Caleb Williams ... Bryce Young ... C.J. Stroud ... Trevor Lawrence ... Justin Fields ... sometimes we know in advance who the best quarterbacks will be in a given season. Other times, however, it takes us a little while to figure things out. We headed into 2025 with far less known star power than usual, but even the guys we thought would shine -- Clemson's Cade Klubnik (fourth in the preseason top 100 players list), LSU's Garrett Nussmeier (eighth), Penn State's Drew Allar (17th), South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers (19th), Texas' Arch Manning (23rd), Florida's DJ Lagway (25th) -- laid a collective egg compared to expectations.
Quality always emerges eventually. And with just three regular-season Saturdays (plus Championship Week) to go, we have a pretty good idea of this year's hierarchy. Ohio State redshirt freshman Julian Sayin has completed more than 80% of his passes during a perfect 9-0 start. After Kurtis Rourke led Indiana to the CFP as a one-year transfer last season, Fernando Mendoza has topped him as this year's one-year guy. The gutsiest veterans in the sport, Georgia Tech's Haynes King and Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia, have led their teams to unforeseen heights. Gunner Stockton, the most Georgia of Georgia quarterbacks, has been increasingly stellar.
A month into the season, I ranked every power conference starting quarterback, and it probably isn't a surprise that the list has changed pretty significantly after six more weeks of play. Who has improved the most (besides Sayin)? Whose production has trailed off? Let's rank all 68 (or so) once again!
(Note: References to rushing yards in stat lines below do not include sack yardage.)
1. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Last Rank: 11 | Total QBR: 91.1 | Pass Yds: 2,491 | Rush Yds (no sack): 56 | Total TDs: 24
It's always hard to grade the guys who have the best supporting cast. Alabama's Mac Jones produced the best Total QBR of the decade in 2020 but lost the Heisman vote to one of his teammates, and if star receiver Jeremiah Smith continues to produce as he has of late (past two games: 16 catches, 260 yards, three touchdowns) he might prevent Sayin from winning the award as well. But as Ohio State has opened up the playbook and asked more of Sayin, he has responded with near perfection. He's first in the nation in Total QBR, completion rate (80.9%) and success rate* (62.0%)
(Success rate: The percentage of plays gaining at least 50% of necessary yardage on first down, 70% on second and 100% on third and fourth.)
Even with Smith and other studs at his disposal, his accuracy is incredible. This pass placement map has about as tight a radius as you'll ever see, even if some away-from-the-body catches also prove the awesomeness of his receivers.
2. Haynes King, Georgia Tech
Last Rank: 29 | Total QBR: 84.2 | Pass Yds: 1,888 | Rush Yds (no sack): 787 | Total TDs: 23
Since the last list came out on Oct. 1, King has, in four games, thrown for 282.5 yards per game, averaging 9.6 yards per dropback (first nationally) with a 75.7% completion rate (third) and 57.9% success rate (second). He has also averaged 97.3 non-sack rushing yards per game (fourth among non-option quarterbacks). Projected over a full 13 games, that's a 3,600-1,200 pace. Good gracious.
Despite an endless number of injuries through the years -- and despite his eyes hinting at a certain level of pain I have never experienced after every single tackle he takes -- King is doing everything he possibly can to drag Tech to the ACC title and CFP, and he seems to be getting better in the process.
3. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Last Rank: 4 | Total QBR: 88.1 | Pass Yds: 2,342 | Rush Yds (no sack): 304 | Total TDs: 31
I made it clear on Sunday that I thought Sayin should be the Heisman betting favorite instead of Mendoza, but that doesn't mean Mendoza hasn't been awesome. He has thrown a pick in five of his past six games, and the fourth-quarter INT against Penn State nearly proved costly, but despite facing loads of pressure for the first time all year, he also engineered a perfect, game-winning TD drive. He's fourth nationally in Total QBR and first in passing touchdowns. He's great.
4. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
Last Rank: 2 | Total QBR: 86.1 | Pass Yds: 2,440 | Rush Yds (no sack): 691 | Total TDs: 28
After all he has done for Vandy over the past couple of years, Pavia might have played his best game on Saturday. With the Commodores' defense getting lit up by Auburn, Pavia threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 114 more yards and another score. Like King, when he has to put the team on his shoulders, he looks great doing it.
5. Jayden Maiava, USC
Last Rank: 1 | Total QBR: 90.7 | Pass Yds: 2,614 | Rush Yds (no sack): 175 | Total TDs: 23
He's still very good, and USC still ranks first in offensive SP+, but the mistakes have added up a bit. In his past five games, Maiava has thrown six interceptions, and he went a combined 31-for-65 with three picks against Notre Dame and Nebraska before rebounding with a nice performance against Northwestern last Saturday. His next two opponents rank sixth (Iowa) and second (Oregon) in defensive SP+, too.
6. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
Last Rank: 20 | Total QBR: 89.4 | Pass Yds: 2,040 | Rush Yds (no sack): 350 | Total TDs: 22
At this point, the only thing he's missing is a deep ball (or someone to catch one). He's third in Total QBR, he has thrown just two picks, and on passes thrown under 15 yards downfield his completion rate is 79% (fifth). He's at only 36% (108th) on longer passes, however, and Georgia lacks in the big-play department. Still, the Bulldogs are efficient, and in part because of Stockton's legs, they're nearly perfect in the red zone.
7. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
Last Rank: 7 | Total QBR: 83.3 | Pass Yds: 2,275 | Rush Yds (no sack): 104 | Total TDs: 21
His job has gotten easier now that star running back Jeremiyah Love has fully checked into the season (Love's past three games: 552 yards from scrimmage), but Carr is fourth nationally in yards per dropback and eighth in success rate, and while it's concerning that a) he has played against only three top-50 defenses (per SP+) and b) he wasn't very good against two, Total QBR is still opponent adjusted, and he's 10th in that.
8. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
Last Rank: 3 | Total QBR: 84.3 | Pass Yds: 2,356 | Rush Yds (no sack): 465 | Total TDs: 19
To make the CFP, Ole Miss just had to go and grab a guy with playoff experience. Easy! Chambliss, the Ferris State transfer and Division II champ, has cooled off since his nearly perfect start, and his past four games against FBS opponents have produced only 7.3 yards per dropback and 4.6 yards per carry (no sacks). But SEC has topped 30 points in four of his five SEC starts, and he's meeting the moment.
9. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
Last Rank: 6 | Total QBR: 80.6 | Pass Yds: 2,064 | Rush Yds (no sack): 470 | Total TDs: 29
It's hard to grade a guy like Sorsby, who has been just about the best QB in the country in seven wins (67% completion rate, 87.8 Total QBR) and just about the worst in two losses (41% completion rate, 43.7 Total QBR). Regardless, if Good Brendan shows up over the next three weeks, the Bearcats could still be factors in the Big 12 race.
10. Taylen Green, Arkansas
Last Rank: 14 | Total QBR: 86.3 | Pass Yds: 2,372 | Rush Yds (no sack): 815 | Total TDs: 25
For two seasons in Fayetteville, Green has simultaneously been a top-five quarterback and a borderline top-50 guy. It almost varies by the play. But even with the random disasters, he's one of the scarier dual-threats in the country, and he's far more of a reason why Arkansas has stayed within one score of three ranked teams (including A&M and Ole Miss) than he was a reason why they lost all three.
11. Ty Simpson, Alabama
Last Rank: 8 | Total QBR: 81.3 | Pass Yds: 2,461 | Rush Yds (no sack): 186 | Total TDs: 23
Returns have diminished for Simpson and the Tide's offense, which has topped 30 points just once in its past six games; in fact, he has topped 8.0 yards per dropback only twice in his past six games as well.
Still, without much of a run game to lean on, Simpson has been excellent in the red zone (Bama is 15th nationally in red zone TD rate), and he has thrown just one pick in 296 passes. Bama's mastering the art of gaining all the right yards.
12. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
Last Rank: 26 | Total QBR: 78.2 | Pass Yds: 2,193 | Rush Yds (no sack): 429 | Total TDs: 25
Reed pilots a beautifully spaced offense, with transfers KC Concepcion and Mario Craver frequently stretching defenses horizontally and tight ends Theo Melin hrstrm and Nate Boerkircher open over the middle if opponents overcompensate. A&M ranks just 89th in success rate on passing downs, but since he never allows the Aggies to actually fall off schedule, that hasn't been much of an issue.
13. Joey Aguilar, Tennessee
Last Rank: 17 | Total QBR: 76.1 | Pass Yds: 2,737 | Rush Yds (no sack): 177 | Total TDs: 23
Tennessee went to the CFP on the power of great defense (sixth in defensive SP+) last season, so it seemed like Aguilar was walking into a pretty decent situation. The Vols' defense has completely collapsed -- 56th in defensive SP+, 95th in points allowed per drive -- but the team is still 6-3 and ranked because Aguilar has keyed an offensive resurgence. He could end up with 4,000 passing yards.
14. Demond Williams Jr., Washington
Last Rank: 9 | Total QBR: 77.6 | Pass Yds: 2,251 | Rush Yds (no sack): 655 | Total TDs: 19
Williams is a second-year sophomore and first-year starter with massive upside and lots of things to learn. And either everything has worked or nothing has worked in 2025.
