Predicting the top five regular season quarterbacks for the 2023 season

There’s a reason why quarterbacks typically win the Heisman Trophy. It’s the most highly valued position in football and without a capable quarterback, most teams aren’t going to be able to win a championship or a major bowl game.

Ahead of the 2023 season, there are plenty of interesting quarterbacks throughout college football to keep an eye on. On3’s JD PicKell broke down those quarterbacks on The Hard Count, projecting his five best quarterbacks for 2023. Notably, that’s different than a power ranking of who the current best five quarterbacks are.

Here is PicKell’s projection for the five best quarterbacks in the 2023 season:

5. Joe Milton | Tennessee

Joe Milton will be taking over the explosive Tennessee offense in 2023. He previously played at Michigan and transferred to Tennessee ahead of the 2021 season. He has since spent most of his time at Tennessee as a backup to Hendon Hooker, though he did start and win the Orange Bowl last season when Hooker was injured.

For PicKell, Milton’s blend of raw talent, the offensive weapons that Tennessee has, and head coach Josh Heupel’s system should blend together to make him one of the best quarterbacks in the game.

4. Bo Nix | Oregon

Bo Nix flashed potential for years at Auburn but struggled with consistency. Ahead of the 2022 season, he transferred to Oregon and everything seemed to click. He put up the best numbers of his career both through the air and on the ground while leading the Ducks to a 10-win season.

In 2023, Nix will need to adjust to a new coordinator at Oregon, but if he can do that then there is the potential for Nix to have a great season. For PicKell, he feels that 2022 gave him the confidence and comfort to thrive as a quarterback moving forward in what should be a similar offense schematically.

3. Quinn Ewers | Texas

During his recruitment, Quinn Ewers was one of the most hyped recruits in recent memory. He chose to reclassify and go to Ohio State early before he transferred home to Texas where he started in 2022. It was an inconsistent season where Ewers dealt with injuries, but as Steve Sarkisian pointed out, he was only the age of a true freshman.

Because of that, third might seem high, but this is a projection from PicKell based on his potential and the flashes of talent that Ewers showed during the 2022 season. So, if he puts things together more consistently with his experience, then he could be one of the game’s best quarterbacks.

2. Drake Maye | North Carolina

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye caught a lot of people by surprise in 2022, as he broke onto the scene and became one of the best quarterbacks in the game. During the offseason, there were rumors that he might transfer for NIL reasons, some of which were pushed by his own head coach, Mack Brown. Maye didn’t though, and is expected to have a great season in Chapel Hill.

There’s no reason to expect Drake Maye to fall off in 2023. He’ll need some help because the Tar Heels relied on him incredibly heavily last year and still have issues on the defensive side of the ball. So, pay attention to what he does and not what the team does around him.

1. Caleb Williams | USC

The reigning Heisman Trophy winner returns to USC and there’s little to no reason to think he won’t compete for the prestigious award again. It was a phenomenal 2022 campaign for Caleb Williams in a system that he has proven to be absolutely explosive in.

As of now, Williams seems like a generational talent who will likely be the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. So, he’s an easy choice in PicKell’s mind for the top slot here. Because of that, it would be a good idea to keep an eye on and appreciate Williams.

Honorable Mentions: Jordan Travis (Florida State), Carson Beck (Georgia)

Projecting which quarterbacks end up having the best regular seasons is incredibly difficult because of the variables involved. Injuries occur, not just to a quarterback but to the players around them that they rely on. Other players who are widely overlooked now will break out too. Then, some players just don’t live up to their hype. For now, though, those five quarterbacks are expected to have great seasons.