Conference USA Quarterback Rankings for 2026

NCAAF College Football
July 28, 2026
College Football, Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens, FIU Panthers, Jacksonville State Gamecocks, Kennesaw State Owls, Liberty Flames, Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, Missouri State Bears, New Mexico State Aggies, Sam Houston State Bearkats, Sports, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

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Change is the biggest storyline surrounding Conference USA quarterbacks entering the 2026 college football season. Just three teams — Delaware (Nick Minicucci), Jacksonville State (Caden Creel) and Western Kentucky (Rodney Tisdale Jr.) — feature a returning starter under center. Liberty, Kennesaw State and FIU are expected to rank among the top contenders in CUSA this fall, but all three are likely to start a transfer at quarterback.

Minicucci is clearly Conference USA’s top quarterback entering ‘26, but the league could have a couple of signal-callers on the cusp of a breakout year, including Middle Tennessee’s Roman Gagliano and Sam Houston’s Landyn Locke.

Ranking the quarterbacks by conference or nationally is no easy task. To help compile the rankings, some projection was involved for 2026. This was not a ranking of quarterbacks based only on accomplishments so far or pro potential. All factors — pure talent, supporting cast, having a clear hold on the No. 1 position, previous production, '26 projection, and scheme changes (just to name a few) — were considered to rank the quarterbacks in the Conference USA for 2026.

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Locke gained valuable experience after playing in six games as a true freshman last year. During that stint, Locke threw for 765 yards and four touchdowns. However, his completion percentage (50.4%), yards per attempt (5.4) and interception total (four in 141 attempts) showcased a quarterback still in development. Will the talented sophomore take a big step forward this offseason after an extended chance to work as the No. 1 quarterback?

Hedden was a key pickup out of the transfer portal from Furman for coach Tony Sanchez as New Mexico State looks to jumpstart an offense that averaged only 21.6 points a game last year. In 22 games with the Paladins, Hedden threw for 4,734 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also connected on 66% of his throws. However, turnovers were a problem for the Florida native, as he tossed 22 picks over 668 career attempts at the FCS level. If Hedden can clean up the mistakes, he could easily outperform this ranking in ‘26.

Collins struggled at Syracuse last season, but the former four-star prospect has a chance to get his career back on track at Kennesaw State. The Louisiana native started his collegiate career at LSU in 2023 and played in four games (with seven pass attempts) over the next two years. Collins transferred to Syracuse prior to ‘25 and was pressed into the starting job after starter Steve Angeli suffered a season-ending injury. In seven appearances, Collins threw for 1,042 yards and six touchdowns. However, he also threw 10 picks and completed less than 55% (53.6) of his throws. Kennesaw State coach Jerry Mack should help Collins rebound in ‘26, but the junior also has to hold off junior college transfer Landon Varnes to claim the job in fall practice.

A pair of transfers — Locklear (UTEP) and Henry Belin IV (Duke) — will resume their battle for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart this fall. Locklear likely has an edge over Belin IV due to more overall experience, and new play-caller Mark Cala worked with him last season at UTEP. Over 19 games with the Miners, Locklear threw for 3,001 yards and 23 touchdowns and rushed for 633 yards and 10 scores. Missouri State’s new offense under first-year coach Casey Woods is likely to be a work in progress early in ‘26. However, Locklear’s experience could help shorten the learning curve for the rest of this unit.

Whether it’s Purdie, Jaylen Henderson or Ethan Vasko starting, it’s a safe assumption that coach Jamey Chadwell will get quality play under center in 2026. This stop at Liberty marks Purdie’s third program after previous stints at Charlotte and Wake Forest. At those two programs, Purdie played in 17 contests and threw for 2,420 yards and 16 touchdowns. The Maryland native has connected on just 50% of his career pass attempts and has tossed nine interceptions on just 282 attempts. Vasko is on the mend from a shoulder injury suffered last season, while Henderson transferred to Liberty after previous stops at Fresno State, Texas A&M and West Virginia.

Keyone Jenkins (transferred to UCF) leaves big shoes to fill under center this offseason. Kohl brings intriguing size (6-foot-7 and 245 pounds) and played well in his first extended action at the collegiate level last year. In eight appearances at Appalachian State in 2025, Kohl threw for 1,465 yards and 12 touchdowns against just two picks. Coach Willie Simmons is one of CUSA’s top minds on offense and should put Kohl in a position to succeed.

Gagliano could emerge as the top breakout quarterback from CUSA this season. The Alabama native shined in a late-season stint with the Blue Raiders in 2025, completing 70 of 118 attempts for 911 yards and six touchdowns in his final three contests. Additionally, Gagliano flashed his dual-threat ability by recording 182 yards and two scores on the ground in that span. Can Gagliano translate that into a full season of production?

Tisdale Jr. was pressed into action after Maverick McIvor suffered a shoulder injury midway through the 2025 season. The Florida native flashed potential over nine appearances, throwing four touchdowns in a win over New Mexico State and passing for 371 yards in a victory over Middle Tennessee. For the season, Tisdale Jr. threw for 1,432 yards and nine scores and added 108 yards and two scores on the ground. With an offseason to develop as the starter, Tisdale Jr. should hold off Florida State transfer Brock Glenn for the job and emerge as one of CUSA’s top quarterbacks in coach Tyson Helton’s dynamic offense.

Creel returns as one of college football’s top running quarterbacks and is a key cog in Jacksonville State’s hopes of another appearance in the Conference USA title game. After not taking a snap in his first two years on campus, Creel started all 14 games for the Gamecocks and ran for 1,075 yards and seven scores. The Alabama native averaged only 15 pass attempts per game in 2025 but made the most of the opportunities with 1,514 yards and nine scores through the air. With running back Cam Cook transferring to West Virginia, Creel must shoulder even more of the workload for Jacksonville State this fall.

An injury to Zach Marker in Delaware’s FBS debut on Aug. 28 opened the door for Minicucci to emerge as the top quarterback in Conference USA. After taking over for Marker, Minicucci proceeded to throw for 3,683 yards and 23 touchdowns against just seven picks. He also added another 235 yards and 10 scores on the ground. The New Jersey native led all CUSA signal-callers in completions of 10-plus yards (130) and tied for first in the conference with 10 connections of 40-plus yards.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jul 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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