J.D. PicKell ranks Top 10 post-Spring quarterbacks in college football

On3’s J.D. PicKell has named his top 10 post-Spring college football quarterbacks. The list is sure to be controversial.

The list showcases the immense talent at the quarterback position that is returning to the sport of college football in 2026. It appears as if all 11 of the quarterbacks listed by PicKell could be in the running for not just the Heisman Trophy, but the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Names such as Oregon‘s Dante Moore, Ole Miss‘ Trinidad Chambliss, and Miami‘s Darian Mensah lead the pack.

PicKell’s full list, 1-10, is below:

1. Dante Moore (Oregon Ducks)

After spurning the NFL Draft, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is tabbed as the No. 1-ranked post-Spring quarterback by PicKell. In his first season as Oregon‘s starting quarterback, Moore passed for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns with just 10 interceptions. He led the Ducks to a 13-2 record and an appearance in the Semifinals of the College Football Playoff.

Moore will be one of the preseason Heisman Trophy favorites in 2026. With superstar tight end Jamari Johnson and wide receiver Evan Stewart (who missed the entire 2025 season) returning to Oregon‘s offense next season, Moore certainly could find himself at the Heisman ceremony at the conclusion of the season. The Ducks are seeking their first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship under head coach Dan Lanning.

2. Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss Rebels)

Ole Miss was one of the biggest winners of the college football offseason, as it was able to garner an extra year of eligibility for star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. Although he didn’t open the 2025 campaign as the starter, Chambliss took over for an injured Austin Simmons and blossomed into one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football. He passed for 22 touchdowns with just three interceptions and led the Rebels to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.

Heading into year one of the Pete Golding era in the ‘Sip, all eyes are on the Rebels. The program also returns star running back Kewan Lacy, as Ole Miss seeks a return to the sport’s biggest stage. “The guys have been so good to me and this team,” Chambliss said following Ole Miss‘ loss to Miami in the CFP Semifinal. “It’s been a great ride. I wouldn’t want to do it with any other people. Whether it’s coaches, players, people in the offices. It was just a great ride. Hopefully, I can do it next year.”

3. Darian Mensah (Miami Hurricanes)

Miami quarterback Darian Mensah, who transferred from Duke after leading the Blue Devils to an ACC Championship last season, will enter the 2026 campaign as one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy. Mensah was remarkable for head coach Manny Diaz and Duke in his lone season in Durham. Mensah’s 3,973 passing yards ranked second most in the country, while his 34 passing touchdowns were tied for second most in the country.

“He’s really good,” Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said. “He’s accurate, he’s got an unbelievable sense, and his pocket awareness is off the charts. His off-script stuff and his on-schedule stuff is elite. He’s got the right temperament. He is an alpha and he’s got a great personality. People really gravitate to him. He’s really athletic and he’s a hard worker. He’s really smart. He checks all the boxes.”

4. Julian Sayin (Ohio State Buckeyes)

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin more than lived up to the hype in his first season as the Buckeyes’ starter in 2025. The Carlsbad, CA native passed for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns with just eight interceptions, and led Ohio State to an unblemished 12-0 regular season record and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. Sayin will return to Columbus for his 2026 campaign and will likely enter the season as one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy.

“Julian Sayin’s insanely accurate,” On3’s Ari Wasserman said on the Feb. 10 edition of Andy & Ari On3. “He throws a beautiful ball and is certainly good enough to win a national championship at Ohio State. The one thing I would neg him on – and maybe I’m being overly nit-picky here … all the spectacular plays that Ohio State made this year, I felt like, were more because the receiver was awesome than it was because of who was delivering it.”

5. Arch Manning (Texas Longhorns)

It’s safe to say that Arch Manning entered the 2025 season, his first as Texas‘ starter, with massive expectations. While he didn’t quite get off to the best start, he finished extremely strong. Across Manning’s final eight games of the 2025 season, he led Texas to a 7-1 record, with strong wins over No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 9 Vanderbilt, No. 3 Texas A&M, and No. 18 Michigan.

In that span, he passed for 2,012 yards and 15 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He also rushed for 239 yards and five scores on the ground, although 155 yards and two touchdowns came in the Longhorns’ 41-27 win over the Wolverines in the Citrus Bowl. Another big year is expected from Manning, as the Longhorns seek a return to the College Football Playoff.

6. CJ Carr (Notre Dame Fighting Irish)

Although Notre Dame came up just shy of a College Football Playoff appearance, quarterback CJ Carr delivered an extremely impressive freshman campaign. Carr passed for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns with just six interceptions across 12 games. In the Irish’s two losses (No. 10 Miami and No. 16 Texas A&M), Carr totaled 514 passing yards, four total touchdowns, and two interceptions. He is poised to take an even bigger leap in his second year under Marcus Freeman‘s leadership.

