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Peyton Manning reflects on whether NIL would have changed his college decision

One of the best quarterbacks in football history, Peyton Manning’s career might have looked differently if NIL opportunties were available as they are in this era college football. Manning was widely considered as the top overall recruit in the class of 1994 when coming out of Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans, Louisiana. His […]

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Peyton Manning reflects on whether NIL would have changed his college decision

One of the best quarterbacks in football history, Peyton Manning’s career might have looked differently if NIL opportunties were available as they are in this era college football.

Manning was widely considered as the top overall recruit in the class of 1994 when coming out of Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans, Louisiana.

His father, Archie Manning, was an All-American at Ole Miss and a former No. 2 overall NFL Draft pick to the New Orleans Saints. Archie Manning’s acclaimed college and NFL career only added to the hype around his son as a high school prospect.

Peyton Manning, despite his father’s connection to Ole Miss, elected to attend Tennessee. He went on to play all four years for the Volunteers, finishing 39-6 as a starter with multiple SEC and national awards to his name, before going No. 1 overall in the 1998 draft.

It’s become a rarity for a highly-touted college quarterback to remain at the program he signed with for his entire career like that of Manning. The transfer portal is an enticing option for today’s quarterbacks, who can demand millions of dollars in NIL deals on a yearly basis.

However, Manning believes today’s athletes should be patient and called his four-year career at Tennessee the best decision he has ever made.

“When I got recruited, I took five official visits and several unofficial visits,” Manning said via Sporting News. “It was hard. There were a lot of different schools I wanted to go to, but you have to pick one. It was a tough decision, but going to Tennessee was the best decision I ever made.”

“Heck, I stayed all four years,” he continued. “I had my degree in three years, could’ve come out as a junior and I stayed all four years. That tells you how much I loved my college experience as a student athlete.” 

The Manning name will be in the spotlight once again this upcoming season, as Arch Manning, Peyton’s nephew, begins his first season as the full-time starter Texas.

Like his uncles – including former Ole Miss and NFL passer Eli Manning – Arch Manning is seemingly taking a similar path in sticking with the program that signed him as a recruit.

Manning backed up Quinn Ewers for the last two seasons and enters the 2025 season as a redshirt sophomore.

The former five-star recruit, with just two starts under his belt, holds the highest NIL valuation in the country at $6.8 million. Manning could have made around that figure to transfer.

“The fact that this will be Arch’s third year in that system, he’ll have great knowledge of the system – still hasn’t had on-the-field game reps as I’m sure he would have liked, but those will come this year,” Peyton Manning said. “There will be things for him to learn, but I’m proud of him for his commitment and I’m looking forward to watching him play.”

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The Sporting News ranks ACC quarterbacks first to last for 2025 season

Entering the 2025 college football season, the ACC boasts big-time quarterbacks in Clemson‘s Cade Klubnik, Miami‘s Carson Beck and SMU‘s Kevin Jennings just to name a few. Klubnik and Jennings led their respective programs to a College Football Playoff appearance last season, while Beck led Georgia to the SEC Championship before suffering a season-ending injury. […]

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Entering the 2025 college football season, the ACC boasts big-time quarterbacks in Clemson‘s Cade Klubnik, Miami‘s Carson Beck and SMU‘s Kevin Jennings just to name a few.

Klubnik and Jennings led their respective programs to a College Football Playoff appearance last season, while Beck led Georgia to the SEC Championship before suffering a season-ending injury.

The Sporting News ranked the 16 ACC starting quarterbacks for the upcoming season, featured below.

Clemson‘s Cade Klubnik enters the 2025 season as The Sporting News‘ No. 1 ranked quarterback in the ACC.

As a junior in 2024, Klubnik passed for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He is one of only three two-time ACC Championship Game MVPs all-time and ranks in the top five in Clemson history in nearly every passing category. “I came to Clemson to win [a National Championship], and it’d be really cool,” Klubnik told On3’s Pete Nakos. “But I think more than anything, I want to be remembered for the person I was off the field as well, and the impact that I had on people. Because I think that’s going to carry on for a long time, too. To do both of those would be really awesome.”

© Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Haynes King returns to Georgia Tech this season for his sixth and final year of college football.

Over his first two seasons with the Yellow Jackets, King has passed for 4,956 yards, 41 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Since the beginning of the 2023 season, Georgia Tech is 14-10 in games the Longview, TX native has started in. “I’m not the one to mainly focus on individual accolades or individual success,” King told On3’s Pete Nakos. “If your team’s having success, that stuff is going to come.”

