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Mike's early Big 12 quarterback rankings for 2026. His top 16 quarterbacks ranked from worst to first, including Drew Mestemaker, Noah Fifita, Avery Johnson, Bear Bachmeier, and more.
Now that the spring games are over, we have a little better idea of who is going to show up under center for the first snap of the season for most teams. Only six starters from the 16 Big 12 teams retain their starters from last year.
Nine more imports started for their schools last year. Three of those started for other schools within the conference. That leaves Kansas as the only team to promote someone from within who did not start last year. Texas Tech will have to promote from within, thanks to the Big 12 helping push out transfer Brendan Sorsby. Will Hammond will have to work back from an ACL tear at hyperspeed even to give the Red Raiders a chance this year.
Below, find out where key Big 12 signal-callers like Conner Weigman, Drew Mestemaker, Bear Bachmeier, Noah Fifita, Avery Johnson, and Alonza Barnett III stand, among all others.
16. Isaiah Marshall, Kansas
2025 stats: 100% completion, 28 passing yards, zero passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, 160 rushing yards, zero rushing touchdowns
Marshall wasn't even the backup for Kansas as a freshman last year. Cole Ballard was. Ballard lost out on the job to Marshall this spring, but it felt like the competition was close. Marshall's job is not that secure.
Marshall showed good shift as a runner last year, but we didn't see much of his arm. Maybe it was by design. Maybe Lance Leipold had plans for Marshall taking over the team after Jalon Daniels was done.
It's hard to get that excited here. Daniels had a very promising freshman year, but injuries took much of the middle of his career. Kansas squandered his senior season with a lack of talent around him.
Marshall was a three-star recruit out of high school in 2024 and the 14th-ranked dual-threat QB in the class. This is the kind of player Leipold can work with, and did in his years at Buffalo.
Kansas brought in two really good Go5 receivers in Nik McMillan (Buffalo) and Nahzae Cox (Middle Tennessee State) to replace Lawrence Arnold.
The Jayhawks don't have much NIL funding and are among the few schools that spend more on basketball than on football. We are seeing the effects of that. It's unfortunate because the renovations done to The Booth are impressive. If only the team that plays in it could be as well...
15. Jaylen Raynor, Iowa State
2025 stats (Arkansas State): 66.5% completion, 3,361 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 423 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns
I watch a lot of college football every week, including games from what snobs consider "lesser conferences." I'm very familiar with Raynor's game. So are Iowa State fans. Raynor piled up more than 300 yards of offense on them in an upset bid in Jonesboro last September.
When Matt Campbell answered Penn State's (desperate) call, the new staff was left scrambling with a lot of the portal well picked over.
Raynor has skills. He's shown flashes of brilliance, particularly in the upset of Appalachian State at the end of the regular season last year. He also makes a lot of questionable throws. The Southern Miss loss is all on Raynor's shoulders.
Iowa State doesn't have a single starter on offense returning from last year, and only three starting defenders were on the team last season. There will be a lot of learning on the fly in Ames this season.
Raynor does have the skills to succeed in a Jimmy Rogers offense. There is some unproven talent around him. This could be a trying year for Iowa State, but I've been waiting to see Raynor on a Power 4 team since the portal became the Wild West. It was just a matter of time.
14. JC French IV, Cincinnati
2025 stats (Georgia Southern): 63.8% completion, 2,929 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, eight interceptions, 315 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns
I'm a big fan of what French brings to the table. I may be low on him here, but the Big 12 is quietly loaded at the QB position in 2026. French isn't a burner on the ground, but he's good enough to keep defenders honest, and he's not afraid of contact.
Five observations from the #Bearcats 10th spring practice:
1. Quarterback JC French IV had another strong day, showing great accuracy on this TD pass to Larenzo Fenner.
“He’s got a big arm and gets it out quick,” said WR coach Vijay Stingley. “Our receivers love catching his… pic.twitter.com/r1QVc63h2I— Dan Hoard (@Dan_Hoard) April 7, 2026
The arm is better than most think. Word out of spring football is that French dazzled with Oklahoma transfer JV Gibson. They could be an electric duo in the Big 12 this year.
The Bearcats got some help on defense and look at least capable on offense. This team faded down the stretch last year. If French can succeed where Sorsby didn't, the Bearcats could finish near the top of the conference.
