College Football

The biggest quarterback competitions for the college football season

The biggest quarterback competitions for the college football season

One major offseason quarterback competition has already been settled. On Saturday, sophomore Tyler Buchner was named the starter for No. 5 Notre Dame ahead of junior Drew Pyle heading into coach Marcus Freeman’s debut season.

Given what’s ahead for the Fighting Irish, it made sense for Freeman to announce his quarterback with several weeks until the opener. And it’ll be a potential winner-take-all matchup to get things started: Notre Dame kicks off against No. 2 Ohio State.

Many other Power Five and high-profile Group of Five teams have yet to make a decision under center. One is No. 18 Texas, which is taking a strong look at freshman Quinn Ewers. Another is No. 22 Cincinnati, which must replace a multiple-time all-conference pick in Desmond Ridder.

Overall, at least three teams with legitimate preseason hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff are at least looking at multiple options at quarterback as time runs out on preseason camp: No. 4 Clemson, No. 6 Michigan and No. 7 Texas A&M.

How these competitions unfold this month — and for many, how they continue to dominate headlines into the regular season — will play a role in determining conference champions and the makeup of this year’s playoff.

No. 4 Clemson

Contenders: Cade Klubnik (Fr.), DJ Uiagalelei (Jr.).

Clemson’s plans for a seamless transition from Trevor Lawrence to Uiagalelei went south during a disappointing 2021 season. A year later, Uiagalelei remains atop the Tigers’ depth chart and the heavy favorite to start the opener. But unlike in 2021, he’ll be pushed by his backup, Klubnik, a five-star recruit who is already projected as a future starter — perhaps as soon as this season.

Prediction: Uiagalelei. There’s depth in the backfield and receiver but unanswered questions about Clemson’s line play and first-year offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter. Uiagalelei will have to take a big step forward from last year’s numbers to keep Klubnik on the sidelines.

UNFAMILIAR FOES: The 10 best non-conference games for this season

TEXAS AT NO. 1?: It’s not the only crazy vote in this year’s preseason poll

OVERRATED: Five teams in the preseason poll that were picked too high

No. 6 Michigan

Contenders: Cade McNamara (Sr.), J.J. McCarthy (So.).

McNamara had a solid 2021 season (2,576 yards and 15 touchdowns) as the Wolverines ended their Big Ten title drought and qualified for the College Football Playoff. Despite his status as the incumbent, McNamara is going to be pushed for the…

Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos…