In an episode of his Always College Football show, ESPN analyst Greg McElroy explained why the 2026 season will be a “quarterback reset” year – where transition creates volatility, and volatility is where preseason rankings go to die.
“Now, every year, you see turnover at quarterback. That’s normal,” McElroy said. “Guys graduate, guys go pro, guys transfer, and at this point, some quarterbacks switch schools so often, the moving truck should just flat-out get a letterman jacket. It’s unreal.
“But every so often, you get a season where multiple national title contenders, bluebloods, rising programs, all kind of hit the new era at quarterback around the same time.