Ranking Top 25 Quarterbacks in College Football After Week 5
Welcome to Bleacher Report's Top 25 college football quarterback rankings after Week 5.
The only thing that matters here is on-field production in 2023.
That means past performance, future expectations, physical tools and NFL upside have all been removed from the equation.
Each quarterback's individual production and quality of opponent will be considered each week, and players will rise and fall based on where they ranked the previous week, so it will be a fluid process throughout the year.
If your favorite team's quarterback is not currently on the list, fear not. If a guy is putting up numbers, he will find his way onto the list. On the flip side, a strong first two weeks is only going to go so far if a player falls flat in Week 5 and fails to duplicate his early success.
With only 25 spots up for grabs and 133 quarterbacks to consider, an honorable mention slide featuring the "Next 25" who just missed the cut is also included here. Those are the guys with the best chance of jumping onto the list with a strong showing in Week 6.
Let the debate begin.
Honorable Mentions
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These 25 quarterbacks were also under consideration for a spot in the rankings but ultimately settled for an honorable mention following Week 5 action:
Davis Brin, Georgia Southern
Byrum Brown, South Florida
Dequan Finn, Toledo
Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, Colorado State
Brett Gabbert, Miami (OH)
Seth Henigan, Memphis
Will Howard, Kansas State
KJ Jefferson, Arkansas
Max Johnson, Texas A&M
Emory Jones, Cincinnati
Riley Leonard, Duke
Drake Maye, North Carolina
Kyle McCord, Ohio State
Graham Mertz, Florida
Joe Milton III, Tennessee
Jack Plummer, Louisville
Michael Pratt, Tulane
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
Jaylen Raynor, Arkansas State
Kaidon Salter, Liberty
Kedon Slovis, BYU
Donovan Smith, Houston
DJ Uiagalelei, Oregon State
Gunnar Watson, Troy
Jacob Zeno, UAB
Nos. 25-21
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25. Jordan McCloud, James Madison (Previous Rank: HM)
Week 5: 12-of-22, 241 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; 61 rush yards
Season: 80-of-124, 1,173 yards, 11 TD, 3 INT; 108 rush yards, 2 TD
McCloud is in his third collegiate stop after making 17 starts at South Florida and three starts at Arizona, and he entered the 2023 season with 3,251 passing yards and 23 touchdowns in his college career. He has James Madison off to a 5-0 start after picking up a 31-23 victory over South Alabama on Saturday.
24. TJ Finley, Texas State (Previous Rank: HM)
Week 5: 19-of-24, 338 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; -2 rush yards
Season: 99-of-136, 1,393 yards, 10 TD, 1 INT; 18 rush yards, 3 TD
Finley has found a home at Texas State after three seasons of middling production at LSU and Auburn, and he made headlines right out of the gates in 2023 when he threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns in an upset win on the road against Baylor. The Bobcats have already matched last season's win total with a 4-1 start, and they have not won five games since 2014.
23. JT Daniels, Rice (Previous Rank: 25)
Week 5: 18-of-32, 232 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; -4 rush yards
Season: 98-of-157, 1,469 yards, 13 TD, 4 INT; -40 rush yards
A 432-yards, three-touchdown performance against South Florida vaulted Daniels into the rankings last week, and he played well again on Saturday in a win over East Carolina. Sam Khan Jr. of The Athletic wrote a great profile on Daniels in August highlighting his journey as a 5-star recruit who made stops at USC, Georgia and West Virginia before landing at Rice.
22. Garrett Shrader, Syracuse (Previous Rank: 19)
Week 5: 15-of-29, 176 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 24 rush yards
Season: 87-of-137, 1,148 yards, 8 TD, 4 INT; 340 rush yards, 6 TD
Shrader has done a lot of his damage on the ground this season, including a 195-yard, four-touchdown performance on the road against Purdue in Week 3. He was outplayed by Cade Klubnik in a 31-14 loss to Clemson on Saturday and drops in the rankings as a result, but his dual-threat production on the year still earns him a spot inside the top 25.