After spending his first four seasons at Georgia, Carson Beck is heading to Miami for his final year of college football.

Beck won back-to-back National Championships (2021 & 2022) as Stetson Bennett‘s backup and was named a Second Team All-SEC selection in 2023. In two seasons as Georgia‘s starter (2023 & 2024), he threw for 7,426 yards, 52 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He’ll be replacing Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

SMU‘s Kevin Jennings is one of two returning ACC quarterbacks that led their team to a College Football Playoff appearance last season (Klubnik).

Jennings, who was named a Third Team All-ACC selection last season, passed for 3,245 yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2024. He also rushed for 354 yards and five scores. He struggled mightily in SMU‘s College Football Playoff First Round loss to Penn State however, as he tossed three interceptions.

© Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Two years after dropping 372 passing yards and six touchdowns on Louisville in the 2023 Holiday Bowl, Miller Moss will spend his final year of eligibility playing for Jeff Brohm and the Cardinals.

In four seasons at USC, Moss passed for 3,469 yards, 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. “I think he can throw a good football, he’s played a lot of games, he has a ton of experience,” Brohm said in February. “[Miller’s] had ups and downs, kind of like Tyler (Shough), kind of like Jack (Plummer), but I think he’s played against good football teams, and he’s been battle tested, and I think he’s picked up what we’ve done to this point very well.”

After emerging as one of the best freshmen quarterbacks in the country last season at Tulane, Darian Mensah transferred to Duke in the offseason.

Mensah passed for 2,723 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions while leading the Green Wave to the AAC Championship game. “[Duke] had a clear vision for me that they set out,” Mensah told On3’s Pete Nakos. “I liked that. Coach Manny [Diaz] has a defensive mind, and just having that perspective when watching film. We try to watch tape two to three times a week, and having an elite defensive perspective when it comes to knowing defenses is crucial.”

Veteran quarterback Chandler Morris will spend his sixth and final season of college football with his fourth different program.

In his five seasons with Oklahoma (one), TCU (three) and North Texas (one), Morris boasts 6,207 career passing yards, 47 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He is coming off the best year of his career with the Mean Green in 2024, as he passed for 3,774 yards, 31 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

© Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech‘s Kyron Drones returns to Blacksburg this season for his third year as the Hokies’ starting quarterback. He did not play in their final three games of the 2024 season due to a back injury.

Over his first two seasons, Drones boasts 3,647 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He’s also compiled 1,154 rushing yards and 11 scores on the ground. With Drones at quarterback, Virginia Tech is 12-11 since the beginning of the 2023 season

Grayson James, who took over the Boston College starting quarterback role from Thomas Castellanos on November 16 last season, opens the 2025 season as the Eagles’ starter.

In the three games James started last season, he passed for 746 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Boston College was 1-2 in games he started, including a loss to Nebraska in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Thomas Castellanos, who transferred to Florida State from Boston College, is ranked one spot lower than the quarterback that took his starting job.

He started Boston College‘s first eight games last season, passing for 1,366 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. “We need to get back to that mentality of ACC championship, to a good playoff run, to a national championship,” Castellanos told On3’s Pete Nakos. “But for me, I know I have the skill set to be a Heisman contender. To be up in New York.”

© Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

CJ Bailey, fresh off a successful freshman campaign, is back for his second season as the starter at NC State.

Last season, Bailey passed for 2,413 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 279 yards and five scores. He led the Wolfpack to a 6-7 record and a 26-21 loss to East Carolina in the Go Bowling Military Bowl. His best performance in 2024 came in the Wolfpack’s 24-23 win over California, in which he passed for 306 yards and two touchdowns.

Surprisingly, The Sporting News has tabbed Max Johnson as North Carolina‘s starting quarterback over South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez. New Tar Heel coach Bill Belichick has yet to reveal whether Johnson or Lopez will start in their season opener against TCU.

Johnson, who is at his third program, broke his leg in Carolina‘s season opener against Minnesota last season. In five seasons (two at LSU, two at Texas A&M and UNC), he has thrown for 5,923 yards, 47 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Eli Holstein, just like NC State‘s CJ Bailey, is returning for his sophomore season and second season as QB1.

