With the 2024 NFL draft in the rearview mirror, many of college football’s finest players have officially left the sport.
Six quarterbacks were selected in the first round alone, including two Heisman Trophy winners. So, who is next?
1. Caleb Williams, QB,
USC Replaces Miller Moss.
All 32 first-round picks from last Thursday’s NFL draft are listed below, along with the potential successors, according to ESPN’s college football staff.
Though Lincoln Riley has refused to officially name him the starter, longtime USC backup Miller Moss is slated to replace Williams — at least this season. Moss has been biding his time, refusing to transfer and instead hoping that his belief and talent will earn him the job. When given the opportunity in last year’s Holiday Bowl, Moss delivered, throwing for six touchdowns in the win. Riley said after this year’s spring game that Moss has the inside track on the job, but nothing is certain just yet. — Paolo Uggetti
2. Garrett Nussmeier will replace Jayden Daniels, LSU quarterback.
The Tigers’ offense is undergoing a total transformation after Daniels, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, and his two 1,000-yard receivers, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., were picked in the first round. Mike Denbrock, the former LSU offensive coordinator, also left for Notre Dame. LSU coach Brian Kelly moved quarterbacks coach Joe Sloan and receivers coach/passing game coordinator Cortez Hankton to co-offensive coordinators, with Sloan taking over playcalling duties.
What is the good news? Garrett Nussmeier, the quarterback, is more than ready to take over. He waited three seasons behind Daniels and was named MVP of the ReliaQuest Bowl after passing for 395 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-31 win over Wisconsin. — Mark Schlabach.
3. Drake Maye (QB, UNC) Replacement: Max Johnson or Conner Harrell.
Through 15 spring practices, North Carolina coach Mack Brown remains undecided about who will replace Maye. Johnson, who transferred in from Texas A&M, has far more starting and playing experience. But Harrell was in the offense last year as a backup to Maye.
Brown said in his post-spring news conference he just wants to see more consistency to help him make a decision. “I go back and forth,” Brown said. “One day, I’ll walk off and say, ‘God, he was great. The other one struggled a little bit.’ And then the next day, I’ll say, ‘That one had confidence. He had a hot hand, but I don’t know.’ So that’s the good and the bad of it. We just need to get one of them more consistent.” — Andrea Adelson
4. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
