Looking back at the 2023 quarterback recruiting class, the hits, the misses, the outliers, and the truly bizarre situations
The 2023 quarterback recruiting class was supposed to be a historic group. It has been a mixed bag so far.
The 2023 quarterback recruiting class was once viewed as a potentially historic one. With those signal callers now in their third years on campus, many are still waiting on that group to showcase the massive upsides that were once spoken so highly of. It has been an extremely mixed bag of results so far, some hits, and even more misses.
Here are the top quarterbacks to know from that class, and how their careers have gone so far. There is still time to rewrite their stories and to solidify standings, but time is moving quickly. It will end up being a fascinating case study of quarterback development.
Dante Moore (Oregon)
The career for Moore didn’t get off to a great start after signing with the UCLA Bruins. The 6-3, 210-pound pocket passer had his fair share of struggles as a freshman under Chip Kelly, but had the chance to learn behind Dillon Gabriel last season in Eugene. Now an outstanding starter for the Ducks, Moore has thrown for 1,210 yards and 14 touchdowns, including nearly a 75 percent completion rate and just one interception. Moore has put himself firmly into the conversation as the top quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft.
LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina)
Considered a three-star coming out by some, the 6-3, 242-pound dual threat signal caller has become a star for the Gamecocks. While dealing with an injury this season, Sellers has still been tremendous when he’s been on the field. Whether it is as a passer or runner, Sellers has elite physical traits to work with.
Darian Mensah (Duke)
One of the highest-paid quarterbacks in college football, the Blue Devils invested a lot into the former Tulane quarterback this past offseason. In two years as a starter between the two programs, Mensah has thrown for 4,561 yards and 37 touchdowns. He has also completed over 67 percent of his passes, thrown just eight interceptions, and rushed for an additional score on the ground.
Sam Leavitt (Arizona State)
After originally beginning his career with Michigan State, Leavitt has become a tremendous player for the Sun Devils in each of the last two seasons. Leavitt is an extremely gifted passer and a creative athlete to make plays out of structure. As the game continues to slow down, Leavitt could threaten elite status.
Marcel Reed (Texas A&M)
Some had Reed rated as a four-star player, while others had him in the three-star range. Reed isn’t a very natural passer, but he has been gifted a couple of elite wide receivers in Kevin Concepcion and Mario Craver. The 6-1, 185-pound athlete is a young player to deal with as an all-around weapon behind center.
The Misses
Arch Manning (Texas)
The offseason hype for Manning was on an all-time level, and the 6-4, 220-pound passer hasn’t lived up to the expectations so far. Perhaps it’s a little harsh to list Manning as a miss, but until he proves the hype, he has not lived up to those unreal expectations. Manning has time, but he hasn’t shown much progress this season.
Jackson Arnold (Auburn)
The Oklahoma Sooners ran Dillon Gabriel out of town before last season to let Arnold get his chance to start. Arnold struggled mightily and is now the starter for Auburn. It feels like his seat is getting hot as five-star freshman Deuce Knight waits in the wings.
Malachi Nelson (UTEP)
Once considered a five-star addition for the USC Trojans, Nelson spent one year with the program before battling it out to be the Boise State starter last year. He is now the starter for UTEP, and has had an up and down year so far, throwing eight interceptions and nine interceptions in five games.
Jaden Rashada (Sacramento State)
After starting for Arizona State some in 2023, Rashada transferred to Georgia last season. Without attempting a single pass in Athens, the 6-4, 183-pound passer was on the move again this offseason, landing with FCS Sacramento State. The former five-star is completing 39 percent of his passes in 2025 and has lost his starting spot.
The Outliers
Devon Dampier (Utah)
From a size perspective, Dampier is probably smaller than the 5-11 that he is listed at. That’s a big reason why he started his career at New Mexico, but he has quietly developed into one of the better dual threat quarterbacks in the country. So far in 2025 for the Utes, Dampier has thrown 1,027 yards and 11 touchdowns, completing over 72 percent of his passes. He has also rushed for 258 yards and two more scores on the ground.
Taron Dickens (Western Carolina)
After the week that Dickens had, I couldn’t leave him off the list. The 5-11, 180-pound signal caller just completed 53 out of 56 passes against Wofford, including completing his first 46 throws of the day. Dickens will always be underrated due to his size, but he has an insane 26:3 touchdown to interception ratio during his career so far, and will be one of the best FCS passers we have seen in several years.
Bizarre Situations
Nico Iamaleava (UCLA)
Is Iamaleava good? Maybe? He has put himself in such a strange situation after transferring to UCLA from Tennessee this past offseason. The talent is clearly there for the 6-6, 220-pound dual threat passer, but he has put himself into a less than advantageous situation. Sometimes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence, even if the money is.
Aidan Chiles (Michigan State)
Considered a top-100 recruit by multiple platforms, Chiles began his career at Oregon State before following head coach Jonathan Smith to Michigan State. Chiles has had some great moments, especially in 2025, but being a part of a rebuilding program has stunted his production a bit. The 6-3, 225-pound passer may end up being a much better player than the raw stats would tell you.
Ryan Browne (Purdue)
Here’s the thing about Browne – he’s good. The issue is that he’s a part of a really bad football team right now, but he makes plays every week. The 6-4, 210-pound passer isn’t going to get a ton of fan love, but that kid is a really nice athlete who can hurt you as a passer or runner.
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