Before every season starts, teams need to decide who they want to start at quarterback—the most important position. Some years, teams have multiple candidates competing for the starting job. Since only one player can secure the role, it becomes one of the most important topics of the offseason for teams.
Today, I am going to go over a few quarterback competitions from different teams.
Notre Dame
After making it to the National Championship, quarterback Riley Leonard is out of eligibility. Now, they have three players competing for the job: Steve Angeli, CJ Carr, and Kevin Minchey. Steve Angeli has been at Notre Dame for two years already and has been learning under others for a while. Against Oregon State in a bowl game a couple of years ago and during a drive versus Penn State in the playoffs, Angeli looked amazing.
CJ Carr is a highly regarded 4-star recruit. After getting injured last year, he might not be ready yet to take the job. However, he is definitely in the mix because of his size, athleticism, and accuracy.
Kevin Minchey is not really in the mix. He is obviously good enough to take the job but is not better than CJ Carr or Steve Angeli.
I project Steve Angeli to take the job because he is the most ready and accurate out of the three options.
Georgia
Georgia lost their quarterback, Carson Beck, through the transfer portal to Miami. Now, they have two guys really competing for the job. Gunner Stockton is the clear frontrunner after he stepped into the SEC Championship when Carson Beck tore his UCL, came back from a deficit, and won the game. He also played against Notre Dame in the playoffs but lost. His mobility was amazing, and he also has a very good arm and doesn’t make a lot of bad decisions.
The other guy, Ryan Montgomery, is a freshman and will compete because he is very talented, but he is most likely not getting the job because he doesn’t have the experience Stockton has.
I project Gunner Stockton to get the job.
Alabama
Without Jalen Milroe, Alabama has a quarterback battle on their hands. Favorite Ty Simpson will go against Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. Keelon Russell is going to be a true freshman 5-star recruit coming out of Duncanville High School. Simpson is an older, more experienced player who is very well put together. He is most likely the favorite to take the job, but all three have a chance.
Austin Mack also has a chance. He transferred with Kalen DeBoer (Alabama’s head coach) to Alabama from Washington. He is a redshirt sophomore and has a lot of opportunities to get playing time, but he is competing in one of the most competitive competitions.
Ty Simpson is going to be the starter and is probably the easiest one to decide on.
Colorado
The most competitive quarterback battle of the offseason will be down in Boulder, Colorado: Kaiden Salter and Ju Ju Lewis. Ju Ju Lewis was on the team last year after Deion Sanders successfully recruited him. He was hoping for the job last year, but Shedeur Sanders stayed for one more year. Kaiden Salter is new to Colorado after transferring from Liberty. Last year, he had a down year, but the year before, he played absolutely amazing. He did look injured this year, so I don’t know how he will play.
I think Ju Ju Lewis will win the job. He was recruited by Deion Sanders and has been in the system for longer, so he understands the playbook better.
Ohio State
After winning the National Championship, the Buckeyes have a major decision to make. They are great recruiters of players and have many options. First and the projected starter is Julian Sayin. Sayin is a sophomore and is very talented. His accuracy and arm talent are top tier. Any team would want him because he is great. Lincoln Kienholz and Tavien St. Clair aren’t that far behind. Both are very talented. Tavien St. Clair is a highly recruited player and is very talented, and most likely the future, but won’t be the starter for this year.
I project Julian Sayin to win because he is currently the best and most experienced.
Conclusion
In all of these, there are serious quarterback battles that can have long-term effects on the season. It is great that teams have them because it promotes competition in sports and keeps people interested during the offseason. As the offseason continues, we will see who the better quarterback is as the starters get named.
Works Cited:
- Crawford, B. (2025, February 24). College Football’s most intriguing spring quarterback battles, predictions for 2025. 247Sports. https://247sports.com/longformarticle/college-footballs-most-intriguing-spring-quarterback-battles-predictions-for-2025-246068872/#2604026
- Carnes, J. (2025, March 4). Colorado QB battle will be front and center in 2025 Spring Game. Glory Colorado. https://glorycolorado.com/colorado-qb-battle-will-be-front-and-center-in-2025-spring-game-01jnh1efhnn1
