NCAAF · 1 year ago

Which Sophomore QBs are Primed for a Breakout 2024 Season?

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

5. Noah Fifita - Arizona Wildcats
The remade Big 12 Conference could be the most entertaining league title race in the country this season. That doesn’t mean it will be the best conference (it won’t) and it doesn’t mean there will be a bunch of matchups between elite teams (there won’t be). It means the conference has good teams and solid programs nearly from top to bottom and there are probably nine teams that enter the season with realistic hopes of winning the title belt. One of the teams that fosters championship hopes would be the Arizona Wildcats. Jedd Fisch left for Washington but Arizona hired Brent Brennan and he was able keep star quarterback Noah Fifita in Tucson for his sophomore season. The redshirt sophomore was the Football Writers of America Offensive Freshman of the Year after he took the reigns at quarterback from the injured Jayden de Laura. Fifita ended up starting nine games and completed a remarkable 72.4 percent of his passes. He is only 5’10” and certainly does not have the prototypical frame that high-major stars have but he showed he is big enough to carve up defenses and his top wide receiver is back for the 2024 season. Fifita will have the nation’s attention on September 13 as he battles fellow sophomore Avery Johnson on FOX in primetime on a Friday night.

Arizona Odds to Win Big 12: +1200
1. Avery Johnson - Kansas State Wildcats
Gaze at the glory that is the giant edible mascot from the Pop-Tarts Bowl! Alas, this list is not about best bowl game mascots or cultural icons. The photo actually showcases the present and future of Kansas State football: quarterback Avery Johnson. The 6’2” Wichita native played in eight games as a freshman and his talent flashed every time he had a chance to show it. Johnson was a backup to Will Howard and he only started the Pop-Tarts Bowl win over North Carolina State. His 2023 stats were not remarkable but he completed 37 of his 66 passes for 479 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions and added 296 yards with seven touchdowns. In total, that is 12 touchdowns and no turnovers as a dual-threat quarterback getting limited work as a true freshman. It was clear to the Kansas State coaches that Avery Johnson was going to be the starting quarterback in 2024 and that largely played a huge role in Will Howard leaving for Ohio State. Johnson is electric as a runner and improving his accuracy as a passer. He has a pair of very good running backs in the backfield with him and he’s poised for a very strong sophomore campaign.

Kansas State 2024 Win Total: 9.5
2. Jackson Arnold - Oklahoma Sooners
The Oklahoma offense has a ton of weapons and it would be a productive attack regardless of who was playing quarterback. The starter for 2024 just happens to be a former five-star recruit that has a ton of talent. Jackson Arnold will be the gasoline on top of the fire that will really get the Oklahoma offense cooking and he should have a mammoth season. Arnold appeared in seven games as a backup to Dillon Gabriel and completed 44 of his 69 passes for 563 yards with four touchdowns. His lone start came in the Alamo Bowl against Arizona and he threw for 361 yards with two touchdowns. Arnold threw a couple of interceptions and he’ll need to make sure that touchdown to interception ratio increases as his volume increases but there are so many good targets for him to spread it around to. Deion Burks should be a star after transferring in from Purdue and Nic Anderson is a fantastic deep threat. Jackson Arnold will be tested with a brutal SEC schedule but he’s ready to showcase his skills.

Jackson Arnold Heisman Trophy Odds: +3000
3. Aidan Chiles - Michigan State Spartans
Jonathan Smith left the Oregon State Beavers for the Michigan State Spartans and he took his young quarterback with him. Aidan Chiles is the unquestioned QB1 in East Lansing for the 2024 season. Chiles was the number seven quarterback in the class of 2023 (247Sports) and a consensus four-star prospect from Long Beach, California. He was a backup to DJ Uiagalelei as a true freshman in Corvallis and threw four touchdowns with zero interceptions in 35 pass attempts. He added three rushing touchdowns and showcased enough mobility to be a threat to defenses on the ground. Chiles played in enough games to burn his redshirt but he is still inexperienced and the situation with MSU is not as good as those of other sophomore breakout candidates. He doesn’t have a great group of wide receivers and the running back room is bereft of a proven RB1 but Chiles should get a lot of valuable reps this season as the Spartans handle a tough schedule.

Michigan State 2024 Win Total: 4.5
4. Conner Weigman - Texas A&M Aggies
Conner Weigman is a man most college football fans are familiar with. However, there is a pretty decent chance that they have not seen Weigman actually play. He has only appeared in nine games through two seasons and those nine games have offered glimpses of unfulfilled potential just waiting to be unlocked. The actual production though has fallen frustratingly short for the former five-star prospect. Weigman completed only 55.3 percent of his passes as a true freshman in 2022 but threw eight touchdowns and no interceptions. Hopes were high heading into the 2023 campaign but Weigman only played in four games and missed the final nine games of the season. He was not particularly good about Miami, averaging only 6.3 yards per attempt and throwing a pair of critical interceptions as they fell to the Hurricanes. Jimbo Fisher is gone now and Mike Elko has a good history with quarterbacks. He’ll have his chance to get the most out of Weigman and this is a great situation for the redshirt sophomore to flourish.

Texas A&M Win Total: 8.5
5. Noah Fifita - Arizona Wildcats
The remade Big 12 Conference could be the most entertaining league title race in the country this season. That doesn’t mean it will be the best conference (it won’t) and it doesn’t mean there will be a bunch of matchups between elite teams (there won’t be). It means the conference has good teams and solid programs nearly from top to bottom and there are probably nine teams that enter the season with realistic hopes of winning the title belt. One of the teams that fosters championship hopes would be the Arizona Wildcats. Jedd Fisch left for Washington but Arizona hired Brent Brennan and he was able keep star quarterback Noah Fifita in Tucson for his sophomore season. The redshirt sophomore was the Football Writers of America Offensive Freshman of the Year after he took the reigns at quarterback from the injured Jayden de Laura. Fifita ended up starting nine games and completed a remarkable 72.4 percent of his passes. He is only 5’10” and certainly does not have the prototypical frame that high-major stars have but he showed he is big enough to carve up defenses and his top wide receiver is back for the 2024 season. Fifita will have the nation’s attention on September 13 as he battles fellow sophomore Avery Johnson on FOX in primetime on a Friday night.

Arizona Odds to Win Big 12: +1200
1. Avery Johnson - Kansas State Wildcats
Gaze at the glory that is the giant edible mascot from the Pop-Tarts Bowl! Alas, this list is not about best bowl game mascots or cultural icons. The photo actually showcases the present and future of Kansas State football: quarterback Avery Johnson. The 6’2” Wichita native played in eight games as a freshman and his talent flashed every time he had a chance to show it. Johnson was a backup to Will Howard and he only started the Pop-Tarts Bowl win over North Carolina State. His 2023 stats were not remarkable but he completed 37 of his 66 passes for 479 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions and added 296 yards with seven touchdowns. In total, that is 12 touchdowns and no turnovers as a dual-threat quarterback getting limited work as a true freshman. It was clear to the Kansas State coaches that Avery Johnson was going to be the starting quarterback in 2024 and that largely played a huge role in Will Howard leaving for Ohio State. Johnson is electric as a runner and improving his accuracy as a passer. He has a pair of very good running backs in the backfield with him and he’s poised for a very strong sophomore campaign.

Kansas State 2024 Win Total: 9.5

Which Sophomore QBs are Primed for a Breakout 2024 Season?

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