With the explosion of the Superflex format in dynasty fantasy football, one thing is clearer now than ever before. The quarterback is King. There is plenty of talent coming up through the devy pipeline, and I will provide weekly reports throughout the college football season to track these prospects. The next three draft cycles are loaded with promising, NFL-caliber signal callers who showed up and showed out in week one. In the first installment of my Quarterback U series, let’s closely examine the position with risers, fallers, and updated class rankings.
RISERS
Jordan Travis, Florida State | 6’1″ 212 lbs
Just when I thought I had Travis figured out, he delivered one of the best performances of the week against a talented LSU defense. 342 yards and five touchdowns is a great way to kick off a Heisman campaign, and you have to love the efficiency with 11.03 yards per attempt. There may be no other quarterback I study more this season than Travis. The conclusion I continue to come to is that he’s a fun college QB with a limited pro ceiling, but then he makes a special play like we see below.
Travis has elite pocket awareness and vision. While he doesn’t have all the arm talent in the world, he throws with great anticipation and processes quickly. The interception was bad – and I mean really bad – but everything else was impressive. He does all the little things you love to see. There were several snaps last night that would result in negative plays for 99% of quarterbacks in college football.
After he settled into the game, Jordan Travis put on a clinic.
— Daniel Harms🏈 (@InHarmsWay19) September 4, 2023
Asking the C to block down on Mekhi Wingo is nearly impossible with his 1st step explosion and speed. He's in the backfield quickly, and Travis calmly steps back and then left to make a positive play. pic.twitter.com/OxbFDZ5WcM
Shedeur Sanders, Colorado | 6’2″ 215 lbs
Deion Sanders has arrived, and he brought a quarterback with him. Shedeur Sanders wrecked TCU with 510 passing yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions with nearly 50 attempts. He made throws to every level of the field with remarkable accuracy. The Colorado receivers dropped at least four deep strikes that would have easily put Sanders over the 600-yard mark. This was a historic performance, and we need to adjust our ranks accordingly.
Sanders was on my 2024 radar over the summer. In May, I tweeted that he was coming for the wide-open QB3 spot, and we can now see the path. My main takeaway from the TCU film is how smoothly he operates, with great footwork and natural instincts. The execution was outstanding. Sanders looked polished and was able to create outside of the outside-of-the-pocket well to distribute to the perimeter. Again, the touch and accuracy were unreal.
Some will see him ranked sixth in my class rankings and say that’s too low. The difference between QB3 and QB11 in this class is not very significant right now. These prospects will start to separate as we get deeper into the season and even more so during the pre-draft process. I need to see consistency week-to-week from Sanders, and above all else, I need more film to digest. So far so good, though. Sanders is the riser this week.
Because we care, we have included Shedeur Sanders' most prominent "F you, pay me" throw of the TCU game. Sheesh. https://t.co/M9zU429iVg pic.twitter.com/67aUB8gvpv
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) September 4, 2023
Dante Moore, UCLA | 6’3″ 210 lbs
Simply put, Moore looked like a star. That should not come as a surprise, considering the pedigree. The pleasant surprise is how ready for the moment he appeared to be. Moore embraced the spotlight, and his stock will soar as a result. It may not be official yet, but he is UCLA’s QB1. He clearly has a ceiling that Schlee and Garbers cannot approach. He jumped Nico Iamaleava in my 2026 class rankings and entered Tier A with Malachi Nelson. I would not push back against the folks who moved him to QB1 for 2026. Nelson still holds that spot for me because of how confident I am in his ability and that he is tied to USC/Riley.
Moore put on a show in this game with explosive arm talent and great anticipation. Early in the game, we saw him lock in on his receivers but then worked through his progressions much better as the game went on. Moore saw meaningful time and led a second-quarter touchdown drive before being rotated out. He saw the field again when Coastal Carolina made it a close game. Seeing the coaching staff trust him over the experienced Garbers in a tight contest was encouraging. Moore looked comfortable in structure while also extending plays effectively when needed. The passing game was more explosive under Moore, made clear by his 11.9 yards per attempt compared to Garbers’ 7.1 mark.
His easy velocity, even while on the move, was nice to see. The connection with J. Michael Sturdivant was apparent, and Moore fed him on his way to a 5-136-1 breakout performance. I will continue to say it; the 2026 quarterback class is special.
Jackson Arnold, Oklahoma | 6’1″ 205 lbs
Another 2026 quarterback who provided a decent sample size this week is Arnold. Even against Arkansas State in mop-up duty, it was nice to see him perform at a high level late in this game. Arnold posted a passing line of 114-1-0 with a perfect completion percentage and added a rushing score. I was thrilled to see his functional mobility, which is an underrated skill of Arnold’s that we heard would be utilized. The deep shot shown below was a beauty. Aside from that strike, the training wheels were kept on for Arnold. I am confident that his brutal 3.1 ADOT resulted from the situation. It’s hard not to be reminded of some of the star Oklahoma quarterbacks we have seen in recent years. This is what a future first-round draft pick looks like.
Jackson Arnold: future first-round pick. pic.twitter.com/rOtRpLEILa
— Christian Williams (@CWilliamsNFL) September 2, 2023
Jaden Rashada, Arizona State | 6’4″ 185 lbs
I do not care if it was against Southern Utah; Rashada passed the test in week one. He looked great for a true freshman who joined the team late. It was not a perfect performance. Rashada struggled in the second half, but I will overlook it, considering the 2.5-hour lightning delay and dust storm. Another issue was Rashada going two of nine on third-down passing.
