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Report Card Grades for Top 20 College Football QBs After Week 4
Every Wednesday morning during the 2025 college football season, we will be grading the performance of the top 20 quarterbacks in the nation.
The rankings will then be shuffled to provide a fresh top 20 list to grade the following week, providing an updated view of the top-tier quarterback landscape across college football.
Included is each player's production through the air and on the ground, the outcome of their game and the quality of their opponent. A 1-5 star system was used to highlight quality of opponent, using the most recent version of The Athletic's ranking of all 136 FBS teams, with stars awarded as follows:
5 stars: No. 1-10 in the rankings
4 stars: No. 11-40 in the rankings
3 stars: No. 41-70 in the rankings
2 stars: No. 71-100 in the rankings
1 star: No. 101-136 in the rankings or an FCS opponent
Finally, each quarterback's performance was given a grade of A, B, C, D or F, and those grades were factored into the shuffling of the rankings for the following week.
Let's dive into the Week 4 grades.
20. Haynes King, Georgia Tech
1 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 13-of-18, 161 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 8 carries, 15 yards, 1 TD
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Temple)
Week 4 Outcome: Win (45-24)
After tallying 25 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown in Week 3 against Clemson, Haynes King had a much quieter day on the ground in Week 4, but taking as few hits as possible in a lopsided win is never a bad thing.
Despite missing Week 2 with a minor lower-body injury, King still has 515 passing yards, 274 rushing yards and seven total touchdowns, and Georgia Tech has climbed to No. 16 in the latest AP poll.
Week 4 Grade: B
19. Jake Retzlaff, Tulane
2 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 5-of-17, 56 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 8 carries, 51 yards
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Ole Miss)
Week 4 Outcome: Loss (10-45)
After racking up 522 passing yards, 288 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns while leading Tulane to a 3-0 start and a quality win over Duke, Jake Retzlaff simply had no answer for the Ole Miss defense.
He started the game with nine straight incompletions, with his first complete pass coming on the final play of the first half with the Green Wave already trailing 23-3. After two turnovers on downs in the third quarter, he spent the fourth quarter on the bench, with backup Brendan Sullivan leading the only touchdown drive of the day.
Week 4 Grade: F
18. Cade Klubnik, Clemson
3 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 37-of-60, 363 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 4 carries, 1 yard
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Syracuse)
Week 4 Outcome: Loss (21-34)
No team in the nation has been a bigger disappointment so far than the Clemson Tigers, who entered the season No. 4 in the AP poll and with legitimate title aspirations, but have tumbled out of the national picture entirely during a 1-3 start.
On an individual level, Cade Klubnik had his best performance of the season on Saturday with 363 passing yards and three touchdowns, but it still came with 23 incompletions, his fourth interception of the year and resulted in a 13-point loss.
Week 4 Grade: C
17. Arch Manning, Texas
4 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 18-of-21, 309 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 5 carries, 11 yards, 2 TD
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Sam Houston)
Week 4 Outcome: Win (55-0)
Sam Houston quietly went 10-3 last season in just their second year at the FBS level, but let's not pretend Saturday was anything but a cupcake game for the Texas Longhorns and quarterback Arch Manning.
The hyped first-year starter had his best game of the season by a wide margin, and building confidence is important after his hype train had almost fully derailed. Now the Longhorns get a bye week before SEC play kicks off on the road against Florida on Oct. 4.
Week 4 Grade: A
16. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
5 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 25-of-31, 273 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 5 carries, 10 yards, 1 TD
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Southeastern Louisiana)
Week 4 Outcome: Win (56-10)
Garrett Nussmeier threw for a season-high 273 yards while also recording his first game with multiple touchdowns this season in a lopsided win over Southeastern Louisiana. Despite a 4-0 start from LSU, Nussmeier has fallen short of expectations on an individual level in the early going, so perhaps this can be a turning point in his season.
"I think we just did a better job as an offense in general," Nussmeier told reporters. "This week was about trying to find our rhythm and getting into stride heading into SEC play. We did a good job of that tonight."
Week 4 Grade: B
15. Darian Mensah, Duke
6 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 19-of-28, 269 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 5 carries, -2 yards
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (NC State)
Week 4 Outcome: Win (45-33)
With 1,305 passing yards and 11 passing touchdowns through his first four games in a Duke uniform, Darian Mensah is on track to make a run at some of the Blue Devils single-season passing records.
Anthony Dilweg threw for 3,824 yards in 1988 for the yardage record, while Maalik Murphy set the touchdown mark just last year with 26 touchdown passes. The 2-2 start has been disappointing, but Mensah has lived up to the hype after signing a two-year, $8 million NIL deal.
Week 4 Grade: B
14. Beau Pribula, Missouri
7 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 16-of-27, 171 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 9 carries, 72 yards
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (South Carolina)
Week 4 Outcome: Win (29-20)
After a terrific run through non-conference play, Beau Pribula came out on top in his first SEC start, leading the Missouri Tigers on a 10-play, 75-yard drive in the fourth quarter to take a 26-20 lead with 5:46 remaining.
