CBS Sports shakes up Top 25 QB rankings after Week 14 of College Football

After a long and winding road, the 2025 College Football regular season has finally come to an end. It came and went faster than we expected.

With the postseason on the horizon, CBS Sports released its final Top 25 quarterback rankings. The rankings are headlined with the three favorites for the Heisman Trophy: Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, and Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker snuck in between that trio at No. 3 after a phenomenal season in the American Conference. With head coach Eric Morris jumping to Oklahoma State, Mestemaker could be one of the most coveted names in the Transfer Portal if he makes the decision to enter.

The entire 1-25 rankings are below:

1. Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt)

After an offseason of claiming that he would be the best quarterback in college football and that Vanderbilt would be one of the best teams in the country, Vanderbilt‘s Diego Pavia absolutely backed up everything he said. Pavia ranks No. 1 on CBS Sports‘ end-of-season quarterback rankings after passing for 3,192 yards (program single-season record), 27 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He also rushed for 826 yards and nine more scores.

With Pavia at the helm, Vanderbilt compiled a 10-2 regular season record, its best in program history. Maybe more than anybody in recent college football history, Pavia helped completely change the perception of Vanderbilt Football. After being thought of as an afterthought since James Franklin departed in 2013, the Commodores are now hauling in massive recruits (such as Jared Curtis) as they look to become one of the SEC’s powers in the NIL era.

2. Julian Sayin (Ohio State) +1

In his first season as Ohio State‘s starting quarterback, sophomore quarterback Julian Sayin led the reigning National Champions to an unblemished 12-0 record. This included the program’s first win over rival Michigan in ‘The Game’ since 2019. Sayin passed for 3,065 yards, 30 touchdowns, and just five interceptions this year with the help of two of the sport’s premier wide receivers (Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate).

“Maybe he doesn’t look different to you, but the guy who played against Texas and the guy who came off that field on Saturday (in Ann Arbor) looked like two different people to me,” head coach Ryan Day said on Tuesday. Sayin has evolved across the season and dominated teams in Big Ten play. He should be one of multiple players present at the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

3. Drew Mestemaker (North Texas)

North Texas‘ Drew Mestemaker was the best Group of Five quarterback in the sport and has a chance to lead the Mean Green to a College Football Playoff appearance with a victory over Tulane in the American Conference Championship Game on Saturday. Mestemaker led the nation in passing this season with 3,835 yards, 29 touchdowns, and just four interceptions.

With the aforementioned head coach Eric Morris heading to Oklahoma State, it wouldn’t quite be a surprise to see Mestemaker make the jump to Power Four football next year. But for now, the freshman arm has an opportunity to cement his name in the history books of North Texas football forever on Saturday.

4. Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) +1

Just like Julian Sayin, Fernando Mendoza led his program to both the Big Ten Championship and the College Football Playoff in his first season as the starting quarterback. Mendoza, a transfer from Cal, replaced Kurtis Rourke and was even better for Curt Cignetti‘s Hoosiers. In 12 games, the Miami native passed for 2,758 yards, 32 touchdowns, and just five interceptions.

“It would be an honor,” Mendoza told The Hoosier about potentially being named the Heisman Trophy winner. “But honestly, I can’t control those things. I can’t control who gets invited, who gets nominated, who wins. So right now, I’m just trying to make the most of my present moment and enjoy it.”

5. Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss) +8

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was one of the best stories in all of college football this season. Chambliss, who transferred in from Ferris State, assumed starting duties from Austin Simmons on Sept. 13 and never looked back. Chambliss, who played in all 12 of Ole Miss‘ games this season, passed for 3,016 yards, 18 touchdowns, and just three interceptions. He also rushed for 470 yards and six more scores.

Chambliss has the Rebels sitting at 11-1 ahead of their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. Although Lane Kiffin departed for LSU and won’t be coaching the program through the CFP, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. will reportedly continue calling plays for the Rebels. This is massive for Chambliss, who looks to lead Ole Miss to its first National Championship since 1962.

