Through two weeks, the quarterback picture for the 2024 NFL Draft doesn’t look clearer than before the season.
While USC’s Caleb Williams still looks to be the best in the class, impressive performances from players like Shedeur Sanders (Colorado), Drake Maye (UNC), and J.J. McCarthy (Michigan) make the rest of this class a giant question mark.
Buy Vikings TicketsGiven the uncertainty in this class, keeping a close eye on a deep list of options is prudent. About 12 different prospects could improve their draft stock enough to become viable options for the Minnesota Vikings, especially if they choose to pick in the first round.
Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders
Score: 36-14 win vs. Nebraska
Stats: 31-42, 393 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdown
Thoughts: The Shedeur Sanders bandwagon has left the station.
Heading into the season, there were concerns about how Sanders would handle the jump from FCS to FBS, but through two weeks, he’s shattered those expectations.
Like Week 1, Sanders was clinical against Nebraska, piercing through the Cornhuskers’ defense like a surgeon. Again, there was some insane throws that make you lose your mind, but it’s his precision and understanding of coverage that will help him separate from other quarterbacks in this group.
Shedeur Sanders makes this look alarmingly easy. Special talent.
And he's got talent around him on that @CUBuffsFootball offense. pic.twitter.com/TVmKPtYh1m
— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) September 12, 2023
Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy
Score: 35-7 win vs. UNLV
Stats: 22-25, 278 yards, 2 touchdowns; 3 carries, 38 yards
Thoughts: The competition is still relatively easy for J.J. McCarthy and the Michigan Wolverines, but he certainly looks the part, doesn’t he?
McCarthy has answered most questions about his draft stock with an exclamation point, proving he can be a high-level Sunday quarterback. Against UNLV, McCarthy showcased the pocket presence he lacked a year ago and paired that with another showing of great accuracy.
J.J. McCarthy & Roman Wilson been COOKIN' this year🔥
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 9, 2023
I’m not going to sit here and say McCarthy is ready to climb into the first round (there needs to be high-level play against good competition), but the early returns are positive.
Texas QB Quinn Ewers
Score: 34-24 win vs. No. 3 Alabama
Stats: 24-38, 349 yards, 3 touchdowns; 3 carries, 11 yards
Thoughts: If Quinn Ewers played Alabama every week, he’d win the Heisman Trophy.
Ewers has had two of his best performances against Alabama, including this year’s game, where he entered a rowdy Bryant-Denney Stadium and silenced the sea of crimson to pick up a statement win.
Ewers looked like an NFL prospect against Alabama and had impressive throws down the field to stress Alabama’s defense. The biggest improvement, though, was how Ewers handled pressure. Heading into Alabama and winning the game takes guts, and Ewers responded to every Alabama big play.
Quinn Ewers audibled AD Mitchell’s route to a go while backed up in his own end zone says Sarkisian.
“This week, what was cool is that wasn’t the original route. But it was something where we knew if we got that look, Quinn could signal that go-ball to AD (Mitchell). Again,… pic.twitter.com/Hj5j3i0p7R
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_TFB) September 11, 2023
Having performances like this is encouraging, but this has to become a common occurrence for Ewers. The problem isn’t that Ewers has big moments, the problem is he doesn’t consistently play at that level.
Florida State QB Jordan Travis
Score: 66-13 win vs. Southern Miss
Stats: 15-29, 175 yards, 2 touchdowns
Thoughts: Jordan Travis wasn’t asked to do much against Southern Miss, and that’s likely a byproduct of Florida State’s success running the football.
The Seminoles ran for 306 yards and four touchdowns and rolled to a 66-13 victory. That meant Travis wasn’t asked to throw the ball much and was taken out of the game later for backup Tate Rodemaker.
Overreacting to this game probably isn’t worth it. Like other players on this list, games against Group of 5 or FCS opponents are nothing more than a tune-up and aren’t the best way to gauge talent, especially when the offense runs wild.
