NCAAF · 9 hours ago

Ranking the 12 QBs in the College Football Playoff

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

12. Jake Retzlaff - Tulane Green Wave
The Tulane Green Wave is the 11-seed and has a difficult mountain to climb as they travel to Oxford to play Ole Miss. We've seen that game before, and it was not at all pretty for the American Athletic Conference champs. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff was 18 for 31 for 152 yards against Northwestern, 15 for 23 for 245 yards against Duke, and just 5 for 17 for 56 yards in the blowout loss to Ole Miss. In total, he has only 14 touchdowns and six interceptions, as he's relied primarily on rushing to get the job done. Retzlaff has 610 yards rushing with 16 touchdowns, and he has only two games all season without a score on the ground. His play against power-conference teams will have to improve substantially for Tulane to have any chance on Saturday.

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1. Fernando Mendoza - Indiana Hoosiers
This list cannot begin with anyone other than the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and leader for the unbeaten and No. 1-seeded Indiana Hoosiers. Fernando Mendoza has completed 71.5 percent of his passes for just shy of 3,000 yards with 33 touchdowns and only six interceptions while adding 240 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. His stats are excellent, but the way he has elevated his team in critical moments is just as important. Think back to his game-winning drives at Iowa or at Penn State, or the huge plays late against Ohio State and Oregon in monumental wins for IU. Mendoza was a landslide Heisman winner, and he’s the top quarterback entering the College Football Playoff.

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2. Julian Sayin - Ohio State Buckeyes
There was uncertainty about the quarterback position for the Ohio State Buckeyes after Will Howard graduated, but redshirt freshman Julian Sayin has erased all doubts. Accuracy is critical, and he led the country with a completion percentage of 78.4 while throwing for 31 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Sayin has incredible weapons at his disposal, but he deserves credit for playing at such a high level despite his young age and relative inexperience. The only real negative for Sayin is that he has not really shown the ability to be a threat with his legs, which could be a detriment for Ohio State as they face great defenses like Georgia, Texas A&M, or Indiana.
3. Trinidad Chambliss - Ole Miss Rebels
There are valid arguments for other SEC quarterbacks to take this third spot, but it goes to Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss. The transfer senior did not begin the season as the starter, sitting behind Austin Simmons until September 13, when he took over against Arkansas. Despite missing those early games, he has thrown for more than 3,000 yards with 18 touchdowns and just three interceptions, and he’s completing better than 65 percent of his passes. Chambliss has added 470 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground. He played well against Georgia and Oklahoma and was rock-solid in very trying circumstances in the Egg Bowl. Chambliss has been a steady force for the Rebels, and he’s my top-ranked SEC quarterback because of that consistency.

Saturday, December 20 - Ole Miss (-17.5) vs. Tulane
4. Dante Moore - Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks have dealt with significant injuries on offense throughout the season. Still, the ultra-talented sophomore quarterback Dante Moore has weathered the storm and led the offense to nearly 40 points per game. Moore has completed 72.5 percent of his passes for 24 touchdowns and only six interceptions, and he’s shown the ability to make a few plays with his legs, rushing for 191 yards and a score. The Ducks are 11-1 and expect to get their full complement of receivers back for the CFP, making them a trendy pick to run to the title, ala Ohio State in 2024.

Saturday, December 20 - Oregon (-21.5) vs. James Madison
5. Marcel Reed - Texas A&M Aggies
The ceiling for Marcel Reed and the Texas A&M offense is as high as any team in the country. The highlights include 42 points against UTSA, 44 against Utah State, 41 in a classic win at Notre Dame, 49 against LSU at Tiger Stadium, and 31 points in the second half against South Carolina in a comeback win. Reed has nearly 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns passing, plus 466 yards and six touchdowns, but he has ten interceptions and has been prone to stretches of inferior play. If the Aggies get the ceiling from Reed, they can win a National Championship. If he isn’t sharp, they’ll lose on Saturday to Miami.

Saturday, December 20 - Miami at Texas A&M (-3.5)
6. Gunner Stockton - Georgia Bulldogs
Gunner Stockton's numbers are not quite those of a few quarterbacks lower on this list, but the junior is proving to be a tough and reliable leader for the Bulldogs, and Kirby Smart knows what he is getting each time out, something that cannot be said for a few others. Stockton has 23 touchdown passes with only five interceptions, and he has added 442 rushing yards with eight rushing touchdowns. Stockton was not good against Georgia Tech, and he has gone over 300 yards only once this season, putting a cap on how high he can be ranked.
7. Carson Beck - Miami Hurricanes
No one knew how the Carson Beck-to-Miami experiment was going to turn out. There were plenty of whispers of off-field drama and questions about how seriously Beck took football. On the field, Beck needed to bounce back from shoulder surgery, and he did not really get to practice with his team before the season began. With all of that working against him, it’s fair to call the 2025 season a smashing success for Beck. The Georgia transfer has completed 74.7 percent of his passes for 3,072 yards with 25 touchdowns, and he has generally played really well. Still, his ranking is hurt by his tendency to put the ball in danger at inopportune times. In Miami’s two losses, Beck had four interceptions against Louisville and then two against the SMU Mustangs. Those costly turnovers cannot show up in the College Football Playoff if Miami is to beat Texas A&M and give Ohio State a challenge.

