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2026 College QB Rankings Name 138 Projected Starters

7/23/2026

Summary

Ranking Team Consensus

The ranking team reached a consensus on the projected starting quarterbacks for the 2026 college season.
The consensus encompassed 138 FBS quarterbacks projected to start in 2026.
The consensus followed extensive conversations with college coaches and personnel staffers over the past few months.
Analysts exchanged wide-range opinions and “spicy” debates before finalizing the rankings.

Summary

Coaches Assess Talent

Coaches label Ohio State finalist Julian Sayin a “game manager” while staffers question his ability after performances versus Texas, Indiana and Miami.
Notre Dame coaches view CJ Carr as an NFL Draft pick despite inconsistency, necessitating a load after running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price left for the NFL.
North Texas’s Drew Mestemaker is praised as the “face of the Big 12” and promoted to Tier 1 despite doubts about competition level.

Summary

QBs Reshape Conferences

Under-the-radar quarterbacks may shift conference power balances.
Brad Jackson staying at Texas State keeps the Bobcats’ quarterback slot filled and preserves a conference-title chance.
Keelon Russell (Alabama), Kamario Taylor (Mississippi State) and Kenny Minchey (Kentucky) are full-time starters whose rapid rise could boost offenses in 2026.
Conner Weigman, a former Texas A&M draft-buzz prospect, could revitalize Houston’s offense and push the Cougars toward a Big 12 title game if healthy.

History

Historical Context

Created in 1998 to end split national titles, the Bowl Championship Series used polls, computers and a rotating set of four major bowls to pit the top two teams against each other. After the BCS folded in 2013 and the College Football Playoff began in 2014, its focus on elite quarterbacks persists in the 2026 consensus featuring Ohio State, Texas, Notre Dame and Alabama.

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Ranking Team Consensus

The ranking team reached a consensus on the projected starting quarterbacks for the 2026 college season.
The consensus encompassed 138 FBS quarterbacks projected to start in 2026.
The consensus followed extensive conversations with college coaches and personnel staffers over the past few months.
Analysts exchanged wide-range opinions and “spicy” debates before finalizing the rankings.

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