1. Sam Leavitt, Arizona State

In his redshirt freshman campaign, Leavitt was elite for the Sun Devils as they won the Big 12.

He posted a 4-1 last season against ranked opponents, throwing 24 TDs and just six interceptions, with the lone loss coming to Texas in the overtime thriller in the playoffs.

While Cam Skattebo will be gone, ASU brings back a slew of talented receivers. Leavitt can also make plays with his legs and is sneaky good at evading tacklers.

2. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA

It was certainly a winding road that led Iamaleava to the Bruins.

He was expected to be a star at Tennessee, and had fine numbers last season, throwing for 2,616 yards and 19 TDs while leading the Vols to the playoffs.

His former UT squad relied on their defense and ground game; with the Bruins this fall, the signal caller will need to put all of his potential into production, and I think he will make that happen.

3. Jake Retzlaff, BYU

Retzlaff had his off-field issues this off season, and we will wait to see how all of that plays out.

On the field he can spin it and has a slew of weapons returning at his disposal.

Like it or not, if Retzlaff is on the field with his head in the right space and the talent that surrounds him, BYU could be a Playoff threat.

4. Demond Williams Jr., Washington

The potential for greatness is there, and this season Williams will have his chance to show it while directing the Huskies offense.

The first part of last season was spent backing up Will Rogers, before emerging as a starter against Oregon. He provided a spark whenever he got on the field.

Williams is a good athlete who can beat you with the run, but his accuracy should be what jumps out at you this season.

5. Dante Moore, Oregon

Moore did not see much action with the Ducks last season, so he essentially has not played since suiting up for UCLA as a freshman in 2023.

During that season he showed signs of brilliance but also played like the freshman he was with nine interceptions in nine games.

The talent is certainly there, and the last two transfers the Ducks brought in under Will Stein worked out pretty well.

6. Noah Fifita, Arizona

Will we see the return of the 2023 version of Fifita in 2025? Two seasons ago he put up stellar numbers.

This season we should see better play than last year when the Wildcats offense, and entire team as a whole, was a bit underwhelming. He will not have Tetairoa McMillan on the outside, but the sum of the WR parts might be more efficient than the group from last season.

The line was terrible in 2024, and it had an impact on the QB’s accuracy as he dipped to completing just 60.5% of his throws. That number should be much better this year.

7. Devon Dampier, Utah

There may not be a more dynamic dual threat QB in the nation than Dampier.

At New Mexico, Dampier completed just 57.9% of his passes. That will need to get better. His ability to run the ball could fit in perfectly as the Utes need to get more physical, especially running the ball.

His passing numbers should improve, and the 12 interceptions should drop (they need to) but when games were on the line last season at UNM, Dampier made plays.

8. Maddux Madsen, Boise State

With the season that Ashton Jeanty put up in 2024, it is forgivable for people to overlook Madsen at QB. But the truth is the signal caller had a very good year for the Broncos.

He threw just six interceptions while connecting on 23 TDs and over 3,000 yards through the air as he led Boise State to a playoff appearance.

With Jeanty gone, more of the production will fall to Madsen this season. The offense may need more out of him, but there is no reason to doubt he will produce what is needed.

9. Jayden Maiava, USC

Jayden Maiava seemed to stabilize the offense in the final four games when USC turned the offense over to him.

USC went 3-1 during that stretch, and while his numbers were not eye-popping, the results were good.

For all of their struggles in 2024, the Trojans still led the Big Ten in passing. Maiava should be productive this fall.

10. Maalik Murphy, Oregon State

This is the third stop for the much-heralded QB after starting his career at Texas before heading to Duke.

In his one season in Durham, he threw for 2,933 yards with 26 TDs and 12 interceptions. The Beavers will need him to cut down on the interception total, but they should get good numbers from Murphy.

A bit overlooked in the most recent transfer period, he may have a chip on his shoulder as he looks to erase any doubts about his ability in 2025.

11. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, Colorado State

Expectations were high entering the 2024 season for Fowler-Nicolosi and the Rams, and it’s not a stretch to say things did not go quite as planned.

He threw for 2,796 yards with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. That was a dip from his freshmen season in which he threw for 3,460 with 22 TDs but 16 interceptions.

A deeper look at the numbers shows the completion percentage was similar. But injuries also limited the Rams pass catchers last season. Look for a bounce back season for the QB in 2025.

12. E.J. Warner, Fresno State

Warner comes to Fresno via a pair of Owl teams in Rice and Temple. With Rice last season, his 246.4 yards passing per game were the 30th most in the nation as he threw for 17 TDs.

He also had 13 interceptions, and that number needs to improve for the Bulldogs this season. The son of former NFL star Kurt Warner has been a starter since his freshmen season, wherever he has been.

Warner’s experience will bode well for a Fresno team looking to fill a lot of holes.

Other Notables

• Walker Eget, San Jose State

• Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Cal

• Micah Alejado, Hawai’i

• Kaidon Salter, Colorado

• Anthony Colandrea, UNLV

• Bryson Barnes, Utah State