Ranking Every Big 12 Starting Quarterback Ahead of the 2026 College Football Season

By Simon Carroll

The 2026 football season will see The Touchdown feature columns for each of the four Power Conferences in College Football. Following on from Rory-Joe Daniels’ opening quarterback rankings article for the ACC, I bring you my own pecking order of signal callers from the Big 12…

With coach departures and arrivals the catalyst for unprecedented levels of transfer portal activity across the conference, the Big 12 becomes an exciting blend of veteran starters and unknown commodities. Known as the conference that doesn’t do defense, each program will be hoping they have the gunslinger in their backfield to help lead them to glory on the gridiron. Let’s get to it!

1. Noah Fifita, Arizona

This may surprise some but for myself there really isn’t anywhere else to begin at the top of this list. Noah Fifita enters 2026 as one of the most experienced and productive quarterbacks in the Big 12, having started all 13 games for Arizona in 2025 and thrown for 3,228 yards and 29 touchdowns against just six interceptions. He also helped the Wildcats jump from four wins in 2024 to nine last season, establishing himself as the conference’s premier returning quarterback and making a mockery of the notion that his head coach was on the hotseat last year.

Fifita has now thrown 73 touchdown passes during his Arizona career and enters his final collegiate season named to the media’s Preseason All-Big 12 team. With another year of development, a loaded supporting cast and a Heisman campaign already underway in Tucson, the expectation is that Fifita could make 2026 the best season of his college career.

2. Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State

Drew Mestemaker might be the most fascinating quarterback on this entire list. The Oklahoma State transfer was a revelation for North Texas in 2025, throwing for a staggering 4,379 yards and 34 touchdowns in 14 games while leading the Mean Green to their first 12-win season. He broke school records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, total offense and total touchdowns, while earning First Team All-AAC honours and the Burlsworth Trophy.

Now reunited with head coach Eric Morris in Stillwater, Mestemaker has the opportunity to take those numbers into the Power Four and prove that his 2025 explosion was no fluke. The sophomore is a traditional pocket passer and offers little upside with his legs, but that hasn’t stopped him jumping to the top of way too early draft boards. Oklahoma State desperately needs a turnaround, and its new quarterback (along with his wide receiver, running back and half the population of Denton, TX) gives it a genuine chance of one.

3. Conner Weigman, Houston

I’m a full convert when it comes to Conner Weigman.

The former Texas A&M five-star recruit finally got the opportunity to put together the full season that his talent had always suggested was possible in 2025, and he took full advantage of it. The Houston quarterback started all 13 games and threw for 2,705 yards and 25 touchdowns, adding 700 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns to account for 36 total scores. More importantly, he stayed healthy for almost the entire campaign and helped lead the Cougars to 10 wins. Did we all write him off too early in College Station?

Weigman’s ability as a runner makes him particularly difficult to defend, while his arm gives Houston a legitimate downfield threat. After spending much of his early career battling injuries, Weigman now enters 2026 with an entire season of production behind him and a much better understanding of what he can do when he’s on the field consistently. I expect him to ball out, and he better; another five-star, freshman Keisean Henderson, will be on the sidelines ready to step in if needed.

4. Bear Bachmeier, BYU

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Bear Bachmeier arrived at BYU amidst a catastrophe in Provo, with established quarterback Jake Retzlaff banished from the Cougars program for violating the LDS school’s Honor Code. The young QB transferred in from a short stint at Stanford with zero expectations, but by the end of 2025 there was absolutely no doubt that he belonged at the Power Four level.

The freshman started all 14 games and threw for 3,033 yards, completing 64.9% of his passes while adding 15 touchdown passes and 527 rushing yards with another 11 scores on the ground. That dual-threat ability became one of the defining characteristics of BYU’s offense as the Cougars put together a 12-win season.

Bachmeier was rewarded with Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honours, and there is obvious room for improvement — particularly as a deep passer — heading into his second season. If he can take that next step as a passer while retaining his effectiveness as a runner, Bachmeier has the tools to climb this list quickly.

5. Devon Dampier, Utah

Devon Dampier’s first season at Utah showed exactly why the Utes were so keen to bring him in from New Mexico. In 12 games, Dampier threw for 2,490 yards and 24 touchdowns while throwing just five interceptions, giving him one of the best touchdown-to-interception ratios among the quarterbacks on this list. As expected, he was even more dangerous with his legs, adding 835 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. His 3,325 total yards and 34 total touchdowns made him one of the Big 12’s most productive dual-threat quarterbacks, while his 84.4 QBR ranked seventh nationally.

The Kyle Whittingham era in Salt Lake City is over, but with OC Morgan Scalley getting promoted there should really be little if any reason for concern for Dampier in his second season with the Utes. He has already demonstrated that he can produce at a high level in a Power Four offense, and with another year in Utah’s system, expect those numbers to improve.

6. DJ Lagway, Baylor

DJ Lagway’s 2025 season at Florida wasn’t exactly the breakout campaign many expected from one of the nation’s most highly regarded quarterback recruits, but there is plenty of context behind those numbers — and that’s why he’s still sitting comfortably inside the top six here. Lagway threw for 2,264 yards and 16 touchdowns in 12 starts, although his 14 interceptions were a clear blemish on his sophomore campaign and the biggest factor behind new Gators head coach Jon Sumrall’s decision to start afresh at the position.

