College Football QB Power Rankings: Caleb Williams remains king, Sam Hartman rises after strong debut

NCAA Football: San Jose State at Southern California

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The college football world has undergone some drastic changes since we last ranked quarterbacks on the basis of their power back in May. For example, the Pac-12 was raided quicker than the liquor cabinet after Mom and Dad left you home alone for the weekend. It was there, and then it was just ... gone. Or, at the very least, it was in the process of becoming empty.

So, how awkward is that we have this final full season of Pac-12 football as we know it ahead? When Arizona and USC get together in early October, will they meet at midfield and debate which one is more responsible for the death of the conference? Would being the last Pac-12 champion in history matter a little more than in any other season or less?

We're dealing with a rapidly changing environment, and one for which we don't have all the answers. However, no matter how quickly things change, one thing remains constant: There is no more important position in the sport than quarterback -- at least not until they make the forward pass illegal again. I know that seems far-fetched, but they'll do it if they figure out how to squeeze more television money out of the sport without the forward pass.

They haven't yet, though, so the QB remains mighty and we must respect the power they hold by ranking them in relation to their power and how much of it they hold at any particular moment in time. So let's do that as Week 1 of the 2023 college football season rapidly approaches.

QB Power Rankings

1	Caleb Williams USC Trojans QB
Of all the quarterbacks in this week's rankings, Williams is the only one with a Heisman Trophy and is one of two to have played a game this season. He threw for 278 yards and four touchdowns in USC's 56-28 win over San Jose State in Week 0. The game served as a reminder of what Williams is capable of; he threw a touchdown pass that saw him launch a ball 50 yards without stepping into the throw. He'll need to be capable of those superhuman feats often because USC's defense has shown little improvement through one game. Previous: (1)
2	Drake Maye North Carolina Tar Heels QB
I do wonder how the North Carolina offense will look now that offensive coordinator Phil Longo has left for Wisconsin to be replaced by Chip Lindsey, but what I don't question is Maye's talent. While there's a lot of football to be played between now and then, Maye is typically found no lower than second on mock draft big boards at the QB position with some who believe he'll be taken ahead of Williams. He is not ahead of him here, though. (2)
3	Sam Hartman Notre Dame Fighting Irish QB
Hartman is the other QB in our rankings with a game under his belt, and his Notre Dame debut performance bumped him up a couple of spots. He had as many touchdown passes as incompletions (four) and finished with 251 yards as Notre Dame crushed Navy. More importantly, did you see his hair? The flow is back, baby. Hartman is out there looking like Teen Wolf, and it works for him. (5)
4	Bo Nix Oregon Ducks QB
Raise your hand if your arm is on multiple buildings as part of a Heisman campaign. That's what I thought. Nix may not have played a game this season, but if you don't think having your face plastered on tall buildings will help you in these power rankings, you don't know ball. (6)
5	Quinn Ewers Texas Longhorns QB
I'm still a big Quinn backer. When it comes to this Q, I'm not anonymous with my support. The only reason he's dropping this week is because Bo has the billboards and Hartman's hair is glorious. Sometimes, you have to tip your cap and wait your turn, and that's what Ewers is doing this week. (3)
6	Michael Penix Jr. Washington Huskies QB
Part of me believes Penix is chilling in Seattle, reading and listening to all these people marvel at the arm strength of Tennessee's Joe Milton and laughing to himself. I mean, Penix's arm may not be quite as strong as Milton's, but he still has a cannon. And unlike Milton to this point, Penix has shown a lot more ability to fire it where he intends. (4)
7	Carson Beck Georgia Bulldogs QB
Beck makes his QB Power Rankings debut because, unlike Alabama and Ohio State, Georgia has named its starting QB. We haven't seen a lot of Beck in action, but we have seen it. That's one of the benefits of playing for a team that usually wins by 30 points. He's taking over the helm from Stetson Bennett and will be leading a Georgia team looking to three-peat. He's in a very powerful position, but will he be able to handle it? (NR)
8	Jordan Travis Florida State Seminoles QB
I swear I put them next to each other coincidentally, but having Travis here at No. 8 and LSU's Jayden Daniels at No. 9 means we'll have new players in these spots the next time we visit these rankings. They will square off in the biggest matchup of Week 1 when Florida State and LSU battle on Sunday night in Orlando. One will climb, while the other could fall from the top 10 entirely. (8)
9	Jayden Daniels LSU Tigers QB
I get annoyed when people constantly say that a player is underrated or slept on, and it feels really stupid to say a player is underrated when I'm quite literally in the process of rating them, but Daniels feels underrated. I mean, I have him here at No. 9, and there's a voice in the back of my head saying, "This guy does not know ball. He is sleeping on Jayden Daniels. My man Jayden is built different." (10)
10	J.J. McCarthy Michigan Wolverines QB
I'm a big believer in McCarthy and have been for years. In recent months, NFL scouting types have hit me up for opinions on him because they're starting to come around, too. So why did he fall three spots? Well, his head coach is suspended for three games and his offensive coordinator will miss the season opener as well. Sure, the odds of Michigan losing any of those games are low, but the vibes are currently low because of it. (7)