Ranking Top 25 Quarterbacks in College Football After Week 6
Welcome to Bleacher Report's Top 25 college football quarterback rankings after Week 6.
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 every 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 few weeks is only going to go so far if a player falls flat 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 7.
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 6:
Carter Bradley, South Alabama
Davis Brin, Georgia Southern
Byrum Brown, South Florida
Thomas Castellanos, Boston College
Brett Gabbert, Miami (OH)
Seth Henigan, Memphis
KJ Jefferson, Arkansas
Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Jordan McCloud, James Madison
Kyle McCord, Ohio State
Graham Mertz, Florida
Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Joe Milton III, Tennessee
Chandler Morris, TCU
Andrew Peasley, Wyoming
Jack Plummer, Louisville
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
Austin Reed, Western Kentucky
Will Rogers, Mississippi State
Kurtis Rourke, Ohio
Kaidon Salter, Liberty
Garrett Shrader, Syracuse
Kedon Slovis, BYU
Donovan Smith, Houston
E.J. Warner, Temple
Nos. 25-21
2 of 10
25. Jacob Zeno, UAB (Previous: HM)
Week 6: 19-of-25, 353 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT; -1 rush yards
Season: 176-of-233, 1,795 yards, 12 TD, 5 INT; 101 rush yards, 3 TD
A 3-star recruit in 2019 who had a whopping 27 scholarship offers out of high school, Zeno began his college career at Baylor where he attempted 29 passes over three seasons before transferring to UAB. He threw for 721 yards and five touchdowns in nine games last season, and he has emerged as one of the best Group of Five quarterbacks in the nation this fall.
24. TJ Finley, Texas State (Previous: 24)
Week 6: 30-of-40, 326 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Season: 129-of-176, 1,719 yards, 12 TD, 2 INT; 18 rush yards, 3 TD
Finley moved into the Top 25 last week with a 338-yard, two-touchdown performance against Southern Miss, and while the Bobcats lost on Saturday, he had another solid individual performance to hold onto a spot in the rankings. Texas State has already matched its win total from a year ago with a 4-2 start.
23. Dequan Finn, Toledo (Previous: HM)
Week 6: 15-of-23, 139 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 172 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 88-of-133, 1,099 yards, 12 TD, 5 INT; 413 rush yards, 4 TD
One of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation, Finn moves back into the Top 25 on the strength of a three-touchdown performance on the road against UMass. He rushed for a career-high 172 yards on 13 carries while also throwing multiple touchdown passes for the fifth time in six games.
22. JT Daniels, Rice (Previous: 23)
Week 6: 33-of-49, 362 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; -18 rush yards
Season: 131-of-206, 1,831 yards, 15 TD, 5 INT; -58 rush yards
Another week, another 300-yard performance for Daniels, who now ranks seventh in FBS with 1,831 passing yards. His top receiving target Luke McCaffrey—the son of former NFL wideout Ed McCaffrey—began his college career at Nebraska as a dual-threat quarterback.
21. Drew Allar, Penn State (Previous: 21)
Week 6: Bye
Season: 102-of-158, 1,092 yards, 9 TD, 0 INT; 78 rush yards, 2 TD
Allar held onto the No. 21 spot after Penn State was idle in Week 6. The hyped sophomore will have a chance to shake off the bye-week cobwebs against UMass on Saturday before a huge matchup against Ohio State on Oct. 21 that could determine which team stays in the running for a College Football Playoff spot.
Nos. 20-16
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20. Mikey Keene, Fresno State (Previous Rank: 14)
Week 6: 23-of-35, 218 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; -19 rush yards
Season: 159-of-232, 1,692 yards, 15 TD, 4 INT; -122 rush yards
Keene peaked at No. 10 in these rankings a few weeks ago, but after throwing two picks against Nevada in Week 5 and then suffering his first loss of the season on Saturday against Wyoming, he has fallen to No. 20. He still has the top spot among Group of Five quarterbacks for now, but there are a few challengers nipping at his heels.
19. Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland (Previous Rank: 13)
Week 6: 21-of-41, 196 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; 21 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 132-of-210, 1,660 yards, 14 TD, 5 INT; 89 rush yards, 4 TD
Tagovailoa followed up a 352-yard, five-touchdown performance against Indiana with a far less impressive showing against Ohio State in a lopsided 37-17 loss. It stands as a missed opportunity to make a statement on the national stage, but it has still been a strong all-around season for the Terrapins and their signal-caller.
18. Sam Hartman, Notre Dame (Previous Rank: 10)
Week 6: 22-of-38, 254 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT; -12 rush yards
Season: 118-of-183, 1,712 yards, 16 TD, 3 INT; 2 rush yards, 2 TD
The season split tells the story for Hartman:
- Week 0-3 (4-0 record): 71.1 comp%, 1,061 yards, 13 TD, 0 INT
- Week 4-6 (1-2 record): 58.1 comp%, 651 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT
Those first four games are only going to keep him in the rankings for so long, and he'll be in the spotlight again on Saturday in a marquee matchup against Caleb Williams and USC.