Williams in six wins: 89.0 Total QBR, 9.3 yards per dropback, 90.2 rushing yards per game (non-sack)
Williams in three losses: 46.6 Total QBR, 4.4 yards per dropback, 34.7 rushing yards per game
15. Darian Mensah, Duke
Last Rank: 22 | Total QBR: 77.9 | Pass Yds: 2,794 | Rush Yds (no sack): 67 | Total TDs: 24
Like Aguilar, Mensah thought he was coming to play for one team and instead landed with something far different. Duke won nine games with an offense that ranked 71st in SP+ last season; in 2025, with Mensah throwing for over 300 yards per game, the Blue Devils' offense is up to 18th. And they're only 5-4 because the defense has disintegrated.
16. Luke Altmyer, Illinois
Last Rank: 15 | Total QBR: 84.6 | Pass Yds: 2,255 | Rush Yds (no sack): 275 | Total TDs: 22
He couldn't do any damage in easy losses to Indiana and Ohio State, and Illinois couldn't make as much of a playoff push as hoped in 2025. But Altmyer is still seventh in Total QBR, and he should still finish in the Illini's top five in career passing yardage, and second in career TD passes, in under three full seasons. Pretty good work.
17. Dante Moore, Oregon
Last Rank: 5 | Total QBR: 69.4 | Pass Yds: 1,884 | Rush Yds (no sack): 240 | Total TDs: 19
He was nearly perfect against a dire Rutgers defense in Week 8, but even including that, Moore's past five games have seen massive regression after a nearly perfect start.
First four games: 85.7 Total QBR, 9.8 yards per dropback, 1.1% interception rate, 1.0% sack rate, 50.8 points per game
Past five games: 58.9 Total QBR, 6.4 yards per dropback, 3.1% interception rate, 5.8% sack rate, 26.4 points per game
Luckily, Oregon's defense is elite (it hasn't allowed more than 17 points in regulation all season), and the Ducks can play ball control with a good run game.
18. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
Last Rank: 21 | Total QBR: 75.8 | Pass Yds: 2,780 | Rush Yds (no sack): 120 | Total TDs: 28
The volume shooter of 2025, Robertson is the only P4 quarterback throwing over 40 passes per game. And with a mediocre run game and mostly disappointing defense, Robertson's right arm has basically had to carry Baylor to a winning record -- when his Total QBR tops 75.0 the Bears win, and when it doesn't they lose. It's a burden, but he has played well.
19. Devon Dampier, Utah
Last Rank: 34 | Total QBR: 83.0 | Pass Yds: 1,588 | Rush Yds (no sack): 552 | Total TDs: 20
Utah ranked 96th in offensive SP+ last season; the combination of Dampier and coordinator Jason Beck has led a surge all the way to 19th. Dampier is second on the team in rushing yards, and while there aren't many big plays in the passing game, he has been crisp and efficient. (And because backup Byrd Ficklin was exciting in his lone start, Utah can run Dampier without fear of injury.)
20. CJ Bailey, NC State
Last Rank: 32 | Total QBR: 81.4 | Pass Yds: 2,411 | Rush Yds (no sack): 227 | Total TDs: 23
NC State has had only one top-40 offense, per SP+, since 2018, but the Wolfpack are charging toward a second because of Bailey. Like Robertson, he has had to be brilliant to drag the Pack to wins -- they're 5-0 when his Total QBR is above 85.0 and 0-4 when it isn't -- but his 340-yard, two-touchdown performance in the 48-36 upset of King's Georgia Tech was absolutely dynamite.
21. Jalon Daniels, Kansas
Last Rank: 10 | Total QBR: 72.9 | Pass Yds: 2,190 | Rush Yds (no sack): 504 | Total TDs: 24
A career that began during the 2020 COVID season will soon end with Daniels No. 2 on Kansas' passing yardage and touchdown lists, behind only Todd Reesing. Although he never has gotten enough help from his defense (average defensive SP+ ranking in his time: 89.0), he's wrapping up the year playing clean ball: He has thrown only three interceptions, and the Jayhawks are 26th in offensive success rate.
22. Behren Morton, Texas Tech
Last Rank: 28 | Total QBR: 68.1 | Pass Yds: 1,969 | Rush Yds (no sack): 62 | Total TDs: 16
He makes me nervous and takes a lot of hits (and has missed time with multiple injuries because of it), but there's no question that Morton has taken a solid step forward this year, improving to career highs in Total QBR, completion rate (65.7%), yards per completion (13.9) and most of the other stats by which we judge QBs.
23. Josh Hoover, TCU
Last Rank: 23 | Total QBR: 72.7 | Pass Yds: 2,690 | Rush Yds (no sack): 110 | Total TDs: 25
TCU can't run the ball, and its offensive production has trailed off in the past couple of games, but not much of that is Hoover's fault. (Granted, his two picks against Iowa State didn't help.) His Total QBR has topped 75.0 in six of nine starts, and he's top 10 nationally in passing yards (298.9) and touchdowns (2.6) per game.