21. Drew Allar, Penn State (Previous Rank: 23)
Week 5: 18-of-33, 189 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 4 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 102-of-158, 1,092 yards, 9 TD, 0 INT; 78 rush yards, 2 TD
Allar has thrown 218 passes in his collegiate career without an interception after another efficient performance against Northwestern. The highly touted sophomore has not exactly been asked to put the team on his shoulders thanks to a terrific running game and an elite defense, but he has done his job in the role of game manager. The Nittany Lions have a bye week and a non-conference game against UMass before squaring off against Ohio State on Oct. 21.
Nos. 20-16
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20. Cade Klubnik, Clemson (Previous Rank: HM)
Week 5: 23-of-37, 263 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; -1 rush yards
Season: 119-of-182, 1,239 yards, 11 TD, 2 INT; 72 rush yards, 2 TD
Two early losses have taken Clemson out of the national spotlight, but Klubnik is putting together a solid individual season in his first year as the starter under center. The highest-rated quarterback recruit in the 247Sports 2022 composite rankings, this season is all about laying the groundwork for what could be an elite-level junior campaign.
19. Chandler Morris, TCU (Previous Rank: 18)
Week 5: 23-of-41, 298 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 51 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 121-of-183, 1,419 yards, 11 TD, 3 INT; 235 rush yards, 3 TD
Morris is enjoying a breakout season in his first year as a starter after sitting behind Max Duggan last year, but TCU suffered its second defeat of the season in a 24-21 loss against West Virginia on Saturday. His 11 passing touchdowns have gone to nine different receivers, and he also ranks second on the team with 235 rushing yards.
18. Carson Beck, Georgia (Previous Rank: 17)
Week 5: 23-of-33, 313 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 6 rush yards
Season: 116-of-161, 1,497 yards, 7 TD, 2 INT; 44 rush yards, 2 TD
The Georgia Bulldogs looked beatable, but they managed to escape with a 27-20 victory over Auburn on Saturday. After logging his first 300-yard passing game in Week 4 against UAB, Beck had another strong game through the air on Saturday. He connected with star tight end Brock Bowers for eight catches, 157 yards and the go-ahead score with 2:52 remaining in the fourth quarter.
17. Haynes King, Georgia Tech (Previous Rank: 15)
Week 5: 23-of-37, 348 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT; 28 rush yards
Season: 107-of-166, 1,480 yards, 15 TD, 4 INT; 176 rush yards, 1 TD
King threw four passing touchdowns for the second time this season on Saturday, but he was also picked off twice and Georgia Tech was upset in a 38-27 loss to Bowling Green. A matchup against Tyler Van Dyke and Miami awaits this weekend in a game that could have a significant impact on next week's QB rankings.
16. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan (Previous Rank: 22)
Week 5: 12-of-16, 156 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 30 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 83-of-105, 1,086 yards, 10 TD, 3 INT; 116 rush yards, 1 TD
Despite ranking 90th in the nation with 105 pass attempts, McCarthy is still one of 39 quarterbacks with 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns on the year. He tried to do too much in a three-interception game against Bowling Green in Week 3, but he has done a better job filling his role the last two weeks, completing 73 percent of his passes while tallying four total touchdowns and no turnovers against Rutgers and Nebraska.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Nos. 15-11
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15. Mikey Keene, Fresno State (Previous Rank: 10)
Week 5: 26-of-34, 269 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT; -20 rush yards
Season: 136-of-197, 1,474 yards, 14 TD, 4 INT; -103 rush yards
Keene moved into the top 10 last week with a 325-yard, four-touchdown performance against Kent State, but a pair of interceptions against Nevada on Saturday knocked him down a few spots in the rankings. He remains the highest-ranked Group of Five quarterback on this list, and he has Fresno State up to No. 24 in the latest AP poll.
14. Jordan Travis, Florida State (Previous Rank: 12)
Week 5: Bye
Season: 74-of-121, 1,028 yards, 10 TD, 1 INT; 94 rush yards, 2 TD
An idle Week 5 leaves Travis with lesser overall numbers than some of the other quarterbacks inside the top 15, but his 631 passing yards and eight total touchdowns in big wins over LSU and Clemson have helped raise his profile. A Week 6 matchup at home against Virginia Tech should give him a golden opportunity to pad his stats.
13. Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland (Previous Rank: 24)
Week 5: 24-of-34, 352 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT; 15 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 111-of-169, 1,464 yards, 13 TD, 3 INT; 68 rush yards, 3 TD
Tagovailoa threw for a season-high 352 yards and a career-high five touchdowns in a 44-17 blowout against Indiana on Saturday, adding his third rushing touchdown of the season for good measure. One of the more underrated quarterbacks on a national level, he will have a chance to make a statement against Ohio State this weekend.
12. Tyler Van Dyke, Miami (Previous Rank: 9)
Week 5: Bye
Season: 74-of-99, 1,042 yards, 11 TD, 1 INT; 43 rush yards, 1 TD
Van Dyke announced himself as a quarterback on the rise with a 374-yard, five-touchdown performance against Texas A&M in Week 2. While he was idle on Saturday, his 197.8 passer rating still ranks second among qualified FBS quarterbacks behind only Caleb Williams (217.7). A home matchup this Saturday against a Georgia Tech team that just lost to Bowling Green should produce a lopsided outcome.
11. Quinn Ewers, Texas (Previous Rank: 11)
Week 5: 25-of-35, 325 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 40 rush yards, 2 TD
Season: 97-of-147, 1,358 yards, 10 TD, 1 INT; 74 rush yards, 5 TD
Ewers threw his first interception of the season on Saturday, but he also added another 300-yard game to his resume while accounting for three total touchdowns in an impressive 40-14 win over previously undefeated Kansas. The Longhorns are squarely in the College Football Playoff conversation, and the play of their sophomore quarterback has been a big piece of the puzzle.
Nos. 10-6
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10. Sam Hartman, Notre Dame (Previous Rank: 4)
Week 5: 15-of-30, 222 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 23 rush yards
Season: 96-of-145, 1,458 yards, 14 TD, 0 INT; 14 rush yards, 2 TD
After piling up 13 touchdowns through the first four games of the season, Hartman has thrown for just 397 yards and one touchdown the last two weeks with a narrow loss to Ohio State and an equally nail-biting victory over Duke. Those first four games were against teams with nine combined wins on the year, so he still has something to prove against quality competition.
9. Brady Cook, Missouri (Previous Rank: 13)
Week 5: 33-of-41, 395 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT; 6 rush yards
Season: 105-of-141, 1,468 yards, 11 TD, 0 INT; 37 rush yards, 3 TD
Cook is trending up in a big way following impressive performances in quality wins against Memphis (341 yards, 2 TD) and Vanderbilt (394 yards, 4 TD), and he has yet to throw an interception in 141 pass attempts. The Missouri Tigers are 5-0 and up to No. 21 in the latest AP poll after being picked to finish sixth in the SEC East in the conference's preseason poll.
8. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (Previous Rank: 21)
Week 5: 26-of-39, 389 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT; 50 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 91-of-142, 1,485 yards, 11 TD, 2 INT; 269 rush yards, 4 TD
Dart had one of the best individual performances of the week while leading Ole Miss to a 55-49 shootout victory over LSU, and the Rebels suddenly look like legitimate contenders in the SEC West. The USC transfer has done a much better job taking care of the football this year after throwing for 2,974 yards with 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions a year ago.
7. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado (Previous Rank: 8)
Week 5: 30-of-45, 371 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT; 50 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 160-of-214, 1,781 yards, 15 TD, 2 INT; -43 rush yards, 2 TD
After a tough game against a stout Oregon defense, Sanders bounced back with his fourth 300-yard passing game of the season in a 48-41 loss to USC. His 1,781 passing yards rank second among FBS quarterbacks, and even with back-to-back losses, he is still easily having a top-10 season at the position.
