Once again, there are a lot of new faces and unknown commodities among the ranks of American Conference Quarterbacks. Here’s how they measure up.
Getting a good quarterback is hard. Keeping him might be even harder. American Conference programs know that as well as anyone else. Early projections have five* returning starters from the league, with several competitions that are expected to linger into fall camp.
Given what we know now, here’s how the signal caller situations tier out across the conference:
Complete Unknowns
The departures of Blake Horvath (Navy) and Evan Simon (Temple) leave both programs starting someone new at the position in 2026. The Midshipmen will be replacing from within, like elevating Braxton Woodson as the most senior backup behind Horvath. He’ll know the offense, but this will be his first extended run as the No. 1.
Temple is expected to turn to Jaxon Smolik, a former three-star Penn State signee who has essentially no proven experience at the collegiate level. Either he or Woodson could be great, or they could be awful. We just don’t know.
Returning, but Unrefined
Army (Cade Hellums), Tulsa (Baylor Hayes) and UAB (Ryder Burton) all return quarterbacks who started at least a large portion of the season for their teams last year and performed well enough to keep the job. Each looks to be able to provide a floor for their offenses with the potential to take a bigger step forward with another year of experience under their belt.
Journeyman-Ish
This next group has shown some ability on the football field at the collegiate level but not quite enough to separate themselves as difference makers at the position.
The asterisk mentioned at the top when it comes to return starters is featured here, Charlotte‘s Conner Harrell. The former North Carolina quarterback was the Week 1 starter for the 49ers last year before suffering an injury that cost him the remainder of the season. There’s not a lot of tape here and the injury is concerning, but the extra year in the system gives him a bump past unknown status.
A pair of former SEC quarterbacks also earn this designation: Michael Van Buren Jr. (USF by way of Mississippi State and LSU) and Emory Williams (East Carolina by way of Miami). Buren has more experience as a starter but there’s no guarantee he wins the job right now. The same can be said for Williams who is battling with Texas Tech transfer Mitch Griffis.
Intriguing Upside
Parsing good and great Transfer Portal additions may very well be a fool’s errand, but there appears to be an at least some delineation when it comes to proven on-field experience and schematic fits with this next quartet that puts them in a slightly higher tier. Either less competition or more definitive starting expectations also factor into in.
Memphis doesn’t have a definitive starter yet, but new head coach Charles Huff looks to be choosing between DII star Marcus Stokes from West Florida or blue-chip Ohio State transfer Air Noland. Both offer significant upside.
Then there’s Tulane (Kadin Semonza), Rice (Jacurri Brown) and North Texas (Tayven Jackson) with more settled situations, all of which have transfers with more productive or extensive starting experience at the FBS level. They weren’t perfect — that’s part of what led them all from the Power 4 ranks, but the athleticism and talent is a step above what many others in the conference are working with.
Returning Studs
Florida Atlantic‘s Caden Veltkamp finished as the second-leading passer in the American Conference last season and returns to lead the Owls. UTSA’s Owen McCown, who finished just roughly 700 passing yards behind Veltkamp was second in the conference with 30 passing touchdowns. Both return and represent the cream of the crop in the conference.