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Report Card Grades for Top 20 College Football QBs After Week 9
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 9 grades.
20. Joe Fagnano, UConn
1 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 32-of-48, 344 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 3 carries, 10 yards
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Rice)
Week 9 Outcome: Loss (34-37, 2OT)
Bucknell and Maine were the only offers Joe Fagnano had out of high school, and after three seasons at Maine, he followed head coach Nick Charlton to UConn where he was hired as the offensive coordinator.
He threw for 1,631 yards and 20 touchdowns against four interceptions on a 9-4 UConn team last year, and he has improved across the board in his second year as starter. He has thrown for 2,262 yards with 20 touchdowns and zero interceptions, and his completion percentage has jumped from 58.3 to 67.9 percent.
Week 9 Grade: B
19. Bear Bachmeier, BYU
2 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 22-of-35, 307 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 12 carries, 49 yards, 1 TD
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Iowa State)
Week 9 Outcome: Win (41-27)
Bear Bachmeier was originally committed to Stanford as a 4-star recruit, but he transferred to BYU after Troy Taylor was fired in March. Four months later, he was thrust into the starting quarterback role for the Cougars after returning starter Jake Retzlaff abruptly transferred to Tulane in July.
With an 8-0 record and the No. 10 spot in the latest AP poll, the Cougars have exceeded expectations, and Bachmeier has been a big part of that with 1,693 passing yards, 408 rushing yards and 20 total touchdowns.
Week 9 Grade: A
18. Kevin Jennings, SMU
3 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 21-of-39, 171 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 3 carries, 7 yards
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Wake Forest)
Week 9 Outcome: Loss (12-13)
Kevin Jennings failed to record a touchdown for the first time this season in a road loss to Wake Forest in Week 10. And with a 5-3 record on the year, the Mustangs have disappointed relative to preseason expectations after last year's trip to the College Football Playoff.
Jennings is still having a solid all-around season, leading the ACC in completions (181) and passing touchdowns (17), though he is also tops in interceptions (8) and is making far less of an impact on the ground with 32 yards on 46 carries following a 354-yard season on the ground in 2024.
Week 9 Grade: D
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17. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
4 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 12-of-21, 202 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 13 carries, 108 yards, 2 TD
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (LSU)
Week 9 Outcome: Win (49-25)
The Aggies improved to 8-0 with a road win over LSU on Saturday, and after four touchdowns and 310 total yards, Marcel Reed now trails only Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson and Julian Sayin in the latest Heisman Trophy odds from DraftKings.
In road wins over Arkansas and LSU the last two weeks, Reed has racked up 482 passing yards, 163 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns. After a bye in Week 10, they have a third straight road game, with the Missouri Tigers up next on the schedule.
Week 9 Grade: B
16. Joey Aguilar, Tennessee
5 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 20-of-26, 396 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 3 carries, -6 yards
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Kentucky)
Week 9 Outcome: Win (56-34)
Joey Aguilar is at the helm of a University of Tennessee offense that is averaging 44.1 points per game, a total that trails only North Texas (45.0) among all FBS teams.
His 396 passing yards on Saturday set a season high. He leads the SEC in passing yards (2,344) and passer rating (162.8), making him one of the most impactful transfers after moving from Appalachian State.
Week 9 Grade: A
15. Taylen Green, Arkansas
6 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 14-of-22, 268 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 7 carries, 14 yards
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Auburn)
Week 9 Outcome: Loss (24-33)
The Razorbacks have lost six straight after a 2-0 start to the year, and they are one of four SEC teams still looking for their first victory in conference play.
Taylen Green threw a season-high three interceptions on Saturday, but his overall numbers are still eye-popping with 2,178 passing yards, 603 rushing yards and 23 total touchdowns, which is tied with Texas A&M's Marcel Reed for the SEC lead.
Week 9 Grade: F
14. Demond Williams Jr., Washington
7 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 26-of-33, 280 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 10 carries, 66 yards
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Illinois)
Week 9 Outcome: Win (42-25)
The last three weeks have been extreme peaks and valleys for Demond Williams Jr. as he continues to navigate his first season as starter at the University of Washington.
