Managing a college football quarterback room has never been more difficult. The transfer portal can quickly zap depth. Even the best programs in the country are largely left without proven experience as highly-ranked recruits are leaving faster than ever for playing time.
As the quarterback carousel careens even further out of control, having depth comes at even more of a premium. In a 12-team College Football Playoff world, withstanding a quarterback injury becomes vital.
Lists like this are highly subjective, but a few factors stand apart. Experience comes at a premium. Teams with multiple former starters or proven commodities stand ahead of those that simply have impressive recruits. Years in the system as a backup only helps.
Notably, our list does not include any teams from the Group of Five. While individual players like Liberty’s Kaidon Salter and Fresno State’s Mikey Keene rank among the better passers in the country, holding onto top quarterbacks and building depth has never been more tenuous. Additionally, the post-spring transfer portal window could once again throw the list into chaos.
With that said, here are the deepest quarterback rooms in the country in 2024.
Key players: Will Howard, Devin Brown, Lincoln Kienholz, Air Noland, Julian Sayin
The Buckeyes have only one player with major starting experience, but the total talent just jumps off the page. Howard led Kansas State to a Big 12 Championship and has thrown nearly 800 passes in his career. Brown has been in the system for two years waiting his turn and should be fully recovered from nagging lower body injuries that doomed his Cotton Bowl debut, while Kienholz continues to develop. Noland and Sayin each ranked among the top seven quarterbacks in the Class of…
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