Predicting a Winner in College Football’s 10 Biggest Quarterback Battles

It’s that time of year again. The temperatures will soon cool and leaves will change colors around parts of the country, a sure sign of both fall, and the return of college football.

But before that, teams are in the midst of fall camp and there are plenty of questions that need to be answered before taking the field for their season openers. For some teams, that question remains unanswered at the most important position: quarterback.

So let’s take a tour around the country and predict the winner of some of the biggest quarterback battles in the land.

Alabama

Keelon Russell vs. Austin Mack

The skinny: Russell took the bull by the horns with a four-touchdown performance in the spring game as Mack nursed an injury, but Mack, who was initially signed by Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer at Washington in 2023, has familiarity with offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb on his side.

Mack has worked ahead of Russell in some drills at fall camp, and has played the former five-star recruit to a dead heat in the battle. Mack might just be the steadier option right now, but Russell’s upside will be worth betting on, particularly given how he can help jump-start the Tide’s stagnant rushing offense.

Predicting the winner: Keelon Russell

Florida

Aaron Philo vs. Tramell Jones Jr.

The skinny: Philo is the lead dog in the battle currently, as he outperformed Jones during the spring and already has familiarity with Gators offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner’s offense from his days at Georgia Tech. Jones might have Philo beat in the arm talent category, but Philo’s experience in the offense should give him the edge in Week 1.

Just don’t be surprised if Jones’s tantalizing traits eventually win out down the road, given coach Jon Sumrall’s hint that this competition could spill into the regular season.

Predicting the winner: Aaron Philo (for now)

Tennessee

Faizon Brandon vs. George MacIntyre

The skinny: Volunteers coach Josh Heupel’s offense is all about challenging defenses downfield, and such a system may not suit a quarterback better than five-star recruit Brandon, who has a howitzer for an arm and is capable of flinging the pigskin some 70 yards downfield. MacIntyre might be the better field processor at this point, but Brandon, given his zip on the ball and duel-threat capabilities, fits Heupel’s type (think, Hendon Hooker).

Predicting the winner: Faizon Brandon

Clemson

Christopher Vizzina vs. Tait Reynolds

The skinny: One of the more intriguing QB battles pits Vizzina, who threw for 317 yards and three touchdown passes in his lone collegiate start against SMU last fall, against Reynolds, a former three-star recruit who was once courted by Oregon, Oklahoma and Miami.

Reynolds has a strong arm and an ability to extend plays, which, along with the strides he’s made mentally, has coach Dabo Swinney leaving the door open for him to open the season as the starter. As of right now, though, Vizzina is the better bet, given what he showed in his quasi-audition as QB1 with Cade Klubnik injured last year.

Predicting the winner: Christopher Vizzina

Vanderbilt

Blaze Berlowitz vs. Jared Curtis

The skinny: How does one replace a quarterback who finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting? By igniting a competition headlined by a former five-star recruit in Curtis. The freshman phenom has taken the competition by the reins, thanks to his size (6'4") and arm strength. And while fourth-year QB Berlowitz has familiarity with play-caller Tim Beck’s offense, his floor might not be steady enough to pass on Curtis’s enticing ceiling.

Predicting the winner: Jared Curtis

Iowa

Jeremy Hecklinski vs. Hank Brown

The skinny: One thing is for sure about Iowa’s quarterback battle: It is the most unique competition on this list. Rather than enter the transfer portal for a shiny new object, Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz opted to stick with what he had in-house, a pair of ex-three-star QBs—and last year’s backups—in Hecklinski and Brown.

Neither are particularly experienced—they’ve appeared in a combined six games in their collegiate careers—making this one a true coin flip. Hecklinski, after overtaking Brown on the depth chart last season as the backup and showing flashes of big-play potential, may have the slight edge.

Predicting the winner: Jeremy Hecklinski

Arizona State

Cutter Boley vs. Mikey Keene vs. Cameron Dyer vs. Jake Fette

The skinny: The first four-man competition on the list pits experience vs. youth, as the likes of freshman Fette and sophomore Dyer possess upside, though neither has taken a collegiate snap.

Keene, a two-year starter at Fresno State before transferring to Michigan and missing the 2025 season due to injury, has 39 games of experience and an accurate arm. Boley threw 12 interceptions in 301 attempts last season for Kentucky, but he’s cut down on the mistakes in fall camp thus far, and his Power 4 experience might tilt the competition in his favor.

Predicting the winner: Cutter Boley

Arkansas

KJ Jackson vs. AJ Hill

The skinny: First-year coach Ryan Silverfield’s staff has unsurprisingly emphasized ball security in whomever wins the battle between sophomore quarterbacks Jackson and Hill.

Jackson emerged from the spring as the favorite and seems to have the slight edge among Arkansas’s local beats, given his command of the offense and cleaner ball security. But don’t rule out a last-minute push from Hill, who already knew offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey’s scheme from his days at Memphis.

Predicting the winner: KJ Jackson

South Florida

Michael Van Buren Jr. vs. Luke Kromenhoek

The skinny: Van Buren, a junior transfer from LSU, and Kromenhoek, a sophomore transfer from Mississippi State, have the unenviable task of replacing Byrum Brown, who last year became just the 12th player in FBS history to reach 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards.

Both come from Power 4 schools (Van Buren from Mississippi State and LSU, Kromenhoek from Florida State and also Mississippi State), though Van Buren has a tad more experience having gotten some starts at LSU toward the end of last season. This one is neck-and-neck, but perhaps Van Buren’s starting experience in the SEC gives him the nod.

Predicting the winner: Michael Van Buren Jr.

Duke

Walker Eget vs. Dan Mahan

The skinny: Another unenviable task is that facing San José State transfer Eget and redshirt freshman Mahan, as the winner of the battle will be replacing Darian Mensah, whose messy exit on the portal’s last day left the Blue Devils in a bind at the position.

Eget has the starting experience overall, having been under center for two seasons with the Spartans, while Mahan has the edge in the Blue Devils’ offense. As long as Eget’s turnover woes don’t pop up (19 interceptions in the last two years), he is in the pole position to win the job.

Predicting the winner: Walker Eget

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