College Fantasy Football Rankings 2026: Quarterback Rankings, Projections, and Outlooks

The Texas State starting quarterback job was up for grabs entering 2025, but Jackson earned the nod entering the season and passed the test with flying colors, racking up a whopping 3,050 passing yards and an 18:7 TD:INT ratio over the 12-game regular season while adding another 174 carries for 744 yards and 17 touchdowns as a rusher. He enters his second full season in command of GJ Kinne's offense in 2026 as the Bobcats transition from the Sun Belt to the PAC-12. While that shift will inevitably result in a heightened strength of schedule, the offense returns its top two receivers from a season ago in Beau Sparks and Chris Dawn, setting up the Bobcats and Jackson well for another massive offensive campaign in 2026.

Szarka didn't claim the starting role out of the gates for Air Force in 2025, splitting the duties with Josh Johnson through the first pair of games before an injury to Johnson opened the door for Szarka to take full command of the job – he didn't look back. Szarka amassed 1,213 passing yards and a 9:5 TD:INT ratio over eight games from Weeks 3-11, but he shined as a runner in the triple-option offense, racking up 896 rushing yards and 13 rushing scores over that same span before an arm injury sidelined him for the majority of the final three games. Johnson remains in the fold as a backup option, but look for Szarka to retake the reins under center for the Falcons, and for a sizable season to ensue that could make him one of the best fantasy quarterback options available in 2026.

Those who haven't heard the name Arch Manning yet have likely been hiding under a rock in the CFB world. Not only is he part of one of the most famous quarterback lineages in football history, but he was at the offensive helm for one of college football's biggest brands last season. While Manning's first full campaign as the starter began a bit slowly, he turned up the heat down the stretch, compiling 1,314 yards and an 11:2 TD:INT ratio over the final four games, while adding a pair of rushing scores over that span as well. The Longhorns also seemingly upgraded the weapons around Manning in an already-loaded offense, adding star wideout Cam Coleman from Auburn along with running backs Hollywood Smothers from NC State and Raleek Brown from Arizona State. The tools are set up for Manning to deliver an encore that exceeds his 2025 showing under center, making him one of the best fantasy quarterback options in 2026.

Dampier's first season at Utah after transferring from New Mexico left little doubt about his dual-threat ceiling, even at a power-conference level. He passed for 2,490 yards and 24 touchdowns against just five interceptions while adding 835 yards and 10 scores on the ground, becoming the first Utes quarterback since Alex Smith in 2004 to clear 2,000 passing and 600 rushing yards in a single season. He capped the year with a bowl MVP performance, rushing for 148 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Nebraska. Dampier enters 2026 for his second season in Salt Lake City, though under a new staff after head coach Kyle Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck departed for Michigan, with Utah State's Kevin McGiven now calling plays. That transition brings some uncertainty, but Dampier's proven dual-threat production makes him one of the more intriguing fantasy quarterback options for 2026.

Weigman found stability in his return home to Houston after an injury-plagued stint at Texas A&M, throwing for 2,475 yards with 21 touchdowns versus just nine interceptions while adding 644 yards and 11 scores on the ground in his first year with the Cougars. He capped the season with a four-touchdown, MVP performance in a Texas Bowl win over LSU. Weigman is back for his second season under Willie Fritz in 2026, and with a retooled receiver room that added Trent Walker, Tyson Turner, and Muizz Tounkara via the portal alongside returning wideout Amare Thomas, the pieces are in place for a more explosive passing attack. His rushing floor already makes him a fantasy-relevant dual-threat option, and better health and continuity in the system point to another big season.

Thrust into the starting job in Delaware's season opener after an injury to Zach Marker, Minicucci did not look back, completing 322-of-512 passes for 3,683 yards with 23 touchdowns to seven interceptions while adding 235 yards and 10 rushing scores, ranking sixth nationally in passing yards and earning Second Team All-Conference USA honors. He returns for his senior season in 2026 with a full offseason as the unquestioned starter, giving him a chance to build on one of the best statistical seasons in Blue Hen history. A new quarterbacks coach is the lone hiccup in an otherwise stable situation, and Minicucci's proven volume passing, combined with his rushing upside, makes him one of the more underrated fantasy QB options in a Group of Five landscape.