13. Michael Hawkins Jr., West Virginia
2025 stats (Oklahoma): 55.6% completion, 167 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, 58 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown
Hawkins wanted to play for Oklahoma, but the staff kept bringing in others (Jackson Arnold and John Mateer) to box him out. Hawkins got some playing time due to injuries, but he didn't wow the staff.
I'm forever haunted by the 2024 Texas game. Hawkins made his first start as a true freshman, and the Texas D destroyed him ... and likely his confidence.
It wasn't his fault. The Oklahoma line couldn't protect him. It's unfair to expect a freshman to thrive in that environment behind a bad line. It made sense for Hawkins to move on when Mateer elected to stay in Norman. There is reason to believe that I have Hawkins ranked too low.
Some guy named Rich Rodriguez is the coach at West Virginia again. He has turned dual-threat quarterbacks into stars, most notably Pat White at West Virginia.
You can draw some parallels between White and Hawkins. Hawkins will finally get his chance to prove that he belongs in major college football. The leash will be short (Scotty Fox Jr. played well down the stretch last year), so I decided against ranking Hawkins higher.
12. Jaden Craig, TCU
2025 stats (Harvard): 61.5% completion, 2,869 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions, 78 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns
How often does a Harvard graduate wind up at TCU? Craig set multiple school records for the Crimson in 2025 and decided to give his football career one more chance now that he has a degree.
Craig wasn't as loose with the ball as the previous TCU QB, Josh Hoover, but this is a different level of competition. I'm not that worried. The dude graduated from Harvard. His brain should work well enough to pick up blitzes.
To put this in perspective, Craig threw 12 interceptions in his entire career at Harvard. Hoover threw 13 in 2025 alone. A quarterback who takes care of the ball is a must in a Sonny Dykes offense.
The Jaden Craig experience at Harvard. I can't wait to see what he does at TCU with a great supporting cast. pic.twitter.com/GpJWA37BJQ
— Drew Collings (@DrewMCollings) April 16, 2026
Jordan Dwyer returns to Fort Worth. He was excellent last year alongside Eric McAlister. Jeremy Scott comes in from South Alabama to help ease the loss of McAlister.
This is a situation where you either trust Dykes and his offense or you don't. Craig has the tools to succeed at TCU, but the team didn't help him out much from the portal.
TCU thinks it has enough, but after seeing what Texas Tech, BYU, and Oklahoma State have done, it's hard to have a lot of confidence in that.
11. DJ Lagway, Baylor
2025 stats (Florida): 63.2% completion, 2,264 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 136 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown
No one epitomizes "sophomore slump" more than DJ Lagway. 2025 was a forgettable season for him and Florida as a whole. The only thing left for Lagway to do was start over.
So, he packed up and moved to Waco. Dave Aranda has had some solid QB play for Baylor, but if he can turn Lagway into anything resembling the prospect that he was coming out of Willis, Texas, he'll be a cult hero.
Despite Lagway's constant and consistent struggles, there is still talent in that arm. Many of us were wrong on Lagway in the summer of 2025, and this throw shows why.
DJ LAGWAY CANNON 🚀🚀🚀@GatorsFB pic.twitter.com/QbvLMdRWXr
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) September 8, 2024
There are maybe 25 college quarterbacks who can make that throw. Not all of them have Lagway's skill set.
Baylor hit the portal to give Lagway targets. Gavin Freeman (Oklahoma State) and Dre'lon Miller (Colorado) join Louis Brown IV to form a talented but unproven WR room.
There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding this Baylor team, but Aranda has built the defense into a monster. If Lagway can cut down on the mistakes, the Bears could make some noise.
10. Cutter Boley, Arizona State
2025 stats (Kentucky): 65.8% completion, 2,160 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 85 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns
It's easy to look at Boley's stats and dismiss him compared to other quarterbacks in this conference. That 2025 Kentucky team was not a good one. Boley needs to cut down on turnovers, but the situation in Tempe is going to be a lot better than the one he left in Lexington.
8️⃣ -> 3️⃣@cutterBoley x @reedharris05 pic.twitter.com/tKPECDb23H
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) April 5, 2026
Kenny Dillingham has proved to be a great coach in his time at Arizona State. If you believe in a coach, you believe in the players he brings in. People doubted Curt Cignetti, too. Dillingham doesn't have the money that Indiana does, but Tempe is still a good landing spot.