17. Haynes King, Georgia Tech (Previous Rank: 16)
Week 6: 12-of-25, 151 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; 46 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 119-of-191, 1,631 yards, 16 TD, 6 INT; 222 rush yards, 2 TD
The Miami Hurricanes' decision not to kneel and subsequent fumble with 33 seconds left on the clock would have been a non-story if King didn't then connect with Christian Leary for a 44-yard touchdown pass and the game-winning score 32 seconds later. It was a wild way to bounce back from an embarrassing loss to Bowling Green in Week 5.
16. Cameron Ward, Washington State (Previous Rank: 6)
Week 6: 19-of-39, 197 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; -12 rush yards
Season: 124-of-180, 1,586 yards, 14 TD, 2 INT; 97 rush yards, 3 TD
Ward threw for 404 yards and four touchdowns in a big win over Oregon State in Week 4, but he struggled mightily against the UCLA defense on Saturday coming out of a bye week. He threw his first two interceptions of the season, completed less than half of his throws, and the Washington State offense went three-and-out on eight of 16 possessions.
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Nos. 15-11
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15. Tyler Van Dyke, Miami (Previous Rank: 11)
Week 6: 24-of-36, 288 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT; -4 rush yards
Season: 98-of-135, 1,330 yards, 12 TD, 4 INT; 39 rush yards, 1 TD
It was a tough day for Van Dyke and the Hurricanes on Saturday, but he still ranks sixth in the nation in passer rating (178.8) among quarterbacks with at least 100 pass attempts. He will now go head-to-head with hyped NFL prospect Drake Maye on Saturday in a battle of ACC contenders.
14. Drake Maye, North Carolina (Previous Rank: HM)
Week 6: 33-of-47, 442 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 55 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 129-of-179, 1,629 yards, 8 TD, 4 INT; 174 rush yards, 4 TD
It took six weeks, but Maye has finally found his way into the Top 25. Viewed as the best NFL quarterback prospect in the upcoming draft class not named Caleb Williams, he got off to a slow start this season, but with four total touchdowns on Saturday in a 40-7 blowout against Syracuse he took a big step toward living up to expectations. How high will he climb in the coming weeks?
13. Quinn Ewers, Texas (Previous Rank: 12)
Week 6: 31-of-37, 346 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; -14 rush yards
Season: 128-of-184, 1,704 yards, 11 TD, 3 INT; 60 rush yards, 5 TD
Ewers threw multiple interceptions for just the second time in his college career while also losing a fumble in a 34-30 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. The Longhorns will now need a lot to break right in order to climb back into the College Football Playoff picture, while Ewers will now have a bye week to shake off his worst performance of the year.
12. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan (Previous Rank: 17)
Week 6: 14-of-20, 219 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 17 rush yards, 2 TD
Season: 97-of-125, 1,305 yards, 11 TD, 3 INT; 133 rush yards, 3 TD
McCarthy continues to be one of college football's most efficient passers, and his 77.6 percent completion rate trails only Bo Nix (80.4%) and Graham Mertz (80.0%) among quarterbacks with at least 100 pass attempts. On top of his solid passing numbers, he is also averaging 6.7 yards per carry on 20 rushing attempts.
11. DJ Uiagalelei, Oregon State (Previous Rank: HM)
Week 6: 19-of-25, 275 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT; 14 rush yards
Season: 92-of-152, 1,307 yards, 13 TD, 4 INT; 131 rush yards, 5 TD
Uiagalelei soared all the way from the honorable mention list to No. 12 in the rankings after a five-touchdown performance against California in a 52-40 shootout on Saturday night. The Clemson transfer now has 18 total touchdowns on the season, a total surpassed by only Caleb Williams (28), Jayden Daniels (23), Dillon Gabriel (21) and Shedeur Sanders (19).
Nos. 10-6
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10. Jordan Travis, Florida State (Previous Rank: 15)
Week 6: 18-of-24, 170 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 25 rush yards
Season: 92-of-145, 1,198 yards, 12 TD, 1 INT; 119 yards, 2 TD
Travis has yet to match the 342-yard, four-touchdown performance he unleashed against LSU in Week 1, but he has done a great job taking care of the football with eight touchdowns and zero interceptions over the Seminoles' last four games. He should have a big game on Saturday against a Syracuse defense that just allowed 442 passing yards and 40 points against North Carolina.
9. Brady Cook, Missouri (Previous Rank: 9)
Week 6: 30-of-47, 395 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT; 9 rush yards
Season: 135-of-188, 1,863 yards, 13 TD, 2 INT; 46 rush yards, 3 TD
Cook threw his first two interceptions of the season and Missouri suffered its first loss of the season in a 49-39 slugfest against LSU on Saturday. The junior has been one of the breakout quarterbacks of the 2023 season, and his performance thus far is a big reason why the Tigers were off to a 5-0 start.
