Week 1 of the 2024 college football season is in the books, and it's time to grade how the new quarterbacks performed in a new starting role. As a result of transfer rule changes in recent years, over half of the 134 college football teams are expected to start a transfer at quarterback for the majority of the season. With so many names on the move and changes under center, the quarterback carousel is one of the most intriguing storylines this fall.
There's a new wave of stars ready to emerge this season, and Week 1 was the first opportunity for the new signal-callers or quarterbacks to make an impression. Which new starters impressed in Week 1? True freshman Dylan Raiola impressed in Nebraska's win over UTEP, while transfers Cam Ward (Miami), Dillon Gabriel (Oregon), and Will Howard (Ohio State) flashed in their debut.
With the influx of new starters across the nation, Athlon set out to rank the debuts for the quarterbacks for Week 0 and Week 1 of the 2024 season. An important note: We only considered freshmen in their first game, transfers, or those that had fewer than five starts at their current school for this ranking. Quarterbacks that had previous starts had their current program were not considered for this ranking. Also, production and quality of opponent were factored into the ranking.
College Football's Top 15 Quarterback Debuts of 2024
1. Cam Ward, Miami
Playing in a Miami uniform for the first time in a hostile environment (the Swamp) didn't faze Ward in his debut for the 'Canes. The Washington State transfer displayed pinpoint accuracy (74.3 completion rate) and torched Florida for 385 yards and three scores on the ground. Ward's performance was instrumental in Miami's 41-17 blowout of the Gators and also served notice to the ACC the conference title could run through Coral Gables in '24.
2. Miller Moss, USC
Considering Lincoln Riley's track record of developing quarterbacks, it was safe to assume Moss would emerge as one of the Big Ten's top signal-callers at some point in '24. However, the junior was even better than expected on Sunday night in USC's 27-20 win over LSU. After a strong performance in last year's Holiday Bowl victory against Louisville, Moss looked in complete command of the Trojans' passing attack, throwing for 378 yards and a touchdown on 27 completions. The California native was lethal with accuracy (75 percent) and the ability to attack downfield (10.5 yards per attempt) against the Bayou Bengals.
3. Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee
The hype train is already at full speed on Iamaleava with five-star talent and the leader of coach Josh Heupel's high-powered offense. The California native shined in his first start last season in Tennessee's bowl win over Iowa and started '24 in a big way. Against an overmatched Chattanooga defense, Iamaleava completed 22 of 28 throws for 314 yards and three scores. His 12 completions of 10-plus yards ranked third among SEC quarterbacks in Week 1.
4. Dylan Raiola, Nebraska
Living up to the hype as a true freshman is never easy, but Raiola is on his way to meeting (and exceeding) preseason expectations. In his first start at Nebraska, the Arizona native was in complete control of the offense and connected on 19 of 27 passes for 238 yards and two scores in a 40-7 win over UTEP.
5. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
LSU came up short against USC, but Nussmeier justified the offseason hype with a strong performance (29 of 38 for 304 yards and two scores). Replacing a Heisman Trophy winner (Jayden Daniels) isn't easy, but Nussmeier should make this a seamless transition for the Bayou Bengals in '24.
6. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
Oregon's offensive line and ground game needs work, but Gabriel was nearly flawless in his debut at Oregon. He connected on 41 completions over 49 attempts and threw for 380 yards and two touchdowns.
7. Will Howard, Ohio State
Ohio State's offense started slow in Saturday's win over Akron but eventually found its footing in the second half. Howard was steady (17 of 28 for 228 yards and three touchdowns through the air with 18 yards on the ground) in his debut for the Buckeyes.
8. Taylen Green, Arkansas
The competition (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) wasn't high, but Green's debut under new play-caller Bobby Petrino helped the Razorbacks score 70 points and 9.8 yards a snap. The Boise State transfer threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns and added 88 yards and two scores on the ground.
9. Riley Leonard, Notre Dame
Leonard's numbers weren't overwhelming through the air (18 of 30 for 158 yards), but he provided a steady presence for the offense in a hostile environment in College Station. Also, his debut for the Fighting Irish was complicated by a young offensive line against a standout Texas A&M defensive front. While Leonard didn't make a huge impact through the air, he made several clutch runs and finished with 63 yards on the ground.
10. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
Pavia led the way for Vanderbilt's upset against Virginia Tech. The New Mexico State transfer was efficient through the air (12 of 16 for 190 yards and two scores) and paced the offense with 104 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
11. Kyle McCord, Syracuse
The Orange overcame a sluggish first quarter to score 38 points to help new coach Fran Brown earn the victory in his debut on the sidelines. McCord was a huge pickup for Brown on the recruiting trail and delivered right away in Week 1. Against the Bobcats, McCord threw for 354 yards and four scores and completed 27 of 39 attempts.
12. Chandler Morris, North Texas
Morris carried North Texas to a 52-38 win at South Alabama. The TCU transfer threw for 415 yards and three scores and accounted for two more touchdowns on the ground.
13. Gio Lopez, South Alabama
Lopez was Athlon's pick as a rising star quarterback in the Sun Belt this preseason and is certainly on track to meet that prediction after a strong opener against North Texas. The redshirt freshman led the team with 62 rushing yards and threw for 432 yards and three scores against the Mean Green secondary.
14. Blake Shapen, Mississippi State
Eastern Kentucky didn't provide much resistance, but new coach Jeff Lebby's offense started fast in the opener. Shapen looked in command of Mississippi State's attack, completing 15 of 20 throws for 247 yards and three scores and adding 44 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
15. Tyler Shough, Louisville
The combination of Jeff Brohm's offense and Shough's arm talent should be an excellent pairing for Louisville in '24. This duo is off to a good start, as Shough completed 18 of 24 throws for 232 yards and four touchdowns in a 62-0 win over Austin Peay.
Other Notable Quarterback Debuts in 2024
Jackson Arnold, Oklahoma
Hank Bachmeier, Wake Forest
Alonza Barnett III, James Madison
General Booty, ULM
Forrest Brock, Temple
Max Brosmer, Minnesota
Emmett Brown, San Jose State
Max Brown, Charlotte
Aidan Chiles, Michigan State
Devon Dampier, New Mexico
Billy Edwards Jr., Maryland
Nick Evers, UConn
Cam Fancher, FAU
Ben Finley, Akron
TJ Finley, Western Kentucky
Dequan Finn, Baylor
Kirk Francis, Tulsa
JC French, Georgia Southern
Jake Garcia, East Carolina
Tucker Gleason, Toledo
Ethan Hampton, Northern Illinois
Eli Holstein, Pitt
Blake Horvath, Navy
KJ Jefferson, UCF
Avery Johnson, Kansas State
Max Johnson, North Carolina (out for 2024 after Week 1 injury)
Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers
Joe Labas, Central Michigan
Sam Leavitt, Arizona State
Maddux Madsen, Boise State
John Mateer, Washington State
Grayson McCall, NC State
Jordan McCloud, Texas State
Owen McCown, UTSA
Gevani McCoy, Oregon State
Darian Mensah, Tulane
Maalik Murphy, Duke
Danny O'Neil, San Diego State
Jake Retzlaff, BYU
Tate Rodemaker, Southern Miss
Will Rogers, Washington
Kurtis Rourke, Indiana
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
Matthew Sluka, UNLV
Cole Snyder, Eastern Michigan
Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
DJ Uiagalelei, Florida State
Tyler Van Dyke, Wisconsin
Brock Vandagriff, Kentucky
EJ Warner, Rice
Hunter Watson, Sam Houston
Mike Wright, Northwestern
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