6. Byrum Brown (USF) +3

Senior quarterback Byrum Brown was extremely productive for the USF Bulls this season, passing for 3,158 yards, 28 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He was also a terror to bring down, rushing for 1,008 yards and 14 more scores. With Brown at the helm, USF recorded its best regular season since 2017 (9-3) and earned head coach Alex Golesh an SEC job at Auburn.

Brown departs USF with two of the best seasons in program history. After passing for 3,292 yards in 2023 (most in a single season in USF history), he reached 3,158 this year (second most in a single season in USF history). His 28 passing touchdowns are also now the most in a single season in program history.

7. Joe Fagnano (UConn) +3

Led by head coach Jim Mora, UConn recorded its second consecutive 9-3 regular season. Senior quarterback Joe Fagnano was crucial in the program’s success, which led Mora to jump to Colorado State prior to the Huskies’ bowl game. Fagnano was one of the most efficient arms in the sport, passing for 3,441 yards, 28 touchdowns, and just one interception.

Fagnano’s 3,441 passing yards this season are the second-most in a season in program history, just behind ESPN‘s Dan Orlovsky‘s 3,485 in 2003. Thanks to his stellar efficiency, Fagnano is more than likely to latch on somewhere either during or after the NFL Draft.

8. Dante Moore (Oregon) +3

Led by quarterback Dante Moore, the Ducks are on track to make the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive season. Moore has been floated as one of the best NFL prospects in the sport, passing for 2,733 yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions this season. His offensive coordinator, Will Stein, was hired as the head coach at Kentucky earlier this week, but he will continue to call plays for the Ducks throughout the CFP.

“His accuracy has been solid all season, and he shows good touch on his deep ball,” NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. “Moore can throw from different arm angles with precision and delivers strikes while rolling either left or right out of the pocket. He can scramble a bit, too.”

9. Ty Simpson (Alabama) -2

Things started off rough for Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson this season, but he evolved into one of the best quarterbacks in the country following the Tide’s shocking season-opening loss to Florida State. After suffering that loss to the Seminoles, Alabama won 10 of its last 11 games to close the regular season with a 10-2 record. In 12 games this season, Simpson passed for 3,056 yards, 25 touchdowns and just four interceptions. In their five games against ranked opponents (4-1), Simpson threw for 10 touchdowns to just two interceptions.

“There’s things he can keep getting better at, just staying within himself,” head coach Kalen DeBoer said about Simpson earlier this season. “That’s really the key with him, just stay within himself and not try to do too much. When he does that, he stacks plays, he stacks first downs. Sooner or later, we’re in the end zone. I think there’s still a lot of room for improvement, and the sky’s the limit for him.”

10. Marcel Reed (Texas A&M) -8

Led by superstar quarterback Marcel Reed, Texas A&M is off to its first appearance in the College Football Playoff in program history. Reed passed for 2,932 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season, but dropped eight spots following a disappointing 0 TD-2 INT performance against rival Texas. Reed has also rushed for 466 yards and six more touchdowns.

In the Aggies’ comeback victory against South Carolina two weeks ago, Reed passed for a season-high 439 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. They trailed the Gamecocks 30-3 at halftime but outscored them 28-0 in the second half, stealing a 31-30 win. It marked the biggest comeback victory in program history, led by Reed’s stellar second half, which cemented him as one of the top QB’s in the sport.

No. 11-25

11. Haynes King (Georgia Tech) -5
12. Gunner Stockton (Georgia) -8
13. Noah Fifita (Arizona) -1
14. Devon Dampier (Utah) -1
15. Jayden Maiava (USC) -1
16. Bear Bachemeier (BYU)
17. CJ Carr (Notre Dame)
18. Carson Beck (Miami)
19. Darian Mensah (Duke) +6
20. Arch Manning (Texas) -1
21. Behren Morton (Texas Tech) +1
22. Kevin Jennings (SMU) +1
23. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (Cal) +26
24. CJ Bailey (NC State) +5
25. Conner Weigman (Houston) +7