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Top 25 College Football Quarterback Rankings For Week 12
The media is so desperate to give the Heisman Trophy, even though none have risen high above the rest. What makes a better quarterback? Is it passing stats? Rushing stats? Wins? I know that the quarterback is the face and the leader of the team, but he is only one of 22 starters, and one of probably 40 players who see regular playing time. Wins seem like a stat that shouldn’t fall completely on the quarterback, good or bad. I don’t consider wins heavily in my rankings. Decision-making and taking care of the ball are factored, and that feels like enough.
You will see a lot of movement on this list from week to week. The stats on some of these quarterbacks are so close that an average week can knock them down several pegs. So can a bye week. It’s not a knock on your favorite quarterback. I don’t have a horse in this race. My quarterback hasn’t come close to making this list. I’m not hating on your team’s quarterback. I promise. I also have no issues giving love to quarterbacks at smaller schools who are doing great things. You won’t see that on ESPN! The Group of 5 is well represented on this list.
25. Jayden Maiava, USC
Last week: NR
Result: 24-33, 299 yards, 2 TD, INT; 4 carries, 10 yards, TD
Season totals: 178-269, 2,614 yards, 17 TD, 6 INT; 38 carries, 113 yards, 6 TD
Maiava followed up a career-worst day against Nebraska with a good one against Northwestern to get him back on the list. Maiava also has 72 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns in the last two games. The Trojans are encouraging him to run a little more like he did with UNLV in 2023.
24. Haynes King, Georgia Tech
Last week: 24 ⇔
Result: BYE
Season totals: 158-219, 1,888 yards, 9 TD, 2 INT; 133 carries, 754 yards, 14 TD
King still leads FBS with 14 rushing touchdowns. He showed his passing ability before the bye. We’ll see Tech back in action this week against a bad Boston College team that just got gutted by SMU.
23. Colton Joseph, Old Dominion
Last week: 21 (⇓2)
Result: BYE
Season totals: 142-230, 2,231 yards, 19 TD, 9 INT; 106 carries, 620 yards, 9 TD
It’s hard to rate Joseph because he’s elite as a runner. He’s a good passer, but sometimes still makes the bad decisions that result in turnovers. We love guys that take care of the ball, but 28 touchdowns are hard to argue with.
22. Josh Hoover, TCU
Last week: 22 ⇔
Result: 34-50, 319 yards, TD, 2 INT; 1 carry, 11 yards
Season totals: 219-335, 2,690 yards, 23 TD, 8 INT; 36 carries, 15 yards, 2 TD
Hoover threw a season-high 50 passes in the loss to Iowa State. It was his fourth 300-yard game of the season in a losing effort. TCU is better when they are balanced, but that hasn’t always been possible.
21. Taylen Green, Arkansas
Last week: 20 (⇓1)
Result: BYE
Season totals: 171-274, 2,372 yards, 19 TD, 8 INT; 107 carries, 649 yards, 6 TD
Green’s rushing ability keeps him on the list. He has at least 40 rushing yards in all but the Auburn game. The Hogs are back in action this week against LSU.
20. Conner Weigman, Houston
Last week: NR
Result: 20-31, 223 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT; 22 carries, 82 yards
Season totals: 168-259, 2,113 yards, 18 TD, 7 INT; 121 carries, 409 yards, 9 TD
The rushing touchdowns get Weigman on this list despite a rougher passing game against Central Florida. We’re in the range where we put our high turnover/high upside players. These will fluctuate more than most. Weigman still has 27 total touchdowns on the season. He should be on this list.
19. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
Last week: 18 (⇓1)
Result: BYE
Season totals: 230-366, 2,780 yards, 26 TD, 7 INT; 39 carries, 13 yards, 2 TD
Robertson is still tied for the FBS lead in passing touchdowns after his bye week. He slips to fifth in yardage, but a couple of those in front of him either don’t have the touchdowns or have more turnovers. Baylor is back in action against Utah this week.
18. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
Last week: NR
Result: 18-29, 264 yards, 3 TD; 6 carries, 31 yards
Season totals: 179-258, 2,040 yards, 15 TD, 2 INT; 77 carries, 321 yards, 7 TD
Stockton gives Georgia a different look than Carson Beck did. He’s a better runner, and he takes much better care of the ball. Beck was plagued by turnovers at times, and that hasn’t changed with his change of uniforms. Georgia and its fans would much rather have fewer passing touchdowns and fewer turnovers since Stockton makes up for it on the ground.
