2026 college football QB rankings: CBS Sports ranks top tiers for Power 4 starters

In football, everything starts with the quarterback. And that’s never more apparent than in college football, where the quarterback is by far the single-most significant position on the field on every team.

And with the 2026 college football season expected to feature one of the most loaded quarterback classes in recent memory, CBS Sports‘ David Cobb decided to break down all 68 Power Four QBs into tiers, and then rank each of them within their designated tiers ahead of upcoming season.

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Of course, any list of 2026 college football QBs begins with high-profile signal-callers such as Texas‘ Arch Manning and Oregon‘s Dante Moore, both of whom are already locked in a stiff competition to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft after bypassing April’s draft to return to college. But there are plenty of other talented QBs vying to establish themselves among college football’s elite this season.

With that in mind, let’s get into CBS Sports’ ranking of all 68 Power Four quarterback separated by tiers:

Heisman Candidates

1. Dante Moore, Oregon
2. Arch Manning, Texas
3. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
4. Darien Mensah, Miami
5. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
6. C.J. Carr, Notre Dame
7. Jayden Maiava, USC
8. Josh Hoover, Indiana

Cobb’s top tier features only the best of the best among this year’s QB class, including eight legit contenders to win the 2026 Heisman Trophy. But he begins with a slight surprise at No. 1, where Cobb goes with Moore over Manning due to Oregon’s elite returning talent in 2026. Of course, Manning isn’t without his own talent, especially after landing star WR Cam Coleman out of the transfer portal.

Beyond the top two, Cobb turns to two of the most exciting dual-threat QBs from last season in Chambliss and Mensah, the latter of whom transferred to Miami from Duke in late January. They are followed by a trio of second-year starters in Sayin, Carr and Maiava, each of whom are expected to be the centerpieces of three College Football Playoff contenders. Last but hardly least is Hoover, a former TCU transfer set to take over in Bloomington for the defending national champion Hoosiers.

All-Conference Veterans

1. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
2. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
3. Brendan Sorsby, Texas Tech
4. CJ Bailey, NC State
5. Noah Fifita, Arizona
6. Kevin Jennings, SMU
7. Demond Williams, Washington
8. Conner Weigman, Houston

Cobb’s second tier features a list of eight QBs that have already established themselves as stars in their respective conferences and now look to become national championship contenders. Leading that charge is Stockton, who led the Bulldogs to back-to-back SEC titles but hasn’t done much in the Playoffs.

Reed is a dual-threat talent that is on the cusp of a true breakout season in College Station, while Sorsby looks to put his NCAA troubles behind him after this week’s injunction and become this year’s Fernando Mendoza. Bailey, Fifita, Jennings, Williams and Weigman are all experienced, multi-year starters who have the potential to turn heads across the sport and lead their respective teams to the Playoffs in 2026.

Proven and Predictable

1. Devon Dampier, Utah
2. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
3. Drake Lindsey, Minnesota
4. Avery Johnson, Kansas State
5. Beau Pribula, Virginia
6. Ryan Browne, Purdue

This tier is full of talented QBs that have already proven themselves as reliable playmakers on their respective teams but aren’t entering the 2026 season with extremely lofty expectations. Leading this list is Dampier, who established himself as an elite dual-threat talent in 2025 but will be working within a new offensive system after the Utes’ offseason coaching overhaul.

Iamaleava received a much-needed fresh start in 2025 after transferring from Tennessee, but has work to do to live up to his former 5-star status. Lindsey, Johnson and Browne also struggled through down years in 2025 but have more than enough talent to take that next step, while Pribula enters 2026 with his third team in as many seasons and is still seeking to establish himself as a truly elite quarterback.

Internal Promotions

1. Chris Vizzina, Clemson
2. KJ Jackson, Arkansas
3. Alessio Milivojevic, Michigan State
4. Cole Ballard, Kansas
5. Jeremy Hecklinski, Iowa

Every QB in this tier is finally taking the reins as QB1 after several years of waiting in the wings, beginning with Clemson’s Vizzina, who takes over for longtime starter Cade Klubnik. Jackson saw limited action as a redshirt freshman in 2025 and gets the nod under new Razorbacks head coach Ryan Silverfield.

Miliovojevic closed out last season as the Spartans’ starter and returns under new offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, who spent the past two seasons at Alabama. Meanwhile, Ballard and Hecklinski are still competing to be the guy at Kansas and Iowa, respectively, but both have multiple years within the system and are widely expected to open the season as QB1.

Sophomore Stars

1. Bear Bachmeier, BYU
2. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Cal
3. Bryce Underwood, Michigan
4. Malik Washington, Maryland
5. Mason Heintschel, Pitt

The 2025 true freshman class featured several talented QBs that were thrown to the wolves and more than rose to the challenge in Year 1 with their respective programs. But none more than Bachmeier, a former 3-star prospect that led the Cougars to 12 wins following an offseason shakeup at the position.

Wins were a lot more difficult to come by for the rest of the rookie QBs on this list, but Keawe-Sagapolutele shined brightest among the field after combining for nearly 3,500 yards passing in 2025. Meanwhile, Underwood, the No. QB in the 2025, Washington and Heitschel are looking to build upon last season’s success after each flashed elite potential as true freshman.

