The quarterback landscape around college football comes into focus in phases: transfer portal movement, national signing day, NFL draft decisions and then spring football.
Spring ball -- already underway in a few places -- will provide the first meaningful on-field glimpse at how quarterback situations could unfold for the season. National award winners are being replaced, key transfers and recruits have arrived, and holdovers are geared up to compete for higher-profile roles. There are also coaching changes to consider, including at three of the four College Football Playoff teams from 2023.
The time has come to examine the most interesting quarterback situations in spring practice. That's right: situations, not battles. Although a few true quarterback battles appear below, the unknowns that will come from the next portal window beginning May 1 will kick a lot of the drama to the summer, or even early fall. There are also several teams that know their likely starters, but still have interesting layers in the quarterback room, based on the winter movement. Look at Ohio State, which added Kansas State's Will Howard to compete with Devin Brown, only to pick up a second decorated incoming freshman, Alabama signee Julian Sayin, who joins Air Noland.
Here are 12 quarterback situations with spring intrigue, along with projections for Week 1 starters based on what we know before spring practices are in full swing.