When it comes to star power in college football, it's a transition year of sorts. Of the 10 highest vote-getters in last year's Heisman race, eight are off to the pros -- just No. 6 (Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe) and No. 7 (Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II) are poised to return. There are still some stars behind center -- Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, arriving via Oklahoma, should finish his career with the second-most passing yards in FBS history, and Georgia's Carson Beck certainly passed most of his tests in his first year as starter -- but 2024 is as much about who's next as who's known.
Here are 10 quarterbacks who, for one reason (spectacular dual-threat capabilities) or another (five-star potential at a school where a star QB should result in a playoff bid), particularly intrigue me heading toward the fall. Some have already posted big numbers but seem to have another level to which they might aspire. Others were outstanding in a smaller sample in 2023. Regardless, here are the 10 most interesting quarterbacks of 2024.
1. Drew Allar, Penn State Nittany Lions
In last August's Most Important Players list, I ranked Allar second, noting that Penn State had gone 0-2 against Ohio State and Michigan but 11-0 against everyone else in 2022. Allar's upside, I wrote, as a "blue-chip, throw-it-over-the-moon quarterback" could be what the Nittany Lions needed to get over the hump.