Caple: A look at the opposing QBs the UW Huskies will face this fall

Aug 26, 2024, 1:16 PM

UW Huskies opposing QBs Penn State quarterback Drew Allar Indiana 2023...

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar attempts a pass against Indiana in 2023. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

(Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

UW Huskies Insider

The UW Huskies’ run to last season’s national championship game required victories against quarterbacks like Caleb Williams, Bo Nix, Noah Fifita, Cam Ward and Quinn Ewers.

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What kind of QB lineup will they face in their first season in the Big Ten?

Here is a week-by-week look at the likely starting quarterback for each of Washington’s 2024 opponents.

• Richie Munoz, Weber State (Aug. 31, Seattle)

Munoz took over midway through last season, and his final game, against Cal Poly, was his most impressive: 21-of-27, 329 yards and five touchdowns. He finished his freshman season averaging 7.2 yards per pass attempt with 10 touchdown passes and one interception, and guided the Wildcats to three consecutive victories to end the year.

• Cole Snyder, Eastern Michigan (Sept. 7, Seattle)

The Buffalo transfer — he began his career at Rutgers — threw for 2,109 yards with 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions for the Bulls last season. Snyder averaged only 5.7 yards per attempt and completed 54.6 percent of his passes.

• John Mateer, Washington State (Sept. 14, Seattle)

Mateer, a third-year sophomore from Little Elm, Texas, held off transfer Zevi Eckhaus for the starting job after backing up Cam Ward last season. WSU mixed Mateer into nearly every game in 2023, though often as a runner; he carried 21 times for 93 yards and three touchdowns, and completed 13-of-17 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. He finished his high-school career with 66 touchdown passes and 22 rushing touchdowns.

• Mike Wright, Northwestern (Sept. 21, Seattle)

The Mississippi State transfer spent three seasons at Vanderbilt to begin his career and has 14 starts to his name with a 23-to-13 TD-to-interception ratio. He rushed for 517 yards as a third-year sophomore at Vanderbilt in 2022.

• Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers (Sept. 27, Piscataway, N.J.)

He completed only 53.1 percent of his passes as a third-year sophomore starter at Minnesota last season, with 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions and an average of 6.25 yards per attempt. Kaliakmanis replaces Gavin Wimsatt, who started at Rutgers last season but transferred home to Kentucky after Kaliakmanis won the job in spring.

• Alex Orji, Michigan (Oct. 5, Seattle)

The Wolverines haven’t officially named a starter, and might not until after the season starts. Orji has been competing with senior Jack Tuttle and fourth-year junior Davis Warren, though Warren is thought to be his primary competition. Orji has completed only one collegiate pass, and was often used as a situational wildcat quarterback behind starter J.J. McCarthy last season. He’s a dynamic athlete, but his passing ability remains a mystery.

• Cade McNamara, Iowa (Oct. 12, Iowa City)

McNamara, the former Michigan quarterback, is back after a torn ACL cut his 2023 season short and appears to have won the job over Brendan Sullivan, a transfer from Northwestern. Neither had been impressive enough during training camp under new offensive coordinator Tim Lester. While McNamara had been the presumed starter throughout the offseason, Sullivan seemingly had every chance to beat him out. Regardless, Iowa won’t be rolling into this season with a proven star at quarterback.

• Kurtis Rourke, Indiana (Oct. 26, Bloomington)

A strong passer at Ohio University the past three seasons, Rourke is quietly among the best quarterbacks the Huskies will face this season. He threw for 7,651 yards and 50 touchdowns from 2020-23 before transferring to play for new coach Curt Cignetti.

• Miller Moss, USC (Nov. 2, Seattle)

Caleb Williams’ replacement is a good, old-fashioned quarterback who has spent his entire career at one school and is entering his fourth college season. Miller did make his starting debut last season, filling in after Williams opted out of the Trojans’ bowl game, and threw for 372 yards and six touchdowns in a victory over Louisville. That remains his only meaningful college experience, but it says something that Lincoln Riley is rolling with him.

• Drew Allar, Penn State (Nov. 9, State College)

A former five-star recruit, Allar did an excellent job taking care of the ball in his first year as a starter (25 touchdowns, two interceptions) but was not particularly explosive (6.7 YPA). The Nittany Lions hope he’s the right passer to help them to a College Football Playoff bid this year under new coordinator Andy Kotelnicki.

• Ethan Garbers, UCLA (Nov. 15, Seattle)

A 2020 Washington signee, Garbers transferred to UCLA after the 2020 season and was a part-time starter as a junior in 2023. With Dante Moore now at Oregon, the job is all Garbers’ as he enters his senior year. He threw two touchdown passes in UCLA’s bowl victory over Boise State last year, and carries a career 66.2 completion percentage into his final college season.

• Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (Nov. 30, Eugene)

The former UCF and Oklahoma quarterback walks in the door at Oregon with 14,865 career passing yards and 152 total touchdowns. He’s a preseason Heisman Trophy frontrunner for a reason. Between his arm and his legs — Gabriel also rushed for 373 yards and 12 touchdowns last season while earning first-team All-Big 12 honors.

This column from UW Huskies football insider Christian Caple is exclusive to Seattle Sports. Subscribe to OnMontlake.com for full access to Caple’s in-depth Husky coverage.