Injury also played a part in Lagway’s struggles in Gainesville, and it was clear a move elsewhere was best for everyone. Now at Baylor, Lagway is the undisputed QB1 and has an opportunity to work with a program that believes in him. If the former five-star recruit can cut down the mistakes while rediscovering his explosive arm talent, he has perhaps the highest ceiling of anyone on this list. Dave Aranda certainly hopes so; the Bears’ seventh-year head coach sits on one of the hottest seats in the country in Waco right now.

7. Jaylen Raynor, Iowa State

I’ve thrown in a bit of a curveball here, considering outside opinions of the Cyclones and their forecast for this coming season. But with all of the comings and goings in the wake of Matt Campbell’s move to Penn State, if there’s one position the fans in Ames don’t have to worry about, it might be quarterback.

Jaylen Raynor brings something Iowa State desperately needs heading into 2026: proven quarterback production. The Arkansas State transfer finished 2025 with 3,361 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while adding 423 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Those numbers formed part of a much larger body of work, with Raynor having already thrown for more than 8,600 yards and 52 touchdowns during his college career. His 2025 interception total will need to improve, but there is no questioning his experience or ability to make plays both through the air and on the ground.

With a new coaching staff and a significant amount of roster turnover around him, Raynor’s experience could prove invaluable as the ‘Clones look to rebuild under Jimmy Rogers. This kid can SLING IT.

8. Avery Johnson, Kansas State

Avery Johnson heads into 2026 as one of the Big 12’s most experienced returning quarterbacks and, crucially, one with plenty of upside still left to realise. He threw for 2,385 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2025 while throwing only six interceptions, and his mobility remained a major part of the Kansas State offense as he added 477 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. That gave him 26 total touchdowns despite playing in an offense that didn’t always make life easy for him.

Johnson has already shown flashes of the explosive playmaker he was projected to become when he arrived in Manhattan, and another year as the undisputed starter should allow him to put everything together. Adding further intrigue is his new head coach, with Collin Klein returning to Manhattan with a reputation as a QB whisperer. Questions surrounding consistency mean Johnson might not quite be at the level of the quarterbacks above him, but the tools are certainly there.

9. Jaden Craig, TCU

Jaden Craig is the wild card in this year’s Big 12 quarterback rankings. Craig’s 2025 season came at Harvard, but it was an outstanding one nonetheless. He threw for 2,869 yards and a school-record 25 touchdowns while throwing just seven interceptions, earning unanimous First Team All-Ivy honours in the process.

More impressively, his 2025 campaign pushed him past 6,000 career passing yards and 52 touchdown passes, making him Harvard’s all-time leader in both categories. The obvious question is how that production translates from the Ivy League to the Big 12, but TCU clearly believes Craig has the intelligence, accuracy and arm talent to make the jump. Working with new OC Gordon Sammis, Craig will operate an offense predicated on protecting the football, something he did well in a Crimson uniform. If things click in Fort Worth, ninth could look very conservative by November.

10. Alonza Barnett, UCF

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Alonza Barnett III rounds out the top ten after producing one of the most complete quarterback seasons in the country in 2025. The former James Madison star threw for 2,806 yards and 23 touchdowns while adding another 589 yards and a remarkable 15 rushing touchdowns on the ground. That gave him 38 total touchdowns as he led the Dukes to a Sun Belt championship and a College Football Playoff appearance, earning Sun Belt Player of the Year honours along the way.

Barnett was particularly impressive when the stakes were highest, finishing the season with 273 passing yards and two touchdowns against Oregon in the CFP. His transition from the Sun Belt to the Big 12 will be the key question, and injury has limited his integration into the playbook through Spring and Fall practices in Orlando. But there is little doubt about the production, athleticism and big-game experience he brings to UCF.

And the rest...

11. Will Hammond (Texas Tech) – Disappointment rages in Lubbock following the Brendan Sorsby saga. Hammond has plenty of Big 12 experience, but does he have the upside the Red Raiders need for back to back conference titles?

12. Cutter Boley (Arizona State) – The chosen one to replace Sam Leavitt in Tempe. Boley showed plenty of upside as a redshirt freshman in Kentucky – if Kenny Dillingham can help reduce the turnovers, this ranking could look very foolish come the end of the year.

13. Michael Hawkins (West Virginia) – Hawkins showed flashes of what he’s capable of with Oklahoma, but the body of work isn’t there to put him any higher – even if Rich Rod knows offense like no other coach in college football.

14. JC French (Cincinnati) – The Bearcats raided Georgia Southern for the heir apparent to Brendan Sorsby. The dual threat QB delivered two years of BIG production with the Eagles, but fans at Nippert Stadium should expect some serious regression in the win column in 2026.

15. Julian Lewis (Colorado) – How much of this is quarterback and how much is situation? Lewis failed to win the job last year as a freshman as the Buffaloes cratered, but the talent is undeniable; can the once-dynamic high school QB get Coach Prime and Colorado back in the national conversation?

16. Cole Ballard/Isaiah Marshall (Kansas) – the only program on this list without any indication of who will start under center come Week 1. There is very little evidence to allow me to rank the Jayhawks any higher in these rankings, choosing between two unknown commodities in Ballard and Marshall. The return of Andy Kotelnicki to help run the offense in Lawrence should alleviate some concerns – sometimes making a big splash in the portal isn’t the answer. 

Mock Draft

SIMON CARROLL

Lead Writer, Head of Content

PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST, a college football writer for dazn AND COVERS THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS FOR SB NATION.

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