Taylor served his apprenticeship behind Blake Shapen in 2025, working as a rushing threat off the bench across 11 appearances (two starts) while throwing for 629 yards and five touchdowns and rushing for 458 yards and eight scores. He didn't disappoint in his two starts from a fantasy production standpoint, amassing a combined 419 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception as a passer but rushing 38 times for 236 yards and an additional three scores. The top-rated quarterback recruit in Mississippi State history now takes over as the full-time starter in 2026, and his rushing production alone already flashed real fantasy juice in limited action. Taylor possesses adequate size (6-foot-4, 230 pounds with legitimate speed) to handle an SEC schedule, and a full offseason as OC Kelley Jones' lead option makes him one of the more exciting fantasy options in the SEC.

Chambliss authored one of the best breakout stories in the country in 2025, completing 66.1% of his passes for an SEC-leading 3,937 yards with 22 touchdowns versus just three interceptions while adding 527 yards and eight scores on the ground, culminating in a Sugar Bowl MVP performance against Georgia. After a legal battle over an extra year of eligibility, the Mississippi Supreme Court denied the NCAA's appeal, clearing Chambliss to return to Ole Miss for 2026. The Rebels underwent coaching turnover with Lane Kiffin's departure for LSU, but John David Baker comes over after a successful two-year stint as East Carolina's offensive coordinator, previously working as a co-offensive coordinator under Kiffin at Ole Miss from 2022-23. Thus, the scheme should remain largely similar, and Chambliss' rare dual-threat ability makes him one of the top fantasy quarterback options in the country heading into the season.

Del Rio-Wilson took over as Marshall's starter in Week 2 of 2025 and never let go, throwing for 2,043 yards with 17 touchdowns to five interceptions while setting the program's single-season quarterback rushing record with 657 yards on 159 carries. He returns in 2026 as the Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and is one of just two returning FBS quarterbacks to combine 2,000 passing yards with a 65 percent completion rate and 600 rushing yards last season. Del Rio-Wilson's dual-threat profile makes him a strong fantasy quarterback target for 2026, though he'll have to navigate a new season without his top pass catcher from a season ago in Demarcus Lacey, who has graduated.

Mateer's first season at Oklahoma was a tale of two halves. He completed 62.2% of his passes for 2,885 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, while rushing for 431 yards and a team-high eight scores. But a broken throwing thumb suffered against Auburn derailed his season, with his completion percentage and yards per game both dropping sharply after the injury. He's spent the offseason retraining his throwing motion and mechanics with a full offseason to recover. If the first four weeks of 2025, when he was completing over 67% of his passes and averaging 300-plus yards per game, are closer to the real Mateer, he's a sleeper candidate for a major statistical bounce-back in 2026.

Brown put together one of the most productive seasons in the country at South Florida in 2025, throwing for 3,158 yards and 28 touchdowns while adding 1,008 rushing yards and 14 scores, becoming just the eleventh FBS player ever to post a 3,000/1,000 season. He followed head coach Alex Golesh to Auburn for 2026, bringing several former USF teammates and the same spread system with him, which should help smooth his transition to the SEC. His athletic profile and durability give him a real rushing floor, and Auburn's backfield (Jeremiah Cobb, Bryson Washington and Omar Mabson) should keep defenses honest. The step up in competition level shouldn't go unnoticed, but continuity in scheme and personnel make him one of the more intriguing dual-threat quarterbacks in the country.

An 11-0 start to 2025 highlighted Reed's emergence at Texas A&M, where he completed 62.1% of his passes for 3,169 yards with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while adding 493 rushing yards and six scores. His splits were stark: 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions in wins, zero touchdowns and four interceptions across the Aggies' two losses. The offense changes hands in 2026 after offensive coordinator Collin Klein left to become Kansas State's head coach, with co-OC Holmon Wiggins (a longtime Alabama receivers coach) promoted to take over play-calling. Reed also loses his top target, first-round pick KC Concepcion (919 yards, nine touchdowns), and four starting offensive linemen, though Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton and a returning Mario Craver give him a retooled receiving corps. He enters the year as a clear SEC QB1 whose fantasy ceiling hinges on cutting down turnovers under a new play-caller.

Williams turned in a strong sophomore season at Washington, completing 69.5% of his passes for 3,065 yards with a 25:8 TD:INT ratio while adding 611 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He briefly entered the transfer portal in January before reversing course and returning to Washington. The staff around him changed some: offensive coordinator Jimmie Dougherty left for the Seattle Seahawks, with quality control coach JP Losman promoted to OC and quarterbacks coach. Head coach Jedd Fisch and the core system remain intact, though, giving Williams a third straight year of continuity in the same scheme. That stability, paired with his blend of arm talent and rushing speed, sets him up as one of the more underrated dual-threat quarterbacks in the country.

