Ranking Top 25 Quarterbacks in College Football After Week 8
Welcome to Bleacher Report's Top 25 college football quarterback rankings after Week 8.
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 half of the season is only going to go so far if a player falls flat and fails to duplicate his previous 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. Those are the guys with the best chance of jumping onto the list with a strong showing in Week 9.
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 8:
Joey Aguilar, Appalachian State
Drew Allar, Penn State
Bryson Barnes, Utah
Carter Bradley, South Alabama
Byrum Brown, South Florida
Thomas Castellanos, Boston College
Chevan Cordeiro, San Jose State
TJ Finley, Texas State
Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi, Colorado State
Darren Grainger, Georgia State
Seth Henigan, Memphis
Will Howard, Kansas State
Haynes King, Georgia Tech
Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Joe Milton III, Tennessee
Diego Pavia, New Mexico State
Andrew Peasley, Wyoming
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
Austin Reed, Western Kentucky
Chandler Rogers, North Texas
Kurtis Rourke, Ohio
Preston Stone, SMU
Nicholas Vattiato, Middle Tennessee
Missed Week 8 Due to Injury
Mikey Keene, Fresno State (on bye, missed Week 7)
Riley Leonard, Duke (played in Week 7, re-aggravated injury)
Chandler Morris, TCU
Tyler Van Dyke, Miami
E.J. Warner, Temple
Jacob Zeno, UAB
Nos. 25-21
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25. Dequan Finn, Toledo (Previous Rank: HM)
Week 8: 16-of-28, 160 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 34 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 119-of-188, 1,425 yards, 14 TD, 5 INT; 472 rush yards, 5 TD
Toledo has rattled off seven straight wins since suffering a season-opening loss to Illinois, including a 21-17 victory over a good Miami (Ohio) team on Saturday. Finn leads the MAC in total yards (1,897), passing touchdowns (14) and total touchdowns (19), and the Rockets popped up in the "Others Receiving Votes" section of the AP poll this week.
24. Michael Pratt, Tulane (Previous Rank: HM)
Week 8: 15-of-21, 194 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; 70 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 80-of-113, 1,121 yards, 12 TD, 2 INT; 191 rush yards, 3 TD
With a 35-28 victory over North Texas on Saturday, Tulane is back in the AP poll for the first time since Week 2 when it suffered a loss to Ole Miss with Pratt watching from the sidelines with a knee injury. In four games since returning, he has thrown for 727 yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions while also tallying 152 rushing yards and three scores on the ground.
23. JT Daniels, Rice (Previous Rank: HM)
Week 8: 24-of-37, 342 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; -1 rush yard, 1 TD
Season: 155-of-243, 2,173 yards, 17 TD, 5 INT; -59 rush yards, 1 TD
With his fourth 300-yard performance of the season, Daniels now ranks 10th among FBS quarterbacks with 2,173 yards, and he also threw multiple touchdown passes for the sixth straight game. The 23-year-old has successfully made a fresh start in his fourth collegiate stop.
22. Kaidon Salter, Liberty (Previous Rank: 24)
Week 8: 12-of-20, 140 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 160 rush yards
Season: 88-of-152, 1,493 yards, 16 TD, 3 INT; 497 rush yards, 6 TD
Behind a pair of passing touchdowns and a career-high 160 rushing yards on 16 carries, Salter helped the Flames improve to 7-0 with a 42-35 victory over Middle Tennessee last Tuesday. The dual-threat signal-caller has been one of the breakout quarterbacks of the 2023 season.
21. Jordan McCloud, James Madison (Previous Rank: 23)
Week 8: 21-of-31, 264 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 69 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 121-of-186, 1,696 yards, 15 TD, 4 INT; 197 rush yards, 3 TD
A 3-star recruit back in 2019 who made stops at South Florida and Arizona before landing at James Madison, McCloud has been, arguably, the best quarterback in a talented Sun Belt Conference. He leads the conference in yards per attempt (9.1), passer rating (164.0) and total touchdowns (18).
Nos. 20-16
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20. Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland (Previous Rank: 19)
Week 8: Bye
Season: 159-of-249, 1,926 yards, 16 TD, 5 INT; 83 rush yards, 4 TD
Tagovailoa bounced back from a rough performance against Ohio State with 266 passing yards and two touchdowns against Illinois in Week 7, but the Terrapins still suffered a second straight loss heading into their bye week. A favorable matchup against Northwestern will give him a chance to get back in the swing of things before hosting Penn State on Nov. 4.
19. Cameron Ward, Washington State (Previous Rank: HM)
Week 8: 34-of-48, 438 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 30 rush yards
Season: 181-of-259, 2,217 yards, 15 TD, 3 INT; 131 rush yards, 3 TD
Shaky games against UCLA (197 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT) and Arizona (192 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT) dropped Ward from the rankings entirely, but he is back at No. 19 after leading all FBS quarterbacks with 438 passing yards in Week 8. An upcoming stretch against Arizona State, Stanford, California and Colorado should give him a chance to further pad his stats.
