The 2026 college football season is just around the corner, and Florida State's opponents are gearing up with their starting quarterbacks set. Here's a breakdown of the QB1 situations for all of Florida State's 2026 opponents, with a focus on the key players and their potential impact.
New Mexico State
- Starter: Trey Hedden
- Experience: 151-of-248 (60.9%) passing for 1,767 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2024, with nine interceptions. Played in all 12 games last season, starting throughout.
- Comparison: Adam Damante, a redshirt junior, has more limited experience, appearing in five games with two starts. He had 70-of-104 (67.3%) passing for 711 yards, five touchdowns, and four interceptions.
SMU
- Starter: Kevin Jennings
- Career Stats: 39 appearances, 26 starts. 3,641 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, 13 interceptions last season. 7,709 passing yards, 55 touchdowns, 26 interceptions for his career.
- Improvement: Jennings showed more capability with his feet, rushing for 354 yards and five touchdowns in 2024, compared to 142 yards and one touchdown the prior season.
Alabama
- Unnamed Starter:
- Battle: Fourth-year signal-caller Austin Mack and redshirt freshman Keelon Russell.
- Mack's Performance: Backup quarterback last season, threw for 228 yards and two touchdowns on 24-of-32 (75.0%) passing. Most significant work came against Indiana following an injury to starter Ty Simpson.
- Russell's Potential: A former five-star recruit, named national Gatorade Player of the Year. He completed 11-of-15 (73.3%) of his passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns in two games last season.
Central Arkansas
- Unclear: Six quarterbacks on the roster, none have thrown a pass.
- Top Contenders: Walker White, a transfer from Baylor, and Donovyn Omolo, with more experience at Central Missouri.
- White's Potential: Made one appearance at Auburn, going 2-of-5 for 18 yards. Seeks to build on this limited experience.
- Omolo's Experience: 260-of-414 (62.8%) passing for 2,849 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions last season at Central Missouri.
Virginia
- Starter: Beau Pribula
- Transfer Background: Played at Penn State and Missouri.
- Penn State Stats: 37-of-56 (66.1%) for 424 yards, nine touchdowns, and one interception. 571 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 94 carries.
- Mizzou Performance: 182-of-270 (67.4%) for 1,941 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. 297 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 95 rushes.
Louisville
- Starter: Lincoln Kienholz
- Transfer Background: Played at Ohio State.
- Ohio State Stats: 10-of-22 (45.5%) for 111 yards, six rushes for two yards. Did not see game action in 2024.
- Louisville Performance: 11-of-14 (78.6%) for 139 yards and a touchdown. 11 rushes for 66 yards and two touchdowns.
Miami
- Starter: Darian Mensah
- Transfer Background: Played at Duke and Tulane.
- Duke Performance: 334-of-500 (66.8%) for 3,973 yards, 34 touchdowns, and six interceptions. One rushing touchdown.
- Potential for ACC Player of the Year: Mensah is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound redshirt junior, with impressive passing and rushing statistics over two seasons.
Clemson
- Starter: Christopher Vizzina (likely, but competition from Tait Reynolds)
- Vizzina's Performance: 64-of-105 (61.0%) for 596 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. 109 rushing yards and a touchdown on 38 rushes.
- Reynolds' Potential: A dual-threat, 6-foot-2, 215-pound quarterback. Missed most of senior year of high school due to a hamstring injury but was named Player of the Year in Arizona.
Boston College
- Starter: Mason McKenzie
- Transfer Background: Played at Saginaw Valley State.
- Saginaw Valley State Stats: Over 4,300 yards and 31 touchdowns in 25 games. More than 1,600 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground.
- Boston College Performance: 180-of-301 (59.8%) for 2,086 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. 159 rushes for 942 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Pitt
- Starter: Mason Heintschel (now a sophomore)
- Freshman Performance: 201-of-316 (63.6%) for 2,354 yards, 16 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. 88 yards on the ground and two rushing scores.
NC State
- Starter: CJ Bailey (now a junior)
- Improved Performance: 273-of-397 (68.8%) for 3,105 yards, 25 touchdowns, and nine interceptions last season. 89 rushes for 215 yards and six touchdowns.
- Concerns: Bailey has been sacked 46 times over the past two seasons, a potential area of focus.
Florida
- Unnamed Starter:
- Battle: Redshirts sophomore Aaron Philo and redshirt freshman Tramell Jones Jr.
- Philo's Experience: 59-of-102 (57.8%) for 938 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions over two seasons at Georgia Tech.
- Jones Jr.'s Potential: 21-of-35 (60.0%) for 191 yards and two touchdowns in two games last season. Eight rushes for 10 yards.
These starting quarterback situations provide a glimpse into the offensive capabilities and strategies of Florida State's opponents. Each team has its own strengths and weaknesses, and the battle for QB1 will undoubtedly impact the outcome of the games.
