5 quarterbacks to watch in Week 4 of the college football season

Miami Hurricanes — Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Week 4 of the 2024 college football season has officially arrived, and there’s already been plenty of shakeup within the rankings at the quarterback position. It’s something that’s only expected to continue as multiple teams begin to slide into the thick of the schedule against tougher opponents.

Some of the nation’s best quarterbacks, including Georgia’s Carson Beck and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe who face off in Week 5, have a bye week and will return to action next week. However, there are still several other standouts and diamonds in the rough to watch.

Here’s a look into five quarterbacks, ranging from those who are in the top 10 to those who may not be catching enough attention right now, to keep an eye on as the weekend action unfolds:

1. Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee Volunteers

Nico Iamaleava was a highly-touted recruit coming out of Warren High School, and has backed up every bit of the hype so far at Tennessee. He looks far more experienced and in control than a true freshman would be expected to look at the SEC level. The only quibble some have with him is that he and the Volunteers have not truly gone up against any higher-level competition so far this season.

Iamaleava, who has been deadly accurate and has success at all levels of the field, will look to prove he can perform to the same standard he’s held through three games as he now faces a No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners team known for its defense. The Sooners lead the nation in takeaways with 10.

The Tennessee signal-caller has completed 71.6% of his passes this season for a total of 698 yards, with six touchdowns, two interceptions, and one rushing score.

2. Miller Moss, USC Trojans

Miller Moss was seen as a possible emerging quarterback ahead of the season, but has become far more than that as a player who could ascend far up the rankings, sooner rather than later.

While Moss doesn’t have the physical tools or the same skill set as Caleb Williams does, he brings everything to be desired from a mental perspective. Moss operates efficiently and with precision from the pocket, which is particularly impressive given the lack of in-game reps he had in comparison to so many other well talked-about quarterbacks before the season began.

Coming off of an open date, Moss has connected on 72.7% of his passes for 607 yards and two touchdowns.

3. Cam Ward, Miami Hurricanes

There’s a new Heisman Trophy frontrunner on the block. Going from a dark horse prospect with the potential to be a breakout candidate, many are now going as far as to pin Cam Ward as the best quarterback in the nation. He’ll have an opportunity to continue to back that claim up as the Hurricanes face the South Florida Bulls in what’s an exciting in-state affair for the state of Florida, but one that Miami is also heavily favored in.

Ward has turned things around for himself as a journeyman who went from being inconsistent in the spotlight to one of the biggest stars in the nation after improving in multiple areas, including releasing the ball quicker.

So far this season, Ward has completed 73% of his passes for 1,035 yards, with 11 touchdowns and one interception.

4. Josh Hoover, TCU Horned Frogs

Josh Hoover is on a roll this season with the Horned Frogs, recording the third game of his career with 400 or more passing yards. He was good for 35 of his 52 passing attempts for 402 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-34 loss to the UCF Knights.

Hoover played to near perfection in what would have been the ideal game if TCU had managed to put together a couple more explosive plays in the final minutes of the contest. There’s no question, though, that his arm talent and ability to distribute the ball to multiple playmakers were on display.

Hoover has completed 69.7% of his passes for 1,022 yards and eight touchdowns through three games.

5. Ethan Hampton, Northern Illinois Huskies

The upset victory over Notre Dame not only put the Northern Illinois Huskies on the map, it also pointed some attention to Ethan Hampton, who’s been flying under the radar with a small program.

Through two games this season, Hampton has completed 71.8% of his passes for 526 yards and six touchdowns. He’s turned heads both on the film and on the stat sheet, posting a 94.1 quarterback rating that puts him at second among all FBS signal-callers.

In Hampton’s most recent showing, the 16-14 victory over the Fighting Irish, he connected on 10 of his 19 passing attempts for 198 yards with one touchdown. He’ll look to build upon that against the Buffalo Bulls on Saturday.