USA Today shakes up Top 10 QB rankings ahead of Week 6 of college football

The 2025 college football season has officially turned the calendar to October after an exciting first full month of the regular season that has already seen plenty of sensational quarterback play. Of course, there’s also been plenty of disappointment and surprises through the first five weeks of the season, including two preseason Heisman Trophy favorites free-falling after some early-season struggles.

But as Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and Texas’ Arch Manning have seemingly fallen from the ranks among the game’s top quarterbacks, others like Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia have emerged to take their place. With that in mind, USA Today overhauled its list of college football’s Top 10 quarterbacks following an impactful Week 5 of the regular season that saw three Top 5 teams go down, including a new No. 1 QB.

Check out USA Today’s updated list of the Top 10 quarterbacks in college football entering Week 6:

1. Dante Moore, Oregon

After redshirting behind Dillon Gabriel last season, Moore exploded out of the gate in his first season as the Ducks’ QB1, including a sterling three-touchdown performance in Saturday’s 30-24 double-overtime road win at Penn State. Moore has thrown for 1,210 yards on 74.6% passing (100-of-134) with a 14-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio through five games this season.

USA Today: “In many ways, Moore is outplaying the standard set by Gabriel in his one year as Oregon’s starter. … Moore’s success has been a testament to his talent and Oregon’s forward-thinking succession plan heading into last season.”

2. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt

Ahead of Saturday’s much-anticipated rematch at Alabama, the Commodores’ superstar QB is must-see TV while leading Vandy to its first 5-0 start since 2008. Pavia is currently tied for the SEC lead with 15 total touchdowns, including 13 through the air, and ranks second among SEC quarterbacks with 294 rushing yards while averaging 301 total yards per game this season to rank fourth in the league.

USA Today: “No. 17 Vanderbilt’s strongest Heisman contender in the modern era, Pavia’s stock will continue to soar should he help pull off a second win against No. 11 Alabama in as many years.”

3. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

USA Today dropped Mendoza from its top spot after the Hoosiers QB threw his first interception in arguably his worst performance of the season, completing just 56.5% of his passes in last Saturday’s 20-15 win over Iowa. Still, Mendoza’s 16 passing touchdowns lead the Big Ten and are tied for second nationally, as is his 197.8 quarterback rating.

USA Today: “Mendoza drops two spots from last week after tossing his first interception and completing a season-low 56.5% of his attempts in No. 9 Indiana’s 20-15 win against Iowa.”

4. Carson Beck, Miami

Like Mendoza, Beck is coming off arguably his worst game of the season so far, completing just 56.7% of his passes along with a season-low 160-yard performance in last Saturday’s 26-7 win over rival Florida. But after throwing three interceptions over his past two games, Beck has an opportunity to bounce back nicely this Saturday in a Top 20 game against ACC rival Florida State.

USA Today: “After struggling in nasty conditions in an ugly win against Florida the last time out for the No. 2 Hurricanes, Beck gets a chance to rebound in a high-profile rivalry matchup with No. 19 Florida State.”

5. Ty Simpson, Alabama

Since struggling in the season-opening loss at Florida State, Simpson has rebounded nicely, including completing 89% of his passes in back-to-back wins against Louisiana-Monroe and Wisconsin. And while he came back to Earth in last Saturday’s upset at Georgia, Simpson still doesn’t have an interception and remains one of the SEC’s most efficient QBs, ranking second in the league with a 173.1 rating.

USA Today: “Simpson blitzed No. 10 Georgia’s pass defense with a pair of touchdowns through the first minute of the second quarter, setting the tone for a 24-21 win that essentially salvages the Crimson Tide’s season.”

6. CJ Carr, Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish’s first-year starting QB has responded well after opening the season with back-to-back losses against No. 3 Miami and No. 6 Texas A&M, completing 76.2% of his passes while throwing for 577 combined yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions in blowout wins over Purdue and Arkansas. Carr is coming off a career-high 354-yard, four-touchdown performance in Fayetteville.

USA Today: “The former five-star recruit is one of the brightest young stars in college football.”

7. Dylan Raiola, Nebraska

The Cornhuskers quarterback has emerged as one of the sport’s top passers in his second season in Lincoln, ranking second in the Big Ten, averaging 284.3 passing yards per game. Under Raiola’s direction, the Nebraska offense ranks second nationally in completion percentage (77.6%) and passing offense (351.8 ypg), and the Top 15 nationally in scoring (43.6 ppg) and total offense (496.5 ypg).

USA Today: “After getting battered by No. 20 Michigan’s pass rush, Raiola had an extra week to get ready for a friendlier matchup against Michigan State’s porous secondary.”

8. Julian Sayin, Ohio State

The former Five-Star Plus+ recruit, who transferred from Alabama following Nick Saban’s surprise retirement in January 2024, leads the nation with a 78.8 completion percentage through four games and ranks fourth nationally with a 189.8 quarterback rating. The season only gets tougher from here, but Sayin has proven he can compete with the best of them in wins over Texas and Washington.

USA Today: “While the coaching staff cut Sayin loose in games against Gramling and Ohio, the wins against the Huskies and No. 7 Texas saw OSU lean on a more balanced game plan that should play very well against the best teams in the Big Ten.”

9. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss

The former Ferris State transfer has splashed onto the national scene despite not even beginning the season as the Rebels’ starter, especially after leading Ole Miss to a 24-19 upset over LSU with 385 total yards. While filling in for an injured Austin Simmons, Chambliss has thrown for 974 yards and 4 touchdowns to go along with 245 rushing yards and two scores on the ground in the last three games.

USA Today: “Chambliss continues to be the Power Four’s breakout star after piloting the No. 4 Rebels to a 24-19 win against No. 13 LSU.”

10. Haynes King, Georgia Tech

While he’ll never be confused with a traditional, drop-back passer, the Yellow Jackets’ senior quarterback just gets it done while directing Georgia Tech to its first 5-0 start to a season since 2014. That includes combining for 349 total yards and three touchdowns in last Saturday’s 30-29 overtime victory over Wake Forest. If King continues to produce like that, Tech could end up in Charlotte playing for the ACC title.

USA Today: “King has been on point in leading the No. 16 Yellow Jackets to just the program’s fourth 5-0 start in 59 years. … King rounds out the list over Missouri’s Beau Pribula, Illinois’ Luke Altmyer and Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby.”