Week 7: 21-of-27, 402 yards, 2 TD; 13 carries, 136 yards, 2 TD
Week 8: 20-of-32, 209 yards, 3 INT; 5 carries, -19 yards
Week 9: 26-of-33, 280 yards, 4 TD; 10 carries, 66 yards
With a 6-2 record and a quality win over Illinois on Saturday, the Huskies are knocking on the door for a spot in the AP poll, and Williams has completed 73.1 percent of his throws for 2,117 yards with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Week 9 Grade: A
13. Jalon Daniels, Kansas
8 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 17-of-35, 129 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 17 carries, 44 yards, 1 TD
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Kansas State)
Week 9 Outcome: Loss (17-42)
With just 3.7 yards per attempt and zero passing touchdowns for just the second time this season, Jalon Daniels had arguably his worst game of the season against Kansas State.
In his sixth season at Kansas, Daniels has matched a career-high with 18 touchdown passes, but the Jayhawks have suffered back-to-back blowout losses to fall to 4-4 on the year.
Week 9 Grade: D
12. Luke Altmyer, Illinois
9 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 22-of-34, 199 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 7 carries, 48 yards
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Washington)
Week 9 Outcome: Loss (25-42)
The Fighting Illini went 5-1 to start the year, with Luke Altmyer throwing for 1,573 yards with 12 touchdowns and zero interceptions during that impressive start, but his production has dipped of late.
In back-to-back losses to Ohio State and Washington, he has thrown for 447 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions, and Illinois has gone from comfortably inside the AP poll to on the outside looking in.
Week 9 Grade: D
11. Carson Beck, Miami
10 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 21-of-28, 189 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 1 carry, 8 yards
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Stanford)
Week 9 Outcome: Win (42-7)
Coming off an ugly four-interception performance in a loss to Louisville in Week 8, Carson Beck bounced back with an efficient performance against Stanford to get the Hurricanes back on track.
The focal point on Saturday was the running game, with Mark Fletcher Jr. (23 carries, 106 yards, 3 TD) leading the way, and the Hurricanes finished with five rushing touchdowns in a lopsided victory. Beck leads the ACC and ranks second in the nation with a 73.3 percent completion rate.
Week 9 Grade: B
10. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
11 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 18-of-26, 137 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 8 carries, 6 yards, 1 TD
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Cincinnati)
Week 9 Outcome: Loss (20-41)
Sawyer Robertson leads the nation with 2,513 passing yards, but he failed to break 200 yards for the first time this season in Saturday's loss to Cincinnati, and the Bears scored a season-low 20 points.
His 326 pass attempts rank second in the nation to Florida Atlantic's Caden Veltkamp (344), so the offense is part of the reason for his gaudy numbers, but he is also the Big 12 leader with 23 passing touchdowns.
Week 9 Grade: B
9. Josh Hoover, TCU
12 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 24-of-39, 247 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 2 carries, -3 yards
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★ (West Virginia)
Week 9 Outcome: Win (23-17)
The Horned Frogs improved to 6-2 with Saturday's win over West Virginia, and Josh Hoover ranks among the Big 12 leaders in passing yards (2,371, second) and passing touchdowns (22, second).
The three-year starter is already one of the most prolific passers in TCU history with 8,528 yards and 64 touchdowns, and he has been a consistent presence under center this season. The final four games of the season are Iowa State, BYU, Houston and Cincinnati, so it will be a tough road ahead.
Week 9 Grade: B
8. Byrum Brown, South Florida
13 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 26-of-43, 269 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 21 carries, 121 yards, 2 TD
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Memphis)
Week 9 Outcome: Loss (31-34)
Dual-threat standout Byrum Brown has tallied at least 200 passing yards and 100 rushing yards three times in the last four weeks, and his 2,560 total yards of offense trail only Arkansas' Taylen Green (2,781) among all FBS players.
However, after South Florida suffered its second loss of the season on Saturday, it was leapfrogged by the Memphis team that beat it, Navy and Tulane in the race for the Group of Five playoff spot.
Week 9 Grade: B
7. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
14 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 24-of-44, 315 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 12 carries, 53 yards
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Oklahoma)
Week 9 Outcome: Win (34-26)
In six games since he replaced Austin Simmons as the starting quarterback at Ole Miss, Trinidad Chambliss has 1,805 passing yards, 355 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns.
The Rebels climbed to No. 7 in the latest AP poll following their Week 9 victory on the road against Oklahoma, and Chambliss has been one of college football's biggest breakout stars this year after four seasons at D-II Ferris State.
Week 9 Grade: B
6. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
15 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 13-of-21, 111 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 11 carries, 85 yards, 1 TD
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Baylor)
Week 9 Outcome: Win (41-20)
Cincinnati was predicted to finish No. 11 in the Big 12 preseason poll at ESPN following a 5-7 finish a year ago, but they are off to a 7-1 start and up to No. 17 in the latest AP poll behind a breakout season from Brendan Sorsby.