24. Bear Bachmeier, BYU
Last Rank: 39 | Total QBR: 77.1 | Pass Yds: 1,881 | Rush Yds (no sack): 464 | Total TDs: 21
Unlike many of the Big 12 QBs in this portion of the list, Bachmeier has gotten help from both his defense and run game, and he couldn't make enough happen at Texas Tech last week, with career lows in success rate (30.6%) and yards per dropback (5.0). BYU's playoff hopes are still solid despite putting a true freshman in charge of the offense, and he's only going to get better from here.
25. Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh
Last Rank: unranked | Total QBR: 71.0 | Pass Yds: 1,547 | Rush Yds (no sack): 242 | Total TDs: 13
He was the No. 48 pocket passer recruit in the Class of 2025, with offers primarily from MAC schools, but Heintschel has been the most transformative freshman QB in the country: Pitt is 5-0 and has averaged 40 points per game since sticking him in the lineup. He scrambles well, and he has averaged at least 13 yards per completion in three starts. He has been exactly the shot in the arm the Panthers needed.
26. Carson Beck, Miami
Last Rank: 18 | Total QBR: 78.1 | Pass Yds: 2,194 | Rush Yds (no sack): 83 | Total TDs: 16
I've always appreciated Carson Beck's willingness to make mistakes. He makes tough throws and completes a lot of them (he's behind only Sayin with his 73% completion rate), but the downside, of course, is the interceptions: He has thrown six in two Miami losses (and only three in seven wins). The Hurricanes still have solid odds of reaching 10-2 and, potentially, the CFP, though.
27. Avery Johnson, Kansas State
Last Rank: 47 | Total QBR: 68.5 | Pass Yds: 1,991 | Rush Yds (no sack): 396 | Total TDs: 23
It appeared at the start of the season that Avery Johnson was trying to play like a professional QB -- not much rushing, checking to safe and easy options -- to the detriment of his team. Now he's playing like himself, taking risks and using his legs. Even with more mistakes, it has made a positive difference.
First four games (1-3): 48.6 Total QBR, 11.1 yards per completion, 0.8% INT rate, 2.3% sack rate, 21.5 non-sack rushing yards per game
Past five games (3-2): 80.7 Total QBR, 12.7 yards per completion, 2.1% INT rate, 3.3% sack rate, 62.0 non-sack rushing yards per game
That's better.
28. Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Last Rank: 54 | Total QBR: 67.9 | Pass Yds: 2,136 | Rush Yds (no sack): 186 | Total TDs: 17
It happened too late to save Clemson's season in any major way (occasional rubbish from the defense didn't help either), but in October, Cade Klubnik officially became Cade Klubnik again.
First four games (1-3): 44.9 Total QBR, 60.1% completion rate, 11.2 yards per completion, 2.7% INT rate
Past four games (3-1): 89.6 Total QBR, 77.8% completion rate, 12.5 yards per completion, 0.9% INT rate
This will always go down as a massively disappointing season, but Klubnik did show up, at least.
29. Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers
Last Rank: 30 | Total QBR: 71.2 | Pass Yds: 2,705 | Rush Yds (no sack): 165 | Total TDs: 20
Per SP+ rankings, Rutgers is fielding its worst defense since 2000 but its best offense since 2007 this fall. It's hard to blame Kaliakmanis for the Scarlet Knights' 5-5 record, in other words, and he was prolific in two recent wins (combined: 588 yards, five TDs). With a home upset of Penn State, Rutgers could salvage bowl eligibility for the third straight year.
30. Kevin Jennings, SMU
Last Rank: 35 | Total QBR: 62.7 | Pass Yds: 2,810 | Rush Yds (no sack): 180 | Total TDs: 23
After a bumpy start, SMU has won five of six to entrench itself back in the ACC title race, and Jennings has been a key reason for that. He was trying to do too much early on, but he has lowered both his interception and sack rates, and even with a drop-off in explosiveness, the SMU offense is producing more and handing its defense better field position.
31. Noah Fifita, Arizona
Last Rank: 51 | Total QBR: 68.8 | Pass Yds: 2,200 | Rush Yds (no sack): 274 | Total TDs: 26
It's been quite the up-and-down career for Fifita at this point, but he has had some brilliant games during Arizona's rebound season. He has topped 370 passing yards twice, and he has produced a Total QBR of 88.6 or higher three times. Defense has been the primary driver for the Wildcats' 6-3 start, but they're still averaging 38.0 points per game in wins -- Fifita's doing his job.