The former 3-star recruit served as backup to Drew Allar at Penn State last season, and he has been as impactful as any transfer quarterback in the nation in the early going, leading Missouri to the No. 20 spot in the latest AP poll.
Week 4 Grade: B
13. Dylan Raiola, Nebraska
8 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 30-of-41, 308 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 7 carries, -49 yards
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Michigan)
Week 4 Outcome: Loss (27-30)
Dylan Raiola became the first quarterback since Aidan O'Connell of Purdue in 2022 to throw for 300 yards against the Michigan defense, but he also threw his first interception of the season and took seven sacks in a three-point loss.
After throwing 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as a true freshman starter last year, Raiola has 11 touchdown passes against just one interception so far this season, and he has also upped his completion percentage from 67.1 to 75.6 percent. However, he is still searching for a signature win.
Week 4 Grade: C
12. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
9 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 25-of-39, 250 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 2 carries, -9 yards
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Arizona State)
Week 4 Outcome: Loss (24-27)
The Baylor Bears had a chance to make a case for a spot in the AP poll with a win over Arizona State on Saturday, but they came up short, allowing a game-winning field goal on the final play.
Sawyer Robertson threw at least three touchdown passes for a fourth consecutive game to open the year, but he was also picked off late in the third quarter in his own territory and trailing 13-10 to set up an Arizona State field goal.
Week 4 Grade: C
11. Joey Aguilar, Tennessee
10 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 15-of-22, 218 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 3 carries, 11 yards
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★ (UAB)
Week 4 Outcome: Win (56-24)
Joey Aguilar has looked the part this season while making the jump from Appalachian State to Tennessee, leading all SEC quarterbacks with 12 touchdown passes through his first four games.
Meanwhile, Nico Iamaleava has three touchdowns and three interceptions amid an 0-3 start at UCLA, and transfer rumors are swirling once again after head coach Deshaun Foster was fired. It's still early, but the chaotic offseason quarterback carousel appears to have ended well for the Volunteers.
Week 4 Grade: B
10. Luke Altmyer, Illinois
11 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 14-of-22, 146 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 9 carries, -27 yards
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Indiana)
Week 4 Outcome: Loss (10-63)
Luke Altmyer had a game to forget on Saturday night against Indiana, but he's not to blame for the Illini defense getting torched for 63 points and 579 total yards in a blowout loss that sent them tumbling down the national rankings.
Altmyer still has 855 yards and nine touchdown passes through four games, and he has yet to throw his first interception of the season, but he will need a rebound performance at home against USC this weekend to remain in the top-tier quarterback conversation.
Week 4 Grade: C
9. Devon Dampier, Utah
12 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 25-of-38, 162 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 11 carries, 27 yards
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Texas Tech)
Week 4 Outcome: Loss (10-34)
Devon Dampier torched UCLA, Cal Poly and Wyoming for 628 passing yards, 198 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns during a 3-0 start to the season, but the Utah quarterback ran into a brick wall on Saturday in the form of the Texas Tech defense.
The Red Raiders defense has been among the best in the country so far this year, limiting the opposition to just 238.8 yards of offense per game. Dampier threw two interceptions in the game, and the Utes had four giveaways. Now they will look to regroup before a road game against 2-2 West Virginia on Saturday.
Week 4 Grade: D
8. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
13 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 18-of-24, 245 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 9 carries, 86 yards, 1 TD
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Georgia State)
Week 4 Outcome: Win (70-21)
The Commodores are 4-0 for the first time since 2008, and with Diego Pavia steering the ship, they have a chance to really shake things up in the SEC this year after being picked to finish 13th in the conference's preseason poll.
Pavia has one more non-conference game next week against Utah State to fine tune things before a grueling dive into SEC play that features Alabama, LSU, Missouri and Texas over a span of five weeks.
Week 4 Grade: B
7. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
14 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 21-of-23, 267 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 7 carries, 4 yards
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★★ (Illinois)
Week 4 Outcome: Win (63-10)
The Indiana Hoosier turned Kurtis Rourke into a Heisman Trophy candidate last season, and after a relatively quiet first two games, University of California transfer Fernando Mendoza has put himself on a similar trajectory.
After finding the end zone just once with a rushing touchdown in the opener against Old Dominion, he has 782 passing yards and 14 passing touchdowns over the last three weeks. He absolutely torched an Illinois defense that had just shut out Western Michigan in Week 3 to climb to No. 9 in the AP poll, and the Oct. 11 matchup on the road against Oregon now holds even more weight.
Week 4 Grade: A
6. Dante Moore, Oregon
15 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 21-of-31, 305 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 7 carries, 53 yards
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Oregon State)
Week 4 Outcome: Win (41-7)
Dante Moore completed just 53.5 percent of his passes with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions as a freshman at UCLA in 2023, but he has seemingly benefited greatly from a season behind Dillon Gabriel after transferring to Oregon. He now has the Ducks looking like a national title contender in his first year as starter.
