Seven college football quarterback battles you need to follow during 2023 spring practice

College football spring practice is off and working, and over the following a number of weeks there shall be spring video games permitting enthusiasts an early have a look at their favourite groups for 2023. So sooner than the spring sport time table actually will get rolling, let’s check out the freshest subject, when acceptable, for any college football program: The quarterback fight. 

In the switch portal technology, it advantages coaches to make a contest as open as conceivable — no less than with out being disingenuous. Lincoln Riley isn’t going to say that Caleb Williams is in jeopardy of dropping his process at USC, and the similar can also be stated for Drake Maye at North Carolina, Jordan Travis at Florida State or Bo Nix at Oregon. There are instances, then again, the place the presence of recent skill, be it from the highschool or the switch portal, have shaken up the outlook on the quarterback place. Those battles, plus those the place the departure of an NFL-bound participant has left a hollow at a very powerful place at the box, spotlight what is a sturdy number of quarterback battles to observe thru spring practice. 

We’ve decided on seven quarterback battles to spotlight beneath, beginning with essentially the most high-profile festival at one of the vital recreation’s maximum iconic techniques. 

Contenders: Quinn Ewers, Arch Manning 

We have open competitions at Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State, but that is undeniably the person who generates essentially the most hobby. Manning is likely one of the highest-rated prospects within the historical past of the recruiting trade and arguably essentially the most well-known true freshman within the fashionable technology. Manning’s dedication to Texas used to be an enormous win for trainer Steve Sarkisian because it most probably solidifies the group’s offensive outlook thru no less than 2025. 

But repute, intrigue and anticipation does now not equate to Manning essentially being able to lead the Longhorns at the box. And Sarkisian does have an incumbent starter who additionally took place to be the No. 1 participant within the nation popping out of highschool in 2021. Ewers’ blue-chip standing — 247Sports gave him a super score out of Southlake, Texas — is getting overpassed by means of many when put next to Manning. Ewers has each the bodily and psychological advantage of being part of high-level college football techniques for the closing two years. 

One reason why Manning is receiving any buzz this offseason is due to Ewers’ performances in opposition to the most productive groups on Texas’ time table a season in the past. Ewers went 1-4 in opposition to ranked fighters and totaled 5 touchdowns to 4 interceptions with a 52.8% finishing touch charge. this spring, Texas is in search of Ewers to tighten up his sport and take the plunge, most likely even coming into summer time conditioning because the group’s starter. If now not, Manning enters fall camp lurking within the festival and growing some fascinating storylines with a large showdown in opposition to Alabama at the time table in Week 2. 

Georgia 

Contenders: Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff, Gunner Stockton

Kirby Smart gave us the lay of the land in the beginning of Georgia’s spring ball indicating that Beck and Vandagriff are sharing first-team reps with Stockton getting within the combine as neatly. All 3 have spent no less than three hundred and sixty five days in this system, with Beck sporting essentially the most in-game revel in because the backup to Stetson Bennett IV. There turns out to be a excellent quantity of self assurance in both Beck or Vandagriff to lead the offense, which now shall be underneath the route of Mike Bobo after Todd Monken made a transfer again to the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens. That self assurance comes from now not handiest from the excessive ground that each gamers provide as quarterbacks, however the overwhelming number of skill that Georgia surrounds its signal-callers with each fall. 

What shall be fascinating to watch is how the quarterback choice would possibly point out what Bobo needs to do with the Bulldogs’ offense in 2023. Beck has an revel in edge and has been pigeon-holed — in all probability unfairly — as extra of the downfield passing possibility, whilst Vandagriff has a extra spectacular recruiting profile as one of the vital peak quarterbacks from the 2021 cycle partly as a result of his athleticism and talent to make performs at the run. Smart has driven again some, arguing that Beck is an athlete, too, and that Vandagriff believes in his arm power simply up to somebody else within the room. Nevertheless, it is the narrative round this fight within the wake of vital turnover at the offensive aspect of the ball. 

Alabama 

Contenders: Jalen Milroe, Ty Simpson 

Like Georgia, Alabama’s spring practice storylines come with now not only a quarterback fight however an offensive set up duration with a brand new offensive coordinator. Unlike the Bulldogs, this rent got here from out of doors this system and due to this fact brings fewer certainties about what to be expecting from the Crimson Tide offense in 2023. Tommy Rees, introduced in from Notre Dame, has two choices on the peak of the intensity chart that provide a fascinating choice for Alabama in dealing with its industry on offense. 

Milroe is coming into his 1/3 12 months with this system and began in opposition to Texas A&M closing season whilst Bryce Young used to be injured. In general, Milroe completed with 5 touchdowns to 3 interceptions in 8 appearances — he performed his most vital time in the second one part in opposition to Arkansas after Young sustained his shoulder damage — whilst including 263 yards dashing. Alabama’s play variety when Milroe used to be within the sport for aggressive snaps bent extra in opposition to the bottom sport than when Young used to be wholesome, however that used to be additionally underneath the steerage of a special offensive coordinator with other talent place items at the box. 

Simpson carries a far upper recruiting score popping out of highschool — he used to be a five-star prospect, ranked as a top-three quarterback within the 2022 cycle — however because the third-string quarterback in 2022, he lacks any revel in in essential sport scenarios on the college point. 