Reunited Transfers

1. Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State (via North Texas)
2. Byrum Brown, Auburn (via USF)
3. Rocco Becht, Penn State (via Iowa State)
4. Ethan Grunkemeyer, Virginia Tech (via Penn State)
5. Aaron Philo, Florida (via Georgia Tech)
6. Gio Lopez, Wake Forest (via North Carolina)
7. Michael Hawkins Jr., West Virginia (via Oklahoma)

As is the case in the portal era, the 2026 offseason saw massive coach and player movement, with multiple signal-callers following their former head coaches to new opportunities at bigger schools. Of course, Mestemaker shines brightest after bringing his FBS-leading 4,379 passing yards with him to Oklahoma State where he reunites with former North Texas coach Eric Morris.

Brown does the same at Auburn after combining on nearly 4,200 total yards and 42 touchdowns in Alex Golesh’s system last season at USF, while Becht brings experience and plenty of Iowa State talent to Penn State along with new coach Matt Campbell. Philo, Lopez and Hawkins are each trying to revive their careers in new locals with familiar playcallers.

Returning from Injury

1. Sam Leavitt, LSU
2. Steve Angeli, Syracuse
3. Billy Edwards, North Carolina
4. Davis Warren, Stanford

This foursome is full of talent and potential, but each is coming off season-ending injuries that have derailed their once-promising careers. Leavitt (foot) leads the group by default after signing with LSU and new head coach Lane Kiffin as the No. 1 overall transfer in the portal in January.

Angeli, a former transfer himself, returns after an Achilles injury ended his 2025 season after opening the year on a 3-1 start for the Orange. Edwards and Warren are both looking to bounce back in a new spot after missing all of 2025 recovering from knee injuries.

High Ceiling, Low Floor

1. John Mateer, Oklahoma
2. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
3. Anthony Colandrea, Nebraska
4. DJ Lagway, Baylor
5. Julian Lewis, Colorado

Every quarterback in this particular tier has the talent to be elite game-changers, and several have even proven that on the national stage at various times throughout their careers. But for one reason or another it hasn’t quite worked out for them yet, but maybe 2026 is their year to shine.

Mateer was earning Heisman Trophy buzz in early 2025 before a thumb injury in September derailed those aspirations, though he did manage to do enough to get Oklahoma into the CFP. Sellers is another potential Heisman contender but hasn’t been able to take that next step in his development. Colandrea and Lagway are both special prospects that needed a change of scenery, while Lewis is entering Year 2 under Colorado coach Deion Sanders still looking to live up to the recruiting hype.

Tantalizing Potential

1. Austin Simmons, Missouri
2. Lincoln Kienholz, Louisville
3. Keelon Russell, Alabama
4. Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State
5. Jared Curtis, Vanderbilt
6. Faizon Brandon, Tennessee

Every quarterback in this tier is brimming with serious untapped potential as highly-ranked prospects that haven’t yet had a chance to shine but are in systems that are known to produce elite QBs. Simmons leads the way after joining forces with Mizzou’s Eli Drinkwitz following a disappointing 2025 where injuries allowed Chambliss to overtake him as Ole Miss’ starter.

Kienholz gets a new opportunity under Louisville’s Jeff Brohm after being beaten out at Ohio State by Sayin last season. Russell is still competing with Austin Mack to be the Crimson Tide’s starter but presents special talent as the No. 2 QB in the 2025 class, while the four-star Taylor officially takes the reins after playing a bit role as a freshman in 2025. Curtis and Brandon are five-star 2026 signees vying to be this year’s freshmen sensations with SEC rivals Vanderbilt and Tennessee, respectively.

New Power Four Additions

1. Katin Houser, Illinois (via East Carolina)
2. Jaden Craig, TCU (via Harvard)
3. Alonza Barnett III, UCF (via James Madison)
4. Colton Joseph, Wisconsin (via Old Dominion)
5. Walker Eget, Duke (via San Jose State)
6. Jaylen Raynor, Iowa State (via Arkansas State)
7. JC French, Cincinnati (via Georgia Southern)
8. Mason McKenzie, Boston College (via Saginaw Valley State)

All eight of the quarterbacks in this particular tier are making the jump to the Power Four ranks after starring at lower levels, be it the Group of Six, FCS or Division II. Houser is back in the Big Ten after a one-year stint in the American Conference following two years at Michigan State.

Craig and Barnett join the Big 12 after shining in the Ivy and Sun Belt, respectively, where they helped reset their former team’s record books. Jospeh, Eget, Raynor and French each got called up to the big leagues as replacements after their team’s former starters hit the portal this offseason. Meanwhile, Boston College is hoping its found the next Chambliss in McKenzie, a former D-II Player of the Year.

Opportunity Beckons

1. Cutter Boley, Arizona State
2. Kenny Minchey, Kentucky
3. Alberto Mendoza, Georgia Tech
4. Aidan Chiles, Northwestern
5. Ashton Daniels, Florida State
6. Dylan Lonergan, Rutgers

This final tier is full of talented transfers that have either been limited by opportunity or troubling track records at previous stops. Boley leads the way as the most proven of the bunch after joining a potent Sun Devils offense following a rollercoaster 2025 within Kentucky’s struggling offense last season.

Minchey steps in as Boley’s replacement in Lexington under new Wildcats head coach Will Stein, the former Oregon offensive coordinator, after backing up Carr at Notre Dame last season. Mendoza, the younger brother of 2025 Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza, takes over at a reloading Georgia Tech, while Chiles gets another shot in the Big Ten after a difficult experience with the Spartans. Daniels and Lonergan are well-traveled former prospects on their last shots at success.