It is not everything, but it is something. When it comes to winning multiple games within the context of a College Football Playoff, having a better quarterback than what your opposition has going for it is never a bad thing. Of course, others factors are as important, if not more so, such as head coach, defensive line, and above all else, roster depth. The playoff is a beast now vs. the battle of attrition...
That being said, quarterback is still the most important position on the field within the context of most games. This is the player who touches the ball on seemingly every snap. Whether he decides to throw it, hand it off, or take it himself, his decision-making processes impact games significantly. It is why it is next to impossible to win a College Football Playoff in a 12-team format without a strong one.
So what we are going to do today is power rank the eight remaining starting quarterbacks left in the College Football Playoff. At this stage of the game, all eight of them are certainly capable of lifting their team to victory. In fact, four of them already have this postseason in their first-round games from this past weekend. The big question now is which one is going to win three or four to win it all.
Let's get started with the weakest link and then work our way up the chain to the most important one.
8. Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Behren Morton
This is not meant to be disparaging of Behren Morton and his game, but this is just a matter of fact. He is the least impressive quarterback left in the playoff field. Although he has started a ton of games at Texas Tech over the years, this is untrodden territory for both he and the Red Raiders. Given the fact that Texas Tech is a defensive-led team, it probably means Morton is not asked to carry the load.
Can he make enough plays to help Texas Tech win a few playoff games? Sure, but to think that he will be the one to lead them to victories in the Orange and Peach Bowls, and then in the national championship is a bit much. Then again, did we not have our reservations about Will Howard last year at Ohio State? He played out of his mind to help the Buckeyes win four playoff games in succession.
Morton can win games by playing within himself, but he is not likely to separate and elevate in three.
7. Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck
It is kind of amazing the fall from grace, and the relative rebound, it has been for Carson Beck. Entering the 2024 college football season, the former Georgia starting quarterback was among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy and be the No. 1 overall pick. Two years later, he is not close to doing any of that at Miami. The guy can still play, but he has a reputation for turning the football over.
Now that he is at Miami, Beck has at times looked like the player he was on occasion at Georgia. He is still really great at winning a lot of games, especially when he does not have his best stuff working for him. However, he only led the Hurricanes on one touchdown drive in their previous playoff game. Granted, it was on the road and in a fairly windy environment, but Beck only played good, not great.
Beck is capable of hanging with any quarterback he faces, but he can also lose to every one as well...
6. Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss
As we go higher and higher up this list, it gets harder and harder to single one out as the next guy to fall. Coming in at No. 6 is Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. This guy was a top-10 vote getter for the 2025 Heisman Trophy. Although he was not a finalist, Chambliss has been a sensational player for the Rebels. Even more impressive, he was not their Week 1 starter to begin the year either.
The reason he comes in sixth and behind the other five is we have to wonder if he can truly separate and elevate vs. the best competition he will face all year long. He did look well out of the gate vs. Gunner Stockton and Georgia, but a few offensive miscues in the fourth quarter Between the Hedges are why the Dawgs went to Atlanta, and the Rebels did not. Chambliss is excellent, but so are others.
For Ole Miss to win a national championship, Chambliss will have to play beyond Will Howard levels.
5. Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson
One of the best things the Alabama Crimson Tide have going for them at this stage of the playoff is Ty Simpson is looking very much like a first-round NFL Draft prospect. Odds are, he will be the third quarterback taken this spring should he declare. This is not a great quarterback draft, but there are so many teams in need of one. Simpson plays like Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold did in college.
The reason he cannot be any higher on this list is the Alabama offense at times asks too much of him. It is a difficult construct of the reality in place. For as long as Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb are not pressed on the issue, Alabama will continue to be virtually non-existent in the running game. A one-dimensional offense is not how you win national championships. It puts Simpson in a very bad spot.
Simpson is good enough to win another playoff game or two, but attrition should get the best of him.
4. Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin
This may seem a bit harsh, but Julian Sayin still has something to prove heading into the College Football Playoff. Ohio State did not play the most challenging schedule this season. To be quite frank, he and the Ohio State offense largely beat up on tomato cans this year. Against the two best teams Ohio State played in Indiana and Texas, the Buckeyes lost and let the Longhorns hang around a bit.
Sayin has weapons galore on offense, but keep in mind that his offensive coordinator in Brian Hartline is on his way out the door once the season ends. He is taking over at South Florida for some unbeknownst reason... Regardless, Sayin was overvalued as a Heisman Trophy candidate, but should totally be in the mix for it again next year. Again, the guy is only a first-year starter. Give him a break...
That being said, he may have to do more to help Ohio State navigate its brutally difficult playoff path.
3. Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore
Dante Moore is a fast riser up these rankings. The former UCLA starter has been a plug-and-play guy for the Ducks since taking over for Dillon Gabriel this past season. He has fit Will Stein's offense like hand in glove. As is the case with Julian Sayin, Moore too will be losing his offensive coordinator to another job this offseason. Will Stein will take over in Kentucky. However, Moore is likely turning pro.
The reason he is not cracking the top two is Oregon's offense largely stagnated during the second half of the season. Beating the tar out of James Madison showed off his skill set, but not against the best competition. Moore has the talent to help propel the Ducks to a national championship. However, he largely embodies much of what troubles us about the Ducks in general: Their steadiness.
If Oregon is able to win four playoff games in a row, it will be because Moore has leveled up massively.
2. Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton
We have arrived at Gunner Stockton... Although people in the national media are probably beside themselves that the No. 2 spot is not being occupied by another Big Ten quarterback, Stockton is the perfect fit for what Mike Bobo wants to do offensively at Georgia. Stockton is not only growing as a passer and as a leader, but his confidence grows as the game progresses. He is at his best very late.
The biggest thing he has going for him is how locked in he is in the red zone. He distributes the football masterfully. Stockton will not only find his many open receiving targets, but he is also a threat to take it in himself. More importantly, the guy is humble enough to lean of the ground game with his healthy stable of running backs behind him, if he believes that is the best way to attack an opponent.
Georgia has been hard to kill all season long, as illustrated by their multi-dimensional quarterback.
1. Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza
There was no other choice for this. Fernando Mendoza has been the best quarterback in the country all season. The Cal transfer won the Heisman Trophy during his first season at Indiana. Odds are, he will be the first quarterback taken in the 2026 NFL Draft. Mendoza is effectively a lock to be a top-five pick this year. He plays the game with the poise of a Matt Ryan, a Jared Goff or even a Kirk Cousins.
Mendoza does have a great trio of wide receivers in Elijah Sarratt, Omar Cooper Jr., and newcomer Charlie Becker, but he also has made each of them better. With the power of head coach Curt Cignetti in his ear, Indiana is the only team in the country without a loss to its name yet. Indiana's path to a national championship is not easy, but it is not as difficult as seemingly everyone else still around.
For now, Mendoza is the top dog at starting quarterback of the teams remaining in the playoff field.