An uptick in his completion percentage (64.0 to 65.2 percent), yards per attempt (7.2 to 9.0) and passer rating (136.4 to 172.5) have taken his game to another level, and he has thrown for 1,843 yards with 20 touchdowns and one interception.
Week 9 Grade: A
5. Haynes King, Georgia Tech
16 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 25-of-31, 304 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 12 carries, 91 yards, 2 TD
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Syracuse)
Week 9 Outcome: Win (41-16)
Haynes King threw for a season-high 304 yards and three touchdowns, and he continues to be one of the most effective dual-threat signal caller in the nation, with his 12 rushing touchdowns tied with Navy's Blake Horvath for tops among all quarterbacks.
He has made an impact with his arm, tallying 1,480 passing yards and a 72.3 percent completion rate, while also racking up 651 rushing yards and 5.8 yards per carry. With the Yellow Jackets off to an 8-0 start for the first time since 1966, he is a legitimate Heisman dark horse.
Week 9 Grade: A
4. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
17 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 10-of-19, 129 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 8 carries, 20 yards, 1 TD
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Missouri)
Week 9 Outcome: Win (17-10)
Despite a lackluster game overall, Diego Pavia still found a way to lead Vanderbilt to victory, punching in the game-winning rushing touchdown from one yard out with 1:52 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Commodores are off to their best start since 1941, and Pavia is a big reason for their near-unprecedented success, as he has 1,698 passing yards, 458 rushing yards and 20 total touchdowns.
Week 9 Grade: C
3. Dante Moore, Oregon
18 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 9-of-15, 86 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 4 carries, -13 yards
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★ (Wisconsin)
Week 9 Outcome: Win (21-7)
The Ducks leaned heavily on the running game in sloppy weather, logging 45 carries for 203 yards and two touchdowns, and that meant a quiet game for Dante Moore through the air.
He was also knocked out of the game in the third quarter after taking a hit to the face, resulting in a bloody nose, which further limited his production. The Ducks have a bye in Week 10, so he will have an additional week to prepare for the Iowa defense.
Week 9 Grade: INJ
2. Ty Simpson, Alabama
19 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 24-of-43, 253 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 6 carries, 13 yards
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (South Carolina)
Week 9 Outcome: Win (29-22)
Ty Simpson led two touchdown drives in the final 10 minutes of the fourth quarter, vaulting Alabama from a 22-14 deficit to a 29-22 victory on the road against South Carolina.
Simpson now has multiple touchdown passes in each of his first eight games, and he has 2,184 passing yards and 20 touchdowns against just one interception in his first season as the Crimson Tide's starter. After a bye in Week 10, home games against LSU and Oklahoma will provide further opportunity for him to boost his Heisman candidacy.
Week 9 Grade: B
1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
20 of 21
Week 9 Passing Stats: 15-of-22, 168 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Week 9 Rushing Stats: 5 carries, 45 yards, 1 TD
Week 9 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (UCLA)
Week 9 Outcome: Win (56-6)
The Hoosiers faced a UCLA team that had won three straight on Saturday and avoided the potential trap game, coming away with a lopsided 56-6 victory thanks in large part to 262 rushing yards and a season-high four rushing touchdowns.
Despite a less-than-gaudy passing performance, Fernando Mendoza still had his fifth game of the season with at least three passing touchdowns, and he has 1,923 passing yards and a 72.9 percent completion rate with 24 touchdowns and three interceptions. Can he close strong to become Indiana's first Heisman Trophy winner?
Week 9 Grade: B
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 10 performance in next week's article.
That notably removed Ty Simpson (Alabama), Dante Moore (Oregon), Byrum Brown (South Florida), Josh Hoover (TCU), Demond Williams Jr. (Washington), Marcel Reed (Texas A&M) and Bear Bachmeier (BYU) from consideration.
1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
2. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
3. Haynes King, Georgia Tech
4. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
5. Jayden Maiava, USC
6. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
7. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
8. Joey Aguilar, Tennessee
9. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
10. Darian Mensah, Duke
11. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
12. Carson Beck, Miami
13. Luke Altmyer, Illinois
14. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
15. Taylen Green, Arkansas
16. Joe Fagnano, UConn
17. Jalon Daniels, Kansas
18. Brendon Lewis, Memphis
19. Mason Heintschel, Pitt
20. Drew Mestemaker, North Texas
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