Mensah Tops 2026 Power 4 QB Rankings — SkimNews
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- Darian Mensah ranks No. 1 among all 68 Power 4 quarterbacks, leading the field in completion rate (88.7%), touchdowns (14), yards per dropback (11.0) and passing success rate (68.7%) at Miami
- CJ Carr holds the No. 2 spot at Notre Dame with a 89.4 Total QBR, a 70.5% completion rate, and 14.4 yards per completion — improvement in nearly every metric despite losing his top deep threat from 2025
- Kamario Taylor made the rankings' biggest leap, climbing from a 48th-place spring ranking to No. 5 at Mississippi State with a 69% completion rate, a 14-to-2 TD-to-INT split, and 219 rushing yards as a first-year starter
- Keelon Russell rose from 28th in the spring to No. 7 at Alabama, combining effortless deep passing with 223 rushing yards and 11 total touchdowns in a rapidly accelerating trajectory
- Gunner Stockton sits at No. 8 at Georgia despite averaging just 20 dropbacks per game due to early blowouts, ranking in the top 15 among Power 4 QBs in both completion rate and yards per completion
- Arch Manning (Texas), Dante Moore (Oregon) and Marcel Reed (Texas A&M) — three of the most anticipated preseason quarterbacks — have all disappointed compared to expectations through the early season
- Drew Mestemaker at Oklahoma State checks in at No. 9, producing an 85.9 Total QBR since a sloppy opener against Tulsa as the Pokes have averaged 46 points per game since that loss
Why it matters: Mensah's transfer to Miami is paying off immediately — he leads all Power 4 QBs in the efficiency metrics that win games, with the source noting Miami spent heavily and he's 'worth twice as much.' Taylor's 48th-to-5th jump gives Mississippi State elite production, while Manning, Moore and Reed — three blue-blood quarterbacks — have already fallen short of preseason expectations heading into conference play.
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