The RB room is a little bare, but both Kyson Brown and Demarius Robinson were solid when they played last year. Colorado's Omarion Miller and Boston College's Reed Harris will join Derek Eusebio to try to match the production of Jordyn Tyson.
The best thing that could have happened to Arizona State was for Sam Leavitt to get hurt in the last part of the season. We got to see what the team could do even without him. That should help the confidence of the 2026 iteration of the Sun Devils.
9. Julian Lewis, Colorado
2025 stats: 55.3% completion, 589 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, -35 rushing yards, zero rushing touchdowns
Lewis started the last two games of the 2025 season. They were both losses, but don't blame Lewis. He didn't turn it over. Colorado was a lost cause in 2025, but those of us paying attention aren't out on Coach Prime or the Buffs.
When you lose the kind of talent that Colorado did from 2024 to 2025, a dropoff is expected. I would have liked to see more of Lewis earlier last year after it was obvious that he was better than Kaidon Salter, but Coach Prime had a plan and stuck to it.
It should make Lewis better in 2026. The offensive line was once again terrible, and it could have destroyed Lewis' confidence. Colorado got some help on the line this year, but more importantly, it got help at receiver.
Julian Lewis to Danny Scudero for the TD...beautiful 🥲 pic.twitter.com/ONXOfLU7cH
— LockedOnBuffs (@LockedOnBuffs) April 11, 2026
San Jose State's Danny Scudero was excellent last year. That clip of Lewis to Scudero this spring is going to be commonplace in Boulder this year. Colorado also added DeAndre Moore Jr. from Texas to go with Scudero and incumbent Joseph Williams.
There is a lot to like about this offense. If Alabama transfer Richard Young can give Colorado the run game it has lacked since Deion Sanders got there, this is a team that can make some noise.
8. Alonza Barnett III, Central Florida
2025 stats (James Madison): 58.4% completion, 2,806 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, eight interceptions, 589 rushing yards, 15 rushing touchdowns
Barnett wasn't even the starter for James Madison at the beginning of 2025. Former UNLV QB Matt Sluka was. Barnett was expected to miss at least half the season with an ACL tear. Instead, he worked his way back and took the job from Sluka in September.
All he did was lead James Madison to the CFP. Not bad for a guy who was expected to miss the first two months of the season.
Those of you who remember Scott Frost's first tenure in Orlando know how he built that team and what he did for QB McKenzie Milton. He has a lot more to work with in Barnett, who was already a star before coming to UCF.
The Knights are a team in flux with many transfers. The steady hand of a CFP veteran at quarterback can only help.
7. Devon Dampier, Utah
2025 stats: 63.5% completion, 2,490 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns, five interceptions, 835 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns
There is only one reason that I have Dampier this low. Utah had several packages for Byrd Ficklin last year. That likely continues this year under Morgan Scalley. Ficklin could put a big dent in Dampier's output compared to others ranked above him.
‼️DOMINANT DAMPIER WITH AN UNREAL GAME‼️
😱450+ Yards (310 Passing & 148 Rushing)
😱5 TDs
❌ Interceptions
Devon Dampier Highlights vs. Nebraska 🎬#Big12FB | @Utah_Football pic.twitter.com/F9LYSSVUpk— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) January 1, 2026
That said, Dampier put up 458 total yards and accounted for five touchdowns in Utah's Las Vegas Bowl win over Nebraska last year.
The Utes return RB Wayshawn Parker and WR Creed Whitmore. They added Utah State's Braden Pegan at receiver. This team was rolling until a loss to Texas Tech last year.
Dampier battled several minor injuries down the stretch. If he can stay healthy in his senior season, the Utes have a chance at the CFP. Can you imagine if the Holy War helps decide a CFP berth? Better yet, what about a Holy War rematch in the Big 12 Championship? It could happen!
6. Conner Weigman, Houston
2025 stats: 65.2% completion, 2,705 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions, 700 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns
2025 was Weigman's first year as a starter, and he proved that he wasn't just a runner and a gimmick. He has a good arm as well.
