Top five-star quarterbacks face struggles while lesser-rated QBs excel in 2024 season
Five highly rated college quarterbacks are underperforming, whereas several lower-rated veterans are posting strong numbers and helping their teams win.
A group of recent five-star quarterback recruits are encountering difficulties on the field, while a number of less-heralded veterans are delivering standout performances for their programs. Arch Manning, the consensus No. 1 recruit of the 2023 class now at Texas, ranks 64th nationally in pass efficiency and 54th in total offense, and his team sits near the bottom of the conference in offensive production. He threw two critical interceptions in the recent Red River Rivalry loss to Oklahoma.
Dylan Raiola, the top recruit of the 2024 class who transferred from Nebraska to Oregon, posted a poor 6-for-19 passing line with two interceptions and a fumble in a loss to UCLA and was subsequently benched. He told reporters, "Tough situations happen. I’ve got to own it."
Bryce Underwood, a 2025 class recruit now with Michigan, is 89th in pass efficiency and 76th in total offense as the Wolverines struggle early in Big Ten play. Faizon Brandon, a 2026 recruit at Tennessee, has seen limited action after a shoulder injury and a benching in the Auburn game; coach Josh Heupel said, "Faizon ultimately didn’t play his best football."
Jared Curtis, another 2026 recruit now starting for Vanderbilt, ranks 95th in pass efficiency and has recorded seven turnovers in five games as the Commodores lag in SEC competition.
In contrast, several quarterbacks with lower recruiting rankings are thriving. Josh Hoover of Indiana, a 2022 recruit rated 42nd, leads the nation in pass efficiency and has not thrown an interception this season, helping the Hoosiers remain unbeaten. USC’s Jayden Maiava, rated 64th in his class, ranks seventh nationally in passing yards per game and has surpassed 10,000 career passing yards. Arizona’s Noah Fifita, a 2022 recruit ranked 40th, has posted at least 230 yards per game for a 5-1 Wildcats team. Miami’s Darian Mensah, a 2023 recruit ranked 112th, leads the nation in pass efficiency for an undefeated Hurricanes squad and also remains interception-free. UCLA’s Ty Dieffenbach, a 2023 recruit ranked 46th, came off the bench to spark a win over Oregon with a key touchdown pass.
The divergent performances highlight that early playing time and high expectations do not always translate into immediate success, while stability and gradual development can enable lower-rated quarterbacks to excel.