The Zachary, LA native passed for 2,225 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2024. The Panthers won in Holstein’s first seven starts, but lost their next three games he started. He suffered a season-ending left leg injury during the first quarter of Pitt‘s 37-9 loss to Louisville after being sacked by defensive end Ashton Gillotte.

Photo via Syracuse Athletics

Baton Rouge, LA native Rickie Collins spent his first two collegiate seasons as a backup at LSU, but transferred to Syracuse in the offseason to replace Kyle McCord.

Collins has taken just seven career snaps, passing for 38 yards. “He seems to be moving into (being) the leader of our football team,” head coach Fran Brown said. “I’m liking what I’m seeing. I think the players are behind him, everyone’s behind him. So, it seems like he’s going to be our quarterback.

Devin Brown is yet another career backup quarterback transferring to the ACC for a starting job.

Brown spent three seasons at Ohio State, where he attempted just 48 passes for 331 yards, three touchdowns and just one interception. He was the No. 24 ranked QB and the No. 228 overall transfer in On3’s Transfer Portal Rankings.

Former Auburn and South Carolina quarterback Robby Ashford has finally departed the SEC and will start at Wake Forest this season.

Over three campaigns, Ashford boasts 2,082 career passing yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. “Just what coach [Jake] Dickert is building and his vision for the program and wanting to win now, and the opportunity to come in and be the guy,” Ashford said when asked why he transferred to Wake.

© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Stanford‘s Elijah Brown enters the 2025 season as The Sporting News‘ lowest ranked quarterback in the ACC.

As a freshman in 2024, Brown passed for 274 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. With Andrew Luck taking over as Stanford‘s GM, Cardinal fans can only hope Luck and interim head coach Frank Reich cane help Brown make a leap as a solid quarterback in the conference.



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Insider reveals NIL move that won over Texas Tech’s 5-star commit

The post Insider reveals NIL move that won over Texas Tech’s 5-star commit appeared first on ClutchPoints. Texas Tech football launched the biggest fireworks on the recruiting end for Fourth of July. Felix Ojo spurned multiple powers for the Red Raiders Friday. Becoming a rare five-star commit for the Lubbock university on the college football […]

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The post Insider reveals NIL move that won over Texas Tech’s 5-star commit appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Texas Tech football launched the biggest fireworks on the recruiting end for Fourth of July. Felix Ojo spurned multiple powers for the Red Raiders Friday. Becoming a rare five-star commit for the Lubbock university on the college football recruiting trail.

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But how were the Red Raiders able to coax the dominating tackle? Especially with Texas, Michigan, Florida even defending national champion Ohio State all in the final mix for him?

Texas Tech turned to NIL money to convince Ojo that Lubbock is the place for him. The Athletic helped pull back the curtain on the Red Raiders courting Ojo.

Ojo agreed to a three-year, $2.3 million revenue-sharing contract, The Athletic revealed on Saturday. But the outlet also delivered clarity on one reported contract involving the Mansfield, Texas talent.

How much Felix Ojo could earn after joining Texas Tech recruiting class

Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ojo’s agent Derrick Shelby of Prestige Management spearheaded the NIL process for the newest Red Raider.

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Turns out there was a contract figure that needed to be clarified by The Athletic.

“ESPN reported on Friday that Ojo was receiving a three-year deal worth $5.1 million, according to his agent, Derrick Shelby of Prestige Management. Shelby confirmed those figures to The Athletic on Saturday, but three Texas Tech sources refuted that number, with two confirming that Ojo is scheduled to receive an annual compensation of $775,000 per year for three years from Tech’s revenue-sharing pool,” the report reads.

There’s additional figures attached to Ojo. He received a verbal agreement “that can escalate the total value of the contract into the $5 million range.” However, that figure surfaces “if there were a large jump in the revenue sharing cap for schools or if there is minimal regulation of schools’ adhering to the cap.”

Ojo isn’t the only massive recruiting win. Four-star safety Donovan Webb spurned Michigan for Texas Tech on Wednesday. Webb originally was favored to land with the Wolverines per multiple outlets. Texas Tech is now 25th overall in the national recruiting rankings per 247Sports for the 2026 class.