Now, let’s look at the positives. Rashada posted a strong 236-2-0 passing line in his first collegiate start. The game was full of highlight-reel plays from the fearless true freshman. Play recognition was impressive, and ball placement couldn’t get much better, especially in the first half. He loves to let it rip down the field. This was a brutal watch if you are a Florida fan.
One of the biggest takeaways from last nights games has to be Arizona State QB Jaden Rashada
— Joe O’Leary (@TheHQNerd) September 1, 2023
The arm talent pops off the screen
Being a true freshmen he’s still a work in progress but the young man looks wise beyond his years
pic.twitter.com/n3cmViUPtX
FALLERS
Quinn Ewers, Texas | 6’2″ 195 lbs
I have been patient. At some point, we have to see Ewers jump off the page a bit to justify a top-5 ranking in this crowded quarterback class. The clip below shows every 25+ yard attempt against Rice, which is messy. The mechanics are a problem, and ball placement is wildly inconsistent. Constant pressure and too many hits over the last couple of seasons have led to a case of happy feet. Ewers relies too much on his arm talent, and so does his ranking. He has endless physical tools, but there is so much more to this position (processing, touch, consistency, mechanics). I think it may be time to reevaluate.
Every 25+ yard pass attempt by Quinn Ewers against Rice.
— Justin Hulsey (@FF_Hulsey) September 5, 2023
At some point we need to rank him based on more than just his physical tools.pic.twitter.com/inEzYtK2nj
Cade Klubnik, Clemson | 6’2″ 205 lbs
Something is off at Clemson, and I fear things get worse before they get better. This was a disastrous performance against Duke. The 209-1-1 passing line is rough, but 4.9 yards per attempt is downright disgusting. The moment seemed too big for Klubnik, and his inexperience bled through into this game. The decision-making was painful, he looked erratic throughout the game, and there were a shocking number of turnover-worthy throws. His body language spoke volumes as well. This goes beyond Klubnik, though. This is not the program it used to be. The same program that produced Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence has become a quarterback wasteland. A sell window still exists for Klubnik, and I would take advantage of it before Florida State pummels this team on September 23rd.
2024 CLASS RANKINGS
| 1. Caleb Williams, USC | 18/24, 319 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT, 42 rush yards (Nevada) |
| 2. Drake Maye, North Carolina | 24/32, 269 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 25 rush yards (South Carolina) |
| 3. Bo Nix, Oregon | 23/27, 287 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 0 rush yards (Portland State) |
| 4. Jordan Travis, Florida State ⬆️ | 23/31, 342 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT, 38 rush yards (LSU) |
| 5. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan | 26/30, 280 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, -2 rush yards (East Carolina) |
| 6. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado ⬆️ | 38/47, 510 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT, -32 rush yards (TCU) |
| 7. KJ Jefferson, Arkansas | 18/23, 246 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT, 11 rush yards (Western Carolina) |
| 8. Michael Penix Jr., Washington | 29/40, 450 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT, -2 rush yards (Boise State) |
| 9. Quinn Ewers, Texas ⬇️ | 19/30, 260 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT, 12 rush yards (Rice) |
| 10. Riley Leonard, Duke | 17/33, 175 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 98 rush yards (Clemson) |
2025 CLASS RANKINGS
| 1. Drew Allar, Penn State | 21/29, 325 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 1 rush yards (West Virginia) |
| 2. Conner Weigman, Texas A&M | 18/23, 236 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT, 22 rush yards (New Mexico) |
| 3. Devin Brown, Ohio State | 1/3, -2 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, -3 rush yards (Indiana) |
| 4. Cade Klubnik, Clemson ⬇️ | 27/43, 209 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 34 rush yards (Duke) |
| 5. Maalik Murphy, Texas | 3/5, 40 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 0 rush yards (Rice) |
| 6. MJ Morris, NC State | DNP |
| 7. Ty Simpson, Alabama | 1/1, 5 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 12 rush yards (Middle Tenn State) |
| 8. AJ Swann, Vanderbilt | 15/29, 194 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 24 rush yards (Alabama A&M) |
| 9. Walker Howard, Ole Miss | 3/4, 56 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 0 rush yards (Mercer) |
| 10. Gunner Stockton, Georgia | 3/5, 29 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 18 rush yards (UT-Martin) |
2026 CLASS RANKINGS
| 1. Malachi Nelson, USC | DNP |
| 2. Dante Moore, UCLA ⬆️ | 7/12, 143 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, -4 rush yards (Coastal Carolina) |
| 3. Jackson Arnold, Oklahoma ⬆️ | 11/11, 114 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 39 rush yards (Arkansas State) |
| 4. Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee | 2/3, 11 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 8 rush yards (Virginia) |
| 5. Arch Manning, Texas | DNP |
| 6. Jaden Rashada, Arizona State ⬆️ | 18/31, 236 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 2 rush yards (Southern Utah) |
| 7. Austin Novosad, Oregon | 3/3, 13 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 0 rush yards (Portland State) |
| 8. Lincoln Kienholz, Ohio State | DNP |
| 9. Aidan Chiles, Oregon State | 2/3, 37 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 9 rush yards (San Jose State) |
| 10. Avery Johnson, Kansas State | 3/4, 55 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 32 rush yards (SEMO) |
Justin Hulsey is a Senior Writer for Dynasty Nerds. Follow on Twitter for more college football and NFL Draft coverage. Gain access to the Prospect Film Room, members-only Discord, podcasts, Nerd Scores, full rankings, and more for just $4.99 a month. Copy and paste promo code FF_Hulsey to take 15% off any membership cost today.
