2023 Top 10 Devy Quarterbacks

The first question you might be asking yourself is, “What is Devy?”

Simply put, “devy” is short for “developmental.” Devy is a specific format of dynasty fantasy football that allows managers to draft college players and keep them as they enter the NFL. This is a format that is beginning to gain some momentum as dynasty leagues continue to gain popularity.

We have ranked over 400 players as devy prospects. Most devy leagues do not draft more than 75 players in a given year, but we wanted to make sure you were fully prepared for the deepest of leagues. This article is the beginning of a series in which I provide deeper analysis of my top 10 prospects at each position.

I’m excited to be taking over the Devy fantasy football content for Fantasy Points. First up: the 2023 quarterbacks.

If you are interested in our full rankings (400+ prospects), Fantasy Points subscribers can find them here: 2023 Fantasy Football Devy Rankings - QB.

2023 Devy QB Rankings

1. Caleb Williams | USC

HT: 6’ 1” WT: 220 lbs

Draft Eligible: 2024

Strengths

• Excellent mobility

• Exceptional arm strength

• Creative playmaker

Analysis

Caleb Williams is the NFL QB archetype with his creativity, mobility, and arm strength. He first stepped into the limelight with an unforgettable performance versus Texas, leading Oklahoma back from a 28-7 deficit to win 55-48 in the 2021 Red River Rivalry.

After following HC Lincoln Riley to USC in 2022, he won the Heisman trophy as a true sophomore, throwing for 4,537 yards and 42 TDs while running for 382 yards and 10 TDs. Riley has coached two overall #1 picks in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. Williams will likely be his third, yet more closely resembles Jalen Hurts in his strengths and stature. He is the undisputed top devy asset regardless of position.

2. Drake Maye | UNC

HT: 6’ 4” WT: 225 lbs

Draft Eligible: 2024

Strengths

• Good arm strength

• Deep ball accuracy

• Exceptional athlete

Analysis

Drake Maye's combo of size, athleticism and arm talent will make him an NFL favorite. At 6’4” and 225 pounds, Maye is a former high-school basketball star whose athleticism jumps off the film. His numbers as a redshirt freshman were eye-popping, passing for 4,321 yards and 38 TDs while rushing for 698 yards and 7 TDs. Last year, he led the nation with a 97.5 deep passing grade and 45 big-time throws, according to PFF. He did all of this behind a pretty bad offensive line. I love everything about Maye’s game, and have confidence the NFL does too.

3. Quinn Ewers | Texas

HT: 6’ 2” WT: 204 lbs

Draft Eligible: 2024

Strengths

• Elite arm strength

• Versatile release point

• Early production

Analysis

Quinn Ewers is one of three quarterbacks ever to receive a perfect score from the 247 Sports recruiting service. Coincidentally, the other two are also Texas QBs — Vince Young and Arch Manning. Ewers began his Texas career flawlessly with an incredible start to the Alabama game before getting injured. Then, his encore was a magnificent performance versus Oklahoma. He showed off his ball placement skills, arm strength, and ability to make every throw in those two games.

However, Ewers really began to struggle against Oklahoma State as defenses started to confuse him with various looks and coverages. By the end of the year, it was evident that Ewers needed to spend more time in the film room and improve his footwork. The offseason results are positive to this point, but we are going to need to see in-game improvement if we are going to keep him at QB3 in our rankings. All that being said, his potential is through the roof if he can put it all together.

4. Cade Klubnik | Clemson

HT: 6’ 2” WT: 195 lbs

Draft Eligible: 2025

Strengths

• Pinpoint accuracy

• Anticipatory passer

• Good athlete

Analysis

I have fallen in love with Klubnik through his first year in college. In high school, he shined on the biggest stages, winning three consecutive state titles in the highest classification of Texas football, and MVP honors at the Elite 11, a prestigious camp for the top quarterbacks in the nation.

When he has time in the pocket, Klubnik delivers NFL-type throws with pinpoint accuracy. He doesn’t have a rocket for an arm, but he makes up for it by being one of the best anticipatory passers I have seen in a long time. He is a much better runner than most projected coming out of high school, but will need to add weight (he is expected to be 208 pounds by the time the season starts) if he wants to continue to run with us as much physicality as he does.

Klubnik needs to work on getting the ball out quicker and being more comfortable in the pocket despite playing behind a poor offensive line, ranked 96th in sack rate on passing downs. If he can improve those two things, then he will be one of the top QBs in the 2025 NFL Draft.

5. Nico Iamaleava | Tennessee

HT: 6’ 6” WT: 205 lbs

Draft Eligible: 2026

Strengths

• Arm talent

• Elite athlete

• High upside

Analysis

Nico Iamaleava is the highest-upside quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class. Early reports at Tennessee are that Iamaleava is as good as advertised. While his high school statistics are not overly impressive, his athleticism, arm strength, and exceptional upside are evident.

One of my keys to evaluating high school prospects is how they perform in all-star settings like the Under Armour game or Army All-American Bowl. It gives me an opportunity to see how these athletes perform against other top talents. Nico played in one of those games, the Polynesian Bowl, and really stood out among his peers, earning MVP honors.

