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RotoBaller's top 25 college football quarterback rankings for Week 13 of the 2025 season, featuring Fernando Mendoza, Julian Sayin, Byrum Brown, and more.
Top 25 College Football Quarterback Rankings For Week 13
The media will give the Heisman Trophy to a quarterback, which is very disappointing. In a season where no quarterback is head-and-shoulders above the rest, maybe we can pay attention to other players, yeah? 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. If your quarterback moves down the rankings, 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. Anthony Colandrea, UNLV
Last week: NR
Result: 24-43, 276 yards, TD, INT; 12 carries, 29 yards, TD
Season totals: 202-301, 2,527 yards, 18 TD, 6 INT; 101 carries, 513 yards, 7 TD
Colandrea didn’t have a huge game against Utah State, but he got the win and recorded two more touchdowns. He also went over 3,000 yards of total offense, which is slowly becoming the threshold to make the list.
24. Demond Williams Jr., Washington
Last week: NR
Result: 16-19, 257 yards, 2 TD; 7 carries, 23 yards
Season totals: 199-274, 2,508 yards, 17 TD, 5 INT; 115 carries, 512 yards, 4 TD
Williams doesn’t have the touchdowns that some in front of him do, but he has only turned it over five times and has over 3,000 yards of offense. A clean and efficient game against Purdue keeps Washington in the hunt for a New Year’s Day bowl game.
23. Avery Johnson, Kansas State
Last week: 10 (⇓8)
Result: 15-28, 177 yards, TD, INT; 9 carries, 26 yards
Season totals: 182-301, 2,168 yards, 17 TD, 5 INT; 90 carries, 369 yards, 7 TD
It was a pedestrian performance against a struggling team, which is far from optimal for Johnson. If you ask him, he would rather have the win since it puts K-State in a position to get to a bowl game.
22. Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, Marshall
Last week: NR
Result: 22-27, 321 yards, 3 TD; 17 carries, 97 yards
Season totals: 149-219, 1,761 yards, 17 TD, 3 INT; 144 carries, 584 yards, 4 TD
This Marshall offense really took off when Del Rio-Wilson took over as the starter in Week 4. He has at least 60 rushing yards in all but the Middle Tennessee State game as a starter. His passing total last week was a season best, and he still ran for nearly 100 yards. Del Rio-Wilson has Marshall bowl-bound after a slow start.
21. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
Last week: 13 (⇓8)
Result: 22-39, 439 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT; 7 carries, 13 yards
Season totals: 179-291, 2,632 yards, 22 TD, 8 INT; 76 carries, 391 yards, 6 TD
Reed struggled in the first half against South Carolina, then put the team on his back in the second half. We take into account the whole game. Those interceptions tarnish the game as a whole, so despite the yards, those turnovers move Reed down.
20. Colton Joseph, Old Dominion
Last week: 23 (⇑3)
Result: 10-20, 147 yards, TD; 13 carries, 90 yards, 2 TD
Season totals: 152-250, 2,231 yards, 20 TD, 9 INT; 119 carries, 710 yards, 11 TD
Three touchdowns and no turnovers will vault you up this list in a hurry, especially when turnovers have been an issue for Joseph this year. He has six total touchdowns and no turnovers in the last two games, so that’s progress. Joseph didn’t even turn the ball over in Old Dominion’s win over Virginia Tech! Three of those interceptions were thrown in the opener against Indiana.
19. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
Last week: 19 ⇔
Result: 29-58, 430 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT; 4 carries, 1 yard
Season totals: 259-424, 3,210 yards, 29 TD, 9 INT; 43 carries, 14 yards, 2 TD
Robertson threw until his arm fell off against Utah. Yeah, the turnovers are a problem, but 31 total touchdowns are a lot more good than bad for the team. His 3,210 passing yards lead the FBS, and he is second to Fernando Mendoza in touchdown passes. The turnover misers have all been ranked. Now we’re left with the risk-takers and gunslingers.
18. Bear Bachmeier, BYU
Last week: NR
Result: 23-33, 296 yards, TD; 10 carries, 59 yards, TD
Season totals: 172-272, 2,177 yards, 13 TD, 4 INT; 115 carries, 479 yards, 10 TD
Bear has been everything that BYU could have dreamed of as a true freshman. The Cougars eased him into this offense, and he has grown in it. We saw more rushing touchdowns early on. He has thrown more lately, but has only one interception in the last month. Bachmeier looks playoff-ready if the committee decides to treat BYU fairly. Right now, the Big 12 deserves two teams in the CFP.
