College Football's Pre-Spring Rankings: Top 10 Quarterbacks for 2026
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The 2026 college football season is loaded with talent at quarterback. Even though Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Vanderbilt‘s Diego Pavia have moved on to the next level, plenty of stars are back and a handful of names are poised to join the proven signal-callers as standouts in ’26. At the top, Ohio State‘s Julian Sayin, Notre Dame‘s CJ Carr, Oregon’s Dante Moore, Ole Miss‘ Trinidad Chambliss, and Texas’ Arch Manning all have a strong case entering spring practice to rank as the No. 1 returning college football quarterback.
The second tier of top signal-callers is loaded with intriguing names, including Miami’s Darian Mensah, USC’s Jayden Maiava, Texas Tech’s Brendan Sorsby, Georgia’s Gunner Stockton, and Indiana’s Josh Hoover. Oklahoma State‘s Drew Mestemaker and LSU‘s Sam Leavitt are two names to watch this spring, with Michigan sophomore Bryce Underwood’s development also worth monitoring.
With spring practice underway or coming soon for all 138 teams, Athlon Sports ranks the top 10 quarterbacks returning in college football for 2026. Keep in mind, this list will change several times during the offseason with names moving up and down based on spring performance, offseason evaluation, and other factors before the start of next year.
Way-Too-Early 2026 QB Rankings: ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten | SEC
College Football’s Pre-Spring Rankings: Top 10 Quarterbacks for 2026
Pre-Spring Next Tier: Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State; Sam Leavitt, LSU; LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina; Demond Williams, Washington; Noah Fifita, Arizona; Bryce Underwood, Michigan, Devon Dampier, Utah; Bear Bachmeier, BYU
10. Brendan Sorsby, Texas Tech
Sorsby ranked as one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal after a standout ‘25 season at Cincinnati. In 12 starts for the Bearcats, Sorsby threw for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns and added 580 more yards and nine scores on the ground. The Texas native ranked third among Big 12 signal-callers in yards per attempt (8.3) and tied for second with 10 completions of 40-plus yards. The senior will have a chance for his best all-around statistical season in Texas Tech’s high-powered offense.
9. Jayden Maiava, USC
It’s no surprise Maiava emerged as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks under coach Lincoln Riley’s direction. The UNLV transfer thrived in his first full season as the starter, throwing for 3,711 yards and 24 touchdowns to just 10 picks. Maiava’s yards per attempt (9.2) tied for sixth nationally, while his 17 completions of 40-plus yards tied Ohio State’s Julian Sayin for the top mark in the Big Ten. Receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane departed after ‘25, leaving a void on the outside for Maiava to navigate this spring.
8. Josh Hoover, Indiana
Despite losing Fernando Mendoza to the NFL, Indiana is still in great shape at quarterback with Hoover transferring to Bloomington from TCU. Coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers’ offensive staff have already displayed a knack for getting the most out of quarterbacks and established a high-powered attack in just two years in charge. That success should carry over to Hoover after back-to-back 3,000-yard passing seasons with the Horned Frogs. Cutting down on the interceptions (24 over the last two years) is a must.
7. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
Stockton was steady in his first year as the starter in Athens. After stepping into the starting job at the end of the ‘24 season following an injury to Carson Beck, Stockton was more prepared for the No. 1 role after a full spring to develop. That confidence and grasp of the Georgia offense was on display with 2,894 passing yards and 24 touchdowns to just five picks in 14 starts. Additionally, Stockton added 462 rushing yards and 10 scores. The Georgia native delivered clutch performances in key wins over Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Texas in the regular season.
6. Darian Mensah, Miami
The Hurricanes dipped into the transfer portal for the third year in a row for a starter and didn’t have to look too far for a replacement for Carson Beck. Mensah’s late intraconference transfer from Duke to Miami answered the biggest concern for the ‘Canes entering ‘26. After a standout freshman season at Tulane in ‘24, Mensah was even better last year in Durham. The California native led the ACC in passing yards (3,973 yards), touchdown passes (34), and completions of 10-plus yards (155).
5. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
Chambliss won his appeal for an extra year of eligibility in ‘26, which is great news for an Ole Miss team coming off an appearance in the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Ferris State transfer was one of the biggest surprises of the ‘25 campaign. After opening the year as a backup to Austin Simmons, Chambliss eventually took over the top spot due to injury. The Michigan native never looked back, throwing for 3,937 yards and 22 touchdowns to three picks and adding 527 yards and eight more scores on the ground to lead a high-powered Ole Miss attack. Despite the departure of coach Lane Kiffin to LSU and some offensive staff turnover, Chambliss should pick up where he left off in ‘25.
4. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
Carr’s continued development is a big reason why Notre Dame can win the national title in ‘26. After taking a redshirt year in ‘24, Carr started all 12 games for the Fighting Irish last season. During that stretch, Carr showed pinpoint accuracy (66.6 percent completion rate) and averaged 9.4 yards per attempt. The Michigan native topped 300 passing yards two times and ended ‘25 with 2,741 yards and 24 touchdown tosses.
3. Dante Moore, Oregon
Moore’s decision to pass on the NFL for another season in Eugene was huge for Oregon’s hopes of bringing home the program’s first national championship. The Michigan native inherited big shoes to fill in replacing Dillon Gabriel but threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns over 15 starts. Additionally, he ranked third among Big Ten signal-callers with 13 completions of 40-plus yards. Moore has a new play-caller (Drew Mehringer) but returns one of the Big Ten’s top receiving corps.
2. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Sayin quickly emerged as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in his first year as the starter in Columbus. In an impressive 14-game run, Sayin threw for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns and led the Buckeyes to an appearance in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. The California native ranked first among Big Ten signal-callers in completion rate (77 percent) and connected on 17 throws of 40-plus yards.
1. Arch Manning, Texas
Expectations were sky high for Manning in his first full season as the No. 1 quarterback in Austin. Although Manning didn’t quite live up to the level of hype that placed him as the preseason favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, he still finished ‘25 with 3,163 passing yards and 26 touchdowns and ran for 399 yards and 10 scores. Manning also improved as the season progressed, posting a 154.1 quarterback rating in November (No. 3 in the SEC) and accounting for 376 total yards and four scores in the Citrus Bowl win over Michigan.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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