Not over this QB1 performance 🤯
👀292 Total Yards
👀4 TDS
👀 27/36 Passing
❌ INT
Conner Weigman Highlights vs. LSU in the 2025 Kinder's Texas Bowl 🎬#Big12FB | @UHCougarFB pic.twitter.com/LakbsGPyqB— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) December 28, 2025
Weigman is a proven double threat. Houston went out and grabbed Oregon State's Trent Walker to pair with Amare Thomas. The receiving corps is arguably better than last year, and the addition of former Tulane standout Makhi Hughes is huge for Houston.
I don't see a fall-off in 2026. For those of you pining for a look at Keisean Henderson, you may not see much of him after September. With Weigman, Houston has CFP aspirations.
5. Avery Johnson, Kansas State
2025 stats: 59.8% completion, 2,385 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, six interceptions, 477 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns
On the surface, Johnson regressed last season. The whole team did, so I'm not sure this was only an Avery Johnson problem. On the bright side, Johnson did limit the turnovers and slightly raise his completion percentage.
The bad news is that the line still couldn't protect him, the run game couldn't do enough to give him space, and his receivers outside of Jayce Brown were underwhelming.
The worst news is that the Wildcats didn't do much to help ... if you only look at the roster. Brown is gone, but Joe Jackson returns. Missouri's Josh Manning will try to replace him. Isaiah Williams followed Collin Klein to Manhattan.
The receivers will be improved, but the biggest addition is the coach. Klein starred at Kansas State from 2009 to 2012, leading the Wildcats to a 7-0 start in 2011 and a 10-0 start in 2012 in his first year as a starter.
Klein was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2012, leading the Big 12 with 317 rushing attempts (which is still a K-State record). Judging by Klein's work at A&M and his skills as a runner in college, he's the perfect tutor for Johnson.
IF Avery Johnson return’s to Kansas State in 2026 which I believe is in his best interest, he can develop under a guy who had a similar game to him.
Collin Klein had 55 rushing TDs in college.
He’s developed guys like Skylar Thompson, Will Howard, & now Marcel Reed. https://t.co/BveJayYLSO
— Garrett Armbrust (@4thandsaturday) December 5, 2025
Johnson has long been compared to Klein. It started in his freshman season in 2023 when he was mostly used as a running option behind Will Howard (yes, THAT Will Howard). This is by far the best situation of Johnson's college career. Can he capitalize on it?
4. Will Hammond, Texas Tech
2025 stats: 63.3% completion, 680 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns, three interceptions, 299 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns
The Sorsby saga in Lubbock is finally over. I can understand the school trying to get those most out of their alleged $5 million investment, but at some point, you need to let it go. That point what when it was abundantly clear that Sorsby not only bet on his team, but bet on games that he played in.
That is the universal DO NOT CROSS line in sports. Pete Rose and Joe Jackson would be in the Hall of Fame if they hadn't crossed that line. Fighting after that made Texas Tech look bad.
We have to separate Will Hammond from that mess. It's not his fault. The Red Raiders only went after Sorsby because Hammond tore his ACL in late October last year and was not expected to be ready until at least the middle of 2026.
Tech was going to let Hammond take his time in recovery and let Sorsby have a chance to enhance his draft stock. It seemed like a win-win proposition for both sides. Instead, it turned into a PR disaster and Tech is coming out looking much worse than they did going in. That's on them, not on Hammond.
With Brendan Sorsby’s departure, Will Hammond is now the likely starting QB for Texas Tech this fall 🌵
Hammond was a 4🌟 recruit in the class of 2024 and is heading into his junior season.
He accounted for 1,499 total yards and 16 total TDs the past two years backing up Behren… pic.twitter.com/eMcn0g6kao
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) June 16, 2026
Hammond was always expected to be the next step after Behren Morton. We all got a glimpse of what could be when Hammond completed the win over Utah in Salt Lake City last September after Morton went down.
The ACL tear put a damper on things. Word out of Lubbock is that Hammond has progressed well from his injury and could be ready to start before the end of September. That leaves at least the first two games in question.
Honestly, those games were in question anyway. Tech agreed to a two-game suspension for Sorsby to start the season. The games against Abilene Christian and Oregon State will be handled by either Lloyd Jones III, who only played a few snaps against West Virginia after a knee injury cost him most of last year, and Tulsa transfer Kirk Francis.
Jones was the 11th-ranked dual threat QB in the class of 2025. Francis had moderate success at Tulsa, throwing for 3,045 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in parts of three seasons.
