Ranking Top 25 Quarterbacks in College Football After Week 9
Welcome to Bleacher Report's Top 25 college football quarterback rankings after Week 9.
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 10.
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 9:
Davis Brin, Georgia Southern
Byrum Brown, South Florida
Thomas Castellanos, Boston College
Chevan Cordeiro, San Jose State
JT Daniels, Rice
TJ Finley, Texas State
Dequan Finn, Toledo
Ethan Garbers, UCLA
Garrett Greene, West Virginia
Frank Harris, UTSA
Seth Henigan, Memphis
Haynes King, Georgia Tech
Jordan McCloud, James Madison
Kyle McCord, Ohio State
Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Joe Milton III, Tennessee
Diego Pavia, New Mexico State
Jack Plummer, Louisville
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
Austin Reed, Western Kentucky
Donovan Smith, Houston
Preston Stone, SMU
Nicholas Vattiato, Middle Tennessee
Tyler Van Dyke, Miami
Gunnar Watson, Troy
Missed Week 9 Due to Injury
Quinn Ewers, Texas
Brett Gabbert, Miami (Ohio)
Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
Chandler Morris, TCU (on bye, missed Week 8)
E.J. Warner, Temple (on bye, missed Week 8)
Jacob Zeno, UAB (on bye, missed Week 8)
Nos. 25-21
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25. Noah Fifita, Arizona (Previous Rank: NR)
Week 9: 25-of-32, 275 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; -27 rush yards
Season: 119-of-157, 1,221 yards, 11 TD, 3 INT; 2 rush yards
A 3-star recruit in 2022 who had just 19 pass attempts as a freshman, Fifita has now started four straight games since taking over for an injured Jayden de Laura. He has thrown for 1,152 yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions during that four-game stretch, and he had 275 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-24 win over Oregon State on Saturday.
24. Will Howard, Kansas State (Previous Rank: HM)
Week 9: 15-of-17, 164 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 24 rush yards
Season: 137-of-215, 1,628 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT; 313 rush yards, 6 TD
With back-to-back blowout wins over TCU (41-3) and Houston (41-0), Kansas State has moved back to No. 25 in the most recent AP poll. Howard has been splitting time under center with 4-star true freshman Avery Johnson, but he has still thrown five touchdowns passes the last two weeks, and he was nearly perfect on Saturday.
23. Sam Hartman, Notre Dame (Previous Rank: 18)
Week 9: 18-of-25, 288 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT; -6 rush yards
Season: 149-of-228, 2,126 yards, 18 TD, 5 INT; 8 rush yards, 2 TD
Hartman threw 14 touchdowns passes without an interception in Notre Dame's first six games, but he has thrown five picks in his last three games. The Fighting Irish have still managed to pull out wins over USC and Pittsburgh during that stretch, but he is steadily sliding down these rankings as his own individual play has fallen off.
22. Drew Allar, Penn State (Previous Rank: HM)
Week 9: 20-of-31, 210 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; 5 rush yards
Season: 156-of-254, 1,655 yards, 16 TD, 1 INT; 61 rush yards, 3 TD
After suffering their first loss of the season against Ohio State in Week 8, the Nittany Lions were in danger of making it two in a row when Allar threw the first interception of his college career late in the fourth quarter against Indiana, and the Hoosiers kicked the game-tying field goal a few minutes later. However, the sophomore answered with a 57-yard touchdown strike to KeAndre Lambert-Smith on the ensuing drive en route to a 33-24 victory.
21. Mikey Keene, Fresno State (Previous Rank: INJ)
Week 9: 27-of-41, 256 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT; -6 rush yards
Season: 186-of-273, 1,948 yards, 19 TD, 6 INT; -128 rush yards
Keene suffered an ankle injury in Fresno State's 24-19 loss to Wyoming on Oct. 7 and missed the following week's game against Utah State. After a bye in Week 8, he returned to action on Saturday with a four-touchdown performance in a 31-24 victory over a good UNLV team to keep the Bulldogs in the hunt for a New Year's Six bowl game.
Nos. 20-16
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20. Joey Aguilar, Appalachian State (Previous Rank: HM)
Week 9: 23-of-33, 391 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT; 43 rush yards
Season: 162-of-259, 2,173 yards, 20 TD, 6 INT; 195 rush yards, 2 TD
Aguilar spent his first two collegiate seasons at Diablo Valley CC in California, and he was the third-ranked JUCO quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class. He threw for a season-high 391 yards in a 48-38 victory over Southern Mississippi on Saturday, and he is now the Sun Belt Conference leader with 20 passing touchdowns.
19. Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland (Previous Rank: 19)
Week 9: 30-of-47, 274 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; 1 rush yard
Season: 189-of-296, 2,200 yards, 19 TD, 6 INT; 84 rush yards, 4 TD
After a 5-0 start, Maryland has lost three straight to Ohio State, Illinois and Northwestern. Outside of the Ohio State game, Tagovailoa has continued to put up strong individual numbers despite the team's recent struggles. He is well on his way to a third straight 3,000-yard season, and he currently leads the Big Ten in passing yards and passing touchdowns.
