Breaking Down the Likely New Starting QBs for Top 25 Teams in 2023

Whenever you're building out expectations for college football teams, the easiest position to mention and the most important player to analyze is the quarterback.

USC's Caleb Williams headlines the group in the 2023 season, along with North Carolina's Drake Maye, Oregon's Bo Nix and a host of others. But those players should be among the familiar names to college football fans, considering how well they performed in past years.

They deserve time in the spotlight. So do the new faces, though—along with the old faces in new places.

We're previewing 11 teams from B/R's most recent Top 25 that are slated to have a new staring quarterback in 2023.

Brennan Armstrong, North Carolina State

Devin Leary headed to Kentucky, but NC State soon replaced him with Brennan Armstrong. After totaling 4,700 yards and 40 touchdowns in 2021, he had a disappointing year in 2022. He completed just 54.6 percent of his passes at 6.5 yards per attempt with seven touchdowns to 12 interceptions. The hope is a reunion with coordinator Robert Anae, who coached Armstrong in 2021 but not 2022, will restore the left-hander's effectiveness.

Sam Hartman, Notre Dame

Wake Forest's record book has become a tribute to Sam Hartman, who threw for a program-high 12,967 yards and 110 touchdowns. He'll spend his final year of eligibility at Notre Dame, which is both improved thanks to Hartman and still questionable. The offense's top returning wideouts, Jayden Thomas and Lorenzo Styles, combined for 701 yards last season. Hartman has a heavy burden to carry.

DJ Uiagalelei, Oregon State

During his two-game stint in 2020 as Trevor Lawrence's backup, DJ Uiagalelei looked like a star for the future. However, he fell shy of seven years per attempt in two years as Clemson's starter and lost the QB1 spot to Cade Klubnik late in 2022. It seems likely that Oregon State's staff will try to unlock the upside of Uiagalelei over Ben Gulbranson. While the Beavers went 7-1 with Gulbranson last season, he surpassed 200 passing yards only twice.

Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin

From a scheme perspective, no quarterback faces greater pressure than Tanner Mordecai. He's merely responsible for being the first player to help Wisconsin embrace a philosophical shift. Mordecai is well-suited for an Air Raid offense, given his back-to-back 3,500-yard, 30-touchdown seasons at SMU. But the Badgers need him to ease the transition for an overhauled receiving corps, too.

Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Whether he ends the year as the starter is a fair question, but Jalen Milroe is the early front-runner to replace Bryce Young. Milroe is a dual-threat QB who started once for an injured Young in 2022. The major question for Milroe is his ability to pass efficiently in a high-volume role. But he's certainly the most dynamic player in Alabama's competition. Milroe needs to hold off Ty Simpson and recent Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner for the spot.

Cade Klubnik, Clemson

While the comparison isn't identical, Cade Klubnik has a similar outlook to Milroe. Clemson's new starter has respectable mobility, but he showed his youth as a passer in scattered snaps last season. Klubnik is also adjusting to coordinator Garrett Riley, who oversaw TCU's surprise run to the national championship. Klubnik has plenty to prove in 2023, but the offense unquestionably belongs to him.

Chandler Morris, TCU

Now that breakout star Max Duggan—who initially lost TCU's competition last year—is off to the NFL, Chandler Morris has reclaimed his place as QB1. Although he won't run as often as Duggan, Morris is a fine runner with enticing upside in a quick-passing game that new coordinator Kendal Briles is installing. The challenge will be dealing with the pressure of following Duggan's sensational year in a fresh offense with overhauled personnel.

Joe Milton III, Tennessee

Last year, Joe Milton III shined with 971 yards and 10 touchdowns to zero interceptions in just 82 attempts. Tennessee has solid talent at receiver, and Josh Heupel's offense is kind to quarterbacks. On paper, the Milton-led Vols are built to succeed in 2023. While it's probably a broken record for UT fans, the concern with Milton is channeling his rocket arm in favor of accuracy—for a full season. He lost starting jobs at Michigan and two years ago in Knoxville.

Carson Beck, Georgia

Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton are in the competition, but Carson Beck seems to be emerging as the starter. He's not flashy. Behind an offensive line of this strength, though—and presumably aided by a high-end defense—Georgia simply needs stability under center. Beck is a drop-back passer who might run a little, but his greatest value can be offering a steady presence for an elite roster.

Kyle McCord, Ohio State

No quarterback inherits a better situation than Kyle McCord, whose main targets—Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka—double as two of the nation's best wideouts. As if that's not enough, the Buckeyes have more former top recruits in the receiving corps. McCord may scramble on occasion, but OSU's success will depend heavily on his performance in the pocket. Good thing the supporting cast is incredible.

Drew Allar, Penn State

In the last half-decade, the Nittany Lions are 0-5 against Ohio State and just 2-3 opposite Michigan. Penn State is hoping Drew Allar changes that trend and returns the program to the peak of the Big Ten. The heir to longtime starter Sean Clifford, Allar will provide the offense with a different look. He has a strong arm and clear command of the position but is more slippery than impactful as a scrambler.