There is the quarterback (Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma) making his fourth appearance in the College Football Playoff. There is the quarterback (Joe Burrow, LSU) with a Heisman Trophy. There is the quarterback (Trevor Lawrence, Clemson) coming off a national championship. And there is the quarterback (Justin Fields, Ohio State) who produced 50 touchdowns in his first year as a college starter.

Saturday’s playoff semifinals are generating plenty of excitement, and the four players — two seniors and two sophomores — leading their respective teams under center are the No. 1 reason, dynamic playmakers entering this final four at their very best.

“I probably should go back and double-check all of them since the start, but I can’t imagine there’s been a better foursome, because all four are outstanding,” said ESPN/ABC analyst Todd Blackledge, who will call the No. 1 LSU-No. 4 Oklahoma contest Saturday in Atlanta. “And they’re playing at not just a high level, but an elite level. That’s the thing that makes it so interesting, is all four of them have played lights out.”

After a slow start, Lawrence took off late in the season, throwing 20 touchdown passes without an interception over the last six games. Burrow was brilliant from beginning to end, winning the Heisman by a record margin. After transferring from Alabama to Oklahoma, Hurts notched career-bests in touchdowns (50), passing yards (3,634) and rushing yards (1,255). And then there is Fields, who produced 3,424 total yards and guided Ohio State to the Big Ten title, though he is nursing a sprained knee he said Tuesday was 80-85 percent.

Burrow and Lawrence are more prototypical drop-back passers while Hurts and Fields are dual-threats, dangerous tucking the ball and taking off. But what makes all four unique is Burrow and Lawrence can also use their legs. Lawrence ran for 407 yards and seven touchdowns this year and Burrow ran for 289 yards and three scores. Hurts led the nation in yards per completion (16.3) and Fields was No. 1 in touchdown-to-interception ratio at a ridiculous 40:1.

“How about this: It’s four quarters in the game. Can I play one quarter with each of them?” Blackledge joked.

In the nightcap, No. 2 Ohio State faces No. 3 Clemson in a meeting of undefeated heavyweights. It will be the first time Lawrence and Fields, who grew up 30 minutes away from one another in northwest Georgia and finished No. 1 and No. 2 in the 2017 national rankings, face one another.

“That’s going to be a really fun game, because not only do you have those two, and you have two offenses that are really hitting on all cylinders, but it’s the two best defenses in the playoff as well,” Blackledge said. “Clemson’s defense, which has been amazing, because people thought there would be a drop-off with everything they lost, and their statistics this year defensively are even better than last year. They’re No. 1, Ohio State is No. 2. I don’t think Ohio State has faced a team the caliber of Clemson and Clemson hasn’t faced anybody like Ohio State.”

All four quarterbacks likely will play on Sundays, Hurts and Burrow next year, and Fields and Lawrence the season after that. Blackledge, who spent seven years in the NFL after playing at Penn State, was highest on Burrow and Lawrence, but thinks they all have a chance to be very successful at the next level. Even Hurts, who Blackledge believes needs the most development as a pure passer.

“However, we all see what Lamar Jackson is doing, and he’s going to probably be the MVP,” the analyst said. “There’s a place for a quarterback like that now that there was never before.”