Related: 5-star WR shockingly picks Syracuse over Michigan football

Related: Georgia football way-too-early bold predictions for 2025 season



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Insider reveals NIL move that won over Texas Tech's 5

The post Insider reveals NIL move that won over Texas Tech’s 5-star commit appeared first on ClutchPoints. Texas Tech football launched the biggest fireworks on the recruiting end for Fourth of July. Felix Ojo spurned multiple powers for the Red Raiders Friday. Becoming a rare five-star commit for the Lubbock university on the college football […]

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Insider reveals NIL move that won over Texas Tech's 5

The post Insider reveals NIL move that won over Texas Tech’s 5-star commit appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Texas Tech football launched the biggest fireworks on the recruiting end for Fourth of July. Felix Ojo spurned multiple powers for the Red Raiders Friday. Becoming a rare five-star commit for the Lubbock university on the college football recruiting trail.

Advertisement

But how were the Red Raiders able to coax the dominating tackle? Especially with Texas, Michigan, Florida even defending national champion Ohio State all in the final mix for him?

Texas Tech turned to NIL money to convince Ojo that Lubbock is the place for him. The Athletic helped pull back the curtain on the Red Raiders courting Ojo.

Ojo agreed to a three-year, $2.3 million revenue-sharing contract, The Athletic revealed on Saturday. But the outlet also delivered clarity on one reported contract involving the Mansfield, Texas talent.

How much Felix Ojo could earn after joining Texas Tech recruiting class

Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ojo’s agent Derrick Shelby of Prestige Management spearheaded the NIL process for the newest Red Raider.

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Turns out there was a contract figure that needed to be clarified by The Athletic.

“ESPN reported on Friday that Ojo was receiving a three-year deal worth $5.1 million, according to his agent, Derrick Shelby of Prestige Management. Shelby confirmed those figures to The Athletic on Saturday, but three Texas Tech sources refuted that number, with two confirming that Ojo is scheduled to receive an annual compensation of $775,000 per year for three years from Tech’s revenue-sharing pool,” the report reads.

There’s additional figures attached to Ojo. He received a verbal agreement “that can escalate the total value of the contract into the $5 million range.” However, that figure surfaces “if there were a large jump in the revenue sharing cap for schools or if there is minimal regulation of schools’ adhering to the cap.”

Ojo isn’t the only massive recruiting win. Four-star safety Donovan Webb spurned Michigan for Texas Tech on Wednesday. Webb originally was favored to land with the Wolverines per multiple outlets. Texas Tech is now 25th overall in the national recruiting rankings per 247Sports for the 2026 class.

Related: 5-star WR shockingly picks Syracuse over Michigan football

Related: Georgia football way-too-early bold predictions for 2025 season

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Texas Tech took NiJaree Canady NIL approach with 2026 five-star OT Felix Ojo, but football is not softball

Texas Tech took the NiJaree Canady NIL approach with 2026 five-star OT Felix Ojo. But paying big, guaranteed money to a proven softball pitching transfer who can single-handedly control games as compared to paying big, guaranteed money to an incoming freshman offensive tackle is a totally different kind of risk, especially in the new era […]

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Texas Tech took the NiJaree Canady NIL approach with 2026 five-star OT Felix Ojo. But paying big, guaranteed money to a proven softball pitching transfer who can single-handedly control games as compared to paying big, guaranteed money to an incoming freshman offensive tackle is a totally different kind of risk, especially in the new era of revenue sharing with student-athletes.

Tech is paying Ojo $2.325 million – guaranteed – for the next three years (an average of $775,000 per season), with a verbal agreement that Tech will renegotiate up to $5 million total if NIL money goes back to a Wild West setup, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.

This is the kind of high-risk, high-reward precedent Tech set with Canady, who got $1,050,024 to sign with Tech after her sophomore season at Stanford and helped Tech finish runner-up to Texas in the championship final of the Women’s College World Series last month.

Canady’s record deal for a softball player was staggering but came with managed risk considering she had already earned NFCA National Freshman of the Year at Stanford in 2023 and followed that up by being named USA Softball’s Collegiate Player of the Year in 2024 all while leading the Cardinal to two straight WCWS appearances.

A guaranteed deal of this size for an incoming freshman football player in the revenue-sharing era of college athletics is a significant risk and will undoubtedly lead to more agents for high-end high school recruits demanding big, multi-year guarantees.





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Jasper Johnson shines in Team USA’s dismantling of New Zealand

Team USA’s U19 team continued their dominant run in the FIBA World Cup on Saturday in Switzerland. Now Kentucky guard Jasper Johnson will get a change to play for a gold medal on Sunday in this international event. Let’s just say it was a long night for New Zealand. On Fourth of July weekend, USA […]

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Team USA’s U19 team continued their dominant run in the FIBA World Cup on Saturday in Switzerland. Now Kentucky guard Jasper Johnson will get a change to play for a gold medal on Sunday in this international event.

