No. 1 team in both major polls with the same expectations as last season: win the whole damn thing.
2	Quinn Ewers Texas Longhorns QB
Ewers helped lead the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff last season, where they came up just short against Washington in the semifinals. The Longhorns look loaded again on offense, but Ewers will again have to deal with the looming specter of Arch Manning peering over his shoulder.
3	Jalen Milroe Alabama Crimson Tide QB
The 2023 season was an odd one for Milroe. He was benched early in the year only to end up leading the Crimson Tide to an SEC title and playoff berth. He starts the 2024 season with a new coach and a lot of new faces around him on offense. Can Kalen DeBoer do for Milroe what he was able to do for Michael Penix Jr. at Indiana and Washington?
4	Dillon Gabriel Oregon Ducks QB
I'll be honest, Gabriel is an excellent quarterback, but I think the overall familiarity with him has led to him being slightly overrated. But that buzz helps in these rankings! As does the fact he's already been a productive player who is joining a productive offense on a team with national title aspirations.
5	Shedeur Sanders Colorado Buffaloes QB
Talk about a player flying under the radar! Nobody ever talks about this guy! Seriously, Shedeur grabs a lot of attention because of his name, but he also deserves a lot of it for his play. It'll be interesting to see what kind of steps forward Sanders takes this season and how (or if) Colorado's offensive line improves. Either way, I know he did a tremendous job taking care of the football. As counterintuitive as it may sound, I'd like to see him take more risks in 2024. Sometimes, you have to make things happen and live with the consequences.
6	Nico Iamaleava Tennessee Volunteers QB
Hello, it is I, the No. 1 Nico Iamaleava fan in the universe. Nico is my preseason pick to win the Heisman, and because of my belief in him, I have Tennessee reaching the SEC Championship Game and the playoff. I was extremely tempted to rank him higher than this! The last time I was this high on a QB with so little experience? Before the 2021 season, some kid named Caleb Williams was stuck on the Oklahoma bench behind Spencer Rattler for reasons I couldn't comprehend. I know why Nico sat behind Joe Milton last year, but that doesn't mean I felt he should've.
7	Jaxson Dart Ole Miss Rebels QB
Dart strikes me as perpetually slept on by most. So much so that I'm kind of doing it to him myself in these rankings! There are big-time expectations for Ole Miss this season after Lane Kiffin and the fellas went all-in on the transfer portal to try to fix a defense that was a serious problem last season. While those improvements are needed if the Rebels want to get over the hump against the SEC's best, Dart will need to be at his best, too.
8	Will Howard Ohio State Buckeyes QB
It has to be a little weird to be Howard right now. You are the quarterback chosen by Ryan Day and Chip Kelly to lead a world-class Ohio State squad this season despite a wealth of talent already on campus, yet when people look at the Buckeyes roster, Howard is always the one they point to as the question mark. The weight of expectations will weigh heavily upon his shoulders, but they're broad, and that's part of the reason he was wanted in Columbus.
9	Avery Johnson Kansas State Wildcats QB
As for why Howard was no longer needed at Kansas State, here's Avery Johnson! Maybe you don't know who he is yet, and maybe none of us know how efficient and productive he'll prove to be as a passer. But the kid is electric. He will be the fastest player on the field most of the time he's on it, which always presents an extremely painful stress headache to defensive coordinators across the globe. Remember how fun Denard Robinson was at Michigan? Avery Johnson has the chance to have the same kind of fun at Kansas State.
10	Haynes King Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets QB
Haynes King did not have an incredible game against Florida State last week, but he went to Ireland, made some great plays when he needed to, and sealed the first huge upset of the 2024 season in the first game. That's more than enough to get you ranked this week. Will he still be here next week? Maybe, but who cares? He's here now, and that's what matters.