It’s still too early to officially declare a winner in Georgia’s breakup with Carson Beck, but the Bulldogs took a lead in the competition during Week 8, thanks to the right arm (and legs) of Gunner Stockton. While Beck was busy tossing four interceptions in Miami’s home loss to Louisville on Friday, Stockton was preparing to author a legendary performance in UGA’s top-10 showdown with Ole Miss.
The numbers don’t lie. Stockton was surgical, completing 26-of-31 passes for 289 yards, four touchdowns, and no turnovers in Georgia’s thrilling 43-35 victory. He was perfect in the second half, going 12-for-12 for three scores. Add in his 59 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, and you have a performance that screams “Heisman contender.”
Compare that to Beck’s night: 25-of-35 for 271 yards, no touchdowns, and those four costly picks. The difference in their respective performances was stark. As a result, Stockton is surging in this week’s quarterback power rankings while Beck is plummeting.
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For Georgia fans, there is likely a sense of vindication. During Miami’s unbeaten start with Beck at quarterback, the Bulldogs caught some flack the way things ended with Beck after last season. Many also wondered why coach Kirby Smart didn’t dive into the transfer portal to pick up Beck’s replacement.
Stockton has not only answered that question but has arguably elevated the position. In particular, his toughness — playing through an oblique injury — seems to have galvanized Georgia.
These rankings are not a Heisman forecast, draft projection or season-long outlook. They are a real-time reaction to performance, weighing competition, game pressure and production. With that, here are this week’s power rankings of college football’s top 50 quarterbacks.
1. Ty Simpson, Alabama
Simpson is tied for sixth in passing touchdowns with 18, 10th in yards at 1,931 and 10th in efficiency. But when you incorporate opponent quality into the picture, no one has been better. He’s been, efficient, steady, clutch and light on catastrophic blunders during four straight wins over top-20 opponents with legitimate CFP aspirations. Last week: 1
2. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Mendoza threw four touchdowns and a season-high 332 yards in Indiana’s easy win over Michigan State. He leads the nation in passing efficiency, is tied for first in passing touchdowns (21) and is running at a close second in the Heisman Trophy odds (+340 at FanDuel) behind Simpson. Just look at the placement on this throw. Last week: 2
3. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
It was an indictment on Ohio State’s iffy rushing attack that the Buckeyes opted to throw 42 times in an easy win over Wisconsin. Then again, when you’ve got the nation’s leader in completion percentage at quarterback and a stacked receiver corps, why not sling it around? Sayin is completing 80% of his passes and is up to 19 touchdowns with just three interceptions. Last week: 5
4. Haynes King, Georgia Tech
King is the ACC’s second-leading rusher in terms of yardage at 560 and tops the conference in rushing touchdowns with 10 after racking up 120 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries in Georgia Tech’s win over Duke. He also surpassed 200 passing yards for a third straight game and extended his interception-free streak to five games. With a lesser quarterback, the unbeaten Yellow Jackets would have a couple of losses. Last week: 3
5. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
Sorsby is tied for fourth nationally in completions of 25+ yards with 22, which is impressive when you consider he’s attempted significantly fewer passes than the players ahead of him on the list. Oklahoma State was his latest victim, as Sorsby tossed four touchdowns in an easy win over the Cowboys. Over his last six games — all victories — Sorsby has thrown 18 touchdowns without an interception while adding four rushing touchdowns. Last week: 9
6. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
Playing Arkansas can do wonders to boost a quarterback’s stock, and Reed cashed in on his opportunity to face the SEC’s worst defense. The redshirt sophomore totaled four touchdowns — three as a passer and one as a runner — in a 45-42 road win over the Razorbacks. Three of A&M’s final five games are on the road against ranked SEC foes, which offers Reed a chance to assert himself in the Heisman race. Last week: 32
7. Byrum Brown, South Florida
Brown has reached 200 yards passing in all seven of South Florida’s games and has now surpassed 100 yards rushing in two of the Bulls’ past three. He’s amassed 14 touchdowns over that three-game span and is now tied for sixth nationally in total offense with 2,170 yards. He is the single biggest reason why USF is in position to claim a spot in the CFP. Last week: 7
8. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
Pavia’s uncanny knack for surveying the field and making the right read nearly every time came through again in Vanderbilt’s Week 8 win over LSU. It’s fitting that Pavia has struck up a friendship with Johnny Manziel, because some of the things Pavia does are quite reminiscent of the Texas A&M legend. Last week: 15
9. Dante Moore, Oregon
Moore bounced back from a subpar showing against Indiana by throwing four touchdowns in a 56-10 evisceration of Rutgers. The redshirt sophomore is making good on his five-star prospect hype by becoming the latest Ducks QB to put up big numbers in offensive coordinator Will Stein’s system. Last week: N/A
10. Gunner Stockton, Georgia
