Report Card Grades for Top 20 College Football QBs after Week 3
Every Tuesday morning throughout the 2026 college football season, we will be grading the performance of the top 20 quarterbacks in the nation, then re-ranking a new top 20 for next week's report card assignment.
Included are each player's numbers through the air and on the ground, their game's outcome, and the quality of their opponent. A 1-5 star system was used to highlight the quality of the opponent, using the most recent version of The Athletic's ranking of all 138 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. 101-138 in the rankings or an FCS opponent
Each quarterback's performance was given a grade of A, B, C, D or F. Those grades were factored into the reordering of the rankings for the following week.
20. Anthony Colandrea, Nebraska
1 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 15-of-21, 195 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 4 carries, 19 yards, 1 TD
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★ (North Dakota)
Week 3 Outcome: Win (34-7)
After two seasons at Virginia, Anthony Colandrea put together a breakout 2025 campaign for UNLV, tallying 3,459 passing yards, 649 rushing yards and 33 total touchdowns for a 10-4 Rebels team.
He landed at Nebraska this past offseason as the replacement for Dylan Raiola, and through three games, he has completed 68.8 percent of his passes for 692 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception. The 3-0 Cornhuskers face their first real test this Saturday on the road against Michigan State.
Week 3 Grade: B
19. Bear Bachmeier, BYU
2 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 12-of-16, 227 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 2 carries, -3 yards
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Colorado State)
Week 3 Outcome: Win (41-23)
BYU scored on five of its first six possessions to build a 31-7 lead over Colorado State, but most of the damage came on the ground, with 41 rushing attempts for 332 yards and five touchdowns.
Bear Bachmeier, who had 527 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground a year ago, didn't make much of an impact with his legs or his arm, but it was a comfortable win for a Cougars team that is up to No. 9 in the latest AP poll.
Week 3 Grade: C
18. Sam Leavitt, LSU
3 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 16-of-27, 158 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 17 carries, 63 yards, 1 TD
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★★ (Ole Miss)
Week 3 Outcome: Loss (24-32)
Sam Leavitt is tied for the FBS lead with five interceptions through three games. He was picked off with 58 seconds left on Saturday night when his pass was tipped at the line on fourth and goal, ending LSU's comeback bid.
He also has nine touchdowns, including six rushing scores, with 900 yards of total offense. The tools are there for him to make a major impact every game. He wasn't overmatched against the Ole Miss defense, as he just ended up on the short end of a top-10 matchup.
Week 3 Grade: C
17. Dante Moore, Oregon
4 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 19-of-23, 280 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 1 carry, -3 yards
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Portland State)
Week 3 Outcome: Win (84-0)
How overmatched was Portland State against an Oregon team looking for revenge following a Week 2 loss? Dante Moore's backup Dylan Raiola finished with 124 passing yards and three touchdowns, on top of the gaudy stats that Moore put up in the starting role.
Despite the Ducks' disappointing start to the year, Moore has completed 68.5 percent of his passes for 849 yards and nine touchdowns, with zero interceptions.
Week 3 Grade: A
16. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
5 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 26-of-49, 236 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 10 carries, 80 yards, 1 TD
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Kentucky)
Week 3 Outcome: Loss (21-31)
The Aggies are now 2-4 in games when Marcel Reed throws multiple interceptions as the team's starting quarterback, including both losses a year ago and Saturday's upset at Kyle Field by Kentucky.
He was the team's leading rusher with 80 yards and a score on the ground. In a game that featured three turnovers on downs, two punts and two turnovers, he simply didn't do enough to pilot the Texas A&M offense.
Week 3 Grade: D
15. Conner Weigman, Houston
6 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 27-of-38, 282 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 13 carries, 56 yards
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Texas Tech)
Week 3 Outcome: Loss (26-28)
The Texas Tech defense is not quite as stout as it was a year ago, but Conner Weigman still deserves props for racking up 338 total yards and three scores on the road in Lubbock against a higher-ranked opponent.
He led a 10-play, 88-yard drive in under two minutes to put the Cougars in a position to tie the game with 49 seconds remaining, but his two-point conversion attempt was stuffed at the goal line. Despite the loss, Houston hung on at No. 25 in the AP poll.
Week 3 Grade: B
14. Kevin Jennings, SMU
7 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 24-of-35, 222 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 9 carries, 35 yards
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Louisville)
Week 3 Outcome: Loss (31-41)
The Mustangs led 31-28 early in the fourth quarter, but Louisville took the lead with a touchdown at the 10:02 mark. SMU responded with a turnover on downs, a fumble and an interception on its final three drives.
Jennings coughed up the fumble and threw the pick in a three-turnover game. After throwing an ACC-leading 13 interceptions last year, he is again struggling to protect the football.
