Now that recruiting is mostly complete and the portal closed until May, we basically know who’ll be under center at each school. But there are a few schools where some competition may be taking place prior to a starter being named.
This list is comprised of 5 jobs where, I believe, a genuine QB battle is taking place. You’ll notice this list isn’t heavy on former starting QBs who utilized the portal, that’s because it’s counterintuitive to have them. How often do we see top-level signal callers transfer to a school where they aren’t a lock for the job? Not often. Hence, you won’t see Leary, Armstrong, Sanders, Schlee, Hartman, Mertz, etc. on this list. Those guys are THE guy.
I also avoided jobs such as Virginia and West Virginia who, I feel, are in such bad shape that they should utilize the portal in May to bring in a serviceable guy.
Texas Tech
The Battle: Tyler Shough vs. Behren Morton
Shough will be entering his 3rd year in Lubbock after spending his first 3 at Oregon. The 6’5 gunslinger looks the part of a guy you’d expect to see on Sundays. However, he’s been about as durable as a paper straw that’s been in your drink all night. Shough has never played more than 7 games in any season, though he has shown flashes when healthy.
Morton, a redshirt sophomore, is one of the highest-rated Red Raider recruits in recent memory. Signed by former coach Matt Wells, Morton has stuck with it at Texas Tech and looks to be the future of this program. This job could go either way and I expect both to start games next year, partly because of Shough’s inability to stay healthy.
Prediction: Tyler Shough
Shough is the week 1 starter against Wyoming. His experience and production, especially in not turning the ball over, give him the nod. Though, as stated, Morton gets plenty of snaps throughout the year.
QB1#WreckEm | @tylershough2 pic.twitter.com/AVOlLRl9GY
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) August 21, 2022
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Alabama
The Battle: Jalen Milroe vs. Ty Simpson
This shapes up to be one of the most notable QB battles. Partly because of the hype around Bama and partly because the style of offense that we will see. New offensive coordinator Tommy Rees’ debut is something that all eyes in Tuscaloosa will be on.
Milroe started against Arkansas last year and overall attempted 53 passes, completing 58% of them. He is definitely more of a running threat than Bryce Young was, or that Rees has been used to in his previous offenses. The game plan will have to change if he’s the guy. Based on how poor the Tide WRs were last year, maybe it has to.
Simpson was a five-star recruit out of Tennessee who played minimal snaps in 2022 and retained his eligibility by redshirting. More of a traditional Rees QB and traditional pocket thrower than Milroe, if the coaches decide to keep the same system, it favors him.
Prediction: Jalen Milroe
Milroe’s athletic ability, dynamism, and experience give him the nod in the Tide’s opener against Middle Tennessee in 2023.
Details w Alabama QB @ty_simpson06 #QBcountry pic.twitter.com/WglSzHrEe1
— QB Country (@QBCountry) June 15, 2022
Oregon State
Ben Gulbranson vs. DJ Uiagalelei
Gulbranson started 8 games last year after ousting Chance Nolan as the starter for the Beavers. A consistent, if not spectacular, year, where he completed 62% of his throws and was Las Vegas Bowl MVP, was not enough to convince Jonathan Smith that he’s the man to help Oregon St. take the next step forward.
DJ Uiagalelei was an all-world recruit who never quite looked the part in two full years as a starter for Clemson. That being said, who would have replacing Trevor Lawrence? Uiagalelei won 10 games each year while throwing for 36 TDs, but never looked like he was the guy to keep Clemson elite. Finally, after much clamoring, Cade Klubnik took over the job and the writing was on the wall in regard to Big Cinco’s future.
Prediction: DJ Uiagalelei
I have been a critic of Uiagalelei, and rightly so, but I doubt he comes in as a transfer and doesn’t get the job. Though I said it before and will double down, Gulbranson starts a game for the Beavs at some point provided he doesn’t portal in May.
Baylor
Blake Shapen vs. Sawyer Robertson
Dave Aranda clearly doesn’t mind pushing an incumbent QB aside and bringing in his replacement in quick order. Shapen was on the front end of this last year, being chosen over Gerry Bohanan. But now it appears as if the musical chair will stop with him left standing. Shapen went 6-7 as a starter last year, completing 63% of his passes for 18 TDs and 10 INTs.
Robertson comes to Waco from Mississippi State where he redshirted in 2021 and played in 5 games in 2022 as a backup for Will Rogers. The former four-star recruit had plenty of options in the portal but chose Baylor where he felt like he had the best chance at the starting job.
Prediction: Sawyer Robertson
Robertson was highly coveted in the portal, he didn’t choose Waco to be a backup. I don’t see this shaking out any other way. Will Shapen be on the roster in the fall? Maybe. Will he be next spring? I highly doubt it.
Missouri
Brady Cook vs. Jake Garcia
Eli Drinkwitz’s seat might be hotter than we all think, having never finished above .500 in any of his 3 seasons at Mizzou. Hitching his wagon to the right horse here is vital to his job, which makes it baffling how he’s gone half-assed into the portal the last two years after QBs. His approach of delicately pursuing average guys while not wanting to alienate the guys he already has on his roster served no one.
Cook, the incumbent since Connor Bazelak departed, started all 13 games last fall. During the 2022 season, he completed 65% of his throws with a 14-7 TD-INT ratio. The targets will certainly diminish though, with Dominic Lovett off to Georgia.
Garcia played in 8 games for Miami last year, backing up Tyler Van Dyke and filling in for him during an injury-riddled campaign. Garcia completed 59% of his passes with a 5-4 TD-Int ratio. Neither QB provides much rushing prowess of note. Sam Horn may also have an outside shot here.
Prediction: Jake Garcia
Considering Cook is rehabbing from injury and Horn is green behind the ears, I like Garcia to be the week 1 starter. He comes from a Miami offense with a similar spread and I doubt Mizzou would have brought him in if he didn’t have a decent shot at the job.
Miami transfer QB Jake Garcia has committed to Mizzou. pic.twitter.com/oKsesBfsH0
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) January 20, 2023