USC QB Caleb Williams
Score: 56-10 win vs. Stanford
Stats: 19-21, 281 yards, 3 touchdowns; 1 carry, 21 yards, 1 touchdown
Thoughts: Caleb Williams is quickly becoming a frustrating watch because he’s so talented at making things happen out of structure but also passes up easy throws to do it.
Still, Williams is a superhero with the ball in his hands. No quarterback in this class can make all the throws he can while also being able to make plays happen when things break down. Things didn’t really break down against Stanford (USC was comfortably ahead for the entire game), but Williams still threw some pretty balls down the field.
CALEB WILLIAMS NUKE pic.twitter.com/Eis5CQbOXo
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) September 10, 2023
Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.
Score: 43-10 win vs. Tulsa
Stats: 28-38, 409 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception
Thoughts: Michael Penix Jr. continues to put up video game numbers against weaker competition, which is a good sign as Washington’s schedule heats up.
Against Tulsa, Penix showcased an encouraging combination of football IQ and traits. He continuously pierced the Tulsa defense, making them look silly. However, it’s still important to note that this is a tune-up game for Penix and Washington, and the offense is expected to click.
Tennessee QB Joe Milton III
Score: 30-13 win vs. Austin Peay
Stats: 21-33, 228 yards, 2 touchdowns; 1 rushing touchdown
Thoughts: Joe Milton has continued to be disappointing against weaker competition, which is becoming a concerning trend.
It’s not that Milton has been awful. It’s more that the traits that are expected to carry over to the NFL have not done so yet. For the most part, Tennessee allowed Austin Peay to stay in the game, which isn’t a good sign for a quarterback like Milton.
Oregon QB Bo Nix
Score: 38-30 win vs. Texas Tech
Stats: 32-44, 359 yards, 2 touchdowns; 9 carries, 46 yards
Thoughts: Don’t let the stats confuse you: this wasn’t a convincing performance for Bo Nix.
He wasn’t awful and had some impressive moments to help Oregon come back, but you’d expect more from a player like Nix. For the most part, Oregon’s comeback can be attributed to the strong play from their defense, which forced four turnovers against Texas Tech quarterback Tyler Shough.
Nix did have an impressive throw early, though, leading to a 72-yard touchdown to tie the game. These throws can be the difference for Nix, especially if they become a common occurrence.
Bo Nix with a 72-yard BOMB for the touchdown 💥pic.twitter.com/hGERCwQaAJ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 9, 2023
North Carolina QB Drake Maye
Score: 40-34 win vs. App State
Stats: 21-30, 208 yards, 0 touchdowns; 11 carries, 57 yards, 1 touchdown
Thoughts: Drake Maye didn’t shatter the box score today, but that’s because North Carolina’s run game was on point. Running back Omarion Hampton totaled 234 yards and three touchdowns and was the catalyst for the Tar Heels’ victory.
Maye still had an encouraging performance. Although it’s often used as a derogatory term towards quarterbacks, Maye controlled the game well and kept the chains moving when needed. His deep ball shined at points, and Maye never got too low, even when the game was pushed into overtime.
a Drake Maye javelin pic.twitter.com/k0rMKSENqe
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 10, 2023
Tulane QB Michael Pratt
A knee injury kept Michael Pratt from playing, so there’s nothing to react to. The injury doesn’t appear to be serious.
Duke QB Riley Leonard
Score: 42-7 win vs. Lafayette
Stats: 12-12, 136 yards, 1 touchdown
Thoughts: As is the case for other quarterbacks on this list, Riley Leonard had nothing more than a tune-up game against Lafayette. While he was efficient in moving the offense, there’s not much to take from this game involving draft stock.
Western Kentucky QB Austin Reed
Score: 52-22 win vs. Houston Christian
Stats: 27-33, 253 yards, 4 touchdowns; 1 rushing touchdown
Thoughts: Five total touchdowns is an encouraging game for any quarterback, but like other players who played games against weaker competition, this is expected for a player like Austin Reed.