17. Jake Retzlaff, Tulane
Last week: NR
Result: 18-27, 241 yards, 2 TD, INT; 7 carries, 1 yard, TD
Season totals: 164-268, 2,195 yards, 12 TD, 4 INT; 94 carries, 557 yards, 11 TD
Retzlaff has been a force on the ground as well as through the air. With all of the chaos in the American, Retzlaff has Tulane in the running for the CFP with wins over East Carolina, Duke, and Northwestern. The only concern is that all four of the interceptions have come in the last four games.
16. Jalon Daniels, Kansas
Last week: 12 (⇓4)
Result: BYE
Season totals: 175-269, 2,190 yards, 21 TD, 3 INT; 102 carries, 345 yards, 3 TD
Despite the impressive season for Daniels, Kansas is in a position to play spoiler, and that’s it. They need to win either in Ames or against Utah to make a bowl game for Daniels to send him out right. Both of those are going to be tough games. If Kansas manages to snipe Utah, the Big 12 definitely doesn’t get three teams in, and may not get two.
15. Trinidad Chambliss, Mississippi
Last week: 10 (⇓5)
Result: 26-35, 301 yards, TD, INT; 11 carries, 10 yards
Season totals: 195-299, 2,657 yards, 14 TD, 3 INT; 110 carries, 444 yards, 6 TD
Chambliss has accounted for over 3,000 total yards despite not starting the first two games for the Rebels. He has the most yards of total offense of anyone in the last eight games. If you wanted to argue that he should be higher on this list, I can’t really disagree. However, he has only thrown for more than one touchdown once in the last five games. He’s lagging in touchdowns, and not just because he didn’t start two games.
14. Alonza Barnett III, James Madison
Last week: 14 ⇔
Result: 22-35, 303 yards, INT; 11 carries, 0 yards. 2 TD
Season totals: 159-258, 2,089 yards, 16 TD, 5 INT; 86 carries, 396 yards, 12 TD
The 28 total touchdowns keep Barnett firmly planted in the middle of this list. However, three of his five interceptions have come in the last three games. If the touchdowns stop, then what?
13. Noah Fifita, Arizona
Last week: 11 (⇓2)
Result: 23-31, 294 yards, TD
Season totals: 205-316, 2,494 yards, 24 TD, 4 INT; 84 carries, 98 yards, 3 TD
Fifita racked up some yards in the win over Cincinnati, but he only accounted for one touchdown. We’ll still give a slight edge to Julian Sayin for his otherworldly completion percentage.
12. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Last week: 8 (⇓4)
Result: 23-31, 184 yards, TD
Season totals: 226-282, 2,675 yards, 25 TD, 4 INT; 27 carries, 20 yards
Ohio State concentrated on getting the run game going against UCLA. Sayin had another solid day but failed to hit on 80% of his passes for the first time since the Illinois game in Week 7. The bum!
11. Bryson Barnes, Utah State
Last week: 17 (⇑6)
Result: 19-38, 256 yards, TD; 22 carries, 124 yards, TD
Season totals: 173-274, 2,352 yards, 18 TD, 3 INT; 135 carries, 531 yards, 8 TD
It was a solid passing day for Barnes, but his rushing stats really set him apart this week. Barnes went over 3,000 total yards on the season in this one, moving him up the list a little more. He has only turned it over three times to go with his 26 touchdowns.
10. Drew Mestemaker, North Texas
Last week: 10 ⇔
Result: 18-25, 298 yards, 2 TD; 3 carries, 5 yards
Season totals: 232-335, 3,000 yards, 23 TD, 4 INT; 42 carries, 56 yards, 4 TD
It was a methodical day for Mestemaker when the rest of the offense went wild. North Texas is doing what they need to do to make a playoff push. We’ll see more good numbers coming out of Denton in the next two weeks.
9. Darian Mensah, Duke
Last week: 7 (⇓2)
Result: 18-35, 213 yards, TD
Season totals: 242-356, 3,007 yards, 25 TD, 4 INT; 44 carries, -68 yards
Mensah struggled against Virginia, but he didn’t turn it over. That’s why he didn’t move down too far.
8. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
Last week: 5 (⇓3)
Result: BYE
Season totals: 191-273, 2,440 yards, 21 TD, 5 INT; 117 carries, 613 yards, 7 TD
Vanderbilt feasted on a cupcake in Week 1 (Charleston Southern), so they scheduled the SEC cupcake this week instead when Kentucky visits Nashville.