6. Cameron Ward, Washington State (Previous Rank: 3)
Week 5: Bye
Season: 105-of-141, 1,389 yards, 13 TD, 0 INT; 109 rush yards, 3 TD
Ward vaulted to No. 3 in the rankings last week after throwing for 404 yards and accounting for five total touchdowns in a 38-35 victory over a good Oregon State team. He was idle on Saturday, which opened the door for a few guys who were right on his heels to overtake him, but he will have every opportunity to move back into the top five on Saturday against UCLA.
5. Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma
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Week 5: 26-of-39, 366 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; 37 rush yards, 2 TD
Season: 118-of-157, 1,593 yards, 15 TD, 2 INT; 95 rush yards, 4 TD
A 50-20 blowout against Iowa State did little to erase the knock that Dillon Gabriel and Oklahoma have not faced a difficult opponent yet this season, but the fifth-year senior continues to be a weekly threat for gaudy passing numbers.
He is now halfway to his fourth career 3,000-yard season, and his 12,798 career passing yards are good for 25th on the all-time list. Another 300-yard performance would move him up to No. 20, ahead of Derek Carr, Brandon Doughty, Cooper Rush, Dan Lefevour and Kevin Kolb.
The Red River Rivalry and the No. 3 Texas Longhorns await on Saturday.
4. Bo Nix, Oregon
7 of 10
Week 5: 27-of-32, 290 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT; 18 rush yards
Season: 131-of-163, 1,459 yards, 15 TD, 1 INT; 87 rush yards, 1 TD
For the third time this season, Bo Nix completed 80 percent of his throws and threw at least three touchdown passes, and the Oregon Ducks rank second in the nation with a 31.3-point average margin of victory.
His progression from a 61.0 percent completion rate in his final season at Auburn to 71.9 percent last season to 80.4 percent this year speaks to his growth as a quarterback. And while fellow Pac-12 standouts Caleb Williams and Michael Penix Jr. are dominating the headlines, he is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate in his own right.
After a bye week this coming Saturday, Nix and Penix will go head-to-head on Oct. 14 in Seattle.
3. Jayden Daniels, LSU
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Week 5: 27-of-36, 414 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT; 99 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 117-of-160, 1,710 yards, 16 TD, 2 INT; 292 yards, 3 TD
Here's where I remind you that these rankings are based solely on individual performance in 2023, and that while team success is often tied to a quarterback's performance, it's impossible to blame LSU's 3-2 start on Jayden Daniels.
In his fifth season as a starting quarterback, he has been piling up yardage through the air and on the ground, and he came one rushing yard short of a rare 400-yard passing, 100-yard rushing game on Saturday in a 55-49 loss to Ole Miss.
Another tough matchup against the undefeated Missouri Tigers and a red-hot Brady Cook is up next this weekend.
2. Michael Penix Jr., Washington
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Week 5: 30-of-40, 363 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; -5 rush yards
Season: 133-of-178, 1,999 yards, 16 TD, 2 INT; 9 rush yards
For the first time in almost a calendar year, Michael Penix Jr. was held without a passing touchdown, as the last time he failed to tally a score through the air was a 45-38 loss to Arizona State on Oct. 8 last year.
The nation's passing yardage leader still threw for 363 yards, and this time around, his touchdown-free performance came in a 31-24 victory on the road against Arizona. The Huskies scored four rushing touchdowns in the game.
Now Penix has a week to rest up before a heavyweight battle against Bo Nix and Oregon on Oct. 14.
1. Caleb Williams, USC
10 of 10
Week 5: 30-of-40, 403 yards, 6 TD, 1 INT; 12 rush yards
Season: 105-of-141, 1,603 yards, 21 TD, 1 INT; 83 rush yards, 3 TD
The marquee Colorado vs. USC matchup this past weekend was the hottest ticket in the college football world, and Caleb Williams put on a show.
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner matched a career high with six touchdown passes, and the Trojans needed every single one of them in a 48-41 victory. Four of those scores came in the first half when USC built a 34-7 lead, but Colorado mounted an impressive comeback to make things close.
With 21 touchdowns and only one interception to go along with a 74.5 percent completion rate, Williams would be an easy pick to take home the hardware once again if the season ended today. Instead, it's on to facing an Arizona defense that held Michael Penix Jr. without a passing touchdown on Saturday.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
