Do you like articles where the author ranks and tiers a team or position group? This is one of those articles! I’m writing it for you, of course, my loyal reader, but also for me. After all, the QB story in the Sun Belt has been all over the place this off season, and somebody has to lasso some order around here.

Tier One: The Watch List Elites

Grayson McCall (Coastal Carolina) & Carter Bradley (South Alabama)

Two Sun Belt quarterbacks appear on the Davey O’Brien Award preseason watchlist, and as you might have guessed, they’re the two guys listed above. Grayson McCall is the most decorated of the two, having won a number of Sun Belt Player of the Year awards while racking up a big pile of stats for the Chanticleers. Carter Bradley arrived to Mobile last season from Toledo and found his footing with Kane Womack and the Jaguars.

	Comp %	Yards	TDs	Picks
Grason McCall	69.7	2700	24	2
Carter Bradley	64.8	3336	28	12

Tier Two: Seasoned Slingers

Darren Grainger (Georgia State) & Gunnar Watson (Troy)

Darren Grainger came on the Atlanta scene last season with a big arm and fast legs. Gunnar Watson led the Trojans to many victories, collecting touchdowns like Pokemon cards. While these guys fail to garner the accolades of McCall and Bradley, they have every ability to take over the game.

	Comp %	Yards	TDs	Picks
Darren Grainger	58.6	2443	18	7
Gunnar Watson	61.5	2818	14	12

Tier Three: Returns with Baggage

Cam Fancher (Marshall), Ben Wooldridge (Louisiana) & TJ Finley (Texas State)

Cam Francher and Ben Wooldridge made many starts for the Thundering Herd and the Cajuns, respectively. Wooldridge injured his ACL during practice before last November’s game with Florida State. Fancher split reps with Henry Colombi for half the season before finally being handed the huddle. Both quarterbacks have undeniable talent, but neither are without questions to answer.

As for TJ Finley, the sophomore played sparingly last season, but he’s drawn rave reviews from the Texas State staff and looks like he’s beating out former 4-star Malik Hornsby, a transfer from Arkansas. However, head Bobcats coach GJ Kinne may play a mix of Hornsby and Finley.

	Comp %	Yards	TDs	Picks
Ben Woolridge	56.6	1661	15	5
Cam Fancher	55.7	1558	10	6
TJ Finley	62.3	431	1	4

Tier Four: Transfers Well-Traveled

JT Shrout (Arkansas State) & Davis Brin (Georgia Southern)

JT Shrout beat beat out a sophomore and true freshman to take on huddle duties for the Red Wolves. The journeyman arrived from Colorado to Jonesboro a victim of Deion Sanders’ nepotism (Coach Prime named his son the starting QB the day he took the job). Davis Brin had a nice career at Tulsa before joining forces with Clay Helton and the suddenly pass-happy Eagles in Statesboro. Both have seen it all and won’t be rattled.

	Comp %	Yards	TDs	Picks
Davis Brin	59.2	2838	17	8
JT Shrout	44.3	1220	7	8

Tier Five: Untested Transfers

Billy Wiles (Southern Miss), Grant Wilson (Old Dominion) & Jiya Wright (ULM)

Sophomore Billy Wiles arrived to Southern Miss from Clemson, where he had thrown all of four passes in his college career. Old Dominion has handed the pill to Grant Wilson, a transfer from Fordham who has ten career passes to his name. Not a lot of experience here.

Jiya Wright is an interesting figure. He started his career in D-II and junior college before getting a roster spot on Terry Bowden’s Warhawks, only to see his season ended before it began in 2022 with a cracked rib. Now the offensive belongs to Wright.

Tier Six: Freshmen in the Fire

Alonza Barnett (James Madison) & Ryan Berger (Appalachian State)

Many in the Sun Belt community expected Curt Cignetti to tab Arizona transfer Jordan McCloud to take over for the departed Todd Centeio. Instead, he likes what he sees from redshirt freshman Alonza Barnett a three-star recruit. In Boone, Shawn Clark has the unenviable task of replacing Mountaineer legend Chase Brice. It was the 6’3″, former three-star redshirt freshman Ryan Burger who impressed in camp. Both freshmen will lead programs with high expectations. No pressure, guys.

PHOTO CREDIT: Sun Belt