.png?w=1280)
Report Card Grades for Top 20 College Football QBs After Week 7
Every Tuesday 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 7 grades.
20. Drew Mestemaker, North Texas
1 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 30-of-46, 336 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 4 carries, 0 yards
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (South Florida)
Week 7 Outcome: Loss (36-63)
Drew Mestemaker was a new addition to our top 20 list heading into Week 7 after he led North Texas to a 5-0 start while throwing for 1,247 yards with 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions.
He threw for a season-high 336 yards on Friday night, but he was also picked off three times by the South Florida defense, spoiling any hopes of the Mean Green sneaking into the AP poll for the first time since 1959.
Week 7 Grade: D
19. Arch Manning, Texas
2 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 21-of-27, 166 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 4 carries, 34 yards
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★★ (Oklahoma)
Week 7 Outcome: Win (23-6)
Arch Manning has been college football's most scrutinized player this season, and the Red River Rivalry was an opportunity for him to silence the critics and get the Longhorns season back on track against an unbeaten Oklahoma squad.
He didn't quite have a signature performance, but he did a good job managing the game, completing more than 75 percent of his passes for the second time this season and throwing his 12th touchdown pass of the year in a high-profile win.
Week 7 Grade: B
18. Rocco Becht, Iowa State
3 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 18-of-33, 205 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 7 carries, 31 yards
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Colorado)
Week 7 Outcome: Loss (17-24)
After a 5-0 start that included wins over Kansas State, Iowa and Arizona, the Iowa State Cyclones have now lost two in a row and fallen out of the AP poll entirely after climbing as high as the No. 14 spot.
Rocco Becht failed to throw a touchdown pass for the second time this season, though last time he did it against Arizona he offset his lack of scoring production through the air with three rushing touchdowns.
Week 7 Grade: D
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
17. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
4 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 20-of-29, 253 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 11 carries, 15 yards, 1 TD
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★ (Washington State)
Week 7 Outcome: Win (24-21)
Ole Miss was a 31.5-point favorite against Washington State, so only winning by three points was perhaps the most disappointing outcome aside from outright losing the game.
That said, quarterback Trinidad Chambliss again put together a terrific individual performance. In four starts since taking over for an injured Austin Simmons, he has piled up 1,227 passing yards with six touchdowns and one interception, also adding 260 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
Week 7 Grade: B
16. Noah Fifita, Arizona
5 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 25-of-45, 219 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 6 carries, 15 yards
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (BYU)
Week 7 Outcome: Loss (27-33, 2OT)
Noah Fifita went from rising star in 2023 (12 G, 72.4 comp%, 2,869 yards, 25 TD, 6 INT) to middling starter in 2024 (12 G, 60.5 comp%, 2,958 yards, 18 TD, 12 INT), and it was unclear what to expect in 2025 after star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan left for the NFL.
With a pair of five-touchdown performances against Hawaii and Oklahoma State already this year, Fifita has 15 touchdowns and four interceptions through six games, and he almost led an upset of undefeated BYU in a double overtime thriller on Saturday night.
Week 7 Grade: C
15. Beau Pribula, Missouri
6 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 16-of-28, 167 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 11 carries, 61 yards, 1 TD
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★★ (Alabama)
Week 7 Outcome: Loss (24-27)
The final score was not what the Missouri Tigers wanted in a clash of ranked SEC foes, but Beau Pribula had a solid individual game against Alabama in a three-point loss on Saturday afternoon.
Aside from his two touchdown passes, he was also the team's leading rusher with 61 yards and his fourth rushing score of the year, though his two fourth-quarter interceptions erased any opportunity for a comeback.
Week 7 Grade: C
14. Demond Williams Jr., Washington
7 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 21-of-27, 402 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 13 carries, 136 yards, 2 TD
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Rutgers)
Week 7 Outcome: Win (38-19)
Demond Williams Jr. posted career-highs in passing yards (402) and rushing yards (136) in a standout performance against Rutgers on Friday night.
Here's a fun nugget from the Associated Press (via ESPN):
"According to the school, Williams became the 16th player in FBS history to throw for at least 400 yards and rush for at least 100 yards in a game, and the first since 2023. He is also the 12th Washington quarterback to run for 100 yards or more in a game and set the school total offense record with 538 yards."
With a 24-6 loss to Ohio State as the only blemish on their resume, the Huskies are knocking on the door for a spot in the AP poll.