18. Cameron Ward, Washington State (Previous Rank: 19)
Week 9: 35-of-50, 315 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 35 rush yards, 2 TD
Season: 216-of-309, 2,532 yards, 16 TD, 3 INT; 166 rush yards, 5 TD
The Cougars started the season 4-0 and climbed as high as No. 13 in the AP poll, but they are now working on a four-game losing streak following a 38-27 loss on the road against Arizona State on Saturday. Despite the team's struggles, Ward still ranks seventh among FBS quarterbacks with 2,532 passing yards.
17. Chandler Rogers, North Texas (Previous Rank: HM)
Week 9: 32-of-49, 411 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT; -29 rush yards
Season: 175-of-269, 2,173 yards, 19 TD, 1 INT; 124 yards, 3 TD
After throwing for 2,403 yards and 15 touchdowns at Louisiana-Monroe last season, Rogers has been one of the nation's most productive transfer quarterbacks. He started the year behind Stone Earle on the depth chart but quickly played his way into the starting job, and he has now thrown for 300 yards five times in his last six games with 17 touchdowns and zero interceptions during that span.
16. Graham Mertz, Florida (Previous Rank: 15)
Week 9: 25-of-34, 230 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; -32 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 195-of-257, 2,217 yards, 14 TD, 2 INT; -93 rush yards, 3 TD
Mertz led Florida on a seven-play, 66-yard touchdown drive to open the game against Georgia on Saturday, but the Gators didn't score again until the 12:29 mark in the fourth quarter. That said, he was still his usual efficient self under center, and his 75.9 percent completion rate leads the SEC and ranks third among all FBS quarterbacks.
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Nos. 15-11
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15. DJ Uiagalelei, Oregon State (Previous Rank: 14)
Week 9: 16-of-30, 218 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 10 rush yards
Season: 122-of-206, 1,791 yards, 17 TD, 4 INT; 134 rush yards, 5 TD
Uiagalelei flew up these rankings a few weeks ago when he threw for 275 yards and five touchdowns in a 52-40 victory on the road against California. The Clemson transfer has seen his yards per attempt spike from 6.8 last season to 8.7 this year, but the Beavers were upset by Arizona on Saturday night.
14. Michael Pratt, Tulane (Previous Rank: 24)
Week 9: 22-of-30, 263 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 40 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 102-of-143, 1,384 yards, 14 TD, 3 INT; 231 rush yards, 4 TD
Pratt missed Tulane's Week 2 loss to Ole Miss and Week 3 win over Southern Miss with a knee injury, but the team is 6-0 with him under center. His 180.7 passer rating trails only Jayden Daniels (204.3) and J.J. McCarthy (199.1) among qualified FBS quarterbacks, and he outplayed fellow AAC standout JT Daniels on Saturday in a 30-28 win over Rice.
13. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (Previous Rank: 12)
Week 9: 19-of-28, 240 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; -20 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 136-of-211, 2,080 yards, 14 TD, 4 INT; 326 rush yards, 7 TD
A 24-10 loss to Alabama in Week 4 is the only blemish on the Ole Miss resume this season, and Dart has been a big reason for the team's success. His 21 total touchdowns rank second in the SEC behind Jayden Daniels (30), and they have already matched his total from a year ago in five fewer games.
12. Kaidon Salter, Liberty (Previous Rank: 22)
Week 9: 10-of-15, 169 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 117 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 98-of-167, 1,662 yards, 19 TD, 3 INT; 614 rush yards, 7 TD
Liberty improved to 8-0 with a 42-29 win over Western Kentucky last Tuesday, and Salter recorded his second straight 100-yard rushing game while also throwing three touchdown passes. The dual-threat standout ranks second among all quarterbacks with 614 rushing yards, and his 176.2 passer rating is also fifth among qualified FBS signal-callers.
11. Drake Maye, North Carolina (Previous Rank: 11)
Week 9: 17-of-25, 310 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 58 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 187-of-285, 2,559 yards, 16 TD, 5 INT; 259 rush yards, 6 TD
North Carolina suffered its second straight loss on Saturday in a 46-42 upset against Georgia Tech, but a Tar Heels defense that allowed 635 total yards is more to blame than anything Maye did under center. The hyped NFL prospect logged his second straight game with 300 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown.
Nos. 10-6
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10. Brady Cook, Missouri (Previous Rank: 10)
Week 9: Bye
Season: 168-of-241, 2,252 yards, 15 TD, 3 INT; 134 rush yards, 5 TD
With significant upticks in his completion percentage (64.8 to 69.8 percent), yards per attempt (7.2 to 9.3) and passer rating (133.2 to 166.2), Cook has been one of the most improved quarterbacks in the nation. The Tigers are up to No. 14 in the latest AP poll and they had a bye week to game-plan for Saturday's matchup with No. 1 Georgia.
9. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado (Previous Rank: 7)
Week 9: 27-of-43, 217 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; -20 rush yards
Season: 246-of-346, 2,637 yards, 22 TD, 3 INT; -43 rush yards, 3 TD
The Buffaloes' early-season hype has faded amid a 1-4 stretch of games that includes a 28-16 loss to UCLA on Saturday, but Sanders has continued to put up impressive numbers through the air. In his first season at the FBS level, he leads the nation in completions (246) and ranks third in passing yards (2,637).
8. Carson Beck, Georgia (Previous Rank: 9)
Week 9: 19-of-28, 315 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 11 rush yards
Season: 192-of-263, 2,462 yards, 14 TD, 4 INT; 61 rush yards, 3 TD
Beck has thrown for at least 250 yards in all eight of Georgia's games this season, and he had his third 300-yard, multi-touchdown performance of the year on Saturday in a 43-20 win against Florida. He had never started a game prior to this year's season opener against UT-Martin and has been one of the nation's most consistent quarterbacks.
7. Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma (Previous Rank: 3)
Week 9: 14-of-19, 171 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT; 64 rush yards, 3 TD
Season: 180-of-252, 2,302 yards, 19 TD, 4 INT; 294 rush yards, 8 TD
Gabriel had his worst passing game of the season on Saturday in an upset loss to Kansas that was a major blow to the Sooners' hopes of securing a College Football Playoff berth. He did tally three rushing touchdowns, but the pick-six he threw on the team's opening drive set the tone in a 38-33 loss.
6. Caleb Williams, USC (Previous Rank: 6)
Week 9: 23-of-40, 369 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; -13 rush yards, 2 TD
Season: 189-of-277, 2,646 yards, 25 TD, 4 INT; 136 rush yards, 9 TD
After a shaky performance in a win against Arizona and then back-to-back losses to Notre Dame and Utah, Williams finally looked more like his usual dynamic self on Saturday against California with 369 passing yards and four total touchdowns. He will go head-to-head with fellow Pac-12 standout Michael Penix Jr. and Washington on Saturday.
5. Jordan Travis, Florida State (Previous Rank: 8)
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Week 9: 22-of-35, 359 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 29 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 164-of-253, 2,109 yards, 18 TD, 2 INT; 205 rush yards, 6 TD
Jordan Travis continued etching his name in the Florida State record books on Saturday, recording his 15th straight game with multiple touchdowns to surpass Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston for the longest such stretch in team history.
Pittsburgh, Miami, North Alabama and Florida are all that stand between the Seminoles and an undefeated season, which would assure them of a spot in the College Football Playoff and put Travis squarely in the Heisman Trophy conversation.
4. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan (Previous Rank: 4)
7 of 10
Week 9: Bye
Season: 132-of-169, 1,799 yards, 18 TD, 3 INT; 168 rush yards, 3 TD
J.J. McCarthy gave his spot in these rankings and his Heisman Trophy candidacy a major shot in the arm when he threw for 287 yards and four touchdowns against Michigan State in Week 8.
The Wolverines had a bye this past weekend and should cruise to victory against Purdue on Saturday, but their final three games against No. 9 Penn State, Maryland and No. 3 Ohio State will be the true test of their season.
3. Bo Nix, Oregon (Previous Rank: 5)
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Week 9: 24-of-31, 248 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 8 rush yards, 1 TD
Season: 206-of-263, 2,337 yards, 21 TD, 1 INT; 113 rush yards, 3 TD
While many of the nation's top quarterbacks have had at least one dud this season, Bo Nix has been a model of consistency all year, completing at least 72 percent of his passes and throwing multiple touchdowns in all eight games.
He has only turned the ball over once all season, and even in Oregon's lone loss to Washington he threw for 337 yards and two touchdowns. There is still plenty of time for him to move to the front of the pack in the Heisman Trophy race.
2. Michael Penix Jr., Washington (Previous Rank: 2)
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Week 9: 21-of-38, 369 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT; -12 rush yards
Season: 203-of-295, 2,945 yards, 24 TD, 6 INT; -9 rush yards
Michael Penix Jr. racked up at least four passing touchdowns for the fifth time in eight games in a 42-33 shootout against Stanford on Saturday, and he leads the nation with 2,945 yards and has a career-high 69.0 percent completion rate.
With Oklahoma suffering its first loss of the season on Saturday, Washington's position in the College Football Playoff chase has unquestionably improved. It will need to navigate USC, Utah, Oregon State and Washington State to get to the finish line undefeated.
1. Jayden Daniels, LSU
10 of 10
Week 9: Bye
Season: 163-of-223, 2,573 yards, 25 TD, 3 INT; 521 rush yards, 5 TD
Even after an idle weekend, Jayden Daniels still leads the nation in passing touchdowns (25), total yards (3,094), yards per attempt (11.5) and passer rating (204.3), and that's enough to keep him in the No. 1 spot.
The Tigers travel to Tuscaloosa to take on one-loss Alabama on Saturday, and a strong performance could be Daniels' Heisman Trophy moment as he looks to overcome playing for a two-loss team.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