He ranks inside the top five among qualified quarterbacks in completion percentage (74.7%, fourth) and QB rating (195.9, fifth), but the first real test awaits this weekend on the road against Penn State. If they survive that game, they get a bye week before welcoming Indiana to Eugene.
Week 4 Grade: A
5. Jayden Maiava, USC
16 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 20-of-26, 234 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 4 carries, 31 yards, 2 TD
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Michigan State)
Week 4 Outcome: Win (45-31)
In his first full season as starter at USC after replacing Miller Moss midway through the 2024 campaign, Jayden Maiava is off to a phenomenal start, leading all qualified passers with a 208.8 passing efficiency rating.
He is also tops in the nation in yards per attempt (12.7) and yards per completion (18.0), and he has found a go-to receiver in Makai Lemon, who leads the Big Ten in receptions (24) and receiving yards (438). A road win against Illinois this weekend would likely vault him into the Heisman Trophy conversation.
Week 4 Grade: A
4. John Mateer, Oklahoma
17 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 24-of-36, 271 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 10 carries, 29 yards, 1 TD
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Auburn)
Week 4 Outcome: Win (24-17)
John Mateer scored his first big win at Oklahoma with a 24-13 victory over Michigan in Week 2, and now he is on the board in SEC play with a win over No. 22 Auburn to secure a 4-0 start and climb to No. 7 in the AP poll.
The dual-threat star is the current Heisman Trophy favorite, and he has a prime opportunity to pad his stats this weekend against a Kent State defense that has already been torched by Texas Tech (62 points, 601 total yards) and Florida State (66 points, 775 total yards).
Week 4 Grade: B
3. Taylen Green, Arkansas
18 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 18-of-34, 325 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 12 carries, 53 yards
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★★ (Memphis)
Week 4 Outcome: Loss (31-32)
Taylen Green threw 10 touchdown passes in his first two games this season, then logged 305 passing yards, 115 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 41-35 loss to Ole Miss, vaulting him to the No. 3 spot in these rankings heading into Week 4.
However, he crashed back to earth in a road loss to Memphis on Saturday, throwing two interceptions and struggling to move the Arkansas offense in the second half. The Razorbacks managed just three points after halftime, and that allowed the Tigers to come from behind for the victory.
Week 4 Grade: D
2. Behren Morton, Texas Tech
19 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 12-of-19, 142 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 5 carries, 2 yards
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Utah)
Week 4 Outcome: Win (34-10)
Is there a quarterback controversy brewing in Lubbock?
The Red Raiders were up just 10-3 when Behren Morton was knocked out of the game on the opening drive of the third quarter. In his absence, backup Will Hammond completed 12-of-19 pass attempts for 169 yards and two touchdowns while also adding 61 rushing yards, and Texas Tech put 24 points on the board in the fourth quarter.
Even with the shaky start to Saturday's game, Morton still has 1,065 passing yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions on the year. The Red Raiders have a bye this weekend, giving him extra time to recover before a road game against Houston on Oct. 4.
Week 4 Grade: INJ
1. Carson Beck, Miami
20 of 21
Week 4 Passing Stats: 17-of-30, 160 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Week 4 Rushing Stats: 2 carries, -7 yards
Week 4 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Florida)
Week 4 Outcome: Win (26-7)
Carson Beck joined Georgia standouts Jake Fromm and Aaron Murray as the only quarterbacks to record three wins against Florida with a 26-7 victory on Saturday, though it was arguably his worst individual performance of the season.
It was a 13-7 game when Beck was picked off at the end of the third quarter, but the Hurricanes defense forced a turnover on downs. The Miami rushing attack shouldered the load on offense, with Mark Fletcher Jr. (116 yards, 1 TD) and CharMar Brown (80 yards, 2 TD) both putting together big games.
Week 4 Grade: C
Updated Top 20 CFB Quarterbacks List
21 of 21
In an effort to keep things fresh and allow for the inclusion of breakout performers, we will be re-ranking the top 20 quarterbacks in college football each week on this final slide. That will then set the stage for the 20 QBs whose performance will be graded the following week.
Players who are headed into a bye week were also temporarily removed from the list, to provide a list of 20 quarterbacks that can all be graded on Week 5 performance in next week's article.
That notably removed Carson Beck (Miami), Behren Morton (Texas Tech), Dylan Raiola (Nebraska), Arch Manning (Texas) and Cade Klubnik (Clemson).
1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
2. Jayden Maiava, USC
3. Dante Moore, Oregon
4. John Mateer, Oklahoma
5. Joey Aguilar, Tennessee
6. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
7. Josh Hoover, TCU
8. Darian Mensah, Duke
9. Drew Allar, Penn State
10. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
11. Beau Pribula, Missouri
12. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
13. Ty Simpson, Alabama
14. Demond Williams Jr., Washington
15. Taylen Green, Arkansas
16. Jalon Daniels, Kansas
17. Luke Altmyer, Illinois
18. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
19. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
20. Haynes King, Georgia Tech
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