Football’s most important position is well-represented in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs this weekend.
The eight starting quarterbacks are highly decorated, and, more importantly, leaders who make winning plays for their respective teM.
Here’s a snapshot of the signal callers who will influence the quarterfinals:
Tyler Huff, Furman (6-1, 216)
Matchup: No. 7 seed Furman (10-2) at No. 2 seed Montana (11-1), 9 p.m. ET Friday (ESPN2)
Stat Line: 168 of 254 (66.1%), 1,681 yards, 9 TDs, 5 INTs; 520 rush yards, 5 TDs
Notable: Southern Conference offensive player of the year is a dual-threat who tends to will his offense with grit; has 18-1 record against FCS opponents since 2022 grad transfer from Presbyterian; a commissioned 2nd lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves, he received prestigious Armed Forces Merit Award
Clifton McDowell, Montana (6-4, 224)
Matchup: No. 2 seed Montana (11-1) vs. No. 7 seed Furman (10-2), 9 p.m. ET Friday (ESPN2)
Stat Line: 105 of 174 (60.3%), 1,493 yards, 11 TDs, 2 INTs; 616 rush yards, 8 TDs
Notable: Has led eight consecutive wins since becoming the Grizzlies’ starting quarterback; has accounted for multiple TDs in all but one of the starts, and 50+ rushing yards six different times; a grad transfer at his fourth school, he received the Big Sky Conference’s newcomer award
QB Connor Watkins, Villanova (6-3, 225)
Matchup: No. 8 seed Villanova (10-2) at No. 1 seed South Dakota State (12-0), noon ET Saturday (ESPN)
Stat Line: 146 of 251 (58.2%), 2,607 yards, 20 TDs, 9 INTs; 326 rush yards, 10 TDs
Notable: Excellent deep thrower ranks No. 1 in the FCS in both passing yards per attempt (10.39) and completion (17.86), and No. 4 in pass efficiency (164.5); has thrown 15 of his 20 TD passes during the Wildcats’ seven-game winning streak; named to the All-CAA Football third team
Mark Gronowski, South Dakota State (6-3, 225)
Matchup: No. 1 seed South Dakota State (12-0) vs. No. 8 seed Villanova (10-2), noon ET Saturday (ESPN)
Stat Line: 170 of 248 (68.5), 2,517 yards, 24 TDs, 4 INTs; 260 rush yards, 7 TDs
Notable: Co-MVFC offensive player of the year is invited to announcement of 2023 Walter Payton Award (FCS offensive player of year); ranks No. 1 in FCS in pass efficiency (182.5) and No. 2 in passing yards per attempt (10.15); most outstanding player of 2022 FCS championship game is 34-3 as a starter in his career
Cam Miller, North Dakota State (6-1, 213)
Matchup: North Dakota State (10-3) at No. 3 seed South Dakota (10-2), 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday (ABC)
Stat Line: 186 of 253 (73.5), 2,321 yards, 17 TDs, 4 INTs; 640 rush yards, 12 TDs
Notable: Has 30-8 career record as starter (9-2 in playoffs); second-team All-MVFC selection ranks No. 1 in the FCS in completion percentage (73.5) and No. 2 in pass efficiency (170.3); hasn’t thrown an interception in any win this season; relinquishes some series to fellow NDSU QB Cole Payton
Aidan Bouman, South Dakota (6-5, 245)
Matchup: No. 3 seed South Dakota (10-2) vs. North Dakota State (10-3), 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday (ABC)
Stat Line: 174 of 258 (67.4), 2,352 yards, 14 TDs, 4 INTs; 1 rush TD
Notable: Left-hander ranks No. 4 in the FCS in passing yards per attempt (9.15) and No. 9 in pass efficiency (159.1); the biggest of the remaining QB starters in the playoffs is seventh in USD history to surpass 2,000 passing yards in a season; his father Todd was a QB who spent the 1997-2010 seasons in the NFL
QB Reese Poffenbarger, UAlbany (6-0, 208)
Matchup: No. 5 seed UAlbany (10-3) at No. 4 seed Idaho (9-3), 10 p.m. ET Saturday (ESPN+)
Stat Line: 223 of 387 (57.6), 3,030 yards, 33 TDs, 10 INTs; 150 rush yards, 5 TDs
Notable: Second-team All-CAA QB has thrown the most TD passes (33) and accounted for the second-most total TDs (38) in the FCS; No. 7 in the FCS in passing yards and one of only eight to reach 3,000 this season; runner-up for the 2022 Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman of the year)
QB Gevani McCoy, Idaho (6-2, 185)
Matchup: No. 4 seed Idaho (9-3) vs. No. 5 seed UAlbany (10-3), 10 p.m. ET Saturday (ESPN+)
Stat Line: 205 of 311 (65.9%), 2,593 yards, 14 TDs, 8 INTs; 190 rush yards, 2 TDs
Notable: Received the 2022 Jerry Rice Award and has gone on to become the first-team All-Big Sky quarterback as a sophomore; leads the conference in passing efficiency (145.7); among remaining QB starters in playoffs, ranks highest in passing yards per game (235.7) and total yards of offense per game (253)