Stockton produced the best performance of his career in Georgia’s 43-35 win over Ole Miss. The redshirt junior totaled 348 yards and five touchdowns — four as a passer and one as a runner — while guiding the Bulldogs on eight straight scoring drives. The only possession on which Georgia didn’t score? When Stockton was taking a knee to ice the victory. Last week: 34
11. Jayden Maiava, USC
USC’s passing game produced its share of big plays in a 34-24 loss at Notre Dame as Maiava surpassed 300 yards for the third time this season. But the operation wasn’t at peak efficiency, especially down the stretch when the Trojans had opportunities to take the lead. He is still leading the Big Ten in passing yards (2,180) and yards per attempt (10.2) by fairly wide margins. Last week: 4
12. Josh Hoover, TCU
Hoover outperformed fellow Big 12 passing phenom Sawyer Robertson in TCU’s 42-36 win over Baylor last week, finishing with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Hoover is tied with Robertson and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza for the national lead in touchdown passes with 21, and he ranks No. 5 nationally in passing yards (2,124). Last week: 16
13. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
Chambliss and the Ole Miss offense were humming up until the fourth quarter at Georgia, as the Division II transfer led five straight touchdown drives to begin the game. Unfortunately for the Rebels, the fourth quarter was a different story as Chambliss completed just 1 of 10 passes in what became a 43-35 loss to the Bulldogs. Last week: 13
14. Bear Bachmeier, BYU
The college football ecosystem doesn’t have enough appreciation for the fact that the starting quarterback for one of the five remaining Power Four teams is a three-star true freshman. Bachmeier delivered once again in Week 8 by scoring as both a runner and passer in BYU’s momentous rivalry victory over Utah. Air Bear? Bear Jordan? Last week: 31
15. Joey Aguilar, Tennessee
Aguilar threw a crippling pick-6 at the end of the first half that changed the complexion of Tennessee’s loss at Alabama. But he still leads the nation’s deepest conference in passing yards and has the Volunteers ranking fifth nationally in total offense. Not bad for a guy who was displaced at UCLA by former Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Last week: 14
16. Sam Leavitt, Arizona State
Leavitt didn’t have his best game against Texas Tech, but he had a great final drive in Arizona State’s 26-22 takedown of the previously unbeaten Red Raiders. With Leavitt completing five passes (four of them to Jordyn Tyson), the Sun Devils drove 75 yards on 10 plays in the final two minutes for a go-ahead touchdown. Last week: 22
17. Joe Fagnano, UConn
Fagnano has thrown for 717 yards and eight touchdowns over UConn’s last two games. The latest triumph was a 38-23 win at Boston College in which he totaled five scores (four as a passer and one as a runner). The Huskies are 5-2 and humming offensively thanks to Fagnano, who has attempted 226 passes this season without an interception. Last week: unranked
18. Taylen Green, Arkansas
His team stinks, but Green routinely makes remarkable plays that beg the question: Where would this guy be in the Heisman odds if Arkansas had a defense? Green leads the nation in total offense at 2,499 yards and has totaled 22 touchdowns. Here is a great example of what Green can do, evading a pass rush and throwing a dart across his body for a touchdown. Last week: 27
19. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
Carr played his worst game of the season in Notre Dame’s 34-24 win over USC. His miscues included a senseless YOLO ball that cost the Fighting Irish points. Ultimately, he got away with the subpar performance because of the Fighting Irish’s running game, special teams and some timely late defense. It’s still been a great season for the redshirt freshman. Last week: 8
20. John Mateer, Oklahoma
Mateer added punting to his highlight reel when he pinned South Carolina on its own 1-yard line with a pooch punt in the fourth quarter of Oklahoma’s 26-7 road win. Mateer is lagging behind other top quarterbacks in terms of raw statistical production, but Oklahoma wouldn’t be 6-1 without him. Now comes the hard part: a murderer’s row of five straight games against top-20 SEC opponents to close the season. Last week: 18
21. Jalon Daniels, Kansas
Last week: 19
22. Luke Altmyer, Illinois
Last week: 21
23. Rocco Becht, Iowa State
Last week: 23
24. Darian Mensah, Duke
Last week: 11
25. Conner Weigman, Houston
Last week: 42
26. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
Last week: 10
27. Devon Dampier, Utah
Last week: 17
28. Anthony Colandrea, UNLV
Last week: 29
29. Chandler Morris, Virginia
Last week: 26
30. Blake Horvath, Navy
Last week: 30
31. Bryce Underwood, Michigan
Last week: 33
32. Noah Fifita, Arizona
Last week: 40
33. Bryson Barnes, Utah State
Last week: 49
34. Evan Simon, Temple
Last week: unranked
35. CJ Bailey, NC State
Last week: 35
36. Avery Johnson, Kansas State
Last week: 36
37. Demond WIlliams Jr., Washington
Last week: 7
38. Carson Beck, Miami
Last week: 12
39. Kevin Jennings, SMU
Last week: 39
40. Alonza Barnett III, James Madison
Last week: unranked
41. Dylan Raiola, Nebraska
Last week: 24
42. Jake Retzlaff, Tulane
Last week: unranked
43. Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh
Last week: 20
44. Beau Pribula, Missouri
Last week: 28
45. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
Last week: 37
46. Miller Moss, Louisville
Last week: unranked
47. Malik Washington, Maryland
Last week: 38
48. Walker Eget, San Jose State
Last week: 44
49. Micah Alejado, Hawaii
Last week: 46
50. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Cal
Last week: 47
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