18. Sam Hartman, Notre Dame (Previous Rank: 16)
Week 8: Bye
Season: 131-of-203, 1,838 yards, 18 TD, 3 INT; 14 rush yards, 2 TD
Hartman rebounded from a three-interception performance against Louisville with a strong showing in a win over USC in Week 7. The Fighting Irish were idle this past weekend, but they're back in action on Saturday against a Pittsburgh defense that ranks 27th with 195.3 passing yards allowed per game.
17. Donovan Smith, Houston (Previous Rank: 17)
Week 8: 32-of-46, 378 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; -12 rush yards
Season: 177-of-265, 1,979 yards, 16 TD, 4 INT; 184 rush yards, 4 TD
The Cougars have gone just 1-2 in their last three games facing off against Texas Tech, West Virginia and Texas, but Smith has thrown for 967 yards and 11 touchdowns with just one interception during that stretch. Road games against Kansas State and Baylor are up next on the schedule.
16. Kyle McCord, Ohio State (Previous Rank: 22)
Week 8: 22-of-35, 286 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; -10 rush yards
Season: 131-of-205, 1,937 yards, 12 TD, 1 INT; -31 rush yards
Facing a Penn State defense that ranks second in the nation with 144.7 passing yards allowed per game, McCord had a rock-solid day through the air, including an 18-yard touchdown strike to top target Marvin Harrison Jr. in the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes now face four straight unranked teams before their huge Nov. 25 matchup against Michigan.
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Nos. 15-11
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15. Graham Mertz, Florida (Previous Rank: 13)
Week 8: Bye
Season: 170-of-223, 1,897 yards, 12 TD, 2 INT; -59 rush yards, 2 TD
Mertz threw for 423 yards and three touchdowns on the road against South Carolina going into Florida's bye week, which earned him a spot inside the Top 25 for the first time this season. His 76.2 percent completion rate leads all SEC quarterbacks and ranks third in the nation.
14. DJ Uiagalelei, Oregon State (Previous Rank: 12)
Week 8: Bye
Season: 106-of-176, 1,573 yards, 15 TD, 4 INT; 124 rush yards, 5 TD
Uiagalelei threw for 266 yards and two touchdowns in a big win over UCLA in Week 7, and Oregon State is up to No. 11 in the latest AP poll, behind only Washington and Oregon among Pac-12 teams. The Clemson transfer has raised his yards per attempt from 6.6 in his three seasons with the Tigers to 8.9 this year.
13. Quinn Ewers, Texas (Previous Rank: 15)
Week 8: 23-of-29, 211 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; -7 rush yards
Season: 151-of-213, 1,915 yards, 13 TD, 3 INT; 53 rush yards, 5 TD
Ewers put together another strong performance against Houston before he was knocked out of the game in the third quarter, and he is expected to miss multiple games with an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder. Maalik Murphy replaced him on Saturday, while freshman Arch Manning is also waiting in the wings for potential playing time.
12. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (Previous Rank: HM)
Week 8: 10-of-17, 202 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 44 rush yards, 2 TD
Season: 117-of-184, 1,840 yards, 13 TD, 3 INT; 346 rush yards, 6 TD
The Rebels' bye week came at the perfect time after Dart was banged up in the team's win over Arkansas in Week 6. He came out the other side healthy and helped lead Ole Miss to a 28-21 victory over Auburn on Saturday, tallying three total touchdowns. Home games against Vanderbilt and Texas A&M are up next for the 12th-ranked Rebels.
11. Drake Maye, North Carolina (Previous Rank: 9)
Week 8: 24-of-48, 347 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 17 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 170-of-260, 2,249 yards, 14 TD, 5 INT; 201 rush yards, 5 TD
Maye soared up the rankings with huge performances in Week 6 (442 passing yards, 3 TD) and Week 7 (273 passing yards, 4 TD), but he threw a crucial interception on the Tar Heels final drive in a 31-27 upset loss to Virginia on Saturday while completing just 50 percent of his throws on the day. Can they rebound against Georgia Tech on Saturday night?
Nos. 10-6
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10. Brady Cook, Missouri (Previous Rank: 11)
Week 8: 14-of-24, 198 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 64 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 168-of-241, 2,252 yards, 15 TD, 3 INT; 134 rush yards, 5 TD
Cook has thrown for fewer than 200 yards in back-to-back games, but Missouri picked up victories over Kentucky and South Carolina in the process. The junior signal-caller still ranks sixth among FBS quarterbacks with 2,252 passing yards, despite the recent lull in production. Can he pull off the upset against No. 1 Georgia on Saturday?
9. Carson Beck, Georgia (Previous Rank: 9)
Week 8: Bye
Season: 173-of-235, 2,147 yards, 12 TD, 4 INT; 50 rush yards, 3 TD
The Bulldogs entered their bye week in the driver's seat for a spot in the College Football Playoff thanks to a 7-0 start. Beck has thrown for at least 250 yards in all seven games, and he has spread it around well with nine different players tallying 100 receiving yards on the year so far.
