Report Card Grades for Top 20 College Football QBs After Week 10
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 10 grades.
20. Drew Mestemaker, North Texas
1 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 19-of-24, 234 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 2 carries, -14 yards
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Navy)
Week 10 Outcome: Win (31-17)
Drew Mestemaker threw for an eye-popping 608 yards and four touchdowns in a Week 9 victory against Charlotte, and while he had more modest numbers on Saturday, he helped lead the Mean Green to a huge win over previously undefeated Navy.
The first-year starter leads the AAC in passing yards (2,702), passing touchdowns (21), yards per attempt (8.7) and passer rating (162.0), and he has been one of the biggest surprises of the season as an unranked 2024 recruit.
Week 10 Grade: C
19. Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh
2 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 23-of-38, 304 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 8 carries, 21 yards
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★★ (Stanford)
Week 10 Outcome: Win (35-20)
Mason Heintschel improved to 5-0 as the Pitt starter with Saturday's road win against Stanford, and the Panthers now sit just outside the AP Top 25 with a 7-2 record overall and a 5-1 record in ACC play.
Heintschel has tallied at least 300 passing yards in four of his five starts, transforming the offense since replacing Eli Holstein as the team's starting quarterback and exceeding expectations as a true freshman and 3-star recruit.
Week 10 Grade: C
18. Brendon Lewis, Memphis
3 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 18-of-22, 225 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 12 carries, 87 yards, 1 TD
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Rice)
Week 10 Outcome: Win (38-14)
Memphis improved to 8-1 with Friday night's win against Rice, and they stand as the top Group of Five team in the latest AP poll at No. 22, ahead of James Madison, San Diego State, North Texas and South Florida who all checked in among the others receiving votes.
The Tigers' lone loss came in Week 8 against UAB when quarterback Brendon Lewis was sidelined with an injury, and his dual-threat talents have been the driving force behind an offense that averages 37.7 points per game. The Nevada transfer has 1,869 passing yards, 562 rushing yards and 18 total touchdowns.
Week 10 Grade: B
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17. Jalon Daniels, Kansas
4 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 13-of-19, 110 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 6 carries, 28 yards
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Oklahoma State)
Week 10 Outcome: Win (38-21)
Despite being limited to 239 passing yards and three total touchdowns in the past two weeks, Jalon Daniels is having a career year. He has 1,991 passing yards and 20 touchdowns against just three interceptions.
His completion percentage has spiked from 57.0 to 66.7 percent this year, but it has been a disappointing overall year for the Jayhawks with a 5-4 record and Arizona, Iowa State and Utah still to come on the schedule.
Week 10 Grade: C
16. Joe Fagnano, UConn
5 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 23-of-30, 267 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 5 carries, -13 yards
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★ (UAB)
Week 10 Outcome: Win (38-19)
Joe Fagnano quietly threw for 1,631 yards and 20 touchdowns with only four interceptions last season for a UConn team that finished 9-4, and he has been even better this year as one of the nation's most efficient passers.
He has gone from 163.1 to 281.0 passing yards per game, and he has yet to throw his first interception while racking up 22 touchdowns. Saturday marked his fourth straight game with at least three touchdown passes, and a showdown with Darian Mensah and Duke awaits this weekend.
Week 10 Grade: A
15. Taylen Green, Arkansas
6 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 19-of-31, 194 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 17 carries, 46 yards, 1 TD
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Mississippi State)
Week 10 Outcome: Loss (35-38)
Taylen Green leads the nation in total yards (3,021) and yards per play (7.9), and his 25 total touchdowns are tops in the SEC and fifth among all FBS players.
He left Saturday's game against Mississippi State late in the fourth quarter with an undisclosed injury, and he will have an additional week to get healthy with a Week 11 bye for the Razorbacks before they play at LSU on Nov. 15.
Week 10 Grade: C
14. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
7 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 20-of-29, 223 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 13 carries, 11 yards
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Florida)
Week 10 Outcome: Win (24-20)
Gunner Stockton has completed at least 64.9 percent of his passes in each of his last seven games, and his 70.3 percent completion rate overall is tops in the SEC, ahead of Beau Pribula (69.6%), Diego Pavia (69.2%) and Ty Simpson (67.8%).
He has thrown just two interceptions this season, with 1,776 passing yards and 12 touchdowns, doing a solid job as a game manager while also showing the ability to make an impact down the field when given the chance.