32. John Mateer, Oklahoma
Last Rank: 12 | Total QBR: 68.6 | Pass Yds: 1,949 | Rush Yds (no sack): 396 | Total TDs: 14
He rushed back from a hand injury and played horribly against Texas, but he shifted back into "make all the key plays" mode in OU's season-saving win at Tennessee, completing 12 of 16 passes and rushing for 58 yards in the second half. OU's offense is more gritty than good, but the Sooners still have playoff hopes heading into mid-November.
33. Tommy Castellanos, Florida State
Last Rank: 16 | Total QBR: 69.2 | Pass Yds: 2,128 | Rush Yds (no sack): 428 | Total TDs: 17
Things have gone south after September, just as they did for Castellanos in 2024. But despite the Seminoles losing five of their past six, he did produce brilliance -- 271 passing yards on 12 completions, plus a rushing touchdown -- against an excellent Wake Forest defense just two weeks ago. There's still time to write a rebound story in November.
34. Conner Weigman, Houston
Last Rank: 46 | Total QBR: 65.9 | Pass Yds: 2,113 | Rush Yds (no sack): 503 | Total TDs: 27
He was the No. 1 pocket passer in the 2022 recruiting class, but Weigman has found his way in Houston as a dual-threat QB, averaging more than 10 non-sack rushes and 50 yards per game (he had 44 rushing yards in the fourth quarter alone in last week's tight win over UCF). Add that to decent passing -- 7.3 yards per dropback, 64.9% completion rate -- and you have a QB capable of playing his part for an 8-2 team.
35. Arch Manning, Texas
Last Rank: 41 | Total QBR: 63.1 | Pass Yds: 2,123 | Rush Yds (no sack): 308 | Total TDs: 24
Saddled with a surprisingly poor run game and a shaky line (122nd in pressure rate), Manning has been swimming upstream all season. He still holds on to the ball too long despite throwing tons of behind-the-line passes, and his footwork on downfield passes still betrays him, but he was good against Vanderbilt two weeks ago, and a great November would erase a lot of early-season stigma.
36. Chandler Morris, Virginia
Last Rank: 13 | Total QBR: 66.6 | Pass Yds: 2,088 | Rush Yds (no sack): 303 | Total TDs: 16
Even before leaving last Saturday's loss to Wake Forest with injury, Morris' productivity was starting to wane -- in terms of Total QBR, four of his five worst games have come in his past five games.
His status for Saturday's huge game at Duke is uncertain -- and a loss would crush UVA's ACC title hopes -- but this season has already been a spectacular life-giver for the Virginia program, and Morris played the largest possible role in that.
37. Cutter Boley, Kentucky
Last Rank: 68 | Total QBR: 69.2 | Pass Yds: 1,544 | Rush Yds (no sack): 191 | Total TDs: 13
Kentucky has won two straight and has produced maybe its three best performances in the past four games, and Boley's improvement has contributed to that. In his past five starts, he has produced a 79.7 Total QBR with 10 passing touchdowns, two games over 250 passing yards and solid rushing. The four-star redshirt freshman is showing his potential.
38. Bryce Underwood, Michigan
Last Rank: 38 | Total QBR: 66.0 | Pass Yds: 1,671 | Rush Yds (no sack): 326 | Total TDs: 11
After encouraging performances against Wisconsin and Washington, Underwood has struggled of late, going a combined 21-for-39 for just 221 yards and a pick against Michigan State and Purdue. He gets plenty of help from his run game and defense, he scrambles well, and his pure arm talent is obvious, but the blue-chip freshman remains an extreme work in progress.
39. Ashton Daniels, Auburn
Last Rank: unranked | Total QBR: 67.2 | Pass Yds: 538 | Rush Yds (no sack): 226 | Total TDs: 4
I thought Daniels might win the starting QB job over Jackson Arnold in the offseason, and although I was incorrect about that ... maybe he should have? Granted, his first start after replacing Arnold, against Kentucky, was bad enough to get Hugh Freeze fired, but he was outstanding in leading a near upset of Vanderbilt last Saturday. Let's see if he can build on that in the season's final two games.
40. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Last Rank: 37 | Total QBR: 72.7 | Pass Yds: 1,927 | Rush Yds (no sack): 78 | Total TDs: 13
Woof. The good news for Nussmeier is that, when he was benched in favor of Michael Van Buren Jr. late against Alabama last week, nothing really improved. The bad news is that this has been an epic wasted year for the fifth-year senior and preseason All-American candidate. He has barely seemed healthy all season, and his offensive line regressed significantly.
41. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
Last Rank: 58 | Total QBR: 65.0 | Pass Yds: 1,659 | Rush Yds (no sack): 600 | Total TDs: 16
There's no way to spin this season as a positive for Iamaleava, who voluntarily left a CFP team (Tennessee) to go 3-6 at UCLA, but he was vital to a three-game midseason winning streak that briefly brought life to a lifeless program, and his best game -- 166 passing yards, 150 non-sack rushing yards, five combined touchdowns against Penn State -- was a perfect showcase of his dual-threat potential.
42. Malik Washington, Maryland
Last Rank: 48 | Total QBR: 55.7 | Pass Yds: 2,056 | Rush Yds (no sack): 287 | Total TDs: 17
Playing the game on the hardest possible difficulty level is catching up with the true freshman. He is genuinely elite at escaping pressure -- he has taken only two sacks from 96 pressures -- but his productivity has slid during Maryland's five-game losing streak. (No, his supporting cast hasn't done him many favors: Maryland receivers' 7.2% drop rate is the second worst in the power conferences.)
43. Rocco Becht, Iowa State
Last Rank: 24 | Total QBR: 61.2 | Pass Yds: 2,230 | Rush Yds (no sack): 217 | Total TDs: 20
Although ISU's defense has been a big part of the Cyclones' up-and-down season, allowing 14.7 points per game in wins and 31.8 in losses, Becht's own play has prompted a lot of success (or lack thereof) as well.
Becht in six wins: 79.5 Total QBR, 48.4% success rate, 7.5 yards per dropback
Becht in four losses: 39.3 Total QBR, 39.6% success rate, 5.8 yards per dropback
44. TJ Lateef, Nebraska
Last Rank: unranked | Total QBR: 63.6 | Pass Yds: 466 | Rush Yds (no sack): 81 | Total TDs: 6
Easily the hardest guy on the list to evaluate. A true freshman, Lateef made his first start on Saturday, replacing the injured Dylan Raiola, and he completed his first 11 passes as the Huskers bolted to a big early lead and won. He ended up with only 15 passes and five rushes, but he produced a 98.7 Total QBR. A week earlier, his seven passes gained only 17 yards in a loss to USC. Which was the more accurate impression?
45. Blake Shapen, Mississippi State
Last Rank: 45 | Total QBR: 60.1 | Pass Yds: 2,234 | Rush Yds (no sack): 250 | Total TDs: 16
He left last week's loss to Georgia with injury, and we'll see what his status is moving forward, but the grizzled veteran, who has started games in parts of five seasons but technically still has a year of eligibility left, could end up with career highs in passing yards, touchdowns and rushing yards this season, and MSU is one win from its first bowl bid in three years.
46. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, California
Last Rank: 49 | Total QBR: 51.0 | Pass Yds: 2,518 | Rush Yds (no sack): 71 | Total TDs: 15
Like Malik Washington, JKS has been playing on the highest difficulty level and hasn't always shined. But after one of his worst performances of the season in a loss to Virginia, he responded with his best game to date, a 323-yard, two-touchdown performance in an upset of Louisville. He's resilient and exciting; you could sort of say the same about Cal.
47. Aidan Chiles or Alessio Milivojevic, Michigan State
Last Rank: 33 | Total QBR: 66.1 | Pass Yds: 1,984 | Rush Yds (no sack): 438 | Total TDs: 21
After a run of diminishing form from Chiles, coach Jonathan Smith started Milivojevic in the past game against Minnesota. The redshirt freshman threw for 311 yards -- more than Chiles in any start this season -- but took seven sacks, and State fell in overtime. Smith was coy about who might start moving forward, but honestly, defense has been the far bigger issue regardless.
48. Miller Moss, Louisville
Last Rank: 36 | Total QBR: 59.7 | Pass Yds: 2,132 | Rush Yds (no sack): 65 | Total TDs: 18
Last season at USC, Moss was good in September and benched in November. I'm not saying the same fate awaits in 2025, but his Total QBR slipped from 72.8 in his first four games to 60.8 in the next four, and he was abysmal in last week's loss to Cal, averaging just 4.8 yards per dropback with an interception, two sacks and a late-game disappearing act.
49. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
Last Rank: 27 | Total QBR: 58.6 | Pass Yds: 1,536 | Rush Yds (no sack): 442 | Total TDs: 10
It just hasn't clicked in 2025. Being burdened with a poor line and inconsistent skill corps has exacerbated all of Sellers' worst tendencies. He has been sacked on 14.1% of dropbacks (132nd) and hit on 46.7% (121st), and he has had more games with fewer than 4.0 yards per dropback (three) than games above 8.0 (two). Dismal stuff in a dismal season.
50. Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech
Last Rank: 56 | Total QBR: 55.1 | Pass Yds: 1,592 | Rush Yds (no sack): 643 | Total TDs: 23
After a dreadful start that got Brent Pry fired, Drones' play has improved from awful to merely inconsistent, and Tech has won three of its past six. His rushing has improved of late, but the passing game has never come around, and if the Hokies lose their last three games as projected, they'll finish with their worst record since 1992. That's not how Drones' senior season was supposed to go.