Week 3 Grade: F
13. Lincoln Kienholz, Louisville
8 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 14-of-23, 177 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 12 carries, 42 yards, 1 TD
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (SMU)
Week 3 Outcome: Win (41-31)
If Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor has been the breakout star of the 2026 college football season so far, Lincoln Kienholz is not far behind. The Ohio State transfer and former 4-star recruit has been a perfect fit at Louisville.
With 816 passing yards, 153 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns, he has the Cardinals at No. 16 in the latest AP poll, even with their Week 1 loss to Ole Miss. He outplayed SMU veteran quarterback Kevin Jennings on Saturday. This weekend, he faces a Wake Forest defense that Miami's Darian Mensah picked apart.
Week 3 Grade: A
12. Rocco Becht, Penn State
9 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 11-of-19, 212 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 3 carries, -7 yards
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Buffalo)
Week 3 Outcome: Win (55-13)
Rocco Becht only played the first two quarters and the opening drive of the second half, exiting after leading a 7-play, 75-yard touchdown drive coming out of the break to give the Nittany Lions a 41-6 lead.
It was the former Iowa State quarterback's 29th collegiate win. It wrapped up a smooth trip through non-conference play that saw him complete 70.3 percent of his pass attempts for 751 yards and nine touchdowns against zero interceptions.
Week 3 Grade: A
11. Austin Simmons, Missouri
10 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 10-of-19, 91 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 2 carries, 3 yards
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Troy)
Week 3 Outcome: Win (27-17)
Missouri was a 26.5-point favorite against Troy, but Austin Simmons struggled to get anything going offensively in a game that was ultimately won by the defense and a rushing attack led by Jamal Roberts (22 carries, 128 yards, 1 TD).
After piling up 554 yards and seven touchdowns through the air against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Kansas, the Ole Miss transfer failed to break 100 passing yards as the Tigers were outgained 323-230 in total yardage.
Week 3 Grade: D
10. Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State
11 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 18-of-26, 251 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 8 carries, 33 yards
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (South Carolina)
Week 3 Outcome: Win (41-34)
Another week, another stellar performance from rising star Kamario Taylor in a second straight road victory over a major conference opponent following a Week 2 victory over Minnesota.
The Bulldogs are now ranked for the first time since 2022. Taylor has thrust himself into the early Heisman Trophy conversation with 832 yards and an SEC-leading 11 touchdowns, along with an impressive 10.1 yards per attempt. Home games against No. 19 Missouri and No. 8 Alabama are up next.
Week 3 Grade: A
9. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
12 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 18-of-22, 241 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 2 carries, -6 yards
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Kent State)
Week 3 Outcome: Win (59-3)
The Buckeyes got a chance to reset after last week's loss to Texas with a 59-3 drubbing of Kent State. Julian Sayin was back to being nearly perfect under center, with an 81.8 percent completion rate and two touchdown passes.
He played just one possession after halftime before he was pulled in a 42-0 blowout. Now, the focus shifts to a home game against Illinois to kick off conference play, followed by a trip to Iowa to face an upstart Hawkeyes team that has climbed to No. 17 in the latest AP poll.
Week 3 Grade: A
8. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
13 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 33-of-48, 363 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 9 carries, 2 yards, 1 TD
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★★ (LSU)
Week 3 Outcome: Win (32-24)
Trinidad Chambliss delivered his early Heisman Trophy moment with a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter capped off by a 14-yard rushing touchdown to give the Rebels the lead for good in a high-profile matchup against LSU and former head coach Lane Kiffin.
Chambliss thoroughly outplayed his counterpart Sam Leavitt, locking it down in the stretch after a 24-7 lead had evaporated into a 24-24 tie. In a game where the Ole Miss rushing attack only accounted for 63 yards on 25 carries, Chambliss put the offense on his shoulders.
Week 3 Grade: A
7. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
14 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 18-of-24, 234 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 3 carries, 9 yards, 1 TD
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Michigan State)
Week 3 Outcome: Win (27-10)
The Fighting Irish leaned heavily on defense and the running game in a closer-than-expected game against Michigan State, seizing control after halftime and holding the Spartans scoreless for the final two quarters.
CJ Carr had a streak of 12 straight games with a passing touchdown snapped, but still had an efficient day through the air while finding the end zone on a three-yard run in the fourth quarter to cap off the scoring. There will be games Notre Dame needs him to win with his arm, but this wasn't one of them.
Week 3 Grade: B
6. Josh Hoover, Indiana
15 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 18-of-24, 273 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 2 carries, 2 yards
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Western Kentucky)
Week 3 Outcome: Win (38-0)
Josh Hoover combined for 7,421 yards and 56 touchdowns over the 2024 and 2025 seasons at TCU, but he did so while completing 66.2 percent of his pass attempts and throwing 24 interceptions.
