We’re stuck in the dog days of the college football offseason, sandwiched between spring football and fall camp. The schedules are out, and excitement is beginning to build as fans make plans for the early-season slate. Part of that planning involves knowing which quarterbacks you’re going to watch this fall.
With spring football in the books, here’s a look at all 14 quarterback situations in the American Conference. For each team, below is (1) the projected starter, (2) other potential starting candidates,
and (3) the remaining backups in the room:
Army Black Knights
- Projected starter: Cale Hellums (Sr.)
- Other potential starters: N/A
- Backups: Ethan Washington (So.), Bryson Luter (So.), Harrison Orr (So.), Nehemiah Vann (Jr.)
Army’s QB1 is firmly established. Cale Hellums took command of the offense early last season and started 10 games for the Black Knights, leading them to victory in the Fenway Bowl. Hellums rushed for 1,223 yards, ranking first among all FBS quarterbacks and 16th nationally among all players in a breakout year. His 18 rushing touchdowns tied for third in the country, only trailing running back phenoms Caleb Hawkins and Kewan Lacy. With a season of experience under his belt, Hellums should pick up where he left off last year — which could save Army from the early-season headaches it suffered last August and September.
The rest of the Black Knights’ quarterback room is rather green. Ethan Washington took a snap on a trick play extra point in 2024, and the other three rostered QBs have zero collegiate action. If Army needs a veteran backup, it could always turn to former quarterback turned running back Godspower Nwawuihe, who won MVP of the Fenway Bowl for a 171-yard, 2-touchdown explosion.
Charlotte 49ers
- Projected starter: Conner Harrell (R-Sr.)
- Other potential starters: Grayson Loftis (R-Jr.), Cole Gonzales (Gr.)
- Backups: Luke McNulty (R-Fr.), Jaylen White (Fr.)
Charlotte returns its 2025 Week 1 starter in Conner Harrell. However, Harrell is recovering from a gruesome injury suffered last September in which he tore his ACL and both menisci in his left knee, while also spraining his MCL. Just one week prior to the injury, Harrell showed tremendous promise with a 26-of-30, 382-yard, 3-touchdown performance in Charlotte’s lone victory of the season. Overcoming an injury of that magnitude is never easy and could complicate the QB battle, but Harrell was seen in spring drills moving without a brace.
The 49ers also retain Grayson Loftis, who started seven of the 49ers’ final eight contests after the injury to Harrell. Loftis already had significant collegiate experience before stepping foot on Charlotte’s campus as a 5-game starter for Duke in 2023 after a season-ending injury to Riley Leonard. Last season, he posted 1,415 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and eight interceptions — enjoying quality showings against North Texas and East Carolina despite an overall bitter season for Charlotte. Pittsburgh transfer Cole Gonzales is another potential starter to watch in an open room. He started three years for FCS Western Carolina (posting a collective 6,682 passing yards, 51 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions), before attempting 22 passes in ACC country last season.
East Carolina Pirates
- Projected starter: Mitch Griffis (R-Sr.)
- Other potential starters: Emory Williams (R-Jr.)
- Backups: Cole Hodge (R-Fr.), Trey Burke (Fr.)
Katin Houser transferred to Illinois, leaving a door open at the quarterback position after East Carolina’s first 9-win season since 2013. As a result, ECU consulted the portal and brought in two starter-worthy QBs who will battle throughout fall camp. One candidate is Mitch Griffis, who is three months away from his 25th birthday. The seventh-year senior was Wake Forest’s primary starter in 2023 but briefly stepped away from football in 2024. He returned in 2025 as a Texas Tech backup and arrives in Greenville with 2,314 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in his college career.
Emory Williams is the other candidate aiming to become QB1 for the purple and gold. Williams appeared in 12 games and made two starts during three seasons at Miami (FL), serving as the backup to Carson Beck during the Hurricanes’ run to the National Championship Game last January. Like Griffis, the bulk of Williams’ experience transpired in 2023. The former Hurricane has 813 passing yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions in his college career. Neither quarterback relies heavily on the run game, so ECU’s battle will be between two pocket passer archetypes.
Florida Atlantic Owls
- Projected starter: Caden Veltkamp (R-Sr.)
- Other potential starters: N/A
- Backups: Drew Devillier (R-So.), Jordan Magwood (So.), Michael Valentino (R-So.), Jeremiah Daoud (Fr.)