Saturday, December 20 - Miami at Texas A&M (-3.5)
8. Ty Simpson - Alabama Crimson Tide
If Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson actually has a back injury that is severely limiting his play, he's probably over-ranked at No. 7. He belongs near the bottom of this list. Simpson has 3,268 passing yards with 26 touchdowns and only five interceptions, and he was really among the best players in the country in the middle of the season, going a perfect 17-17 against Louisiana-Monroe and then leading the Tide past Wisconsin, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri, and Tennessee in consecutive weeks. Simpson was only 19 of 35 with 122 yards against Auburn and just 19 of 39 for 212 yards in a blowout loss to Georgia. If Simpson isn't healthy, the Crimson Tide's season probably ends on Friday night at Oklahoma.

Friday, December 19 - Alabama (-1.5) at Oklahoma
9. Behren Morton - Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech is in the College Football Playoff because its defense has been dominant and it has dump-trucked the rest of the Big 12 at the line of scrimmage. Don’t sleep on the Red Raiders’ offense because they can put up some points and are darn good as well. Texas Tech is averaging 42.5 points per game, and senior Behren Morton has been a big part of it with 240 yards per game and 22 touchdowns with only four interceptions. Now, Morton rotated with Will Hammond some, and there was a brief period when many called for the freshman to replace Morton because of his running ability (Morton has -81 rushing yards this season). In the past four games, Morton has thrown for seven touchdowns and no interceptions.
10. John Mateer - Oklahoma Sooners
The Oklahoma Sooners are averaging only 26.4 points per game, and after early optimism about an offensive turnaround in Norman, a thumb injury to quarterback John Mateer has made this team nearly entirely one-dimensional. Mateer is completing only 62 percent of his passes with just 12 touchdowns to ten interceptions, and his yards per attempt (7.2) number is at least two yards per attempt less than the top-ranked quarterbacks on this list. Since returning from injury, Mateer has thrown for six interceptions with only six touchdowns, and he’s surpassed 200 yards passing only three times. Even more concerning for the Sooners, his running game has been limited, as he’s reached 60 yards on the ground just once and is now averaging just 3.2 yards per rush on the season. OU’s playoff hopes are almost entirely reliant on the defense forcing turnovers and limiting opponents to less than 20 points.
11. Alonza Barnett III - James Madison Dukes
The James Madison Dukes are averaging 37.3 points per game and racking up 6.4 yards per play as quarterback Alonza Barnett III leads the way. The big concern is that he only completes 59.9 percent of his passes. That’s less than the others on this list, and it came primarily against the Sun Belt. Barnett does offer a lot of mobility, rushing for 544 yards and a team-high 14 touchdowns. The junior will have his hands full trying to find any room against the Oregon Ducks in Eugene.
12. Jake Retzlaff - Tulane Green Wave
The Tulane Green Wave is the 11-seed and has a difficult mountain to climb as they travel to Oxford to play Ole Miss. We've seen that game before, and it was not at all pretty for the American Athletic Conference champs. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff was 18 for 31 for 152 yards against Northwestern, 15 for 23 for 245 yards against Duke, and just 5 for 17 for 56 yards in the blowout loss to Ole Miss. In total, he has only 14 touchdowns and six interceptions, as he's relied primarily on rushing to get the job done. Retzlaff has 610 yards rushing with 16 touchdowns, and he has only two games all season without a score on the ground. His play against power-conference teams will have to improve substantially for Tulane to have any chance on Saturday.

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1. Fernando Mendoza - Indiana Hoosiers
This list cannot begin with anyone other than the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and leader for the unbeaten and No. 1-seeded Indiana Hoosiers. Fernando Mendoza has completed 71.5 percent of his passes for just shy of 3,000 yards with 33 touchdowns and only six interceptions while adding 240 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. His stats are excellent, but the way he has elevated his team in critical moments is just as important. Think back to his game-winning drives at Iowa or at Penn State, or the huge plays late against Ohio State and Oregon in monumental wins for IU. Mendoza was a landslide Heisman winner, and he’s the top quarterback entering the College Football Playoff.

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Ranking the 12 QBs in the College Football Playoff

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