17. Bryson Barnes, Utah State
Last week: NR
Result: 20-27, 288 yards, 3 TD; 9 carries, 40 yards
Season totals: 154-236, 2,096 yards, 17 TD, 3 INT; 113 carries, 407 yards, 7 TD
Barnes went nuts on Nevada in the three quarters or so that he was in there. He hasn’t run as much lately, but the Utah State offense still runs through Barnes.
16. Evan Simon, Temple
Last week: 17 (⇑1)
Result: 15-25, 157 yards, TD; 5 carries, 18 yards
Season totals: 158-254, 1,847 yards, 22 TD, INT; 63 carries, 199 yards, 2 TD
Simon thrives by taking care of the ball, but he also doesn’t take the risks that Joe Fagnano does. Still, something can be said for 22 touchdowns and only one interception, regardless of where he’s throwing. Simon has still attempted at least 20 passes in all but the Howard game.
15. Avery Johnson, Kansas State
Last week: 10 (⇓5)
Result: BYE
Season totals: 167-273, 1,991 yards, 16 TD, 4 INT; 81 carries, 343 yards, 7 TD
Johnson has become the run game with Dylan Edwards likely playing his last down for Kansas State around a month ago. Joe Jackson is a good compliment, but Johnson has taken to the ground more often with a lot of success.
14. Alonza Barnett III, James Madison
Last week: NR
Result: 14-24, 270 yards, 3 TD, INT; 12 carries, 32 yards
Season totals: 137-223, 1,786 yards, 16 TD, 4 INT; 75 carries, 396 yards, 10 TD
Barnett’s numbers have suffered a little because of the rotation between him and Matthew Sluka over the first three games of the season. Barnett has taken the job and run with it. Barnett takes care of the ball and is sneaky-good on the ground if the defenses don’t account for him.
13. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
Last week: 13 ⇔
Result: 20-29, 221 yards, 2 TD; 5 carries, 29 yards
Season totals: 157-252, 2,193 yards, 19 TD, 6 INT; 69 carries, 378 yards, 6 TD
It was a workmanlike performance from Reed, much like that of Trinidad Chambliss. The Aggies didn’t need to run Reed like they have had to do since Le’Veon Moss went down. It was a good move to save Reed until they really need him.
12. Jalon Daniels, Kansas
Last week: 11 (⇓1)
Result: 15-29, 199 yards, TD; 14 carries, 74 yards, TD
Season totals: 175-269, 2,190 yards, 21 TD, 3 INT; 102 carries, 345 yards, 3 TD
It was another subpar passing day for Daniels, but he’s not turning it over, and he’s still making plays with his legs. The Kansas receivers aren’t what they have been over the last couple of years, but Daniels is making the best of what he has. If he could have had this kind of year in 2024, Kansas might have won the Big 12. It has been a special season for Daniels.
11. Noah Fifita, Arizona
Last week: 14 (⇑3)
Result: 16-31, 158 yards, 2 TD; 13 carries, 25 yards
Season totals: 182-285, 2,200 yards, 23 TD, 4 INT; 75 carries, 109 yards, 3 TD
Fifita does less with his legs, but he has accounted for 26 total touchdowns and only turned it over four times. He’s the steadying hand for the Arizona offense. Arizona is bowl-bound after a terrible 2024 season. Fifita still has another year of college left. I’m curious to see if his growth can continue into his senior season. If it does, he could be a fringe first-round pick in the 2027 draft.
10. Trinidad Chambliss, Mississippi
Last week: 12 (⇑2)
Result: 29-33, 333 yards, 3 TD
Season totals: 169-264, 2,356 yards, 13 TD, 2 INT; 99 carries, 434 yards, 6 TD
Ole Miss didn’t run Chambliss in this one since they didn’t need to. They let him show off his passing skills and exit stage right in an easy win. The stats of Chambliss may not quite be up to those around him, but it is worth noting that he has started two fewer games than everyone else.
9. Drew Mestemaker, North Texas
Last week: 5 (⇓4)
Result: BYE
Season totals: 214-310, 2,702 yards, 21 TD, 4 INT; 39 carries, 51 yards, 4 TD
It was a bad time for a bye week for Mestemaker. He’s still ninth in FBS in passing yards, but a couple of big performances by others have passed him by. He’ll get back at it against UAB this week.
8. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Last week: 7 (⇓1)
Result: 27-33, 303 yards, TD, INT
Season totals: 203-251, 2,491 yards, 24 TD, 4 INT; 25 carries, 21 yards
It was an average performance against a below-average team, but Sayin still completed more than 80% of his passes. I feel like he doesn’t get enough credit for that. It’s not like Sayin is just unwilling to throw it away and save his percentages. He’s just that accurate, and he has really good receivers who catch anything near them. Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are as responsible for Sayin’s great completion percentage as he is.
7. Darian Mensah, Duke
Last week: 4 (⇓3)
Result: 22-31, 222 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT; 5 carries, 3 yards
Season totals: 224-321, 2,794 yards, 24 TD, 4 INT; 36 carries, -64 yards
The two interceptions are what knocked Mensah down the list. That and otherworldly games by Diego Pavia and Byrum Brown. We said the margins between many of these players are very thin. Mensah’s first multi-turnover game as a Blue Devil knocked him out of the top 5 this week. He’ll have a chance to get back in against Virginia this week.
6. Byrum Brown, South Florida
Last week: 8 (⇑2)
Result: 14-15, 239 yards, 2 TD; 9 carries, 109 yards, TD
Season totals: 168-260, 2,203 yards, 19 TD, 6 INT; 129 carries, 705 yards, 9 TD
The 28 total touchdowns move Brown into third place in FBS. He has only committed one turnover in the last three games, so he’s also moving up the list in a hurry. The 705 rushing yards trail only Haynes King among non-service academy quarterbacks. His performance against UTSA was nearly flawless.
5. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
Last week: 19 (⇑14)
Result: 25-33, 377 yards, 3 TD; 18 carries, 112 yards, TD
Season totals: 191-273, 2,440 yards, 21 TD, 5 INT; 117 carries, 613 yards, 7 TD
For the second consecutive week, Pavia has a new career high in passing yards. This is also the first time that he has thrown for 300 yards in back-to-back games. Not only that, but he ran for over 100! This was against a vaunted Auburn defense that has made headlines by limiting strong offenses. Is it me, or does it feel like the ESPN hype train spurned Pavia into these performances? They started hyping him up in earnest after the Missouri game. Since then, Pavia has 742 passing yards, 155 rushing yards, six passing touchdowns, and two rushing touchdowns…all without committing a turnover.
4. Ty Simpson, Alabama
Last week: 6 (⇑2)
Result: 21-35, 277 yards, TD; 4 carries, 8 yards
Season totals: 198-296, 2,461 yards, 21 TD, INT; 55 carries, 87 yards, 2 TD
It comes down to what we value more: touchdowns or taking care of the ball. Taking care of the ball is a very big deal (Simpson did lose a fumble in this one). The job Simpson has done of not putting the ball in danger is impressive. Even in the inexplicable loss to Florida State, Simpson didn’t turn the ball over. He has only gotten better since then.
3. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
Last week: 2 ⇔
Result: BYE
Season totals: 144-237, 2,064 yards, 21 TD, 2 INT; 73 carries, 453 yards, 8 TD
A bye week brought Sorsby down a touch. The 29 total touchdowns are still second in FBS, and Sorsby has fewer turnovers than Fernando Mendoza. He also runs better than Joe Fagnano. These top three are closer than you think.
2. Joe Fagnano, Connecticut
Last week: 3 (⇑1)
Result: 27-39, 311 yards, 3 TD; 6 carries, 51 yards
Season totals: 236-343, 2,840 yards, 25 TD; 41 carries, 142 yards, 2 TD
Come on, we all knew that Fagnano was going to move up the list against Duke’s pass funnel defense. He was as-advertised with another interception-free day and 311 passing yards. Fagnano has at least three touchdown passes in five straight games. He’s still throwing at will. Do you realize what we’re seeing here? Not throwing an interception with at least 28 passing attempts in every one of those games is an insane stat. No interceptions and being second in FBS in passing yards is also an insane stat! The fact that even a tipped ball hasn’t found an opposing corner or safety is impressive, so I feel comfortable with Fagnano here. He’s very close to the top slot!
1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Last week: 1 ⇔
Result: 19-30, 218 yards, TD, INT; 6 carries, 20 yards, TD
Season totals: 181-254, 2,342 yards, 26 TD, 5 INT; 56 carries, 240 yards, 5 TD
It was a second straight lackluster week for Mendoza, but he still holds the top spot. That’s how far ahead of the field Mendoza was. He is now tied for the FBS lead in touchdown passes with 26, but he leads the FBS with 31 total touchdowns. The turnovers aren’t a problem yet, but they are allowing others to close the gap.