Week 7 Grade: A
13. Joey Aguilar, Tennessee
8 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 16-of-25, 221 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 5 carries, 59 yards
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Arkansas)
Week 7 Outcome: Win (34-31)
Joey Aguilar leads the SEC with 1,680 passing yards, and after completing 55.9 percent of his throws last season at Appalachian State, that has spiked to a 64.8 percent completion rate in his first year at Tennessee.
The Volunteers head to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama next weekend, and a win would move Tennessee comfortably into the projected College Football Playoff field, and with three of their final five games against unranked opponents.
Week 7 Grade: B
12. Josh Hoover, TCU
9 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 26-of-47, 376 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 5 carries, -3 yards
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★★ (Kansas State)
Week 7 Outcome: Loss (28-41)
Josh Hoover logged his fourth game with at least three touchdown passes against Kansas State on Saturday, but he also had his second multi-interception performance in the last three weeks.
The third-year starter has completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 1,893 yards and 18 touchdowns, though he also leads the Big 12 with six interceptions and is still looking for his first conference road win of the year.
Week 7 Grade: C
11. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
10 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 19-of-31, 342 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 3 carries, -10 yards
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (NC State)
Week 7 Outcome: Win (36-7)
After a lackluster start to the season in losses to Miami and Texas A&M, first-year starter CJ Carr is finding his groove under center for the Fighting Irish as they look to claw their way back into the playoff field.
During the team's current four-game winning streak, he has completed 68.8 percent of his throws with 1,108 yards and 10 touchdowns against just one interception, and he will continue climbing these rankings in the coming weeks with more of the same.
Week 7 Grade: B
10. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
11 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 12-of-21, 191 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 8 carries, 36 yards
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★ (UCF)
Week 7 Outcome: Win (20-11)
Since turning in an absolute dud against Nebraska in Week 1, when he threw for just 69 yards and had an interception, Brendan Sorsby has been one of the best quarterbacks in the nation while leading an upstart Cincinnati squad.
Over his last five games, he has 1,379 passing yards and 14 touchdowns, and he has yet to throw his second interception of the season. He has a chance to further pad those stats against a pair of porous passing defenses in Oklahoma State (298.7 yards per game, 131st in FBS) and Baylor (226.3 yards per game, 79th in FBS) the next two weeks.
Week 7 Grade: B
9. CJ Bailey, NC State
12 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 17-of-30, 186 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 9 carries, -14 yards
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Notre Dame)
Week 7 Outcome: Loss (7-36)
CJ Bailey entered the 2025 season as a potential breakout candidate on a national level following a quietly excellent true freshman season at NC State, and he completed 74.6 percent of his passes for 1,660 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions through his first six games.
However, three of those picks came in a loss to Duke, and he had another three-interception game on Saturday while looking completely overmatched against the Notre Dame defense. He still has tremendous upside, but there is also work to do in his development.
Week 7 Grade: F
8. Jalon Daniels, Kansas
13 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 27-of-33, 255 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 15 carries, -40 yards
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★★ (Texas Tech)
Week 7 Outcome: Loss (17-42)
Since the start of Big 12 play, Jalon Daniels has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and zero interceptions, though the Kansas Jayhawks are just 2-2 in those games.
The oft-injured, supremely talented signal-caller has managed to stay upright all season to this point, and he has 1,752 passing yards with 18 touchdowns and only two interceptions through seven games.
Week 7 Grade: B
7. Behren Morton, Texas Tech
14 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 7-of-12, 91 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 2 carries, 0 yards
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Kansas)
Week 7 Outcome: Win (42-17)
For the third time this season, Behren Morton exited a game early and did not return, as the right knee that was hyperextended against Arkansas Pine-Bluff earlier this year was again the culprit on Saturday.
Morton is currently listed as day-to-day. His replacement, Will Hammond, logged two rushing touchdowns to help close out the victory against Kansas.
Morton will likely be back in the starting role next weekend, provided there are no lingering issues with his knee.
Week 7 Grade: INJ
6. Luke Altmyer, Illinois
15 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 30-of-44, 248 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 6 carries, -20 yards
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★★ (Ohio State)
Week 7 Outcome: Loss (16-34)
Luke Altmyer threw his first interception of the season against a stacked Ohio State defense, and the Fighting Illini dug a 20-3 hole at halftime that they were unable to climb out of once they found their footing in the second half.
