Report Card Grades for Top 20 College Football QBs After Week 12
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 12 grades.
20. Drew Mestemaker, North Texas
1 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 18-of-25, 298 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 3 carries, 5 yards
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★ (UAB)
Week 12 Outcome: Win (53-24)
For the first time since 1959 and just the second time in school history, North Texas has found its way into the AP poll, slotted at No. 22 in the latest rankings after improving to 9-1 with a blowout victory over UAB.
After sitting behind Chandler Morris a year ago, Drew Mestemaker has been one of the biggest breakout quarterbacks in the country, leading the AAC in passing yards (3,000), passing touchdowns (23), yards per attempt (9.0) and passer rating (164.7).
Week 12 Grade: B
19. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
2 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 29-of-58, 430 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 4 carries, 1 yard
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Utah)
Week 12 Outcome: Loss (28-55)
For the third time this season, Sawyer Robertson eclipsed 400 yards passing in a game, but Baylor is just 1-2 in those games and took the loss in lopsided fashion on Saturday against Utah.
He leads the nation in completions (259), attempts (424) and passing yards (3,210), and is tops in the Big 12 and second in the country with 29 passing touchdowns as he continues to put up prolific numbers on a 5-5 team.
Week 12 Grade: C
18. Arch Manning, Texas
3 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 27-of-43, 251 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 5 carries, -17 yards
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★★ (Georgia)
Week 12 Outcome: Loss (10-35)
After throwing three touchdown passes in back-to-back games against Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, Arch Manning struggled to find any sort of rhythm against a stout Georgia defense.
His touchdown pass to Ryan Wingo with 5:27 remaining in the third quarter briefly made it a 14-10 game, but the Bulldogs responded with 21 unanswered points to run away with the win.
Week 12 Grade: C
17. Josh Hoover, TCU
4 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 10-of-23, 183 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 11 carries, -6 yards
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (BYU)
Week 12 Outcome: Loss (13-44)
TCU started the season with a 6-2 record, but have now lost back-to-back games to Iowa State and BYU, with quarterback Josh Hoover throwing just one touchdown pass against four interceptions in those two losses.
The third-year starter now has a Big 12-leading 10 interceptions to go along with his 2,873 passing yards and 23 touchdowns. He reached 9,000 career passing yards on Saturday, joining Trevone Boykin, Andy Dalton and Max Duggan as the only TCU quarterback to eclipse that mark.
Week 12 Grade: F
16. Demond Williams Jr. Washington
5 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 16-of-19, 257 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 7 carries, 23 yards
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★★ (Purdue)
Week 12 Outcome: Win (49-13)
Since an ugly three-interception game against Michigan in Week 8, Demond Williams Jr. has completed 73.8 percent of his pass attempts for 671 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception against Illinois, Purdue and Wisconsin.
He has a chance to be one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2027 draft class, despite an undersized 5'11" frame. A showdown with Oregon and Dante Moore on Nov. 29 will be a golden opportunity for him to show out against a top-tier opponent.
Week 12 Grade: B
15. Joey Aguilar, Tennessee
6 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 17-of-23, 204 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 3 carries, 34 yards, 1 TD
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★ (New Mexico State)
Week 12 Outcome: Win (42-9)
For the second game in a row and fourth time this season, Joey Aguilar threw multiple interceptions, though it ultimately didn't make much difference in a lopsided win over New Mexico State.
The Appalachian State transfer still leads the SEC in passing yards (2,941), passing touchdowns (22) and yards per attempt (9.2), and he closes out the year against a pair of middling pass defenses in Florida (223.1 ypg) and Vanderbilt (244.8 ypg).
Week 12 Grade: C
14. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
7 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 24-of-29, 229 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 6 carries, 29 yards, 1 TD
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Texas)
Week 12 Outcome: Win (35-10)
Over his last four games, Gunner Stockton has started making a significantly bigger impact in the passing game, completing 74.6 percent of his passes for 1,005 yards with 13 touchdowns and two interceptions, also adding 130 yards and two scores on the ground.
He led three straight touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to pull away against Texas, and he now has multiple games with five total touchdowns during conference play. After connecting on 24-of-29 pass attempts, he now leads the SEC with a 70.7 percent completion rate.