Let’s just say it was a long night for New Zealand. On Fourth of July weekend, USA basketball continued to roll with a 120-61 victory. We nearly got a Team USA by 90 result.

Jasper Johnson finished the blowout win with 14 points on 11 field goal attempts with three three-point field goals in 18 minutes on the floor. Team USA was plus-12 with Jasper on the floor.

The top-25 recruit continues to impress in this international event. Before Jasper’s big performance, the guard was averaging 7.4 points, 1.4 assists, 1.2 rebounds, and one steal in 14.6 minutes off the bench while shooting 42.1 percent (8-of-19) from long range. Jasper is now shooting 42.3 percent (11-of-26) from downtown in this event. Kentucky’s young guard has shown some offensive efficiency that should translate to the next level. Many in the college basketball online community are taking notice.

“If Jasper Johnson is hitting shots from deep, you are at his mercy. The Kentucky guard is so crafty off the bounce that if you have to close out tight, he’s tough to stay in front of,” Field of 68 analyst Terrence Oglesby wrote on Twitter/X on Saturday. “I think he’ll have some big games this year, but the physicality of the SEC is different.”

Jasper Johnson’s skill and scoring potential has shown up in Switzerland. Now we’ll need to see how the young player will transition to the physicality of college basketball but we know this potential diaper dandy can get buckets.

Team USA will face Germany on Sunday in the gold medal game. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. CT.



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The Sporting News ranks Big 10 quarterbacks first to last for 2025 season

An exciting season appears to be ahead in the Big Ten. After all, the conference has produced the last two national champions. Now going for a third consecutive title, some good quarterback play is going to be required. Thankfully, the Big Ten is stacked with quality players at the position. Ranking them from top to […]

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The Sporting News ranks Big 10 quarterbacks first to last for 2025 season

An exciting season appears to be ahead in the Big Ten. After all, the conference has produced the last two national champions. Now going for a third consecutive title, some good quarterback play is going to be required.

Thankfully, the Big Ten is stacked with quality players at the position. Ranking them from top to bottom is a tough task but the Sporting News took on the task. All 18 quarterbacks from one to 18, stretching coast-to-coast as the Big Ten does these days.

As much talent as there is, plenty of inexperience will be sprinkled throughout the conference. Being able to combine that with proven guys/projections is the key. That being said, let’s check out the Sporting News’ Big Ten quarterback rankings.

Allar deciding to come back to Penn State for another season instantly boosted the Nittany Lions to a preseason favorite. His spot as the Big Ten’s top quarterback likely does not come up against too many arguments.

Sporting News: “Allar – a three-year starter – received some draft buzz while leading the Nittany Lions to the CFP semifinals. He returned to school, and there should not be too many complaints.”

Julian Sayin-Ohio State-Ohio State football-Buckeyes

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has yet to officially name a starting quarterback. However, the Sporting News not only expects Sayin to win out but also perform at quite a high level as well.

Sporting News: “Sayin – a redshirt freshman who transferred from Alabama after Nick Saban retired – was a five-star coming out of high school… (Lincoln) Kienholz has made a push for the starting job in spring practice, and coach Ryan Day likely will wait until fall camp to name a starter.”

Some serious College Football Playoff buzz is coming from Champaign. Altmyer figures to be the guy who will determine how far Illinois winds up going. Sporting News places him third overall, a solid spot for the Fighting Illini’s starter.

Sporting News: “Altmyer’s return is a huge reason why Illinois is being considered an early playoff sleeper team for 2025.”

Iamaleava spent this offseason as the top story in all of college football. He now settles into a new program at UCLA, hoping to just go out there and perform.

Sporting News: “Iamaleava is comparable to the next five-star QBs on this list, but he has enjoyed the most success on the field among those three QBs.”

Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola
Vincent Carchietta | Imagn Images

Raiola started the Big Ten quarterback’s youth movement last season, starting as a true freshman. Consistency will be needed by Matt Rhule this go-round, wanting to see massive strides during Raiola’s second year.

Sporting News: “There were ups and downs in his freshman year. Raiola did not have a 300-yard game, and he did finish with a conference-high 11 interceptions.”

There may not be a more discussed name leading into the season than Underwood. Someone who comes with a lot of hype during his recruitment, Michigan needs it to translate quickly for the true freshman.