Altmyer had a career-high 30 completions and did find the end zone once for his 13th touchdown pass of the year, but he also took four sacks and lost a fumble to go along with his interception.
Week 7 Grade: C
5. Jayden Maiava, USC
16 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 25-of-32, 265 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 1 carry, -7 yards
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Michigan)
Week 7 Outcome: Win (31-13)
After a bye week to regroup from a Week 5 loss to Illinois, quarterback Jayden Maiava and the USC Trojans picked up their biggest win of the year with a dominant performance against No. 15 Michigan.
Maiava leads the Big Ten in passing yards (1,852) and yards per game (308.7), and he leads the entire nation in passing yards per attempt (10.8), thanks in large part to his strong connection with star wide receiver Makai Lemon (44 receptions, 682 yards).
Week 7 Grade: B
4. Ty Simpson, Alabama
17 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 23-of-31, 200 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 10 carries, 7 yards
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Missouri)
Week 7 Outcome: Win (27-24)
Since Alabama's season-opening loss to Florida State, the Crimson Tide have looked the part of a national title contender, and first-year starter Ty Simpson has been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the country.
Over their last five games, he has completed 76 percent of his passes for 1,424 yards with 14 touchdowns and one interception, and that stretch includes SEC road wins over Georgia and Missouri.
Following Saturday's win, he is now a close second in Heisman Trophy odds (+370) behind Miami quarterback Carson Beck (+360), according to DraftKings.
Week 7 Grade: A
3. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
18 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 19-of-27, 166 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 2 carries, 3 yards
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Illinois)
Week 7 Outcome: Win (34-16)
Julian Sayin has done a fantastic job steering the ship for a star-studded Ohio State offense this season, leading all FBS quarterbacks in completion percentage (78.4%) and passer rating (188.1).
The former 5-star recruit has 15 touchdown passes on the season, and 11 of them have gone to star wideouts Jeremiah Smith (7) and Carnell Tate (4), as he has taken full advantage of the elite-level talent around him in his first year as starter.
Week 7 Grade: B
2. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
19 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 20-of-31, 215 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 6 carries, 31 yards
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★★ (Oregon)
Week 7 Outcome: Win (30-20)
Fernando Mendoza has not had his strongest individual performances the last two weeks on the road against Iowa (13-of-23, 233 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) and Oregon, but the end result has been a win both times en route to a 6-0 start and the No. 3 spot in the latest AP poll.
Saturday marked the first time in Indiana football history that it has won on the road against a team ranked inside the top five in the AP poll, and Mendoza stepped up when it mattered, leading a 12-play, 75-yard drive in the fourth quarter that ended in an Elijah Sarratt touchdown to make it a 27-20 game.
Week 7 Grade: B
1. Dante Moore, Oregon
20 of 21
Week 7 Passing Stats: 21-of-34, 186 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Week 7 Rushing Stats: 9 carries, -27 yards
Week 7 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★★ (Indiana)
Week 7 Outcome: Loss (20-30)
Dante Moore would have made himself the clear front-runner for the Heisman Trophy with a strong performance on Saturday and a win over the Indiana Hoosiers, but instead he threw a pair of crucial fourth-quarter interceptions in a 30-20 loss.
It has still been a fantastic season for the first-year Ducks starter and former UCLA recruit, as he has 1,396 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 72 percent of his passes.
He will look to rebound next weekend against a Rutgers defense that was torched by Demond Williams Jr. on Friday.
Week 7 Grade: D
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, setting the stage for grading the 20 QBs' performance the following week.
Players who are headed into a bye week have been temporarily removed from the list, to provide a rundown of 20 signal-callers who can all be graded on Week 8 performance in next week's article.
That notably removed Luke Altmyer (Illinois), Jalon Daniels (Kansas), CJ Bailey (NC State) and Rocco Becht (Iowa State) from consideration.
1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
2. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
3. Jayden Maiava, USC
4. Ty Simpson, Alabama
5. Carson Beck, Miami
6. Demond Williams Jr., Washington
7. Dante Moore, Oregon
8. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
9. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
10. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
11. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
12. Darian Mensah, Duke
13. Joey Aguilar, Tennessee
14. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
15. Josh Hoover, TCU
16. Byrum Brown, South Florida
17. Beau Pribula, Missouri
18. Arch Manning, Texas
19. Chandler Morris, Virginia
20. Haynes King, Georgia Tech
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
