Mensah Tops 2026 Power 4 QB Rankings — SkimNews
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- Darian Mensah ranks No. 1 among Power 4 quarterbacks with a 93.9 Total QBR, 88.7% completion rate, 14 touchdowns and 11.0 yards per dropback — a jump from 11th in spring rankings — with Miami's investment in the transfer already paying elite dividends.
- CJ Carr holds the No. 2 spot at Notre Dame, improving his Total QBR from 83.4 to 89.4 and completion rate from 66.6% to 70.5% year-over-year despite losing his top deep threat from 2025, with Micah Gilbert emerging (10 catches, 253 yards in last two games).
- Julian Sayin is No. 3 with a 92.8 Total QBR and has proven he is more than just a Jeremiah Smith feeder — secondary Buckeyes receivers have combined for 36 targets, 28 catches, 386 yards and two TDs.
- Kamario Taylor of Mississippi State surged from 48th in spring rankings to No. 5 as a first-year starter, posting 1,192 passing yards, 219 rushing yards and a 14-to-2 TD-to-INT rate, earning the "September Heisman winner" label from the ranker.
- Trinidad Chambliss at No. 4 led two winning fourth-quarter drives this season and powered Ole Miss' "cathartic" win over LSU, though his 8.0 yards per dropback trail the other top-seven quarterbacks.
- Texas' Arch Manning, Oregon's Dante Moore and Texas A&M's Marcel Reed — three of the most-hyped preseason names — have all disappointed compared to expectations and do not appear in the top eight.
- Keelon Russell climbed from 28th in spring to No. 7 for Alabama, combining 1,129 passing yards with 223 rushing yards and 11 total TDs, with the ranker noting his rate of improvement could push him into the top four within weeks.
Why it matters: Eight different QBs were realistic candidates for the No. 1 spot, and the three most-hyped preseason names (Manning, Moore, Reed) have all flopped — meaning the Heisman race and College Football Playoff picture have been scrambled by risers like Taylor (spring rank: 48th) and Russell (28th to 7th), while Mensah's 88.7% completion rate and 14 TDs put Miami's transfer investment squarely on early Heisman watch.
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