8. Carson Beck, Georgia (Previous Rank: 18)
Week 6: 28-of-35, 389 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT; 7 rush yards
Season: 144-of-196, 1,886 yards, 11 TD, 3 INT; 51 rush yards, 2 TD
With three consecutive 300-yard passing games, Beck is up to fourth in FBS with 1,886 passing yards on the year, and he threw a career-high four touchdown passes in a 51-13 blowout win over Kentucky on Saturday. Up next, he faces a Vanderbilt defense that ranks 118th in the nation with 283.8 passing yards allowed per game.
7. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (Previous Rank: 8)
Week 6: 16-of-25, 153 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 33 rush yards
Season: 107-of-167, 1,638 yards, 12 TD, 2 INT; 302 rush yards, 4 TD
Dart vaulted into the Top 10 last week with 389 passing yards and five total touchdowns in a win over LSU, and he put together an efficient game on Saturday against Arkansas to help Ole Miss move to 5-1 on the year. Thus far, he has outperformed every SEC quarterback outside of Jayden Daniels.
6. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado (Previous Rank: 7)
Week 6: 26-of-42, 239 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; -17 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 186-of-256, 2,020 yards, 16 TD, 2 INT; -60 rush yards, 3 TD
Colorado snapped a two-game losing skid with a road win against Arizona State on Saturday, and Sanders became the first FBS quarterback to reach 2,000 passing yards in the 2023 season. The return of Travis Hunter will provide a major boost to the Buffaloes' passing game, and the dynamic two-way star is back practicing ahead of Friday night's game against Stanford.
5. Bo Nix, Oregon (Previous Rank: 4)
6 of 10
Week 6: Bye
Season: 131-of-163, 1,459 yards, 15 TD, 1 INT; 87 rush yards, 1 TD
A bye week for Oregon opened the door for Bo Nix to be passed by Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel following the Sooners' big win over Texas, but the Ducks will be back in action this Saturday with a huge matchup against Michael Penix Jr. and the Washington Huskies.
Nix leads all FBS quarterbacks with an 80.4 percent completion rate, and he had his best game of the season heading into the bye week with a 290-yard, four-touchdown performance against Stanford.
4. Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma (Previous Rank: 5)
7 of 10
Week 6: 23-of-38, 285 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 113 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 141-of-195, 1,878 yards, 16 TD, 2 INT; 208 rush yards, 5 TD
Dillon Gabriel made history on Saturday, becoming the first Oklahoma quarterback in the history of the Red River Rivalry against Texas to tally 250 passing yards and 100 rushing yards, and the Sooners' win puts them squarely in the College Football Playoff conversation.
"He's the calmest guy I've ever been around at the quarterback position," Sooners coach Brent Venables told reporters. "He's got great belief in the players around him. Incredibly humble. You don't see him ever tooting his own horn. He's always trying to compliment and call someone else up. But he's prepared. He's worked really, really hard. He's been one of the most consistent players in our program."
3. Michael Penix Jr., Washington
8 of 10
Week 6: Bye
Season: 133-of-178, 1,999 yards, 16 TD, 2 INT; 9 rush yards
For the first time all season, someone other than Michael Penix Jr. and Caleb Williams occupies a spot in the top two in these rankings, with an idle Penix overtaken during Washington's bye week.
The Huskies star is still having a Heisman-caliber season, and he will have a golden opportunity to move right back up the rankings with a strong showing against Bo Nix and undefeated Oregon on Saturday.
2. Jayden Daniels, LSU
9 of 10
Week 6: 15-of-21, 259 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 130 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 132-of-181, 1,969 yards, 19 TD, 2 INT; 422 rush yards, 4 TD
Jayden Daniels has accounted for 13 total touchdowns over the past three weeks while steadily climbing the rankings. And after a four-touchdown performance against previously undefeated Missouri on Saturday, he has staked his claim to the No. 2 spot.
Aside from throwing three touchdown passes, he also tallied a career-high 130 rushing yards. His 422 rushing yards on the year trail only Thomas Castellanos of Boston College (500) and Byrum Brown of South Florida (466) among all FBS quarterbacks.
1. Caleb Williams, USC
10 of 10
Week 6: 14-of-25, 205 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 41 rush yards, 3 TD
Season: 119-of-166, 1,808 yards, 22 TD, 1 INT; 124 rush yards, 6 TD
After lighting up Colorado for 403 yards and six touchdown passes in Week 5, Caleb Williams had a far more understated game through the air on Saturday. But his three rushing touchdowns were crucial in securing a triple-overtime win against Arizona.
With 28 total touchdowns for a still-undefeated USC squad, he remains the Heisman Trophy front-runner. The Trojans hit the road to take on Notre Dame for one of the biggest matchups on the Week 7 slate, and that will be another golden opportunity to add to his already impressive resume.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
