College Football QB Power Rankings: Shedeur Sanders climbs to top as Colorado continues to thrive

The Colorado quarterback has his team in the thick of the Big 12 title and College Football Playoff races

By Tom Fornelli

Nov 20, 2024 at 10:59 am ET • 4 min read

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Discussions centered around Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes rarely rely on common sense or context. I know these QB Power Rankings have been on the receiving end of plenty of Buffalo-related hyperbole because, for most of last season, Shedeur Sanders was not ranked.

I was labeled a hater for this. Shedeur spent so many weeks outside my top 10 not because of "hate." It was because Colorado finished 4-8, and I don't rank players the week after a loss.

Now that Colorado is good and winning games, a lot of people are yelling (to nobody in particular), "where are all the haters at now?"

Well, last year, the Buffs and Coach Prime received "hate" (historically known as "criticism") because after defying early expectations, they lost seven of their final eight games. You don't hear the criticism now because Colorado is winning football games. That's how it works for every team and every coach in every sport.

That's why Shedeur Sanders is receiving plenty of "love" in the rankings this week! He climbs up to No. 1 because he played well in a big win over Utah to keep Colorado's Big 12 hopes alive, and also because Jaxon Dart had the week off, Jalen Milroe played Mercer and Dillon Gabriel struggled against Wisconsin.

So I must "hate" them by knocking them down a few pegs. It's just how it works. As for how the rankings work, here's a reminder.

This is not a NFL 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, or if they're injured. You could be the greatest QB of all time, but if you lose on Saturday, you won't be here. If you win, it's because your teammates did their jobs. If you lose, it's on you. Embrace it. Also, if you're currently injured and unavailable to play, sorry, but you're out here too. Availability is the most important ability.

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QB Power Rankings

1	Shedeur Sanders Colorado Buffaloes QB
I'm keep running notes on a player's NFL Draft potential through the season, but I don't truly dive into the film and look at players from that perspective until after it ends. However, I'm always talking to scouts and film buffs about it, and I can tell you that no QB in the country has done more to improve their draft stock this season than Shedeur. There's a long time between now and the NFL Draft, but nearly everyone has Sanders atop their board right now. That wasn't the case three months ago. (Last Week: 4)
2	Jaxson Dart Ole Miss Rebels QB
Dart took last weekend off, and I wrote last week that he'd likely lose his No. 1 spot coming off a bye. The win over Georgia was great, but Dart didn't have superlative numbers in the game. Still, it felt wrong to drop him more than one spot during a bye when nobody else directly below him did enough to move up. (1)
3	Jalen Milroe Alabama Crimson Tide QB
You didn't watch it, and neither did I, but Jalen had an excellent practice against Mercer. He finished with 229 total yards and three touchdowns as Alabama cruised to a win. (3)
4	Dillon Gabriel Oregon Ducks QB
It's hard to argue with the fact Gabriel played his worst game of the season against Wisconsin. He finished with a high completion rate but threw for only 218 yards, averaged 7.0 yards per attempt and threw an interception in the red zone. Part of it may have been game plan early, but even when the Ducks needed plays late, Gabriel didn't deliver many. (2)
5	LaNorris Sellers South Carolina Gamecocks QB
After the big performance against Vanderbilt last week, I wrote that if Sellers developed into an efficient passer, the SEC was in a lot of trouble. Well, against Missouri, he completed 70% of his passes for 353 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 11.8 yards per attempt! On 30 attempts! (6)
6	Will Howard Ohio State Buckeyes QB
Will Howard spent his Saturday playing football in a baseball stadium and making sure he didn't lead any of his receivers into a brick wall. He finished with 247 yards and two touchdowns as Ohio State overcame a slow start to cruise past Northwestern. (5)
7	Kurtis Rourke Indiana Hoosiers QB
The Hoosiers had a bye last week to help prepare for this week's ginormous game against Will Howard and the Buckeyes. That means only one of these two will be here next week. Which one will it be? (8)
8	Sam Leavitt Arizona State Sun Devils QB
Sam Leavitt and Arizona State showed up at Kansas State's house, did not wipe their feet, went directly to the fridge, grabbed what they wanted, yanked picked up the remote and settled into Kansas State's favorite chair without giving the slightest of damns. Leavitt finished with 317 total yards and three touchdowns as the Sun Devils seized control of their their Big 12 fate. (Not Ranked)
9	Cade Klubnik Clemson Tigers QB
I rest my case. (NR)
10	Sawyer Robertson Baylor Bears QB
I've been a big Sawyer Robertson believer for a while now, as he's been a huge reason for Baylor's turnaround and Dave Aranda's continued employment in Waco, Texas. Robertson finished with 324 total yards and three touchdowns in a win over West Virginia, and he'll be getting a nice pay raise this offseason. (NR)