We need to keep an eye on when Hammond returns. If Tech rushes him back and he's not ready, it could collapse the entire 2026 season. If Hammond isn't ready to go by the Houston game on September 18, it could result in one loss...which has been enough to hold Big 12 teams out of the CFP.
3. Noah Fifita, Arizona
2025 stats: 64.3% completion, 3,228 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, six interceptions, 216 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns
Fifita quietly had a good 2025 without Tetairoa McMillan for the first time since seventh grade after struggling in 2024. Fifita had a career-high in yardage and touchdowns, and tied a career low in interceptions in 95 more attempts. It's safe to say it was a successful season.
Noah Fifita being short is just depressing man
Such a special talent at QB pic.twitter.com/5xyYz4cqom
— Big Hank (@HankKnowsBall) May 1, 2026
If you are asking why Fifita isn't in the NFL yet, the above post mentions it. He is only 5-foot-10, which is a big red flag, according to NFL scouts and GMs. The arm talent is there. His 2025 campaign proves that.
Fifita isn't one of the best pro prospects in this conference, but we aren't judging by pro prospects. We're ranking by which player will have the better season in 2026.
Arizona lost a lot of production on offense with Ismail Mahdi, Kris Hutson, Javin Whatley, and Luke Wysong moving on. Kedrick Reescano was the leader of the backfield by November of last year, and Arizona brought in some transfers at receiver.
The Wildcats return enough starters to be dangerous. If they can get the same type of production from transfers, they should hang around in the Big 12 race.
2. Bear Bachmeier, BYU
2025 stats: 64.9% completion, 3,033 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions, 527 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns
I feel like Fifita, Johnson, and Weigman are known commodities. Any improvement over the last couple of seasons likely won't be significant. In the case of the top two quarterbacks on my list, both excelled as freshmen and are in the same systems heading into 2026.
Bear Bachmeier finds Reggie Frischknecht in the end zone on day 8 of BYU Spring Camp. pic.twitter.com/PNLArFWMQy
— Casey Lundquist (@casey_lundquist) March 18, 2026
Every report out of BYU's spring camp about Bachmeier was glowing so bright it was radioactive. Many were high on him before the season last year, but this year feels different. BYU returns enough that many feel it is CFP-bound in 2026.
Bachmeier became the first BYU freshman quarterback to do just about everything. Taysom Hill was the gold standard, but by the end of September, we all knew that we were seeing something at BYU that hadn't been done before.
Bachmeier gets LJ Martin back at running back. Kyler Kasper from Oregon will try to replace Chase Roberts at WR. The Cougars beefed up the defense and are a strong bet for a third consecutive 11-win season.
1. Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
2025 stats (North Texas): 68.9% completion, 4,379 passing yards, 34 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions, 89 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns
Full disclosure: I was going to have Mestemaker at the top even before the Sorsby news. Mestemaker led FBS in passing yards last year and was tied for second in touchdown passes.
You can say that it wasn't against good competition (are we really sure that the ACC was that much better than the AAC last year?). I disagree. The main concern is that Mestemaker's worst game came in the biggest game.
So what? He was a freshman who didn't start a game in high school. Mestemaker still led FBS in passing yards as a true freshman.
Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker is set for a breakout year with the Cowboys.
+ Rocket of an arm
+ Excellent velocity on passes
+ Amazing pocket presence
+ Decisive. Progresses through reads quickly
+ Mobile enough to extend the pocket
- How will he translate to the… pic.twitter.com/p5pLcyHeaw— Drew Collings (@DrewMCollings) May 18, 2026
Sure, Oklahoma State has plenty of issues. The only holdovers from last year's lost-at-sea team are DL Jaleel Johnson and CB LaDainian Fields. You can argue that those two were as good as any defensive players that North Texas had last year.
Did we mention that Mestmaker's coach at North Texas replaced Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State? Stud running back Caleb Hawkins and leading receiver Wyatt Young followed Mestemaker and Eric Morris to Stillwater.
All in all, Oklahoma State has a whopping 85 new players this year. It isn't just the good North Texas players who followed. Former Ball State standout Justin Bowick came in at receiver. Ayo Adeyi rejoins Morris after a year at James Madison.
This is a team of transplants in Oklahoma State uniforms, but these are some really good transfers. As for Mestemaker, his coaches and his star offensive players are still together, just in a different uniform.
