College football rankings: Trinidad Chambliss and the 10 best quarterbacks in 2026

The 2026 college football season is a lot closer than you think. It’s never a bad time to take a look at who the top players are in college football. This story in particular will dive into the 10 best quarterbacks. Most of the names on here should be familiar, but there are a few that could become household names by the end of the year. Here’s a look at the top 10 quarterbacks entering this season.

10. Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State

2025 stats: 4,379 passing yards, 34 TDs, 9 INTs

It’s hard to believe that Drew Mestemaker led FBS in passing yards, despite hailing from North Texas. The Mean Green nearly clawed their way into the College Football Playoff last year. Mestemaker followed his North Texas coach to the big kids' table in the Big 12 and should already have everybody’s attention. The Big 12 isn’t quite the powerhouse as the SEC or the Big Ten, so Mestemaker should have a solid transition to the Power 4. If you don’t know his name, by the time the season’s over, he should be the face of Oklahoma State’s turnaround.

9. Josh Hoover, Indiana Hoosiers

2025 stats: 3,472 passing yards, 29 TDs, 13 INTs

Josh Hoover makes this list because one thing I’m not going to do is doubt Curt Cignetti. He’s dipped into the transfer portal for a quarterback in each of the last two years and ended up getting to the CFP each season, won a national championship in 2025 and coached a Heisman Trophy winner and subsequent No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Hoover is on this list mainly for potential. That said, he was solid for TCU last year. I expect him to be good enough to keep this Indiana team competitive in 2026.

8. Jayden Maiava, USC Trojans

2025 stats: 3,711 passing yards, 24 TDs, 10 INTs

Lincoln Riley is putting all his faith in Jayden Maiava. It’s not a bad plan, but this might be his final chance to prove to the USC faithful he can take this team to the College Football Playoff. Maiava isn’t a bad quarterback to have your faith in; the question becomes, can Maiava step up to the plate? Maiava didn’t really move the needle last year with Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane. Why is this year going to be different without either? Riley hasn’t had much success at USC at quarterback after he brought Caleb Williams with him from Oklahoma. Maiava doesn’t just have the pressure to win, but he has to keep Riley from looking foolish for plucking him from UNLV.

7. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M Aggies

2025 stats: 3,169 passing yards, 25 TDs, 12 INTs, 6 rushing TDs

There aren’t too many dual-threat quarterbacks like Marcel Reed in college football. The problem is, he might be a better runner than passer. That’s not to say he’s a bad quarterback, but the last two games of the year in 2025 (against Texas and Miami in the CFP) proved he’s not quite the player he looked like to start the year. Truthfully, since the LSU game, he tapered off. He didn’t throw a touchdown pass in the final two games of the year, and they were Texas A&M’s only losses. He can be higher on this list, but it’s going to take a much better season in 2026. 

6. John Mateer, Oklahoma Sooners

2025 stats: 2,885 passing yards, 14 TDs, 11 INTs; 8 rushing TDs

Much like Marcel Reed, John Mateer started the year off really strong and fizzled out by the end of the year. You could blame the hand injury he suffered that kept him out for just one game—and likely hindered him in the Red River Showdown—but he chose to rush his recovery. Now that he’s 100 percent healthy, he’s not quite in the top half of this list but is still one of college football’s best. What made his 2025 stick out is critics felt he wasn’t going to transition well to the SEC. He looked good for the most part but has a lot to prove he’s worth a draft pick. Expect to hear his name throughout the 2026 season. 

5. Arch Manning, Texas Longhorns

2025 stats: 3,163 passing yards, 26 TDs, 7 INTs; 10 rushing TDs

I won’t fall into the same trap ESPN and other national media outlets fell into last year. The expectations on Arch Manning nearly crumbled his college career before it even got started. Remember, it’s best to let players play before we judge them. For now, Manning is No. 5 on this list. That said, if he continues to improve like he did last year, I could easily see him being one of the top three best quarterbacks. With a season behind him, it very much feels like he’ll start a lot better and will lead Texas back to the College Football Playoff in 2026. 

4. Darian Mensah, Miami Hurricanes

2025 stats: 3,973 passing yards, 34 TDs, 6 INTs

Blink. That’s how long it took for Darian Mensah to flip from Duke to Miami, despite a two-year NIL contract that was supposed to keep him in Durham for at least one more season. Regardless of where Mensah is playing, he’s one of college football’s most exciting players. Last year, though Duke had a bad season, it had very little to do with him. Miami has turned its last two quarterbacks into NFL prospects. You have to think Mensah is the next. 

3. Julian Sayin, Ohio State Buckeyes

2025 stats: 3,610 passing yards, 32 TDs, 8 INTs

The question will be: Can Julian Sayin build on the 2025 season? For much of the season last year he looked really good. And then Indiana and Miami happened. What was that you ask? Well, it was two of the only real defenses the Buckeyes played last year—aside from Texas in Week 1, which did hold Ohio State to a regular season low of 14 points. Sayin can’t just look good against inferior opponents, but the really good ones too. 

2. Dante Moore, Oregon Ducks

2025 stats: 3,565 passing yards 30 TDS, 10 INTs

Dante Moore spurned the NFL for another year in Eugene and it could either be a brilliant move or one that ruins his NFL career. Moore enters the 2026 season as the No. 2 quarterback in college football. There’s not much argument here about how good Moore is. He was the consensus No. 2 NFL prospect after the season ended. He could be No. 1, but truthfully there’s not much separation between Nos. 1 and 2.

1. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss Rebels

2025 stats: 3,937 passing yards, 22 TDs, 3 INTs; 8 rushing TDs

Trinidad Chambliss beat the NCAA and was granted another year of eligibility, meaning us college football fans get another year of Trinidad Chambliss after his breakout 2025. He played in all 15 games and started 13 of them. He took over for Austin Simmons, and he ended up leading Ole Miss on a historic College Football Playoff run. I don’t know if Ole Miss returns to the CFP in 2026, but with Chambliss, they’ll certainly be in contention for one of the coveted spots.

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