College football QB battles: Predicting winners at No. 20 Tennessee, No. 22 Iowa and more

Prediction: HECKLINSKI

Arizona State Sun Devils

Quarterbacks: Cutter Boley, Mikey Keene | For the second year in a row, Boley and Keene find themselves competing for a QB1 role. But unlike last season, one will win the job. 

Last August, Boley lost a battle with Zach Calzada at Kentucky only to take over in Week 3. Keene, who led the Mountain West in completion percentage in 2023 and 2024 at Fresno State, couldn't win Michigan's starting job over five-star true freshman Bryce Underwood and never played a snap for the Wolverines.

Last week, coach Kenny Dillingham told reporters the two have are at the top of the pecking order after both had "a really good scrimmage," with the competition coming down to the wire. As close as things are, we're leaning toward Boley, whom Dillingham recruited while at Oregon.

"That's a guy who we think has unbelievable potential for us," he told Arizona Sports radio in February.

Boley may have an early opportunity to prove Dillingham correct.

Prediction: BOLEY

Florida Gators

Quarterbacks: Tramell Jones Jr., Aaron Philo |  Philo "had a head start" in the competition after joining the Gators alongside his former Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, first-year Florida coach Jon Sumrall recently noted, but Jones has kept things tight.

"I think Trammell's grown a ton," Sumrall said. "The biggest growth he's got to make is operating from the line of scrimmage," the former Tulane coach added. "But he's making plays... He's got a bright future."

The gap has closed, but Philo's preexisting knowledge of the offensive scheme may still give him the slight edge heading into Week 1. 

Prediction: PHILO

Vanderbilt Commdores

Quarterbacks: Jared Curtis, Blaze Berlowitz, Whit Muschamp |Muschamp is a distant third in the race, with five-star true freshman Curtis trying to win the job over Berlowitz, former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia's backup last season.

Being the top recruit in program history would seem to give Curtis, who decommitted from Georgia, an advantage in the race, but head coach Clark Lea noted at SEC media day last month that "there weren't any promises made."

More recently, Lea praised Clark's performance during last Saturday's scrimmage, telling reporters it was "probably ... his best day, just start to finish, which is really promising. He's adapting to college football."

That sounds like a coach prepared give his true freshman the starting role.

Prediction: CURTIS