Florida Atlantic’s QB room enjoys the best continuity of any non-service academy QB room. The Owls enter 2026 with zero questions about their starter as Caden Veltkamp returns for a second-straight year. Veltkamp won 2024 CUSA Offensive Player of the Year honors at WKU and carried over his success to Zach Kittley’s air raid offense in Boca Raton, gunning for 3,641 passing yards (eighth in FBS) and 24 touchdowns on a 67.0 completion percentage. In 12 starts last year, Veltkamp never finished a game with a completion rate 60.0, and the efficient marksman is a potential candidate to lead the FBS in passing yards.
FAU’s backup situation is favorable. These Owls bring in a Rice Owl in Drew Devillier, who gained substantial experience as a backup over the past two seasons (with one start mixed in). FAU also retains two backups that earned in-game reps in 2025. Both Jordan Magwood and Michael Valentino made appearances last fall, with Magwood throwing eight passes in an October matchup vs. South Florida.
Memphis Tigers
- Projected starter: Marcus Stokes (R-Jr.)
- Other potential starters: Air Noland (R-So.)
- Backups: Denzel Gardner (R-Fr.), Grant Troutman (R-Fr.), Gavin Owens (Fr.)
Memphis’ quarterback battle is close, and it will likely be one of the later ones settled in the American. First-year head coach Charles Huff must make a selection between candidates Marcus Stokes and Air Noland — two transfer quarterbacks with contrasting collegiate backgrounds. Stokes presents significantly more in-game collegiate experience. He originally committed to Penn State in 2022 as a 4-star quarterback recruit and then flipped to Florida but later signed with Division II West Florida. Last season at West Florida, he was a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy (the Division II Heisman equivalent) after a 3,297-yard, 30-touchdown season.
Noland is on his third school in three years. He committed to Ohio State as a 4-star and served as a backup QB during the Buckeyes’ 2024 national championship run. Noland made his collegiate playing debut last season at South Carolina, recording three passes and one rush in a 51-7 rout of Coastal Carolina. It’s Stokes vs. Noland for QB1, but Denzel Gardner is an intriguing backup to keep tabs on — and he’s one of many Southern Miss transfers that followed Huff to Memphis.
Navy Midshipmen
- Projected starter: Braxton Woodson (Sr.)
- Other potential starters: Jackson Gutierrez (Jr.)
- Backups: Landon Walker (So.), Mason Baker (So.), Ryan Brass (So.), Michael Dove (So.)
It’s time for life without Blake Horvath. Horvath brought forth a golden era of Navy football, serving as the ringleader of the winningest two-year stretch in Midshipmen history. Taking the reins is likely Braxton Woodson, who made a bevy of appearances behind Horvath over the years. Woodson has three career starts, with one start in each of the past three seasons. Yet he has five 100-yard rushing performances, notably taking command of the South Florida game last November to effectively shake up the American title race. Woodson’s valuable experience in Navy’s hybrid wing T flexbone offense makes him an ideal successor to Horvath, and minimal adjustment will be needed.
Jackson Gutierrez also brings in experience to the tune of 33 rushes for 188 yards, although he has yet to complete a pass in two attempts. Gutierrez should see plenty of action, just as Woodson saw as a backup in prior years. But passing is an essential component of Navy’s offense since the hire of offensive coordinator Drew Cronic, and Woodson is much more established in that area than any other Midshipmen QB with 44 completions for 516 yards on 95 attempts.
North Texas Mean Green
- Projected starter: Tayven Jackson (Sr.)
- Other potential starters: N/A
- Backups: Chaston Ditta (R-Fr.), Chris Jimerson Jr. (R-Fr.)
North Texas finished with top 12 passing offenses in each of the last three seasons, all with different quarterbacks. Stomaching the loss of the nation’s leading passer Drew Mestemaker will be difficult. But North Texas reloaded through the portal and now trots out one of the most experienced QBs in the conference. Tayven Jackson started a total of 16 games at Indiana and UCF, taking on QB1 roles since 2023. In his most extensive action to date at UCF last year (10 starts), he produced 2,151 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, while adding 85 rushing yards and three scores on the side. He has yet to eclipse 300 yards in an outing (which has become the standard for UNT quarterbacks), but UCF finished 3-0 when he hit 270 last year.
Chaston Ditta likely takes the reins as QB2 after starting the 2025 Military Bowl for East Carolina. Ditta finished 8-of-17 for 177 yards and two touchdowns in the upset victory over Pitt, connecting on two deep ball touchdowns with recent Dallas Cowboys draft selection Anthony Smith. Chris Jimerson Jr. returns to the roster after maintaining his redshirt as a freshman. He appeared in four games for the Mean Green, tallying 37 rushing yards on six attempts and firing two passes (one of which was a 37-yard touchdown strike to Terrence Lewis).
