Expectations are always relative in college football. But one thing remains true across the board — it’s always possible to fall short of them. Some of the biggest quarterback names did just that last season, pumping the brakes on their respective hype trains. Even projected Heisman contenders like Drew Allar and Garrett Nussmeier now face critics after imperfect 2024 campaigns.
Of course, there’s a reason we spend so much of the offseason buzzing about quarterbacks. Highly touted signal-callers typically earn that hype with elite physical traits or proven production. A disappointing season or a stretch of inconsistent play doesn’t mean those skills have vanished. More often, it’s extenuating circumstances that prevent them from fully showcasing their talent.
The story isn’t finished for players like Allar and Nussmeier. Both enter 2025 leading College Football Playoff hopefuls and remain two of the biggest names in the sport. Each has the tools to become a first-round NFL Draft pick next spring, and to prove the doubters wrong after last season’s stumbles.
Here are 10 quarterbacks poised to silence their critics in 2025.
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Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki unlocked Allar’s potential in his first year calling plays at Penn State, but limitations at wide receiver held the offense back against elite competition. Allar drew criticism down the stretch after completing less than 59% of his passes in the Big Ten Championship Game and CFP. 247Sports’ No. 1 quarterback prospect in the 2022 class had some decision-making issues to clean up, no doubt, but he also received little help from his wideouts. That could change in 2025 after Penn State added a couple of notable upgrades through the transfer portal. Allar and Penn State are currently a +800 bet to win the national title in 2025, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
The decision to buy or sell the hype surrounding Miami comes down to two items: Belief in the defensive backfield transfers and confidence in Beck. The latter is shaken quite a bit after his rough final year at Georgia and the elbow injury that shut him down in the playoff and required surgery. Beck regressed significantly last season and has no momentum after he missed much of the offseason rehabbing his elbow, but the move to a new offensive system could pay sizable dividends for a signal caller who is just one year removed from a stellar starting debut.
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
The Nussmeier bandwagon is quite full, and he is widely projected as a first-round pick, if not the first overall selection in next year’s NFL Draft. That does not mean he is a finished product, though. Some soured on him midway through 2024 when he battled the turnover bug and dropped so far down the draft board that he needed to return to LSU for a final season. Nussmeier’s 12 interceptions were the most in the SEC, and he posted four multi-pick games in a five-week stretch around the campaign’s midpoint. Nussmeier has a higher ceiling than just about any quarterback in the nation and cleaned things up down the stretch last fall to reinvigorate excitement for the LSU offense.
There might not be a better buy-low candidate in college football than Arnold. He massively upgraded his situation with the transfer from Oklahoma to Auburn, trading a porous offensive line and injury-riddled receiving corps for a supporting cast that features some of the best wideouts in the nation. So many of Arnold’s struggles in his first year as a starter can be attributed to factors outside of his control. It is hard not to envision him taking a step forward with his new team.
The biggest leaps in sports come between Year 1 and Year 2 — whether that be for a player entering his sophomore season, a coach embarking on his second campaign at the helm or otherwise. For Chiles, Year 2 as a starter is also Year 2 at Michigan State. He fell short of expectations in 2024 when he was as turnover prone as any quarterback in college football, but he also displayed flashes of what made him such a prized prospect on the recruiting trail. His continued work with rising star receiver Nick Marsh and a third year with offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren (who initially recruited him to Oregon State) should help Chiles deliver a career year.
The buzz around Moss was immense, until it wasn’t. He lost his job last November after a three-interception game, never saw action for the Trojans again and bolted for Louisville through the portal. The veteran backup-turned-starter could not have found a more ideal landing spot. He traded one quarterback guru for another in electing to play for Jeff Brohm. If Moss cuts down on his turnover rate of exactly one interception per game, he has a real chance of guiding the Cardinals to a dark-horse playoff contention run.
Things just never quite worked out for Weigman at Texas A&M. The former five-star prospect never played more than six games in any of his three seasons with the Aggies and is fresh off his worst campaign to date. Turns out, his injuries over the last two years went well beyond what he revealed publicly. Now at Houston, Weigman is healthier, closer to home and in a conference with much more attackable defenses. His supporting cast may not be as strong, but the rest of the pieces are in place for him to make a long-awaited breakthrough.
Daniels was once a Heisman Trophy dark horse. That was before a litany of injuries derailed his trajectory, forced him to miss extensive time and all but certainly contributed to a down year in 2024. Daniels managed to stay in the lineup all last year, however, and the dual-threat weapon only got better as the campaign progressed. He is back on an upswing entering his sixth year of eligibility and a primary reason why Kansas is on the fringes of Big 12 title contention. All of the goodwill he lost due to injuries will return if he leads the Jayhawks to a third-straight bowl game for the first time in program history.
No one ever doubted his dynamic running ability, but some questioned Johnson’s arm talent when he stepped into the starting role at Kansas State last year. The critics looked astute in the Wildcats’ four losses, as Johnson threw a pair of interceptions in all but one of those defeats. Johnson transitions into more of a veteran presence atop the offense this fall, and if he refines his aerial abilities in the slightest, his Wildcats will be squarely in the Big 12 and CFP races. The athleticism is not going anywhere, and it gives him a high floor upon which to build.
Last season was supposed to be a big one for Drones and Virginia Tech, but it fell off the rails straight out of the gate en route to a disappointing sub-.500 year. Drones missed four games as injuries hampered his highly anticipated second season with the Hokies. There is some post-hype value with Drones in 2025, though. The former Baylor transfer is one of college football’s most dynamic athletes when he is healthy, and the expectation is that he will be fully recovered from a minor procedure by the time camp arrives.
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