51. Drake Lindsey, Minnesota
Last Rank: 42 | Total QBR: 58.5 | Pass Yds: 1,743 | Rush Yds (no sack): 12 | Total TDs: 14
If you didn't know Lindsey was a redshirt freshman, you could probably tell it from his game-to-game Total QBR chart.
He has produced a rating over 93.0 on two occasions, and two games ago at Iowa, he produced a 4.8. Season averages of 5.7 yards per dropback and a 41.8% success rate are not amazing.
52. Jeff Sims, Arizona State
Last Rank: unranked | Total QBR: 59.4 | Pass Yds: 359 | Rush Yds (no sack): 370 | Total TDs: 4
You know what you're going to get with Jeff Sims at this point. The journeyman, starting with Sam Leavitt's season-ending injury, can run as well as anyone, as evidenced by his 100 non-sack rushing yards against Utah and 228 against Iowa State. But if you're relying on his arm, you're going to be disappointed. He's completing 51% of his passes and averaging 4.7 yards per dropback.
53. Mark Gronowski, Iowa
Last Rank: 57 | Total QBR: 57.4 | Pass Yds: 1,084 | Rush Yds (no sack): 412 | Total TDs: 17
The celebrated FCS transfer has found his way in Iowa City, contributing good things to the run game and nearly helping Iowa to knock off Oregon with a late rushing touchdown (his 12th of the season) last Saturday. But the passing numbers -- 5.3 yards per dropback, 9.3 per completion -- are extremely subpar. Iowa has averaged just 14.7 points in three losses with Gronowski primarily at the wheel.
54. Ethan Grunkemeyer, Penn State
Last Rank: unranked | Total QBR: 67.7 | Pass Yds: 562 | Rush Yds (no sack): 21 | Total TDs: 3
Thrust into the lineup after Drew Allar's injury, the redshirt freshman is slowly taking on more responsibility, and his numbers are rising slowly. His 219 passing yards and 78.6 Total QBR helped to nearly pull off an upset of Indiana last week, but he has thrown just one TD pass to four INTs in three starts. There's still a learning curve here.
55. DJ Lagway, Florida
Last Rank: 61 | Total QBR: 57.9 | Pass Yds: 1,762 | Rush Yds (no sack): 138 | Total TDs: 11
You know it's a lost season when your passes don't really go anywhere (10.3 yards per completion, 116th nationally), but you're still near the bottom in interception rate (4.5%, 129th) and you're taking plenty of sacks (5.0% sack rate, 61st). Lagway was excellent in the upset of Texas, but his Total QBR has sunk back to 56.2 since then.
56. Ryan Browne, Purdue
Last Rank: 44 | Total QBR: 58.0 | Pass Yds: 1,898 | Rush Yds (no sack): 277 | Total TDs: 13
He has had some bright moments this season -- three 300-yard games, four games with a Total QBR over 75.0 -- but this is another "high difficulty level" job, and everything has regressed of late. After starting 2-0, Browne's Boilers have lost eight in a row, averaging just 12.5 points per game in the past four.
57. Julian Lewis and Kaidon Salter (and Ryan Staub, too, I guess) Colorado
Last Rank: 40 | Total QBR: 58.5 | Pass Yds: 2,097 | Rush Yds (no sack): 547 | Total TDs: 22
Deion Sanders has changed his starting QB three times (Salter, then Staub, then Salter, then Lewis) and changed his playcaller last week. With Lewis (a blue-chip freshman) and new coordinator Brett Bartolone (a Mike Leach disciple), the Buffs' offense perked up but got only 22 points from Lewis' 299 yards, and CU fell to 3-7. It's a lost season -- might as well keep finding out what Lewis and Bartolone can do.
58. Matt Zollers, Missouri
Last Rank: unranked | Total QBR: 57.5 | Pass Yds: 290 | Rush Yds (no sack): 16 | Total TDs: 2
Zollers basically pulled a reverse Lateef, nearly saving Mizzou against Vanderbilt after Beau Pribula dislocated his ankle but then laying an egg in his first career start. Having to face Texas A&M's pass rush right out of the gate was a bit cruel, but he missed makeable passes, too, while going just 7-for-22. The former blue-chipper could still be the Tigers' future, but he's a clear work in progress in the present.
59. Scotty Fox Jr., West Virginia
Last Rank: 64 | Total QBR: 50.6 | Pass Yds: 825 | Rush Yds (no sack): 248 | Total TDs: 8
Five different QBs have taken snaps for WVU this year, and it says something that Fox has been the clear standout of the bunch while averaging just 5.7 yards per dropback and 3.9 yards per carry (no sacks) in four starts. Still, the Mountaineers have won two straight, scoring 74 points in the process. That's definitely an improvement!