Week 12 Grade: A
13. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
8 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 26-of-35, 301 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 11 carries, 10 yards
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Florida)
Week 12 Outcome: Win (34-24)
Trinidad Chambliss has been far more efficient the last two weeks, completing 80.9 percent of his throws following three straight games where that mark had dipped below 60 percent.
The Ferris State transfer is a big reason why Ole Miss is 10-1 on the year and sitting at No. 5 in the latest AP poll, and he has 2,657 passing yards, 444 rushing yards and 20 total touchdowns.
Week 12 Grade: B
12. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
9 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 22-of-39, 439 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 7 carries, 13 yards
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (South Carolina)
Week 12 Outcome: Win (31-30)
Marcel Reed had an ugly first half against South Carolina with two interceptions and a lost fumble that was returned for a touchdown, and the Aggies fell behind 30-3 heading into halftime.
He then orchestrated the largest comeback in school history to pull out a 31-30 victory and stay undefeated, throwing three second-half touchdown passes on his way to a career-high 439 passing yards.
Week 12 Grade: B
11. Dante Moore, Oregon
10 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 27-of-30, 306 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 4 carries, 6 yards
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Minnesota)
Week 12 Outcome: Win (42-13)
After going without a touchdown in wins over Wisconsin and Iowa, Dante Moore returned to form with a strong game against Minnesota as the Ducks improved to 9-1 overall and 6-1 in conference play.
He has 2,190 passing yards and 21 touchdowns, and ranks fourth in the nation with a 72.8 percent completion rate. That has given the Oregon offense another dimension alongside a rushing attack that is averaging 233.6 yards per contest.
Week 12 Grade: A
10. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
11 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 21-of-32, 212 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 5 carries, 7 yards, 1 TD
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Pittsburgh)
Week 12 Outcome: Win (37-15)
The Notre Dame winning streak is now eight in a row, and the Fighting Irish are up to No. 9 in the latest AP poll after cruising to victory against a Pittsburgh team that had been rolling.
During that eight-game stretch, CJ Carr has thrown for 1,973 yards and 18 touchdowns against four interceptions, and he is looking more and more the part of a top-tier recruit who ranked as the No. 6 quarterback in the 2024 class.
Week 12 Grade: C
9. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
12 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 15-of-28, 154 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 9 carries, 30 yards, 1 TD
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Arizona)
Week 12 Outcome: Loss (24-30)
Brendan Sorsby threw just one interception against 20 touchdown passes through his first eight games, and Cincinnati went 7-1 during that stretch to climb as high as No. 17 in the AP poll.
However, in his last two games, he has completed just 42.6 percent of his passes and been picked off three times, and the result has been back-to-back losses to Utah and Arizona.
Week 12 Grade: D
8. Jayden Maiava, USC
13 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 23-of-32, 254 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 5 carries, 11 yards
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Iowa)
Week 12 Outcome: Win (26-21)
Jayden Maiava leads the Big Ten in passing yards (2,868) and yards per attempt (9.5), and if not for a loss on the road against Illinois where he threw for 364 yards and two touchdowns, we might be talking about USC as a College Football Playoff team.
That said, the Trojans could still vault their way into the field if they can beat Oregon next weekend to improve to 9-2 overall and 7-1 in conference play. Maiava's impact under center this year has been a big reason for their turnaround after a 7-6 finish in 2024.
Week 12 Grade: B
7. Joe Fagnano, UConn
14 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 15-of-23, 155 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 1 carry, 10 yards, 1 TD
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Air Force)
Week 12 Outcome: Win (26-16)
It took until Week 12 for Joe Fagnano to throw his first interception of the season, but he still managed to pull out a victory while logging his third rushing touchdown of the season.
With 3,002 yards and 25 touchdowns, he is having one of the best seasons in UConn history at the quarterback position. He needs 483 more yards against Florida Atlantic and in their bowl game to break Dan Orlovsky's single-season record for passing yards.
Week 12 Grade: C
6. Byrum Brown, South Florida
15 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 23-of-32, 327 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 17 carries, 136 yards, 2 TD
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Navy)
Week 12 Outcome: Loss (38-41)
If Georgia Tech star Haynes King is the best dual-threat quarterback in the country, Byrum Brown is a close second, and after a four-touchdown performance on Saturday he is now up to 32 total touchdowns on the year which trails only Fernando Mendoza (35).
