2023 College First-Down Rate per Dropback Leaders

College play-by-play before 2025 does not record where passes went, so depth, direction, ACE and throw maps start in 2025. Counting stats are the official NCAA season lines.

The share of dropbacks that produced a first down or touchdown, including scrambles.

The 2023 leaders: Jayden Daniels (45.5%), J.J. McCarthy (44.7%), Dillon Gabriel (42.8%).

First-Down Rate per Dropback

Minimum to rank: 15 pass attempts per team game (the NCAA's minimum for passing efficiency). 123 players.

Rk	Player	Pos	Team	Att	Dropbacks	1D%
1	Jayden Daniels	QB	LSU	327	332	45.5%
2	J.J. McCarthy	QB	MICH	287	304	44.7%
3	Dillon Gabriel	QB	OU	384	348	42.8%
4	Bo Nix	QB	ORE	435	435	42.3%
5	Kyle McCord	QB	OSU	348	354	42.1%
6	Carson Beck	QB	UGA	399	404	42.1%
7	Kaidon Salter	QB	LIB	266	266	41.4%
8	Michael Penix Jr.	QB	WASH	467	462	40.0%
9	Jordan McCloud	QB	JMU	380	388	39.7%
10	Noah Fifita	QB	ARIZ	295	301	39.5%
11	Joey Aguilar	QB	APP	427	424	39.4%
12	Dequan Finn	QB	TOL	317	314	38.9%
13	Dylan Hopkins	QB	UNM	282	260	38.8%
14	Quinn Ewers	QB	TEX	351	347	38.6%
15	Josh Hoover	QB	TCU	299	283	38.5%
16	Jayden Maiava	QB	UNLV	318	311	38.3%
17	Jaxson Dart	QB	MISS	319	330	38.2%
18	Preston Stone	QB	SMU	344	328	38.1%
19	Jaylen Raynor	QB	ARST	255	266	38.0%
20	DJ Uiagalelei	QB	ORST	315	319	37.9%
21	Jalen Milroe	QB	ALA	261	293	37.9%
22	Caleb Williams	QB	USC	388	403	37.2%
23	Haynes King	QB	GT	354	334	37.1%
24	Tyler Van Dyke	QB	MIA	333	333	36.9%
25	Sam Hartman	QB	ND	301	310	36.8%
26	JT Daniels	QB	RICE	287	283	36.7%
27	Jack Plummer	QB	LOU	370	376	36.7%
28	John Rhys Plumlee	QB	UCF	227	219	36.5%
29	Seth Henigan	QB	MEM	442	449	36.3%
30	Diego Pavia	QB	NMSU	341	350	36.3%
31	Michael Pratt	QB	TULN	283	295	36.3%
32	Garrett Greene	QB	WVU	254	233	36.1%
33	Brady Cook	QB	MIZ	349	361	36.0%
34	TJ Finley	QB	TXST	385	396	35.9%
35	Drew Allar	QB	PSU	349	349	35.8%
36	Graham Mertz	QB	FLA	357	372	35.8%
37	Jordan Travis	QB	FSU	324	333	35.7%
38	Carter Bradley	QB	USA	326	336	35.7%
39	Rocco Becht	QB	ISU	329	317	35.3%
40	Gunnar Watson	QB	TROY	402	417	35.3%
41	Will Howard	QB	KSU	358	372	35.2%
42	Chandler Morris	QB	TCU	202	192	34.9%
43	Kurtis Rourke	QB	OHIO	307	303	34.7%
44	Brett Gabbert	QB	M-OH	188	197	34.5%
45	Frank Harris	QB	UTSA	336	346	34.4%
46	Garrett Shrader	QB	SYR	214	221	34.4%
47	Taulia Tagovailoa	QB	MD	437	442	33.9%
48	Jacob Zeno	QB	UAB	379	396	33.8%
49	Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi	QB	CSU	470	464	33.8%
50	Grayson McCall	QB	CCU	224	234	33.8%
51	Chevan Cordeiro	QB	SJSU	333	345	33.6%
52	Andrew Peasley	QB	WYO	241	244	33.6%
53	Taylen Green	QB	BOIS	212	206	33.5%
54	Chandler Rogers	QB	UNT	422	437	33.2%
55	Alan Bowman	QB	OKST	452	447	33.1%
56	Mikey Keene	QB	FRES	380	391	33.0%
57	Joe Milton III	QB	TENN	355	352	33.0%
