The NFL draft is a time for young, up and coming prospects to flex their chops and make a name for themselves in the league. Of all positions, there’s one more scrutinized under a bigger microscope than any. Quarterbacks are the heart and soul of a team. Without them, the rest of the team crumbles, which is why it’s so important to land on a quarterback when you draft one. With two handfuls of guys entering their names in this year’s draft, teams will have a bounty of talent to choose from. The question is, who will stick? These are the top quarterbacks entering the 2024 NFL draft.
10. Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
Rattler’s career was in rocky waters coming out of the University of Oklahoma where he lost the starting job to Caleb Williams, a report that came from a student newspaper who watched practice from a window across the street. His best year came in 2023, where he started in the Senior Bowl while leading the University of South Carolina to a 5-7 record, 3-5 in conference. Not making a bowl game is tough for Rattler’s odds at a future in the league, especially for a quarterback whose college career has been so rocky.
It’s a fall from grace from a quarterback who broke the Arizona high school passing record on his 18th birthday. Rattler threw for 11,083 yards in his four years at Pinnacle High School with 116 passing TDs and rushed for 1,040 yards with 14 rushing TDs. Early in his high school senior season, he was named MVP of the Elite 11 at The Opening in Texas.
Rattler is likely to go undrafted during this year’s draft, but all signs point to a team giving him a shot at a practice squad roster.
9. Sam Hartman, Notre Dame
Former Wake Forest University standout Sam Hartman transferred to Notre Dame with his final year of eligibility in 2023 to compete at a higher level than the ACC. The sixth year starter bet on himself and came away with 2,689 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions on 301 passing attempts. Hartman led the Fighting Irish to a 10-3 record and a blowout bowl game win over Oregon State.
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The Charlotte native started in this year’s Senior Bowl opposite Rattler, boosting his stock for those who may not have heard his name so convincingly. While it’s not likely Hartman will be drafted, it’s possible a team could pick him up with a late round pick to secure his place on a squad. Whether he’s drafted or not, Hartman will have a spot on an NFL roster come preseason. You can bet that.
8. Jordan Travis, FSU
Travis’s 2023 season was plagued with tragic injury. The former Louisville Cardinal was ranked as the 24th best dual threat quarterback coming out of high school. Since then, he’s led the Seminoles to better and better records every year, culminating in the 2023 playoffs snub after the team went undefeated.
Before breaking his leg, Travis amassed 2,734 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and two interceptions in only 11 games played. While on pace to have the best season of his career, the 23 year old Travis is now looking to new heights — the National Football League. Travis has late round talent, but could be picked up sooner. It would not surprise me, however, if his name is missed all together on draft night.
7. Michael Pratt, Tulane
Pratt is a classic AAC quarterback. Tulane’s Senior Bowl quarterback peaked in 2022, but started four years in college. Pratt’s numbers dipped in 2023, where not only he, but the team as a whole took a nosedive as the season came to a close. Losing the American Athletic Conference championship game to Southern Methodist University was a far fall from beating Caleb Williams’ USC Trojans in the Cotton Bowl just one year prior. Pratt solidified himself as a solid option, but is not likely to ever be “the guy” for a franchise, which is why he’s looking at a late round or undrafted selection.
6. Bo Nix, Oregon
Bo Nix is the old man of college football. While the former Auburn Tiger and current Oregon Duck has solidified himself as one of the league’s top passers, the 23 year old Nix didn’t really come out of his shell until the 2023 season in a high octane Oregon offense. Throwing for 45 touchdowns and 4,500 yards to only three interceptions is impressive, but diminished when you consider how it contributed to winning. The Ducks really only played three ranked teams and got a cookie of a New Year’s Six bowl game facing Liberty University. While Nix’s only losses this season were to Michael Penix Jr.’s Washington (twice), questions are still being raised about Nix’s place in the league.
Some say Nix isn’t cut out to be an NFL caliber quarterback, citing his accuracy and ability to perform under pressure. Some team will take a shot at Nix with an early or mid round pick. Time will tell whether or not it pays off.
5. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
Head coach Jim Harbaugh called his poster child McCarthy, “The greatest quarterback in college football history.” While the jury’s still out on whether or not that claim is ridiculous, one thing is for certain — McCarthy has talent. McCarthy’s 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns to four interceptions was a career best for the three year starter on the road to leading Michigan to a national championship victory over Washington. Some mocks have McCarthy going as early as the eighth overall pick to Atlanta, but truthfully, anywhere sooner than the third round is too high to take a guy of McCarthy’s talent. His ceiling can only go so high.
4. Michael Penix Jr., Washington
Speaking of high ceilings, Penix is one of the most electric quarterbacks in college football. The Tennessee native led Washington to a national championship game appearance where he battled McCarthy’s Michigan. Penix was the FBS leader in passing yards per game the 2022 regular season, averaging 357 yards per game. He threw 4,641 passing yards, becoming the Washington Huskies all-time single-season passing leader during the Alamo Bowl. He also won the Maxwell Award and was named AP Comeback Player of the Year in 2022.
Penix Jr. enters the 2024 NFL Draft as the fourth-best quarterback, boasting a strong arm, poise under pressure, and athleticism. While his injury history and consistency are areas of concern, his overall skill set positions him as an intriguing prospect for teams in need of a dynamic signal-caller. He’s set to be a high pick with the potential to be a home run for some franchise out there.
3. Drake Maye, UNC Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill quarterbacks drafted highly have had a rough go of it lately. From Sam Howell to Mitchell Trubisky, drafting a UNC quarterback is always risky business. The third year quarterback took a step back from his monster numbers in 2022, boasting a modest 3,608 yards and 24 touchdowns to nine interceptions — all numbers worse than a year prior. Still, teams are looking at Maye to come in as an early first round talent to make a difference.
2. Jayden Daniels, LSU
Heisman winner Jayden Daniels had one of the most legendary seasons in college football history at LSU in 2023. The 23 year old Daniels has been progressing leaps at a time year to year, culminating in the 2023 season where Daniels threw for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and four interceptions while rushing for another 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns. If that doesn’t blow you away, I don’t know what will. Daniels created a rating of 208.0 on the season, the highest of his career by far. He’s an electric talent with flashes of Michael Vick, Lamar Jackson and Steve Young. Daniels is sure to be an early first round talent and could even be the first overall pick.
1. Caleb Williams, USC
Caleb Williams is as close to a sure thing as any quarterback prospect has ever come. The consensus #1 overall pick has been referred to as a “mini Mahomes” in the way he plays the game. With USC, Williams won the 2022 Heisman Trophy and several other awards after throwing for over 4,500 yards with 52 total touchdowns, the latter being a single-season school record. If the Chicago Bears don’t look to Williams as the franchise’s future, they didn’t deserve to have him anyway. Not enough can be said about the dynamic passer. He’s point blank, period elite. The only person who can stop Williams now is Williams.