Sporting News: “Underwood – the top quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class – remains the favorite to start. The 6-foot-4, 208-pound quarterback will have to hold off Mikey Keene, who started against Michigan for Fresno State in the opener last season.”

Moore made an unusual move in the NCAA transfer portal era, moving somewhere to be a backup. Time was spent behind Dillon Gabriel, learning the Oregon system. Whether or not the decision paid off will reveal itself quite quickly since the Ducks want to compete for another Big Ten title.

Sporting News: “Moore can be an efficient playmaker within the offense if he limits interceptions – which were a problem in his freshman year at UCLA.”

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava. (Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images)

Lincoln Riley made the decision to move on from Miller Moss and fully install Maiava as the starter. Maiava now gets his chance to be the guy from the get-go as USC enters an important season.

Sporting News: “Maiava will have to improve on a 59.8% completion percentage this year, because the high-yield in a Riley offense is there in the Big Ten.”

Washington fans got a glimpse of what the future could be like in the final two games of 2024. The future has now arrived a few months later as Jedd Fisch gives Williams the nod.

Sporting News: “Williams is a 2025 breakout candidate if he can build on that strong finish from last year.”

Chiles followed the Michigan State coaching staff over from Oregon State, a huge win for the Spartans at the time. Now, he enters a second season as the starting quarterback, where improvements will be needed moving forward.

Sporting News: “Chiles had a bumpy first year as a starter with Jonathan Smith, but the second year at Michigan State should produce better results. Chiles flashed some play-making skills that led to the hype entering last season, but he struggled with turnovers against a brutal Big Ten schedule.”

Mark Gronowski was throwing a football. (Photo: Dennis Scheidt)

Iowa continues to search for answers at quarterback to improve the offense. Gronowski is an addition from the FCS ranks, hoping success from South Dakota State translates in the Big Ten.

Sporting News: “The Hawkeyes’ quarterback problems continued under long-time coach Kirk Ferentz… Will Gronowski change that? He won two FCS national championships at South Dakota State with 93 TDs and 20 interceptions.”

Sporting News found one area where Kaliakmanis needs to improve in 2025 — connecting with receivers at a higher clip. Taking care of the ball is already a strong suit and next steps are finishing with a better completion percentage.

Sporting News: “He had just one interception in Rutgers last four games, but he will need to improve on a 53.9% career completion percentage for the Scarlet Knights to move up the Big Ten pecking order.”

Curt Cignetti wants to get a little more quarterback magic out of the transfer portal. Mendoza may have a ceiling Indiana fans have not seen in a while, though, receiving first-round NFL Draft buzz.

Sporting News: “It’s another round of portal roulette, but Cignetti can make it work. We had the Hoosiers at No. 10 on this list last season.”

smu-qb-preston-stone-confidence-is-at-all-time-high-ahead-for-start-at-nevada

A starter at SMU to begin last season, Stone makes his way up to Chicagoland for another opportunity. This will be his final year of eligibility, looking to make the most of it at Northwestern.

Sporting News: “(Stone) gets a fresh start with third-year coach David Braun at Northwestern… He should fit well with second-year offensive coordinator Zach Lujan.”

Wisconsin has relied on transfer quarterbacks in years past, not finding much success. Everyone involved with the program hopes Edwards will be different — especially since he has Big Ten experience. Sporting News does not have much faith.

Sporting News: “It’s a complete reset at the position, and that means more unpredictable results.”

PJ Fleck has still not named a starting quarterback. No matter who goes out there, Minnesota does not have any starting experience on the roster. Lindsey slides down into the bottom three because of that, even if progress is expected.

Sporting News: “Lindsey is 4 of 5 for 50 yards and a TD in three appearances. He will improve under Fleck, but it will be a process.”

Malachi Singleton (Nelson Chenault/USA Today)

A lot of firsts are unfolding at Purdue this season, including head coach Barry Odom. He was able to land Singleton through the portal, somebody who got some run last season at Arkansas.

Sporting News: “(Singleton) should develop with new offensive coordinator Josh Henson, who was at USC the last three seasons.”

One of multiple UCLA quarterbacks who left this offseason, Martin made a trip across the country for his next spot. Sporting News believes there might be some competition from a true freshman.

Sporting News: “Martin made one start last season, and he passed for 167 yards and a TD at Penn State. Martin will have to hold off four-star freshman Malik Washington.”

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