It’s that time of year. Time for our annual report to determine whose value is on the rise and who has taken a tumble prior to spring practices. We analyze the impact of transfers, coaching changes, and NFL declarations. We won’t be discussing G5-to-P4 transfers, as there is an entire article dedicated to that at C2C called “Those Who Failed the Assignment.” Let’s discuss quarterbacks.
STOCK UP
Bryce Underwood – Michigan
Welcome to a 21st-century offense, Michigan fans. We are happy to have you join the rest of us. Out is the knuckle-dragging scheme of Sherrone Moore. In is the modern spread option of Jason Beck. Devon Dampier has finished as the QB2 and QB21 the last two seasons under Beck. Underwood is seemingly the perfect fit for what Beck loves from his QBs- athleticism and a willingness to challenge defenses downfield. He is the less experienced but supremely talented version of Dampier. Congrats to all you Underwood dynasty owners. You fell ass-backwards into a potential league winner because a coach couldn’t keep his pants on.
Jackson Arnold – UNLV
Listen. Jackson Arnold hasn’t been good. This much we know. He’s broken as a passer, and he’s a turnover waiting to happen. But you don’t have to be good in real life to be good in fantasy. Dan Mullen is a QB Kingmaker. Alex Smith, Tim Tebow, Dak Prescott, Nick Fitzgerald, Kyle Trask, and Anthony Colandrea (QB12 last year). It is a sick list. If anything can fix the former 5-star QB, it’s dropping a few levels from the SEC to the Mtn West and joining Dan Mullen.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele – Cal
I’m going out on a bit of a limb here with new OC Jordan Somerville. But honestly, Tosh Lupoi could have hired Patches O’Houlihan to call plays, and it would have been an upgrade over Bryan Harsin. Somerville has been deemed a QB guru and credited with a significant role in the development of Bo Nix at Oregon and Baker Mayfield in his career year in 2025. Cal then proceeded to surround JKS with major pass-catching upgrades in Ian Strong, Chase Hendricks, and Dorian Thomas. They are clearly investing in their young star.
STOCK DOWN
Demond Williams – Washington
It’s not often I place someone on this list based on “vibes”. But Williams had a wild 48-hour ride, including entering the portal shortly after announcing he was returning, all but a done deal with LSU, getting fired by his agent, facing litigation, and then returning to UW. There is a wide range of outcomes for Williams this year, but he is on this list because he may have lost the trust of teammates and coaches.
If things go south at any point for the Huskies this season, it’s hard not to imagine some potential for a quit factor playing out in that locker room. Add in the element of breaking in a new WR room with the losses of starting WRs Denzel Boston, a potential 1st round pick, and Vines-Bright. The ceiling is still there for this crazy, talented dual-threat QB, but the floor has become worrisome.
Dylan Raiola – Oregon / Anthony Colandrea – Nebraska
A 2-for-1 special. Many of us at C2C warned you that Raiola wasn’t worth rostering for CFF purposes. Even Dana Holgorsen couldn’t save him. But he at least still had a starting spot at Nebraska. He chose to take the developmental route by sitting a year behind Dante Moore, and he’s now officially worthless for redraft leagues. His replacement, Anthony Colandrea, moves back up to the P4 level after a stellar QB12 season at UNLV. Unfortunately, the move is to the Big10 and not back to the ACC. He wasn’t good in the ACC, so there is no reason to think he’s all of a sudden going to be good in the Big10 where he will face Indiana, Ohio State, Iowa, and Oregon.
Byrd Ficklin – Utah
This one pains me. You won’t find a bigger Ficklin fan than yours truly. I even run his fan club. It’s called “Byrds of a Feather”. But there is no denying how abysmal this offseason has been for our club. First, his OC, Jason Beck, left for Michigan with Whittingham. That’s not to say that Kevin McGiven can’t work. Afterall, he did just produce the QB8 in Bryson Barnes. But Beck knew exactly what he had in Ficklin. Then, the real wet blanket thrown on the Ficklin fire was the return of Devon Dampier. At best, Ficklin starts the season in a snap share. At worst, Ficklin is totally irrelevant. Either way, what could have been a top 15 QB is now undraftable for redraft.
