Ranking the 12 starting quarterbacks in the College Football Playoff

As we head into the College Football Playoff, the most important position in sports will have plenty to do with who gets crowned champion. 

Let’s rank the 12 signal-callers in this College Football Playoff field:

1. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon

The UCF and Oklahoma transfer Gabriel has turned in a stellar year for the Ducks, totaling 3,558 yards through the air, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions along with seven rushing touchdowns. The Heisman finalist led Oregon to an undefeated regular season and the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff, solidifying Gabriel as the most trustworthy and consistent quarterback in the nation.

2. Drew Allar, Penn State

Allar has already announced he’ll return for his senior year in 2025, and he has an early chance to improve his 2025 NFL Draft stock in this year’s playoff. Allar has benefitted from first-year offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s quarterback-friendly offense and will look to lead the Nittany Lions through arguably the most favorable playoff draw of any team.

3. Will Howard, Ohio State

Michigan isn’t in the field, right? Howard should be OK then. The Kansas State transfer is a veteran presence, and aside from The Big Game, has had an impressive season, throwing for 27 touchdowns and running for seven more. The Buckeyes will need Howard to be at his best against Tennessee on Saturday.

4. Riley Leonard, Notre Dame

After a sluggish start, Leonard has played clean football for the Fighting Irish, totaling 30 total touchdowns and doing most of his work in the running game. In a system where he is asked to do less than some of these other quarterbacks, Leonard thrives on designed runs and in the short-to-intermediate passing game. 

5. Quinn Ewers, Texas

Ewers has been battling an oblique injury throughout the season and was benched at the end of the first half of Texas’ first game versus Georgia. We’ve seen Ewers both struggle and dominate in big games this year. Which version are the Longhorns going to get versus Clemson? 

6. Kurtis Rourke, Indiana

Rourke is a tough quarterback to rank. The stats are beautiful: 27 touchdowns and just four interceptions while completing 70.4% of his passes. The issue? The Ohio transfer played one game against a ranked team, going 8-of-18 with just 66 yards against Ohio State in a blowout loss. Rourke will be tested again by a stout Notre Dame defense and can re-write the narrative that the Hoosiers made the playoff as a result of their easy schedule. 

7. Cade Klubnik, Clemson

Klubnik has had a stellar junior year, totaling 40 total touchdowns and five interceptions. Klubnik stamped his bounce-back year in the ACC title game, totaling 262 yards with four touchdowns in a win versus SMU. The question is whether this Clemson offense is battled-tested enough, as Klubnik struggled in losses against South Carolina and Georgia.

8. Kevin Jennings, SMU

Jennings took over the starting role in Dallas after inconsistent play from quarterback Preston Stone and rejuvenated the SMU offense on its way to 11 wins and an ACC title game appearance. To pull off an upset on the road at Penn State, Jennings will need to be near-perfect. 

9. Sam Leavitt, Arizona State

Leavitt, a Michigan State transfer, has impressed in his first year with the Sun Devils. A dual-threat quarterback, ASU’s offense is run-first with star running back Cam Skattebo averaging 21.9 carries per game. Leavitt will need to find a new favorite target with leading receiver Jordyn Tyson out for the year due to injury. 

10. Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee

Iamaleava’s tools are among the most impressive in the field. The 6-foot-6 redshirt freshman possesses arm talent and pocket mobility that should see him drafted in the top 10 in next year’s draft. The problem? The Tennessee offense has stalled in big games, and Iamaleava has been erratic in Josh Heupel’s fast-paced offense. 

11. Maddux Madsen, Boise State 

Madsen should be Ashton Jeanty’s biggest fan, as the Heisman runner-up has made life rather easy for the Boise State gunslinger. Madsen has been excellent in his game-manager role, totaling 22 passing touchdowns to just three interceptions. Can Madsen get the job done if the Broncos need a season-saving late game drive? That remains to be seen. 

12. Gunner Stockton, Georgia 

Though it wasn’t pretty, Stockton got the job done in the SEC championship versus Texas after starting quarterback Carson Beck went down with an injury, completing 75% of his passes for 71 yards and an interception. Stockton plays with moxie and toughness, but he does not have the experience nor the weapons to rank higher on this list.