Week 10 Grade: B
13. Luke Altmyer, Illinois
8 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 19-of-31, 235 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 7 carries, 88 yards, 1 TD
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Rutgers)
Week 10 Outcome: Win (35-13)
The Fighting Illini are bowl-eligible for the second year in a row and third time in four seasons following Saturday's lopsided win over Rutgers, and Luke Altmyer threw a season-high four touchdown passes against the Scarlet Knights defense.
Despite back-to-back losses to Ohio State and Washington dropping Illinois out of the national picture, Altmyer is still having one of the best seasons by an Illini quarterback in recent memory with 2,255 passing yards and 19 touchdowns.
Week 10 Grade: A
12. Carson Beck, Miami
9 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 26-of-38, 274 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 5 carries, 17 yards
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (SMU)
Week 10 Outcome: Loss (20-26, OT)
The Miami Hurricanes suffered a crushing second conference loss on Saturday against SMU that likely knocked them out of the playoff picture, and Carson Beck threw multiple interceptions for the third time this year and second time in three games.
After a strong start to the year in wins over Notre Dame, Bethune-Cookman and South Florida, he has 1,135 passing yards with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions in his last five games.
Week 10 Grade: D
11. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
10 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 18-of-25, 299 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 2 carries, 12 yards
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Boston College)
Week 10 Outcome: Win (25-10)
The Notre Dame offense leans heavily on the running game, with Jeremiyah Love (141 carries, 894 yards, 11 TD) and Jadarian Price (85 carries, 521 yards, 8 TD) both having strong seasons, but CJ Carr has been quietly excellent under center.
The first-year starter has thrown for 1,543 yards with 13 touchdowns and two interceptions during the team's six-game winning streak, helping to vault the Fighting Irish back into playoff contention after their 0-2 start.
Week 10 Grade: B
10. Darian Mensah, Duke
11 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 27-of-41, 361 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 4 carries, -6 yards
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Clemson)
Week 10 Outcome: Win (46-45)
With a 5-3 record, things have not gone as hoped for a Duke team with raised expectations following a 9-4 season a year ago, but quarterback Darian Mensah has lived up to the hype that came with a two-year, $8 million NIL deal.
The Tulane transfer logged his fifth 300-yard passing game of the season on Saturday against Clemson, and he leads the ACC in passing yards (2,572), passing touchdowns (21) and passer rating (166.7).
Week 10 Grade: A
9. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
12 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 29-of-40, 267 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 4 carries, 8 yards
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★★ (UCF)
Week 10 Outcome: Win (30-3)
Gaudy passing numbers from Sawyer Robertson have not always equated to wins for a Baylor team that sits at 5-4 overall and 3-3 in Big 12 play, but a defense that allows 29.3 points per game is largely to blame.
Robertson leads the nation in pass attempts (366), completions (230), passing yards (2,780) and passing touchdowns (26), though his seven interceptions are also tops in the Big 12. After a Week 11 bye, he faces a Utah defense that stifled Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby on Saturday.
Week 10 Grade: B
8. Joey Aguilar, Tennessee
13 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 29-of-45, 393 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 11 carries, -6 yards
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Oklahoma)
Week 10 Outcome: Loss (27-33)
Joey Aguilar logged back-to-back 3,000-yard passing seasons at Appalachian State before transferring to Tennessee, and while he has always had the arm talent to be an impact quarterback, he also threw 24 interceptions during those two years playing in the Sun Belt Conference.
He leads the SEC in passing yards (2,737) and passing touchdowns (21), but he had his third multi-interception game of the season on Saturday, and the two picks he threw led to a pair of Oklahoma field goals in what ended up being a six-point loss.
Week 10 Grade: D
7. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
14 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 27-of-38, 365 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 14 carries, 43 yards, 1 TD
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Texas)
Week 10 Outcome: Loss (31-34)
A season-high 365 passing yards and four total touchdowns was not enough for Diego Pavia to lead Vanderbilt to victory on Saturday against Texas. The Commodores now face an uphill battle for a playoff spot with a 7-2 record.
Pavia has been one of the biggest stories of the season in college football, carrying Vanderbilt back to national relevance while tallying 2,063 passing yards, 501 rushing yards and 24 total touchdowns. He is on track to become just the fourth quarterback in Vanderbilt history to record a 3,000-yard passing season.
Week 10 Grade: B
6. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
15 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 12-of-21, 159 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 15 carries, 59 yards, 1 TD
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (South Carolina)
Week 10 Outcome: Win (30-14)
Despite a quiet individual performance relative to past weeks, Trinidad Chambliss still led Ole Miss to a comfortable victory over South Carolina to improve to 8-1 overall and 5-1 in SEC play.
