Making the leap from FCS and Group of Five to Power Four takes guts, but these guys are going to take the test this year to see if they are up to the task. Here are the top quarterbacks making the move to power football, each representing a different conference.
New Quarterbacks in P4
Other QBs Making the Move:
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Kaidon Salter, QB Colorado
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Chandler Morris, QB Virginia
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Deshawn Purdie, QB Wake Forest
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Zack Calzada, QB Kentucky
ACC
Darian Mensah, QB, Duke
Duke last year surpassed expectations in Manny Diaz’s first year, going 9-4. Still, even before their bowl game, Duke decided to bring in a new quarterback for 2025, Darian Mensah.
Mensah, a redshirt freshman last year for Tulane, helped first-year Head Coach John Sumrall go 9-4. Mensah completely broke out on the scene, throwing for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns with a 66% completion rate. The game that put Mensah on the map was against 17th-ranked Kansas State at home, where he threw 342 yards and two touchdowns.
Mensah, now in Durham, looks to bring the Blue Devils to even higher heights. Reportedly, he received an eight-million-dollar NIL deal, likely securing him for at least two seasons. Mensah’s first test in 2025 will be against a top-25 Illinois team at home on September 6th. A week later, Mensah will return to New Orleans and face his former school.
Big 12
Devon Dampier, QB, Utah
Last year, Utah started three different quarterbacks, never finding consistency, ultimately ending the season 5-7. What could be Coach Kyle Whittingham’s final season in Salt Lake City makes this year a now-or-never situation to make a push in the Big XII. To help make a run at the Big XII title, transfer quarterback Devon Dampier arrives.
Similar to Mensah, Dampier is coming off a breakout campaign with New Mexico. With the Lobos over the last two years, he appeared in 21 total games, starting all 12 games last season. Last season, he threw for 2,768 yards and 12 touchdowns. The only issue for him was keeping the interceptions to a minimum as he threw for 12 picks last year. Along with a strong arm, he has elite speed and athleticism, ultimately running for over 1,000 yards. Dampier became the first player in New Mexico history to throw and run for over 1,000 yards in a single season.
Dampier might be the most athletic quarterback in Whittingham’s 20-year tenure with the Utes. Dampier will be thrown right into action against UCLA at the Rose Bowl on August 30.
Big Ten
Mark Gronowski, QB, Iowa
It seems almost expected to bring up Iowa’s passing issues every year. In the last two years, Iowa has played four different starters, three of whom were transfers from the Big Ten. Last year, Iowa threw for 1,700 passing yards, the second-lowest in all Power Four, just ahead of Michigan. Now, Iowa will play another new quarterback this season, but this one has two FCS Championships as a starter, that being Mark Gronowski.
For five years, Gronowski appeared in over 50 games at South Dakota State, ending with a record of 49-6, including a year where he was sidelined with a knee injury. The three years following his injury would consist of his throwing for over 2,000 yards in each season, during one of which he would reach 3,000 yards. In his Jack Rabbit career, he would throw for 93 touchdowns. Even with injury history, Gronowski can still run as he put up 10 rushing touchdowns last year.
Now the FCS legend makes his way to FBS, representing the Hawkeyes. In 2022, coming off his injury, South Dakota State played Iowa, losing 7-3 in one of the strangest games ever due to Iowa scoring two safeties. His record against FBS opponents as it stands is 0-2. His first FBS opponent with Iowa will be against Iowa State for the Cy-Hawk Trophy on September 6, making his debut extremely important to the fans.
SEC
John Mateer, QB, Oklahoma
It was an injury-riddled year for the Sooners last year at receiver, ultimately limiting their two starting quarterbacks. At the end of 2024, Oklahoma decided to fire offensive coordinator Seth Littrell. In response, Coach Brent Venables hired a 29-year-old offensive mastermind in Coach Ben Arbuckle. At Washington State last year, he helped Wazzu go 8-4 in the regular season with the help of Oklahoma’s new quarterback John Mateer.
Mateer is making the transition that most players would be scared to make, playing in the SEC. Still, he is more than ready, no doubt. He plays with moxie and can air it out. Last year, he ended with 3,000-plus yards and 29 touchdowns, putting him 22nd in yards and tenth in passing touchdowns. On top of the aerial assault, Mateer can run, totaling 800-plus yards and 15 touchdowns last season.
Mateer will begin his Oklahoma career against Illinois State on August 30th, but will truly be tested the following week against Michigan at home. Mateer will be playing alongside five transfer receivers and a transfer running back.
All four of these guys might be in new situations, but still, they have proven themselves against the highest level. Look out for these guys and the others mentioned above as they look to conquer their conference.
Main Image: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