Rice Owls
- Projected starter: Jacurri Brown (R-Sr.)
- Other potential starters: N/A
- Backups: Gael Ochoa (R-So.), Lucas Scheerhorn (R-So.), Patrick Crayton Jr. (R-Fr.), Ayden Wilhelm (Fr.)
In terms of quantity of quarterbacks with FBS experience, Rice possesses one of the more veteran QB rooms in the American. However, the competition closed after spring football when head coach Scott Abell named Jacurri Brown as the starter for 2026. Brown started three games at Miami (FL) and two at UCF, becoming renowned for his athleticism and rushing ability. He brings 821 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on a 6.0 average to Rice’s option offense, which requires a significant amount of quarterback mobility. Brown also has 906 passing yards over his career, and while his passing ability remains important to the offense, Rice attempted the fourth-fewest passes in the FBS at 17.2 per game in 2025.
UNLV transfer Gael Ochoa and incumbent backups Lucas Scheerhorn and Patrick Crayton Jr. all have taken FBS snaps. Ochoa made a mark with his mobility in spring ball, while Scheerhorn and Crayton previewed their capabilities in the First Responder Bowl last January vs. Texas State. Last season, Rice’s quarterback room primarily consisted of remnants from its pro-style offense days, but now Abell is armed with a slew of QBs that intentionally committed to an option-style offense.
South Florida Bulls
- Projected starter: Michael Van Buren Jr. (Jr.)
- Other potential starters: Luke Kromenhoek (R-So.)
- Backups: KJ Cooper (R-Sr.), Jayden Bradford (R-So.)
SEC taketh, SEC giveth. South Florida lost longtime established starter Byrum Brown in the transfer portal to Auburn, where he followed head coach Alex Golesh. They’ll replace their only 3,000-yard passer in program history with one of two quarterbacks from SEC country. One candidate is Michael Van Buren Jr., who started eight games at Mississippi State in 2024 before making four starts at LSU in 2025. Van Buren remarkably improved his efficiency last season, increasing his completion rate from 54.7 to 62.3 and finishing with eight touchdowns to two interceptions — while also improving as a runner. LSU’s offense never scored more than 25 points against FBS competition last year until his stellar Texas Bowl performance, where he led the Tigers to a 35-point showing behind 267 passing yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
The other candidate also has Mississippi State roots. Luke Kromenhoek arrives in Tampa after a year in Starkville and 2024 campaign at Florida State. Kromenhoek never earned a start at Mississippi State but saw two with the Seminoles — starting November games against FCS Charleston Southern and Florida. The former 4-star recruit (rated the No. 35 overall prospect by 247Sports in 2024) brings 509 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions to his new home. The Van Buren vs. Kromenhoek competition could extend well into fall camp as rookie head coach Brian Hartline presides over his first QB battle.
Temple Owls
- Projected starter: Jaxon Smolik (R-So.)
- Other potential starters: Ajani Sheppard (R-Jr.)
- Backups: Camren Boykin (R-Fr.), Patrick Keller (R-Jr.), Brody Norman (Fr.), Brady Palmer (Fr.)
Temple’s quarterback room severely lacks experience after losing seniors Evan Simon and Gevani McCoy. After spring football, the frontrunner appears to be Penn State transfer Jaxon Smolik, whose playing time in Happy Valley was mostly limited to victory formation kneeldowns, although he got some run in last October’s Iowa game. But Smolik shined in the spring game with a 16-of-20, 256-yard, 3-touchdown showing and could be a worthy successor to Simon, who carried the Owls’ passing attack with 25 touchdowns and two interceptions in 2025.
Ajani Sheppard is the other primary candidate for the starting spot. Sheppard completed two passes and handled four rushing attempts during his two seasons at Rutgers (2023-24). He spent the 2025 campaign at Washington State but did not make any gameday appearances. Sheppard provides stellar mobility at the position as a two-time 1,000-yard rusher in high school, giving Temple an extra dimension at the position. Camren Boykin and Patrick Keller are other competitors in the room, but the starter is likely Smolik or Sheppard.
Tulane Green Wave
- Projected starter: Kadin Semonza (R-Jr.)
- Other potential starters: Zeon Chriss-Gremillion (R-Sr.), Dagan Bruno (R-So.)
- Backups: Trace Johnson (Fr.), Jay Beamon (R-Fr.), Cade Scott (R-Fr.)