Nick Saban stated this week he likes the gamers they have got across the quarterback place heading into 2023, and so persevered building goes to be the secret. Both gamers have a chance this spring to galvanize Rees as he begins to iron out Alabama’s offense for 2023, which might pivot in a pair other instructions relying on which quarterback has the threshold within the festival. 

Ohio State 

Contenders: Kyle McCord, Devin Brown 

The promotion of Brian Hartline to offensive coordinator brings some trade to the training workforce, however relating to expectancies, the position of Ohio State’s peak quarterback stays unchanged from the C.J. Stroud: Put the ball within the fingers of the Buckeyes’ elite broad receivers so they are able to make performs. The presence of Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, now not to point out high-end working backs TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams, implies that even a sport supervisor may finally end up because the face of one of the prolific offenses within the nation. 

McCord, a former five-star prospect popping out of highschool, has extra revel in because the two-year backup to Stroud, however a lot of his motion has come past due in video games that had been already determined as Buckeye victories. He’s being driven by means of Brown, who has no profession cross makes an attempt in college however has made a excellent influence in practice that has Hartline enthused by means of the character of the contest. 

One possible wrinkle on this fight is the former revel in McCord has with Harrison, a Biletnikoff Award finalist. The two had been teammates at St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Philadelphia as a part of an offense excellent sufficient to land McCord Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year honors. It’s the “high school teammates” nugget that shall be wiped out on announces by means of midseason — an identical to the vintage “roommate connection.” We’re simply getting forward of it.  

Contenders: Jaxson Dart, Spencer Sanders, Walker Howard 

Coach Lane Kiffin has an incumbent beginning quarterback from a group that opened 2022 with a 7-0 file and spent 3 weeks within the peak 10 of the AP Top 25 ballot in October. On its face, you’d be expecting that the Rebels would have a QB1 determined to open spring practice, however that isn’t the case in any respect. Perhaps it used to be how Ole Miss completed the season, dropping 5 of its ultimate six video games, that triggered Kiffin to dip into the switch portal for now not one, however two succesful choices on the quarterback place to problem Dart. 

On one finish of the revel in spectrum, there may be Spencer Sanders. The four-year starter at Oklahoma State had just about 10,000 profession passing yards and a 30-11 file. On the opposite aspect, there may be Walker Howard. The touted quarterback from the 2022 magnificence signed with LSU popping out highschool, however opted to hit the switch portal with Jayden Daniels’ again for any other 12 months and Garrett Nussmeier vying for enjoying time as neatly. Howard has an extended runway for eligibility, Sanders most probably expects an even shot on the beginning process in an instant and Dart is the one that has revel in working Kiffin’s offense. 

Contenders: Collin Schlee, Ethan Garbers, Dante Moore

Coach Chip Kelly picked up two large additions within the offseason: Schlee, a former Kent State quarterback, and Moore, a former five-star recruit who flipped from Oregon during the early signing duration. We do not have a lot of a observe file relating to expectancies for this fight; departing fifth-year senior Dorian Thompson-Robinson used to be the starter for 48 of Kelly’s 56 video games with the Bruins. 

Schlee used to be ranked because the No. 4 quarterback within the portal by means of 247Sports and has two years of eligibility closing. He used to be a Third Team All-MAC variety after totaling 17 touchdowns (13 passing, 4 dashing) to simply 5 interceptions, however he lacks Moore’s upside because the No. 4 general prospect from the 2023 magnificence. Garbers, even though missing in buzz of being a brand new addition to the roster, does lift an revel in benefit as DTR’s backup over the past two seasons. Garbers used to be a four-star prospecting the 2020 recruiting cycle who to start with signed at Washington sooner than shifting to UCLA prior to the 2021 season. 

Contenders: Joe Milton, Nico Iamaleava 

Hendon Hooker showcased how Tennessee’s offense underneath trainer Josh Heupel may propel a quarterback to make a large soar, and that is the reason precisely what Milton is hoping to do in 2023. Milton and Hooker each transferred to Tennessee from different Power Five techniques (Milton from Michigan, Hooker from Virginia Tech) prior to Heupel’s first season in 2021. Milton in fact gained the beginning process heading into 2021 however used to be injured in the second one sport of the season, permitting Hooker to take keep an eye on of the QB1 tasks. The expectation, or no less than the hope for Tennessee enthusiasts, is that Milton’s revel in within the gadget will permit him to make the similar roughly soar we noticed from Hooker from 2021 to 2022. 

If there may be any wavering in Milton’s efficiency, then again, there’s a highly-capable possibility at the bench in five-star freshman Nico Iamaleava. Carrying a composite score of .998 and a super prospect rating from 247Sports, Iamaleava ranks as one of the vital highest-rated possibilities to signal with Tennessee since we began monitoring such information. Listed at the Tennessee roster at 6-foot-6 and 200 kilos, this a participant who represents the real ceiling of Heupel’s offense and the soar from SEC darkish horse to true nationwide name contender. Whether that possible is learned in 2023, 2024 or 2025 in large part comes down to the timeline of Nico’s building and whether or not Milton’s efficiency provides Tennessee the most productive probability to win. 

Just like fellow true newcomers Arch Manning at Texas or Dante Moore at UCLA, there are extra pragmatic eventualities that experience the veteran possibility beginning in 2023 to permit the younger skill to increase with plans to hand the offense over in 2024. But given the uncertainties of a protracted college football season, you can wager Tennessee’s workforce is doing the entirety to push each quarterbacks in spring practice in case it takes each quarterbacks to accomplish their objectives for the autumn.