Demond Williams will look to lead a Washington resurgence.
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Article by WestCoastCFB
1. Demond Williams (Washington)
Demond Williams came to Seattle as a 4 star prospect and was quickly able to see the field in short spurts as a chance to develop to become the quarterback of the future. Throughout the season, Williams showed improvement and he finished the year with 8 touchdown passes, 1 interception, 9 yards per attempt and a QB rating of 176.9. He also showed what he can do on the ground with 282 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. Most quarterbacks make a big jump after their true freshman campaign and if Williams can do that he should be one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
2. Sam Leavitt (Arizona State)
Sam Leavitt has a strong case to be number one on this list after a sensational Redshirt Freshman season that resulted in a College Football Playoff appearance, as well as 24 touchdown passes, 6 interceptions, 8.2 yards per attempt and a QB rating of 150.2. He's also a threat on the ground with 443 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns. Kenny Dillingham continues to prove himself as the QB whisperer.
3. Dante Moore (Oregon)
Dante Moore slides into the 3rd spot mainly based on potential and practice reports. Moore struggled as the quarterback for UCLA as a true Freshman when he threw for 11 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 7.6 yards per attempt and a QB rating of 125.6. Moore also lacks the elite mobility that Demond Williams and Sam Leavitt have flashed with -84 rushing yards for the Bruins in 2023. The hope is that with a better surrounding cast and some time to sit and learn, Moore will live up to his hype as a 5 star prospect out of high school.
4. Kaidon Salter (Colorado)
The Buffs will have a tough time replacing Shedeur Sanders but Kaidon Salter isn't too shabby himself. At Liberty, the 6-1 signal caller totaled 56 touchdown passes, 17 interceptions, 8.4 yards per attempt and a QB rating of 150.6. He's also dangerous on the ground with 2,006 career rushing yards and 21 touchdowns.
5. Noah Fifita (Arizona)
Noah Fifita looked like the next big thing in college football under Jedd Fisch but dramatically regressed in 2024 under Brent Brennan. His career numbers still look nice with 44 career passing touchdowns, 18 interceptions and a QB rating of 143.1. With a new OC in Tucson, expect Fifita to get closer to his 2023 form than 2024.
6. Jake Retzlaff (BYU)
BYU took the college football world by surprise in 2024 on their way to a 10 win season. Retzlaff was an important catalyst to their success with 20 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions, 8.0 yards per attempt and a QB rating of 136.6. The Corona, California native wasn't a heralded recruit as a JUCO prospect who only had other offers from Hawaii, New Mexico State and UTEP so his production in 2024 was unexpected. The Cougars are one of the best programs at finding talent that others have overlooked.
7. Devon Dampier (Utah)
The Utes revamped their offense by bringing in Devon Dampier from New Mexico. Dampier is the best runner on this list with 1,166 rushing yards in 2024 and 19 touchdowns. The issue is he's limited as a passer as witnessed by his stat line of 12 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. Moving the chains still shouldn't be an issue as Dampier will get loose from the pocket enough times to keep defenses on their heels.
8. Jayden Maiava (USC)
Maiava is the favorite to win the USC starting job after taking over the position late in the season. The UNLV transfer showed potential with 11 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions but those numbers won't thrill USC fans unless he shows major improvement next season.
9. Joey Aguilar (UCLA)
Aguilar was granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA and chose to use it by transferring from Appalachian State to UCLA. The 6-3 QB hails from California so this will be a homecoming for him and he was a standout in 2023 when he threw for 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. 2024 didn't go quite as well with 23 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions but the potential is there for this to be a nice pick up for the Bruins.
10. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (Cal)
Sagapolutele was a late transfer to Cal as 4 star true freshman. The Golden Bears will team him up with first year OC Bryan Harsin calling the plays and hope that the two can gel quickly. The potential is there for the product from Hawaii to be a standout but most Freshman struggle so we will keep him in the 10th spot for now.
11. Elijah Brown (Stanford)
Elijah Brown will likely be the favorite to start for Stanford in 2025 after Ashton Daniels chose to transfer to Auburn. Brown was highly recruited, ranking as a 4 star prospect by 247 and he was given a few opportunities as a Redshirt Freshman this past season and threw 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
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