In the prior offseason, Tulane was incredibly active in the portal market for quarterbacks, landing Jake Retzlaff, Brendan Sullivan, Kadin Semonza, and Donovan Leary. Of those four, only Semonza remains on the roster. Despite not logging a single snap for the 2025 American Conference champion Green Wave, Semonza possesses the necessary experience to take over for the graduated Retzlaff. He won MAC Freshman of the Year in 2024 after starting all 12 games at Ball State, and he has 15 total starts from his days in Muncie, IN. Semonza threw for 2,904 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions two years ago in a Cardinals uniform, and he may be tasked with leading Tulane to a fifth-straight conference championship game.
Zeon Chriss-Gremillion also brings experience, bringing 13 starts to the table (six at Louisiana and seven at Houston). Chriss-Gremillion provides a contrasting skillset to Semonza as a very run-heavy QB. He posted 492 rushing yards and six touchdowns with the Ragin’ Cajuns in 2023 before following it up with 388 and four in his season as the Cougars’ primary starter. If Tulane wants to mirror Retzlaff’s mobility, Chriss-Gremillion could earn a realistic shot at the starting quarterback role. Although lacking experience, former walk-on Dagan Bruno is another name to watch for the QB1 gig. Remember, (1) it’s a new coaching staff under Will Hall, and (2) Tulane has delivered surprises before, as nobody expected Darian Mensah to win the job over Ty Thompson or Kai Horton in 2024.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
- Projected starter: Baylor Hayes (R-So.)
- Other potential starters: Dexter Williams II (Gr.)
- Backups: Andrew Alford (R-Fr.), Kyden Barker (Fr.)
Tulsa has a good problem on its hands. Two quarterbacks with at least half a season of starting experience will compete for the starting job. Given Baylor Hayes’ familiarity with Tre Lamb’s system, he likely enters fall camp as the favorite for QB1. Hayes staged Tulsa’s Friday night road upset over Oklahoma State last year and started nine games for the Golden Hurricane, totaling 2,158 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions — ultimately securing the job over potential Texas Tech Week 1 starter Kirk Francis.
Dexter Williams II provides quality competition for the job. Williams was the original starter for 2025 CUSA champion Kennesaw State and earned four starts during the Owls’ fruitful 10-4 season. Including his two starts at Indiana in 2022, he enters Tulsa with six games as QB1, providing 1,219 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He is the statistically more mobile option with 363 yards and five touchdowns as a runner, although Hayes recorded a 10+ yard run in nine of 10 games last fall.
UAB Blazers
- Projected starter: Ryder Burton (R-Jr.)
- Other potential starters: N/A
- Backups: Nate Rogers (R-So.), Adrian Posse (R-So.), Vanden Dugger (R-Fr.), Cam Jennings (R-So.), Brogan McNab (Fr.)
UAB aims to restore its winning ways from its Conference USA days after three-straight losing seasons, and quarterback stability is a good first step. The Blazers’ starter is clearly Ryder Burton who provided the team quality reps in the middle of 2025, most notably engineering a landmark upset over a ranked Memphis squad. Burton finished 20-of-27 with 251 yards and three touchdowns that game, totaling 708 passing yards and seven touchdowns on the season. Burton (on his third school after stints at BYU and West Virginia) made two starts for the Blazers last year, and his third will likely come Thursday, Sept. 3 at Illinois.
As far as the backup situation, Noah Rogers totes the most experience. Rogers is more of a mobile-oriented quarterback, finishing 1-of-2 through the air while running 13 times for 84 yards in 2025, so he could be utilized in select packages. For a more aerial-centric backup, UAB could turn to redshirt sophomore Adrian Posse who awaits his first collegiate snap.
UTSA Roadrunners
- Projected starter: Owen McCown (R-Sr.)
- Other potential starters: N/A
- Backups: Brandon Tennison (R-Jr.), Max Gerlich (R-Fr.), Maguire Anderson (Fr.), Kannon Williams (Sr.)
Assuming full health, there is no question who takes the first offensive snap of the season for the Roadrunners. UTSA has the luxury of a third-year starter in Owen McCown, and McCown, who is responsible for all three bowl wins in program history, continues to improve with each rep. While his passing yardage dipped from 3,424 to 2,995 as UTSA became more ground-oriented in 2025, his efficiency skyrocketed. McCown completed 67.6 percent of attempts and fired 30 touchdowns to seven interceptions. The peak of his powers was witnessed in a 31-of-33, 370-yard, 4-touchdown showing against a College Football Playoff team in Tulane, and UTSA can feel like a contender with the experienced McCown back at the helm.
Brandon Tennison earned valuable experience as a backup with 21 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown in last November’s South Florida game. That gives UTSA two quarterbacks with FBS experience. Kannon Williams took several reps at Incarnate Word (FCS) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (Division II), while the other passers on the roster hold freshman status.