Creel took over as Jacksonville State's starter midway into 2025 and immediately flashed one of the more productive dual-threat games in Conference USA, throwing for 1,514 yards with nine touchdowns while rushing for 1,075 yards and seven more scores. He returns as the unquestioned QB1 in 2026, but the backfield around him takes a hit with the departure of leading rusher Cam Cook. The passing game should hold steady, though, with leading receiver Deondre Johnson back alongside Gabe Glover and Stetson transfer Ronnel Johnson. His rushing volume alone gives him a strong fantasy floor in Conference USA, and better health across the receiving corps should raise his passing ceiling.

Johnson enters his third season as Kansas State's starter looking to build on a 2025 in which he threw for 2,385 yards with an 18:6 TD:INT ratio while adding 477 rushing yards and eight scores, a slight step back in a season where the team stumbled to 6-6. The biggest change is at the top: Kansas State hired Collin Klein, its own alum and Texas A&M's offensive coordinator, as head coach, and Johnson also loses his top two offensive weapons, with leading receiver Jayce Brown (712 yards, five touchdowns) transferring to LSU and running back Dylan Edwards also departing via the portal. That's a real hole to fill around him, and how quickly Klein's staff can identify a new go-to target will be the key factor in Johnson's passing production, even as his rushing floor keeps him a weekly fantasy threat.

Few stories in college football topped Mestemaker's rise in 2025, going from a walk-on to leading the nation in passing yards (4,379) and yards per attempt (9.46) while throwing 32 touchdowns for North Texas. He followed head coach Eric Morris and offensive coordinator Sean Brophy to Oklahoma State for 2026, inheriting a rebuilding program that brought in more than 80 newcomers around him, including several of his former North Texas pass-catchers who transferred with him. The jump from the American Conference to the Big 12 figures to be a challenge, but his arm talent and track record under Morris make him a tantalizing fantasy option entering 2026.

Hammond flashed real dual-threat upside in spot duty behind Behren Morton in 2025, completing 63.3% of his passes for 680 yards and seven touchdowns to three interceptions across eight games while adding 299 rushing yards and five scores, highlighted by a 169-yard, two-touchdown relief effort at Utah. His season ended early with a torn ACL, but with Morton off to the NFL, and an interesting offseason that resulted in Cincinnati transfer Brendan Sorsby's college career coming to an end, Hammond steps in as Texas Tech's starter for 2026 and has stayed on track in his recovery, with head coach Joey McGuire indicating he could be ready for the Big 12 opener, though that is not a given. Surrounded by one of the deeper offensive rosters in the country, Hammond carries some injury-recovery risk but major weekly upside once healthy in McGuire's uptempo scheme.

Veltkamp set multiple Florida Atlantic season passing records in 2025, throwing for 3,641 yards with 24 touchdowns against 17 interceptions while playing through a non-throwing shoulder injury for much of the year. He underwent shoulder surgery afterward and was limited early in spring practice before recovering in time for the spring game. Veltkamp returns to the same staff and system in 2026, with head coach Zach Kittley back for his second season and the receiving corps largely intact. That continuity gives his high-volume, pass-first attack real fantasy relevance if he can clean up the turnovers and stay healthy.

A backup to start 2025, Henicle got his shot when an injury to starter Colton Joseph opened the door in the Cure Bowl, where he rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns to win MVP honors in a win over South Florida. With Joseph's subsequent transfer to Wisconsin, Henicle is projected as Old Dominion's Week 1 starter in 2026 as a redshirt sophomore, but he inherits a nearly unrecognizable offense. Offensive coordinator Kevin Decker is gone, with assistant Kody Cook promoted to OC, and the Monarchs lost almost every starter from an offense that ranked among the nation's best on the ground, including the entire offensive line. His rushing ability is his clearest carrying tool, while his passing efficiency remains unproven in extended action, making him a boom-or-bust dual-threat option in a Sun Belt offense that's rebuilding around him.