8. Jordan Travis, Florida State (Previous Rank: 10)
Week 8: 27-of-36, 268 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 62 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 142-of-218, 1,750 yards, 15 TD, 2 INT; 176 rush yards, 5 TD
Travis had one of his most efficient passing games of the season on Saturday against Duke, completing 75 percent of his throws while logging three total touchdowns for the second game in a row. The Seminoles survived a tough test in the ACC to remain undefeated, and they should be clear favorites in their next five games to close out the regular-season slate.
7. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado (Previous Rank: 5)
Week 8: Bye
Season: 219-of-303, 2,420 yards, 21 TD, 3 INT; -23 rush yards, 3 TD
Even with Colorado idle in Week 8, Sanders still ranks fourth among FBS quarterbacks with 2,420 passing yards, and he is one of five quarterbacks with at least 20 touchdown passes on the year. The Pac-12 grind continues in the coming weeks with No. 23 UCLA and No. 11 Oregon State up next on the schedule.
6. Caleb Williams, USC (Previous Rank: 3)
Week 8: 24-of-34, 256 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 27 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 166-of-237, 2,277 yards, 23 TD, 4 INT; 149 rush yards, 7 TD
Deciding how far to drop Williams after a second straight middling performance was one of the toughest decisions of the week. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has thrown for 674 passing yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions over the past three weeks, and the Trojans have now lost back-to-back games against Notre Dame and Utah.
5. Bo Nix, Oregon (Previous Rank: 6)
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Week 8: 18-of-25, 293 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 4 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 182-of-232, 2,089 yards, 19 TD, 1 INT; 105 rush yards, 2 TD
Bo Nix ranks first in the Pac-12 and third among all FBS quarterbacks with a 180.2 passer efficiency rating, behind only LSU's Jayden Daniels (204.3) and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy (199.1).
His completion percentage (71.9 to 78.4 percent) and yards per attempt (8.8 to 9.0) have both improved over the terrific numbers he put up a year ago, and while Oregon came out on the short end of a high-profile matchup against Washington in Week 7, he still threw for 337 yards and two touchdowns in that game.
A tough road matchup against No. 13 Utah awaits this weekend.
4. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan (Previous Rank: 7)
7 of 10
Week 8: 21-of-27, 287 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT; 8 rush yards
Season: 132-of-169, 1,799 yards, 18 TD, 3 INT; 168 rush yards, 3 TD
After showing out with 287 passing yards and four touchdowns against Michigan State on Saturday, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy is now the Heisman Trophy favorite.
Keep in mind, there is generally a direct tie between team success and Heisman Trophy odds, so the fact that he is playing for an undefeated team with a dynamic running game and stacked defense is helping his cause.
That said, McCarthy is still having a season worthy of a top-five spot in these rankings thanks to his elite efficiency and a marquee performance against one of the nation's top defenses.
3. Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma (Previous Rank: 4)
8 of 10
Week 8: 25-of-38, 253 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; 22 rush yards
Season: 166-of-233, 2,131 yards, 19 TD, 3 INT; 230 rush yards, 5 TD
Dillon Gabriel cemented his status as one of the top quarterbacks in the nation when he tallied 285 passing yards, 113 rushing yards and two total touchdowns in a 34-30 victory over Texas in the Red River Rivalry.
After a bye in Week 7, he helped the Sooners avoid a letdown in a 31-29 victory over UCF on Saturday, leading a pair of touchdown drives in the fourth quarter.
The Sooners have weathered the toughest part of their schedule, and Kansas, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, BYU and TCU are now the path between them and an undefeated regular season.
2. Michael Penix Jr., Washington (Previous Rank: 1)
9 of 10
Week 8: 27-of-42, 275 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT; 1 rush yard
Season: 182-of-257, 2,576 yards, 20 TD, 5 INT; 3 rush yards
Michael Penix Jr. emerged as the clear No. 1 quarterback in the nation with a 302-yard, four-touchdown performance in a win over previously undefeated Oregon in Week 7 that coincided with a dud from USC star Caleb Williams.
However, after throwing a pair of interceptions in an ugly 15-7 victory over a 1-6 Arizona State squad on Saturday, there is a new No. 1 in these rankings for a third consecutive week.
That said, Penix is still very much in the Heisman Trophy conversation. He faces a Stanford defense that ranks 130th in the nation with 315.9 passing yards allowed per game this Saturday, so that should be a golden opportunity to rack up some big numbers.
1. Jayden Daniels, LSU (Previous Rank: 2)
10 of 10
Week 8: 11-of-15, 279 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 6 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 163-of-223, 2,573 yards, 25 TD, 3 INT; 521 rush yards, 5 TD
If LSU didn't have a pair of losses to Florida State and Ole Miss during a 3-2 start to the season, Jayden Daniels might be the runaway favorite for the Heisman Trophy.
With four more scores on Saturday in a 62-0 blowout against Army, he now has 30 total touchdowns on the year, and he is the only FBS quarterback so far this season with at least 2,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards.
A road matchup against Alabama on Saturday provides him with an opportunity for his Heisman moment, and he could emerge as the front-runner for the hardware with another strong performance.
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