He began the season as a Ferris State transfer and presumed backup to Austin Simmons. Now he's a SEC standout and legitimate NFL draft prospect in one of the most surprising stories of the season.
Week 10 Grade: B
5. Jayden Maiava, USC
16 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 9-of-23, 135 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 11 carries, 62 yards, 1 TD
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Nebraska)
Week 10 Outcome: Win (21-17)
Despite an ugly performance in the passing game against a good Nebraska defense, Jayden Maiava still found a way to help lead USC to victory, tying the game at 14-14 with a 16-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter.
An early Heisman Trophy candidate who has cooled off a bit as the season as unfolded, Maiava is still having a strong overall season with 2,315 passing yards and 15 passing touchdowns, while adding another five scores on the ground for a Trojans team that moved up to No. 20 in the latest AP poll.
Week 10 Grade: C
4. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
17 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 11-of-33, 221 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 4 carries, 28 yards, 1 TD
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Utah)
Week 10 Outcome: Loss (14-45)
Brendan Sorsby struggled in a season-opening loss to Nebraska, and he did not play well on Saturday night in a lopsided defeat at the hands of Utah, but in between he has been one of the best quarterbacks in the nation.
The Bearcats still have just one loss in Big 12 play and are alive for a spot in the conference championship game, though they are chasing BYU and Texas Tech with a long list of two-loss teams behind them.
Week 10 Grade: D
3. Haynes King, Georgia Tech
18 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 25-of-35, 408 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 20 carries, 103 yards, 2 TD
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (NC State)
Week 10 Outcome: Loss (36-48)
Haynes King did his part in trying to lead Georgia Tech to a 9-0 start, and the interception he threw came on the final play of the game on a desperation heave into the end zone, so all things considered it was another standout individual performance for one of the nation's most dynamic players.
Along with the season-high 408 passing yards, it was also his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the year, and he leads the nation with 14 rushing touchdowns. His numbers are reminiscent of Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch during his time at Nebraska, and he still has an opportunity for a signature moment in the regular-season finale against Georgia on Nov. 28.
Week 10 Grade: B
2. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
19 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 20-of-23, 316 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 2 carries, 13 yards
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Penn State)
Week 10 Outcome: Win (38-14)
Over his past five games, Julian Sayin has completed 81.6 percent of his passes for 1,409 yards with 15 touchdowns and zero interceptions, fully capitalizing on the fact that he is throwing to two of the best receivers in the country in Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate.
His 80.7 percent completion rate on the year leads the nation, and with a Big Ten best 10.0 yards per attempt he is more than just a game manager. The question is now becoming whether he is a legitimate candidate to win the Heisman Trophy when his receivers are widely regarded as the bigger stars on the roster.
Week 10 Grade: A
1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
20 of 21
Week 10 Passing Stats: 14-of-21, 201 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Week 10 Rushing Stats: 4 carries, 24 yards, 1 TD
Week 10 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Maryland)
Week 10 Outcome: Win (55-10)
It was another blowout victory for Indiana on Saturday, and after throwing an interception on the opening drive of the game, Fernando Mendoza settled in for another strong overall performance with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown.
Top target Elijah Sarratt missed a significant chunk of the game with a hamstring injury, and his status going forward will be closely monitored, though the lopsided score did not provide much urgency to get him back in Saturday's game.
Week 10 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 Haynes King (Georgia Tech), Brendan Sorsby (Cincinnati), Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt), Joey Aguilar (Tennessee), Sawyer Robertson (Baylor), Luke Altmyer (Illinois), Mason Heintschel (Pittsburgh), Drew Mestemaker (North Texas), Arch Manning (Texas) and Devon Dampier (Utah) from consideration.
1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
2. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
3. Ty Simpson, Alabama
4. Dante Moore, Oregon
5. Darian Mensah, Duke
6. Jayden Maiava, USC
7. Byrum Brown, South Florida
8. Demond Williams Jr., Washington
9. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
10. Joe Fagnano, UConn
11. Josh Hoover, TCU
12. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
13. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
14. Behren Morton, Texas Tech
15. Noah Fifita, Arizona
16. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
17. Jalon Daniels, Kansas
18. Brendon Lewis, Memphis
19. Bear Bachmeier, BYU
20. Kevin Jennings, SMU
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