He has 2,530 passing yards and 21 passing touchdowns, to go along with 841 rushing yards and another 11 scores on the ground. Despite his efforts, the Bulls came up short against Navy, which almost certainly takes them out of the running for the Group of Five playoff spot.
Week 12 Grade: B
5. Darian Mensah, Duke
16 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 18-of-35, 213 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 8 carries, -4 yards
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Virginia)
Week 12 Outcome: Loss (17-34)
For the first time this season, Darian Mensah failed to throw multiple touchdown passes, and his 213 passing yards also represented a season-low as the Blue Devils failed to play spoiler against Virginia.
Despite the lackluster performance on Saturday, Mensah still leads the ACC in passing yards (3,007), passing touchdowns (25) and passer rating (159.9), and his Duke debut has been a wildly successful one on an individual level.
Week 12 Grade: C
4. Haynes King, Georgia Tech
17 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 26-of-34, 371 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 15 carries, 53 yards
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Boston College)
Week 12 Outcome: Win (36-34)
After not topping 250 passing yards in each of Georgia Tech's first six games, Haynes King has thrown for 304, 408 and 371 yards the last three weeks, albeit against the less-than-dominant defenses of Syracuse, NC State and Boston College.
The dual-threat standout leads all quarterbacks with 14 rushing touchdowns, to go along with 807 rushing yards, and he has now thrown for 2,259 yards and 10 touchdowns while leading the Yellow Jackets to a 9-1 record.
Week 12 Grade: B
3. Ty Simpson, Alabama
18 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 28-of-42, 326 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 8 carries, -9 yards
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Oklahoma)
Week 12 Outcome: Loss (21-23)
Ty Simpson threw for 2,184 yards and 20 touchdowns with only one interception through Alabama's first eight games, but he has managed just two passing scores the last two weeks, and he threw his second pick of the year in Saturday's loss to Oklahoma.
The first-year starter is still tops in the SEC with his 22 touchdown passes, but his stock has dipped over the last two weeks, a second loss now puts Alabama squarely on the College Football Playoff bubble.
Week 12 Grade: C
2. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
19 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 23-of-31, 184 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 2 carries, -1 yard
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (UCLA)
Week 12 Outcome: Win (48-10)
With 222 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns, Ohio State did not need Julian Sayin to have a huge day through the air as they cruised to victory against an overmatched UCLA defense.
He still leads the nation in completion percentage (80.1) and passer rating (186.2), and looks like the biggest competition to Indiana's Fernando Mendoza in the Heisman Trophy race. He should be able to rack up some gaudy stats next weekend against a Rutgers defense that was torched by Washington's Demond Williams Jr. (402 yards, 2 TD) and Oregon's Dante Moore (290 yards, 4 TD).
Week 12 Grade: B
1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
20 of 21
Week 12 Passing Stats: 22-of-24, 299 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT
Week 12 Rushing Stats: 6 carries, -24 yards
Week 12 Quality of Opponent: ★★ (Wisconsin)
Week 12 Outcome: Win (31-7)
After a nearly perfect performance against Wisconsin, Fernando Mendoza is now the clear Heisman Trophy front-runner, with 2,641 yards and 30 touchdowns on the season for the undefeated Hoosiers.
His 30 touchdown passes are already a school record, surpassing the 29 that Kurtis Rourke threw a year ago, and he is a virtual lock to become just the fifth Indiana quarterback with a 3,000-yard season.
Week 12 Grade: A
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 13 performance in next week's article.
That notably removed Fernando Mendoza (Indiana), Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss), Behren Morton (Texas Tech), Blake Horvath (Navy), Brendon Lewis (Memphis) and Chandler Morris (Virginia) from consideration.
1. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
2. Ty Simpson, Alabama
3. Haynes King, Georgia Tech
4. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
5. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
6. Byrum Brown, South Florida
7. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
8. Dante Moore, Oregon
9. Jayden Maiava, USC
10. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
11. Joe Fagnano, UConn
12. Darian Mensah, Duke
13. Demond Williams Jr., Washington
14. Noah Fifita, Arizona
15. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
16. Drew Mestemaker, North Texas
17. Luke Altmyer, Illinois
18. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
19. Bear Bachmeier, BYU
20. Anthony Colandrea, UNLV
.png?w=600 "NBA Playoff Bracket After 76ers Win")