This season, he has connected on 72.5 percent of his passes and thrown 10 touchdowns without an interception. His 12.7 yards per attempt ranks second in the nation, behind only Georgia's Gunner Stockton (13.0). Playing alongside a defense that has pitched back-to-back shutouts, that's more than enough to make the Hoosiers look like a serious title contender in the early going.
Week 3 Grade: A
5. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
16 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 10-of-13, 147 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 7 carries, 97 yards
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★★ (Arkansas)
Week 3 Outcome: Win (45-17)
It's been a while since Georgia had a true dual-threat quarterback. While Gunner Stockton would ideally operate from the pocket, he broke off a 62-yard run against Arkansas on Saturday and finished as the Bulldogs' leading rusher with 97 yards on seven carries.
Shifting focus back to the passing side of things, his 84.4 percent completion rate this season trails only Darian Mensah (89.9). His 13.0 yards per attempt leads qualified FBS quarterbacks. That's up from 7.5 yards per attempt a year ago, as the days of him being labeled a "game manager" are officially in the rearview.
Week 3 Grade: A
4. Devon Dampier, Utah
17 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 22-of-32, 253 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 10 carries, 34 yards
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Utah State)
Week 3 Outcome: Win (33-0)
A healthy uptick in completion percentage (63.5 to 71.6) and yards per attempt (7.5 to 9.3) has Devon Dampier looking like a bona fide top-tier quarterback during Utah's 3-0 start. The Utes are up to No. 15 in the latest AP poll.
His production on the ground so far has been relatively quiet, with 27 carries for 114 yards and two touchdowns, but after an injury-plagued 2025 season, avoiding unnecessary hits is a good thing. Expect the former 1,000-yard rusher to do more damage with his legs during Big 12 play.
Week 3 Grade: B
3. Arch Manning, Texas
18 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 17-of-33, 164 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 9 carries, 50 yards
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (UTSA)
Week 3 Outcome: Win (30-6)
After Week 2's thrilling comeback victory against No. 1 Ohio State, the Longhorns avoided a letdown against a very good UTSA team to solidify their status as the new No. 1 team in the country.
Arch Manning threw a pair of touchdown passes to Cam Coleman in the first half as Texas built a 20-3 halftime lead. His 16 incompletions and middling 5.0 yards per attempt fell short of a legitimately dominant performance.
Week 3 Grade: B
2. Jayden Maiava, USC
19 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 20-of-32, 277 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 3 carries, 9 yards
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Rutgers)
Week 3 Outcome: Win (42-35)
Facing a winless Rutgers team that allowed 37 points in Week 1 to UMass, Saturday's game was much closer than expected for USC. Jayden Maiava turned in his first good-not-great performance after a fantastic start to the year.
The overall numbers are still gaudy through four games, as he has completed 75.7 percent of his pass attempts for 1,173 yards and 12 touchdowns against one interception. This was just a bit of a missed opportunity to further pad those impressive numbers.
Week 3 Grade: B
1. Darian Mensah, Miami
20 of 21
Week 3 Passing Stats: 30-of-34, 220 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Week 3 Rushing Stats: 2 carries, 5 yards
Week 3 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Wake Forest)
Week 3 Outcome: Win (33-20)
Darian Mensah opened Friday night's game against Wake Forest by completing his first 24 pass attempts, setting a new ACC record for consecutive completions on his way to another standout performance.
The early Heisman favorite has completed an absurd 89.9 percent of his passes through his first three games, racking up 873 yards and 11 touchdowns along the way. A road win against the Demon Deacons adds some flavor to a resume built on cupcakes.
Week 3 Grade: A
Updated Top 20 CFB Quarterbacks List
21 of 21
To keep things fresh and include breakout performers, we will re-rank the top 20 quarterbacks each week on this final slide. That will then reset the field for next week's report cards.
Since the goal of this updated list is to set the stage for next week's report card grades, quarterbacks who have an upcoming bye week were not eligible for the rankings.
Notable quarterbacks with Week 4 byes include Bear Bachmeier (BYU) and Marcus Stokes (Memphis).
Week 4 CFB Quarterback Rankings
1. Darian Mensah, Miami
2. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
3. Jayden Maiava, USC
4. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
5. Josh Hoover, Indiana
6. Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State
7. Arch Manning, Texas
8. Lincoln Kienholz, Louisville
9. Devon Dampier, Utah
10. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
11. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
12. Rocco Becht, Penn State
13. Conner Weigman, Houston
14. Dante Moore, Oregon
15. Michael Hawkins Jr., West Virginia
16. Noah Fifita, Arizona
17. Ethan Grunkemeyer, Virginia Tech
18. Keelon Russell, Alabama
19. Anthony Colandrea, Nebraska
20. Avery Johnson, Kansas State
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