Rece Davis lists his top-five quarterbacks in college football for 2025

We’re two months out from kickoff to the next season of college football. That has rankings and predictions coming out around the sport ahead of the fall, including the latest one of next year’s top five quarterbacks by ESPN’s Rece Davis.

On the ‘College GameDay Podcast’ this week, Davis and Pete Thamel ranked their respective quarterbacks in their top fives going into 2025. They agreed on three of the five but differed a bit on their other two spots in the rating.

Davis went with four known, consensus picks. He had a trio from the SEC and one from the ACC for this list. Then, rounding out his top five was a “wild card” from the portal for him, with another choice from out of the ACC.

With that, here’s how Davis ranked his top-five quarterbacks for ’25:

1. Texas QB Arch Manning

At No. 1, Davis went with the quarterback that many have been waiting for in Manning, who will finally get the chance to start on The 40 Acres. He backed up Quinn Ewers the past two seasons with stats in that time of 66.3% completion for 969 yards, nine touchdowns, and two picks, while also being a threat as a runner.

Now, as the Longhorns’ QB1, Manning, although inexperienced, will benefit from having been with Steve Sarkisian to this point. He played well enough to have Texas in contention in the SEC and in a third straight berth in the College Football Playoff, says Davis.

“My number one quarterback, guy who’ll have the best season for his team, put up the best numbers? Arch Manning,” Davis stated. “And I know that’s what you expected, but not for the reasons. This is a healthy chunk of my belief in Arch Manning’s talent and a gargantuan chunk in my belief in Steve Sarkisian as a guy who can take quarterbacks and make them succeed beyond what their experience might indicate they would.”

2. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier

Then, at No. 2, Davis went with a “daredevil” and a “gunslinger” in Nussmeier down in Baton Rouge. That style had Nussmeier posting pros and cons in his stats during his debut as a starter. Nussmeier had a 64.2% completion for 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, but it’s that volatility that makes Davis love his game as much as he does.

“My number two guy is Garrett Nussmeier,” Davis said. “I know he can make you want to bang your head into a brick wall and go, ‘What are you doing?’ He also is my favorite guy to watch because of that! Because he may throw one, I mean, and you go, ‘Yeah, that dude right there? I’m watching him!’

3. Clemson QB Cade Klubnik

Klubnik came in after that at No. 3 after finally breaking out a bit at the collegiate level. He completed 63.4% of his passes for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns, and six interceptions as the Tigers won the ACC Championship and returned to the CFP. Now, Davis is counting on, or hoping for, that progression to continue.

“I’m gonna go with the quarterback for my Preseason No. 1 team in the country, Cade Klubnik. Now, the one thing I want to see from Klubnik is to throw the ball down the field a little bit more and I think they’re going to be able to do that with the improvements that they’ve made at receiver…He’s still young, man. I mean, I think we forget, I think he’s only 21 years old.

“So, you know, some of the guys you see that are getting into their senior year of college football, as Klubnik will be, are a little bit older. And I think, because of his recruiting story, the expectations were high and I will admit that I was one of the guys going, for a couple years, I’m not sure I see it,” said Davis. “I have a little skepticism, I’m not going to lie. A little skepticism, but I’m banking on physical maturity, growing into the body, maybe, maybe a hint of arm strength here and there. We know he can run. We know he’s a competitor.”

4. South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers

After those top three, Davis debated at No. 4 between another pair of first-time starters from last season, eventually going with Sellers (65.6% completion – 267.4 total yards per game, 25 total touchdowns, 13 turnovers overall) over Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt. Still, while having some uncertainty about the offense and weapons around him for this season, Davis just couldn’t ignore Sellers, comparing him to the quarterback who was also quite successful himself in college and now a Super Bow Champion, Jalen Hurts.

“I was conflicted on him as well because I worry a little bit about their receivers. I know, maybe this is the year that Nyck Harbor and all of that size and speed come to fruition. But there’s so much – and I’m not the first to make this comparison. There’s so much Jalen Hurts in LaNorris Sellers,” said Davis. “I went ahead and have him at number four…I’m going with Sellers (at) four.”

5. Louisville QB Miller Moss

Finally, finishing the top five was Moss, who Davis felt got left hanging by Southern Cal, leading him to transfer. He posted a 64.4% completion for 2,555 yards, 18 touchdowns, and nine interceptions as a first-time starter for the Trojans. However, after committing to the Cardinals in the portal, Davis thinks he’ll be productive again for another quarterback-centric coach and offense.

“I think he got the short end of the stick at USC last year. I think they kind of jobbed him when they took him off the field,” said Davis. “I think getting with Jeff Brohm, in that system, is really going to fit his skill set. I know Lincoln Riley is quarterback-friendly and all of that, but I think that Brohm has done such a great job with quarterbacks that he can do for Miller Moss what he did for Tyler Shough…I’m gonna go with Miller Moss as a bit of a surprise at number five for my top-five quarterbacks for the upcoming season.”