There were two plays in the game that popped off the screen to me. The first was a 65-yard bomb (55 air yards) he made look so easy with a simple flick of the wrist, hitting his receiver perfectly in stride. The second was a 58-yard scramble down the right sideline, on which he pulled away from defenders with ease. With that type of arm strength and mobility at 6’6” and 205 pounds, the sky is the limit for Iamaleava in the Tennessee offense and beyond.

6. Drew Allar | Penn State

HT: 6’ 5” WT: 242 lbs

Draft Eligible: 2025

Strengths

• NFL arm
• Tireless worker
• Functional athleticism

Analysis

Drew Allar was the top quarterback in the 2022 recruiting class, according to 247. Allar will impress you with his arm and surprise you with his athleticism. He’s the ideal size for an NFL quarterback at 6’5” and 242 pounds. His ability to make both on- and off-platform throws to any place on the field is immediately noticeable.

However, Allar’s best quality, and the one that makes him stand out above the rest, is his work ethic. He is a tireless worker who has improved his footwork and throwing mechanics through sheer effort and repetition. It’s one thing to want to be great, but it’s a whole other thing to put in the work it takes to be great. Allar is that guy whose work ethic matches his desire. It wouldn’t be shocking for him to be the QB1 in the 2025 NFL Draft, though he, of course, has yet to make a Saturday start after backing up Sean Clifford for one year.

7. Arch Manning | Texas

HT: 6’ 4” WT: 212 lbs

Draft Eligible: 2026

Strengths

• Arm talent
• Pocket awareness
• Pedigree

Analysis

Arch Manning is one of the most popular — and polarizing — young names in all of sports. Many think he is rated highly simply because of the Manning name. In one sense, they are right. In another sense, he is very talented. Anyone who has done scouting at a high level will tell you pedigree matters. In fact, many of the top talents in sports today had parents who were fantastic athletes themselves (Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Patrick Mahomes, etc.).

They are successful for several reasons: genes, wisdom, training, and networking. When you are born into a family, sports or not, that is successful, you have a leg up, because you have the guidance and mentorship from people who know exactly what it takes to be great. Yes, Manning is extremely gifted and has all the physical tools, but he also has two uncles and a grandfather who know what it takes to have the highest level of success at the quarterback position. He will have every opportunity to succeed and be the top pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

8. Malachi Nelson | USC

HT: 6’ 3” WT: 180 lbs

Draft Eligible: 2026

Strengths

• Lincoln Riley’s future QB1
• Throwing mechanics
• Strong arm

Analysis

Caleb Williams is being touted as the top overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Nelson is next in line.

Lincoln Riley turned Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray into top overall picks in the NFL Draft. And While Jalen Hurts wasn’t the top overall pick, he has turned into one of the top quarterbacks in the entire league after working with Riley.

He is potentially the top passer in the 2023 recruiting class, with an elite arm but also the ability to throw the ball with touch when necessary. Nelson has enough mobility to extend plays, but looks to pass first when he is outside the pocket. Coming off shoulder surgery, he looked pretty rusty in the spring game, but it’s hard to envision Nelson being a bust in Riley’s system.

9. JJ McCarthy | Michigan

HT: 6’ 3” WT: 196 lbs

Draft Eligible: 2024

Strengths

• Live arm
• Good size
• Excellent mobility

Analysis

JJ McCarthy is best described as “toolsy.” He has the size, mobility and arm strength the NFL desires. When he is on top of his game, there are very few quarterbacks who have as high of a ceiling. He can make everything throw on the field while being rumored to run in the 4.5s.

Like Cade Klubnik, it feels like he needs to gain about 15 pounds to ensure he has the durability to succeed at the next level. Other than size, his biggest question mark is his decision-making. His playoff game versus TCU is an excellent example of both the good and bad you get with McCarthy. He completed 20 of 34 passes for 343 yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs. He also ran for 52 yards and a TD on 10 carries. The downside is those two interceptions turned into pick-sixes, and Michigan lost by six points.

If he can learn to protect the ball better and be more consistent with his accuracy, then the sky is the limit for McCarthy.

10. Kyle McCord | Ohio State

HT: 6’ 3” WT: 222 lbs

Draft Eligible: 2024

Strengths

• Ball placement
• Arm talent
• Good touch

Analysis

Kyle McCord battled CJ Stroud all the way through fall camp for the QB1 role at Ohio State as a true freshman in 2021. Though he ultimately lost the battle, his tools were evident at a young age.

Early in the 2021 season, Stroud was injured, giving McCord the opportunity to start versus Akron, and us the opportunity to get an extended look at what he brings to the table. He started out very nervous and erratic, but looked fantastic once he settled in. He completed 13 of 18 passes for 319 yards and 2 TDs. He showed off fantastic arm talent while also showing some finesse to his throws, with good touch and ball placement when necessary. Granted, he was throwing to three future first-round picks in Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

McCord’s biggest weakness is his lack of mobility, which ultimately could hinder his draft stock, considering how much the ability to extend plays is valued in the NFL currently.