“It’s easy to forget he’s a first-year starter, and there’s going to be times where it doesn’t look like clockwork as much because he’s made it look like clockwork 90% of the time that he’s been out there,” Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock told Blue and Gold last season. “I can’t get frustrated, and we can’t get frustrated, and we have to allow him to fail, so he can learn more. And he’s done a great job of digging in and doing that, so he doesn’t need any help from me.”

7. Gunner Stockton (Georgia Bulldogs)

Gunner Stockton‘s first season as Georgia‘s starter in 2025 was a resounding success. Stockton passed for 2,894 yards and 24 touchdowns, and led the Bulldogs to an SEC Championship and a College Football Playoff appearance. He was named a Third Team All-SEC selection and looks to be one of the top returning quarterbacks in the Southeastern Conference. Stockton suffered a minor knee injury this offseason, but appears to be good to go for the 2026 season.

“Yep, he’s great. He’s practicing,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. “He had a little offseason injury in our workouts, but he’s he’s fine now. He’s limited a little bit the first couple days, but he’s out there competing, doing a good job, focusing on things he needs to improve on and competing with those other guys. I’ve been really pleased with Gunner.”

8. Josh Hoover (Indiana Hoosiers)

Josh Hoover has the extremely difficult task of succeeding a Heisman-winning quarterback at Indiana. Hoover has spent the past four seasons at TCU, serving in the starting role over the past three. Across 36 career games, the Heath, Tex., native boasts 9,629 passing yards and 71 touchdowns with just 33 interceptions. He becomes the third starting quarterback of the Curt Cignetti era at Indiana, joining Ohio transfer Kurtis Rourke (Second Team All-Big Ten) and Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza.

“Josh is one of the hardest workers that I’ve met, and he throws so much,” IU star receiver Charlie Becker said. “I don’t know how he does it; my arm would fall off. He texts me probably every day asking if we want to throw, just to be able to build that connection, which is good. As soon as last season was over, me and Josh were texting. We had a little break, so he was like, ‘As soon as you guys get back, let’s get right to it’. After every workout, we’ve been throwing and just trying to build that connection that me and Fernando (Mendoza) had.”

9. Jayden Maiava (USC Trojans)

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava returns as the longest tenured quarterback on this list. Maiava took over the starting role at USC near the end of the 2024 season and commanded that role in 2025. Across two seasons in Southern California, the Palolo, HI native has passed for 4,912 yards and 35 touchdowns with just 16 interceptions. In his final season of college football, Maiava and head coach Lincoln Riley are seeking a College Football Playoff appearance for the first time in program history.

“(Maiava) grew up so much during the offseason a year ago,” Riley said. “Just watching him, the player this last year vs. what he was two years ago. It’s almost like watching two completely different people. I just feel like this guy’s got a huge ceiling. I feel like he can make another jump, just like that. He was already one of the best quarterbacks in the country this year. I’m excited for it.”

10. John Mateer (Oklahoma Sooners)

The 2025 season, his first at Oklahoma, was a bit up and down for John Mateer. Mateer opened the season with his hair on fire, leading Oklahoma to a 4-0 record with wins over the likes of Michigan and Auburn. Following the Sooners’ win over Auburn, he was considered one of the early favorites to win the Heisman Trophy. Following his hand injury, however, he struggled upon his return. He failed to pass for more than 250 yards in a game until his final two games of the season, against LSU and No. 9 Alabama (College Football Playoff).

“I’d say like transitioning to playing on Sundays, but doing it on Saturdays,” Mateer told SoonerScoop this offseason. “Hanging out in the pocket, get through my progression, pocket movement better, and just being able to put the ball where I want to, where I need to. See the game with more anticipation and more knowledge pre-snap. There’s a lot, but still being able to make plays and extend plays like I can. Balancing those, trusting my instincts, and making pocket-passing more instinctive. That’s probably every quarterback’s goal.”

HM. Sam Leavitt (LSU Tigers)

The first starting quarterback of the Lane Kiffin era at LSU is expected to be Arizona State transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt. Leavitt was banged up in 2025, but led the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff for the first time ever in 2024. Across two seasons as ASU’s starter, Leavitt totaled 4,513 passing yards and 34 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He was tabbed as the No. 1-ranked player in the Transfer Portal by On3, and is listed here as an honorable mention due to his foot injury.

“Lane Kiffin offenses, historically, are going to be driven by quarterback play, not just in volume, but in the way they can put stress on the opposing defense,” ESPN’s Greg McElroy said. “Sam Leavitt’s mobility and creativity matter because modern defenses are built to kind of suffocate structure. When the quarterback can extend plays and when the entire defensive structure changes because of the quarterback movement, that becomes a lot more difficult to defend.”