The 2024 college football season is officially underway with Week 1 getting into full swing this weekend. One of the most intriguing position groups to look at will be the same one that always seems to garner the most attention — quarterback.
The 2025 NFL Draft class at the position is as strong as the most recent cycle’s, but there are still several names to be excited about, as well as a number of darkhorses who could emerge and present themselves as elite prospects for a team at the professional level.
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Looking into the rankings, many have Carson Beck (Georgia), Quinn Ewers (Texas) or Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) on top. But there are a few names that trail not far behind them in some of those same rankings that maybe shouldn’t be so highly touted heading into Week 1.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the three most overrated quarterbacks in college football to start the 2024 season.
Most overrated QBs heading into Week 1 of 2024 college football season
1. Conner Weigman, Texas A&M
This isn’t to say that Conner Weigman can’t back up the hype train behind him. But it is to say that he doesn’t have enough film up to be in the Heisman Trophy conversation the way he currently is being talked about.
Weigman has flashed plenty of potential, but the issue comes down to the sample size. He saw action in just four games in 2023, completing 82 of his 119 passing attempts for 979 yards with 8 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
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The previous season, Weigman completed 73 of 132 passing attempts for 896 yards with 8 touchdowns and zero interceptions. He’s got some areas to improve in, including timing, throwing flat-footed at times and some issues throwing into tight windows. He’ll have to prove he can make himself a fully finished, complete product in 2024.
2. Jalen Milroe, Alabama
There’s no question that Jalen Milroe grew leaps and bounds in 2023 and that he may be the single most-improved player in college football for last season. But that doesn’t mean that he should be considered one of the country’s top signal-callers entering 2024.
Milroe finished out a tospy-turvy 2023 season with a 65.8% completion rate, passing for 2,834 yards with 23 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He also rushed for 531 yards with 12 touchdowns. Those aren’t bad numbers, but it’s hard to forget about the struggles he had as a pure passer at times, and the way he was benched twice within the same game against USF.
Putting up a consistently solid season the way he finished out the last one will make all the difference for Milroe. This season will justify Jalen Milroe being considered by some to be one of the best quarterback prospects in the nation, but he he remains among the most polarizing of them for now.
3. Cam Ward, Miami
The journeyman Cam Ward has seen his fair share of ebbs and flows when it comes to being in and out of the spotlight. Now, he’s got a chance to fully thrust himself back into it as he joins a Miami Hurricanes team that may be one of the biggest darkhorse squads in the nation.
Ward has been popping up toward the top of several preseason quarterback rankings, but he doesn’t exactly back it up with body of work. He has some solid raw qualities that Mario Cristobal and co. may be able to take advantage of. But there are several things he needs to tweak, including releasing the ball quicker, taking unnecessary hits and having better ball security in the pocket.
Ward posted a 66.6% completion rate, passing for 3,735 yards with 25 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in 2023.
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