7. Ty Simpson, Alabama
Last week: 4 (⇓3)
Result: 28-42, 326 yards, TD, INT
Season totals: 226-338, 2,787 yards, 22 TD, 2 INT; 63 carries, 78 yards, 2 TD
Simpson threw for 326 yards on a good defense, but the touchdowns weren’t easy to come by. Thanks to huge days by a few of the guys in front of him, Simpson moves down the list a little bit. Touchdowns matter. You’ll see Simpson fly back up this list with Eastern Illinois (hey, Tony Romo went there) in Tuscaloosa.
6. Haynes King, Georgia Tech
Last week: 24 (⇑18)
Result: 26-34, 371 yards, TD; 15 carries, 53 yards
Season totals: 184-253, 2,259 yards, 10 TD, 2 INT; 148 carries, 807 yards, 14 TD
King is tied for fourth in FBS (with Jeremiyah Love) with 14 rushing touchdowns. He has 779 passing yards in the last two games, just in case you thought that he couldn’t pass. King threw for 2,842 yards in his first season at Georgia Tech (2023), but he also threw 16 interceptions. This year, he’s running more and making far fewer mistakes. Only two interceptions in 184 passing attempts are impressive.
5. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
Last week: 18 (⇑13)
Result: 24-29, 229 yards, 4 TD, INT; 6 carries, 29 yards, TD
Season totals: 203-287, 2,269 yards, 19 TD, 3 INT; 83 carries, 350 yards, 8 TD
So, you want to move up this list, huh? Take the Gunner Stockton approach. He scored five total touchdowns against Texas and has eight touchdowns to one turnover in the last two games. A lot of people get caught up in the yardage on these lists. I’m eyeing the three interceptions in 10 games with 27 touchdowns. That’s an impressive ratio. It’s not an accident that Georgia is 9-1 and all but a lock for the College Football Playoff.
4. Byrum Brown, South Florida
Last week: 6 (⇑2)
Result: 23-32, 327 yards, 2 TD, INT; 17 carries, 136 yards, 2 TD
Season totals: 191-292, 2,530 yards, 21 TD, 7 INT; 146 carries, 841 yards, 11 TD
We’ll forgive the turnover if Brown is going to keep scoring four touchdowns per game. Brown has at least 100 rushing yards in five straight games and six of the last seven. In the one game that he missed, he still had 82 yards and two touchdowns against North Texas. I know that no one will consider Brown for the Heisman since USF is out of playoff contention (that shouldn’t disqualify him, by the way), but South Florida wouldn’t even be a .500 team without him.
3. Joe Fagnano, Connecticut
Last week: 2 (⇓1)
Result: 15-23, 155 yards, INT; 1 carry, 10 yards. TD
Season totals: 251-366, 2,995 yards, 25 TD, INT; 42 carries, 152 yards, 3 TD
The streak of passes without an interception ended in the second quarter. It was a great run for Fagnano, but that doesn’t mean he’s done. He’s already got a career high in passing yards and completion percentage. Fagnano has 45 touchdowns to just five interceptions in two years starting for Jim Mora Jr. and the Huskies.
2. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
Last week: 3 (⇑1)
Result: 15-28, 154 yards, TD, 2 INT; 9 carries, 30 yards, TD
Season totals: 159-265, 2,218 yards, 22 TD, 4 INT; 82 carries, 483 yards, 9 TD
Sorsby turned it over twice, but he has been so careful with the ball throughout the year that it doesn’t hurt him much here. Fagnano didn’t score a touchdown this week, and his yardage total was low. That hurts in a week where we had some big performances.
1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Last week: 1 ⇔
Result: 22-24, 299 yards, 4 TD
Season totals: 203-278, 2,641 yards, 30 TD, 5 INT; 62 carries, 216 yards, 5 TD
Mendoza threw another four touchdowns against Wisconsin to extend his FBS lead in touchdowns to 35. This was another workmanlike and efficient day for Mendoza. This “Heisman moment” thing is way out of control. Can’t we just enjoy the whole body of work from Mendoza? If he had the game against Illinois now instead of in the middle of September, that would be a Heisman moment. Everyone forgot about it since Illinois is no longer ranked, and in this era of instant gratification, most people don’t remember nine minutes ago, let alone nine weeks.