Woodson spent three seasons as Navy's primary backup, filling in capably whenever Blake Horvath was unavailable and flashing real rushing production in relief duty. With Horvath's graduation, along with that of program all-time leading receiver Eli Heidenreich, Woodson takes over as Navy's full-time starter in 2026 and was voted a team captain by his teammates. The staff and system stay stable under longtime head coach Brian Newberry, so Woodson isn't learning a new scheme, just replacing two program cornerstones at the skill positions. His rushing ability in limited snaps was strong, and Navy's option-based attack has historically produced fantasy-relevant rushing floors for its quarterbacks, though replacing Horvath's back-to-back 1,200-yard rushing seasons and Heidenreich's production is a tall order.

A Big 12 title and CFP berth headlined Leavitt's breakout 2024 season at Arizona State, where he threw for 2,885 yards with 24 touchdowns against six interceptions while adding 433 rushing yards and five scores. A foot injury cut his 2025 season short after seven games, limiting him to 1,628 passing yards and 10 touchdowns. Fully recovered, Leavitt heads to LSU for 2026, joining a program under new head coach Lane Kiffin after Garrett Nussmeier's graduation and backup Michael Van Buren Jr.'s transfer left LSU without a returning scholarship quarterback. Kiffin rebuilt the receiving corps around Leavitt with transfers Jayce Brown (Kansas State), Jackson Harris (Hawaii), Eugene Wilson (Florida), along with Winston Watkins, who followed Kiffin from Ole Miss. The new scheme and weapons around Leavitt make him an intriguing fantasy option joining an uptempo offense in 2026.

Winfield began 2025 as Louisiana's third-string quarterback, behind both presumptive starter Walker Howard and redshirt freshman Daniel Beale, before an injury to Howard in the opener thrust Beale into the lineup. Beale struggled badly over the next several weeks, completing just half his throws with far more interceptions than touchdowns, and the coaching staff turned to Winfield in Week 5 against Marshall, where he immediately sparked a double-overtime win. He went on to total 2,222 all-purpose yards and 20 touchdowns down the stretch, including a team-high 667 rushing yards and nine rushing scores, while completing 58.8% of his throws. Howard has since transferred to Ole Miss, clearing the path for Winfield as the unquestioned starter in 2026 under the same staff, with head coach Michael Desormeaux back. His legs give him a solid rushing floor in a run-heavy Sun Belt offense, though his accuracy and turnover issues will need to improve for him to take a real step forward.

A five-star pedigree came with immediate starting duties for Underwood, who completed 60.3% of his passes for 2,428 yards with 11 touchdowns against nine interceptions as a true freshman at Michigan while adding 392 rushing yards and six scores. The program hired Kyle Whittingham as head coach after Sherrone Moore's firing, and Whittingham brought his own offensive coordinator, Jason Beck, and quarterbacks coach, Koy Detmer Jr., from Utah, the same pairing that helped fuel Devon Dampier's dual-threat breakout there. Underwood retains two of his top weapons in leading rusher Jordan Marshall and leading receiver Andrew Marsh, and the staff added five-star running back Savion Hiter and receiver transfers JJ Buchanan and Jaime Ffrench, along with promising freshmen Salesi Moa and Travis Johnson to deepen the skill groups even further. With that talent in place and a scheme built to get him running more, Underwood is a strong bet for a Year 2 leap if he can cut down on turnovers.

Jennings enters his fourth season as SMU's starter with a resume that already ranks among the best in program history: over 7,700 career passing yards, 55 touchdowns, and a 19-4 record as a starter. In 2025 he threw for 3,641 yards with a 26:13 TD:INT ratio while helping lead SMU to another ACC title game appearance, and the program has since launched a Heisman campaign around him for 2026. The backfield around him has completely turned over, with both TJ Harden and Chris Johnson Jr. gone and Cal transfer Kendrick Raphael brought in as the new lead back. Jennings's own rushing production is modest, so his fantasy value leans heavily on high-volume, efficient passing, but his track record of durability and production against ACC competition makes him one of the more underrated fantasy quarterbacks in the conference.

A midseason change at the position sparked Army's turnaround in 2025, as Hellums took over as the full-time starter after splitting reps with Dewayne Coleman through five games and went on to lead all FBS quarterbacks with 1,223 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns over his final eight starts, while adding 694 passing yards. He returns as the unquestioned QB1 in 2026 under the same staff, with head coach Jeff Monken back and the offensive system unchanged, though Coleman has since graduated and Army also loses its top two backup running backs and leading receiver Noah Short from last year's rotation. Hellums' passing volume will always be light in Army's option attack, but his rushing workload alone makes him one of the highest-floor non-Power Four fantasy quarterbacks in the country.