58	Hank Bachmeier	QB	LT	269	274	32.8%
59	Devin Leary	QB	UK	343	354	32.8%
60	Brennan Armstrong	QB	NCSU	234	236	32.6%
61	E.J. Warner	QB	TEM	445	440	32.5%
62	Max Johnson	QB	TA&M	190	188	32.4%
63	Blake Shapen	QB	BAY	298	299	32.4%
64	Cam Fancher	QB	MRSH	308	318	32.4%
65	Emory Jones	QB	CIN	322	337	32.3%
66	Drake Maye	QB	UNC	425	441	32.2%
67	Spencer Rattler	QB	SC	399	435	32.2%
68	Cam Ward	QB	WSU	486	510	32.0%
69	Fernando Mendoza	QB	CAL	210	207	31.9%
70	Austin Reed	QB	WKU	470	465	31.8%
71	Davis Brin	QB	GASO	510	529	31.8%
72	Cooper Legas	QB	USU	213	222	31.5%
73	Luke Altmyer	QB	ILL	270	295	31.5%
74	Donovan Smith	QB	HOU	396	416	31.2%
75	Shedeur Sanders	QB	COLO	430	471	31.0%
76	Rocky Lombardi	QB	NIU	298	302	30.8%
77	Will Rogers	QB	MSST	237	244	30.7%
78	Mitch Griffis	QB	WAKE	207	223	30.5%
79	Cade Klubnik	QB	CLEM	413	421	30.4%
80	Brendan Sorsby	QB	IU	236	247	30.4%
81	AJ Swann	QB	VAN	196	201	30.3%
82	Anthony Colandrea	QB	UVA	246	259	30.1%
83	Jalen Mayden	QB	SDSU	314	325	29.8%
84	Hudson Card	QB	PUR	365	377	29.7%
85	Byrum Brown	QB	USF	400	430	29.5%
86	Darren Grainger	QB	GAST	336	342	29.5%
87	Brayden Schager	QB	HAW	525	540	29.3%
88	Ben Bryant	QB	NU	243	253	29.2%
89	Connor Bazelak	QB	BGSU	241	253	29.2%
90	Cole Snyder	QB	BUF	372	332	29.2%
91	Tommy Castellanos	QB	BC	312	305	29.2%
92	Tanner Mordecai	QB	WIS	274	278	29.1%
93	Keegan Shoemaker	QB	SHSU	419	423	29.1%
94	Billy Wiles	QB	USM	290	297	29.0%
95	Dante Moore	QB	UCLA	213	230	28.7%
96	Jase Bauer	QB	CMU	287	279	28.7%
97	Athan Kaliakmanis	QB	MINN	294	308	28.6%
98	Bryson Barnes	QB	UTAH	229	232	28.4%
99	Kedon Slovis	QB	BYU	266	271	28.4%
100	KJ Jefferson	QB	ARK	296	331	28.4%

More 2023 College Quarterback Leaderboards

EPA per Dropback Success Rate Total Passing EPA Total QB EPA (Passing + Rushing) Explosive Pass Rate Negative-Play Rate EPA per Dropback, Excluding Garbage Time NFL Passer Rating Completion % Yards per Attempt Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt Adjusted Yards per Attempt Net Yards per Attempt Yards per Completion Touchdown % Interception % TD:INT Ratio Sack % Passing Yards per Game Pass Attempts per Game Passing Yards Passing Touchdowns Completions Pass Attempts Interceptions Thrown Sacks Taken Passing First Downs 20+ Yard Completions 40+ Yard Completions Longest Completion 300-Yard Passing Games 4-Touchdown Games Wins as Starter 3rd-Down Conversion Rate Red Zone Touchdown Rate Clutch EPA per Dropback Clutch Passer Rating Two-Minute Drill EPA per Dropback Game-Winning Drives 4th-Quarter Comebacks Quarterback Rushing Yards Quarterback Rushing EPA Quarterback Rushing Yards Excluding Sacks NCAA Passing Efficiency QB Sneak Conversion Rate Touchdowns Responsible For Total Yards (Passing + Rushing)

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