Mel Kiper shakes up the top 10 QB rankings

The college football season is about halfway through, and that means NFL scouts and decision-makers have a large enough sample size to really dig deeper. This also includes ESPN Draftnik Mel Kiper Jr.

Ahead of Week 7 of the college football season, Kiper updated his Big Board and, with it, his top 10 quarterback rankings. And while they weren't drastic changes, there were some notable changes from last week.

Check out the full top 10 below.

Sanders still appears to be a top quarterback in 2024, although the offensive line continues to struggle with some issues. After a week off, the Gunslinger still leads the Big 12 in completion percentage and has the Buffaloes at 4-1.

And as long as Sanders continues to demonstrate that he has above-average arm talent and off-the-charts playmaking ability, he'll be at the top of this list. Showing even more structure could help solidify his status as the best quarterback in the class.

Alabama suffered a shocking upset over the weekend, but it didn't really impact Milroe's draft stock. And his play on Saturday wasn't really the problem.

He completed 18 of 24 for 310 yards and a touchdown. He did throw a pick-six early and had a late strip sack, but Milroe largely kept Alabama's offense moving forward and the Crimson Tide staying in the game while the defense struggled.

Miami came up big and it took a Herculean effort to avoid a surprise loss Saturday night. Enter Ward.

Ward completed 35 of 53 pass attempts for 437 yards and two touchdowns, as well as an interception, leading to a furious comeback victory. He also added a rushing touchdown for good measure.

Georgia is still in a good position to achieve its goals in 2024, with a loss in the conference not stopping the Bulldogs from reaching the conference championship game and more. But the offense probably needs to find a better form for that to happen.

And Beck will probably have to raise his level of play to make that happen. So far this season, Beck looks like a weaker version of the crisp, confident and clean passer who took the helm in 2023 – he's certainly been good, completing 65.8% of his passes with 12 touchdowns and three picks, but clearly has one other equipment he can reach.

The only thing that's gone wrong with Ewers this year is that his abdominal muscles decided to stop cooperating after an injury in Week 3, which put him on hold for weeks. But now he's ready to return and, hopefully for Texas, pick up where he left off.

In his limited draft this season, Ewers has been brilliant for the Longhorns. He has completed 73.4% of his passes for eight touchdowns and two interceptions in less than three complete games.

Penn State is undefeated and Allar's progress and the offense under a new coordinator are a big reason why. And the increase in production and flash has put Allar on the NFL's radar.

With all the physical ability NFL teams could ask for and more, Allar just had to put it all together on the field. So far, so good in 2024: He has completed 70.9% of his passes for 1,101 yards and nine touchdowns with one interception.

Dart was one of the most productive quarterbacks in the country for half a season and was more efficient than in previous years. As such, he already leads the SEC with 2,100 passing yards.

And indeed, there were few flaws in Dart's performance in the outstanding Ole Miss offense. However, NFL decision-makers likely have questions about how well he can function in a more professional offense.

When it comes to pure arm talent and the ability to attack all areas of the field, few quarterbacks in college football can hold a candle to Nussmeier. And the LSU offense is happy to utilize his talents.

He leads the SEC in attempts and completions and completes his passes at a rate of 69.7%. He also leads the league with 15 passing touchdowns but has thrown four interceptions. Nussmeier's comfort level and easy ability to work as a dropback passer make him an enticing talent at the next level, even if he does have some drawbacks.

Howard transferred to Ohio State and did little there other than run the offense efficiently and effectively. The biggest criticism of his game so far is that he looked strong, but against mostly inferior competition.

That will change in the Big Ten, and if Howard maintains anything close to his current performance, NFL teams will have to take notice. He completed a career-high 71.5% of his passes and rushed for 1,248 yards and 12 touchdowns as the Buckeyes got off to an undefeated start.

McCord was the crown jewel of the head coach's first offseason Fran Brown and the Orange treated the quarterback as such, releasing him for an FBS-leading 240 pass attempts. And it was a good decision to let McCord cook, as the Orange are 4-1.

McCord completed 64.2% of his passes for 1,814 yards and 17 touchdowns. He may lead the ACC with six interceptions, but that risk was definitely worth it for Syracuse.