Ranking all 138 FBS QB situations ahead of the 2026 season - ESPN

Ranking quarterbacks three months before the first game is inherently more art than science. There's a lot of projection, a lot of guesswork and a lot of «Who is this guy?» and «Wait, he's on this team now?»

Yet, in some ways, 2026 represents a return to normalcy at the quarterback position. After the NCAA's fight against extended eligibility (we'll miss you Diego Pavia and Joey Aguilar) and the expiration of the COVID bonus-year players, the era of the sixth- and seventh-year starters has drawn to a close. This season opens with just six QBs with 30 or more career starts under their belts — down from a high of 17 in 2023.

With fewer bonus-year players and more movement in the portal, we'd assume QB play might've slipped a bit, too. In fact, Power 4 quarterbacks posted an average Total QBR last year of 68.9 — easily the best output of the playoff era. And 2026 is shaping up to be an elite year for QB play, from second-year studs like CJ Carr and Julian Sayin to established veterans like Gunner Stockton and Darian Mensah to Arch Manning.

So, who's the cream of the crop? Who's in trouble? And who are the underrated QBs waiting to make a splash in 2026?

After sifting through reams of stats and scouting reports from coaches, this is a projection of who'll fit best in new systems after a coaching change or a portal move. And yet, ultimately a lot of choices are more gut instinct than data-backed rationale. The season will be full of surprises and that's the fun. The important thing is no one remembers how badly they were ranked when it's all over.

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Miami (Darian Mensah)
Notre Dame (CJ Carr)
Ole Miss (Trinidad Chambliss)
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