60. Preston Stone, Northwestern
Last Rank: 67 | Total QBR: 50.0 | Pass Yds: 1,522 | Rush Yds (no sack): 89 | Total TDs: 11
Northwestern's defense is good enough that, as long as Stone hits a Total QBR of 50.0 or more, the Wildcats will probably win. They're 5-1 when he does so, but unfortunately he has fallen far short of that mark in three other losses. Still, at 96th in offensive SP+, this is NU's best offense since 2020.
61. Robby Ashford (and sometimes Deshawn Purdie), Wake Forest
Last Rank: 60 | Total QBR: 39.6 | Pass Yds: 1,940 | Rush Yds (no sack): 417 | Total TDs: 13
Wake is a surprising 6-3 thanks to a defense that ranks 12th in yards allowed per play and 24th in defensive SP+. But the offense has vanished of late, averaging 12.0 points per game in its past three with Ashford and Purdie combining to complete just 49% of their passes. Ashford's a good runner, but Wake's winning despite the offense.
62. Grayson James and Dylan Lonergan, Boston College
Last Rank: 52 | Total QBR: 50.8 | Pass Yds: 2,563 | Rush Yds (no sack): 214 | Total TDs: 18
James was pretty good late in 2024, but Lonergan, an Alabama transfer, beat him out for the starting job this season. Both have gotten ample playing time, and neither has done much. Lonergan has completed 67% of his passes, but they haven't gone anywhere. James can run a little bit but throws too many picks and takes too many sacks. Pretty dire stuff.
63. Tayven Jackson, UCF
Last Rank: 53 | Total QBR: 49.6 | Pass Yds: 1,470 | Rush Yds (no sack): 131 | Total TDs: 8
After cycling through a few options because of injuries, Scott Frost has given most of the work to Jackson of late but hasn't really been rewarded for it. He was excellent in a blowout of West Virginia in Week 8, but UCF has lost four of its past five, and his cumulative performance in those losses -- 19.1 Total QBR, 4.3 yards per dropback, 0-to-4 TD-to-INT ratio -- has been atrocious.
64. Ben Gulbranson and Elijah Brown Stanford
Last Rank: 59 | Total QBR: 33.5 | Pass Yds: 2,315 | Rush Yds (no sack): 36 | Total TDs: 11
A journeyman's journeyman, Gulbranson provided a beautiful moment for a bad team with his last-minute, game-winning drive against San Jose State. Otherwise, he and Brown have combined to lead an offense that ranks 126th in points per drive and 128th in yards per play.
65. Gio Lopez, North Carolina
Last Rank: 66 | Total QBR: 44.4 | Pass Yds: 1,224 | Rush Yds (no sack): 186 | Total TDs: 10
I really liked Lopez at South Alabama last season, but in a lineup with almost no standout talent, he obviously hasn't made things happen. He's 108th in Total QBR, 105th in yards per dropback and 123rd in passing success rate, and he hasn't scrambled very effectively either. Tough year.
66. Rickie Collins, Syracuse
Last Rank: 63 | Total QBR: 28.7 | Pass Yds: 1,042 | Rush Yds (no sack): 235 | Total TDs: 7
Collins has provided some useful moments with his legs, especially against SMU, but his struggles in replacing the injured Steve Angeli were bad enough that coach Fran Brown went to walk-on freshman Joseph Filardi against North Carolina. When that failed miserably, he went back to Collins.
67. Carter Smith (or the punter, or whoever Wisconsin's sending out there this week), Wisconsin
Last Rank: 62 | Total QBR: 25.8 | Pass Yds: 1,241 | Rush Yds (no sack): 243 | Total TDs: 9
Wisconsin pulled the most Big Ten thing imaginable last Saturday, upsetting Washington 13-10 with its punter, Sean West, leading the team in passing yards. Smith, a true freshman, went just 3-for-12 for 8 yards (and 16 yards lost from two sacks) in his first action of the season, but he did rush 13 times for 63 yards to keep the field position battle somewhat neutralized. That's something!
68. All sorts of guys, Oklahoma State
Last Rank: 65 | Total QBR: 35.8 | Pass Yds: 1,365 | Rush Yds (no sack): 227 | Total TDs: 6
Five different quarterbacks have taken snaps for OSU this season, and since Hauss Hejny got hurt in Week 1, the other four -- Zane Flores, Sam Jackson V, Noah Walters and Banks Bowen -- have combined to lose eight straight starts and average 13.8 points per game. Incredibly, the defense has been even worse, but the offense wasn't going to win any games regardless.
