One week. That’s all it took for the college football quarterback conversation to explode. The 2025 regular season is almost in the books, and the nation’s top signal-callers have finally separated from the pack — which is exactly why CBS Sports just dropped a dramatically reshuffled Top 25 QB ranking going into the final week. And this is where things get really interesting: there’s a brand-new name sitting at No. 1.
CBS Sports didn’t completely flip the table at the top, but it did make one massive statement by crowning a different quarterback as the best in the country, while several others surged into the 11–25 range thanks to eye-catching Week 13 performances. In other words, late-season form is starting to matter just as much as reputation. Did your favorite QB ride the Week 13 momentum wave, or did he get left behind? Let’s walk through the updated list and what it really means — because some of these placements are going to spark arguments.
- Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt (+7)
Diego Pavia has gone from under the radar to undeniable, delivering his most dominant showing of the year in a 45–17 blowout win over Kentucky. In that game, he completed 33 of 39 passes for a staggering 484 yards, five touchdown throws and just one interception, then added 48 rushing yards and another score on the ground for good measure. That kind of dual-threat stat line is exactly the type of performance that forces voters to rethink their rankings.
With Pavia leading the way, Vanderbilt has climbed to 9–2 and suddenly looks like a legitimate College Football Playoff contender, not just a nice story. The Commodores now head into a massive rivalry trip to Neyland Stadium to face Tennessee, where Pavia will try to keep their playoff hopes alive under some of the brightest lights he has ever played under. But here’s where it gets controversial: should one monster outing this late in the season be enough to vault him all the way to No. 1 over more established names?
- Marcel Reed, Texas A&M (no change)
Marcel Reed’s stock didn’t move this week — but maybe that’s because it’s already sky-high. In Texas A&M’s 48–0 demolition of Samford in Week 14, he tossed three touchdown passes and continued his remarkably steady season. For the year, Reed has piled up 2,752 passing yards with 25 touchdown throws against only eight interceptions, the kind of balanced production coaches dream about.
That latest win pushed the Aggies to a pristine 11–0 record, putting them just one victory away from their first undefeated regular season since 1992. This weekend’s showdown at Texas will determine whether Reed cements his place in program history as the quarterback who finally got A&M over that hump. So here’s the question: if he finishes unbeaten, should he actually be ahead of Pavia in the rankings?
- Drew Mestemaker, North Texas (-1)
North Texas quietly rolled to its fifth straight victory with a 56–24 road win over Rice, boosting its record to an impressive 10–1. If the Mean Green can go on to win the American Conference title, they will be in prime position to represent the Group of Six in the College Football Playoff, which would be a massive achievement for the program. That potential postseason stage would also give their star quarterback even more national attention.
That star, Drew Mestemaker, is currently the No. 1 passer in the country in terms of yardage, with nearly 3,500 passing yards this season. On top of that, he has thrown 26 touchdown passes with just four interceptions, proving he’s not just a volume guy but also an efficient and reliable decision-maker. So how does the nation’s leading passer actually slide down one spot? That’s a ranking that fans of North Texas will almost certainly push back on.
- Gunner Stockton, Georgia (no change)
Gunner Stockton has been quietly brilliant in his first season as Georgia’s full-time QB1, delivering one of the best efficiency profiles in the nation. His QBR sits at 89.5, which ranks third among qualifying quarterbacks in college football, showing just how consistently he’s executing the offense. So far, he has thrown for 2,465 yards, 19 touchdown passes and only four interceptions while guiding Georgia to a 10–1 record.
Since a September loss to Alabama, Stockton has helped the Bulldogs reel off seven straight wins heading into Week 14. Now they’ll face in-state rival Georgia Tech from the ACC, while also scoreboard-watching and hoping for a Texas A&M or Alabama loss to open the door to the SEC Championship Game. Here’s the part most people miss: if Georgia sneaks into the conference title game and wins out, Stockton’s case as a top-three quarterback could look very different.
- Fernando Mendoza, Indiana (no change)
Fernando Mendoza has played his way into serious Heisman Trophy consideration and is widely expected to be in New York next month as a finalist. He has already racked up 30 touchdown passes against only five interceptions, and he’s not just a pocket passer — he’s also added five rushing touchdowns, making him a true dual-threat weapon for Indiana’s offense. Those numbers put him in the thick of any “most valuable player” conversation.
Even more impressive, Mendoza has led the Indiana Hoosiers to an 11–0 record, giving them a chance to complete a perfect regular season. That opportunity comes this Saturday against Purdue, in a rivalry game where emotions always run high and style points sometimes matter as much as the final score. If Mendoza finishes unbeaten with that kind of stat line, should he actually be considered under-ranked at No. 5?
- Haynes King, Georgia Tech (-2)
Haynes King is one of the most dangerous rushing quarterbacks in the country and is closing in on a rare milestone on the ground. He has already rushed for 883 yards and scored 15 touchdowns with his legs this season, making him almost running back–like in the red zone and on designed runs. Through the air, he has thrown for 2,516 yards and 12 additional touchdown passes, with only four interceptions all year.
Despite King’s individual brilliance, Georgia Tech’s season took a hit with a disappointing loss to an unranked Pitt team last week, marking their second defeat of the year. The Yellow Jackets started November as a top-10 team but now find themselves sliding toward the back end of the CFP rankings, which raises an uncomfortable question: can a QB be ranked this highly when his team’s playoff hopes are fading fast?
- Ty Simpson, Alabama (-1)
Alabama responded emphatically to its home loss against Oklahoma by steamrolling Eastern Illinois 56–0, but not everything was perfect in the box score. Ty Simpson finished the game with 147 passing yards but threw two interceptions, a surprising dip in ball security for a quarterback who had been extremely careful all season. When a blowout win coexists with an off day from the QB, it creates a nuanced evaluation.
Before that contest, Simpson had only turned the ball over twice all year, which is why those two picks stand out so much. The expectation inside the program is that he will quickly clean things up heading into the Iron Bowl matchup against Auburn, one of the most pressure-packed environments in college football. Still, this raises a debate-friendly point: should a single sloppy outing matter much if the overall body of work has been rock solid?
- Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss (+1)
Trinidad Chambliss might be the best example of a breakout star on this entire list, arriving at Ole Miss from Ferris State as a relatively unknown name and then exploding into national relevance. After winning the starting job, he hasn’t looked back, emerging as one of the top quarterbacks in the conference and the country. There’s something compelling about a player who goes from “who’s that?” to “how high can he climb?” in one season.
This year, Chambliss has thrown for 2,657 yards with 14 touchdown passes and three interceptions, while also rushing for more than 400 yards and adding six rushing scores. All eyes will be on him in the Egg Bowl on Friday night, but there’s a twist: his performance could end up overshadowed by the storylines surrounding his head coach. And that leads to a controversial angle — are some QBs being underrated in rankings simply because their coaches hog the national spotlight?
- Byrum Brown, South Florida (+2)
Byrum Brown delivered another strong outing as USF rolled UAB 48–18, showcasing both efficiency and explosiveness. He completed 19 of 25 passes (a 76% completion rate) for 353 yards and three touchdowns, continuing to prove he can dissect defenses at a high level. With his current pace, he is closing in on the 3,000-yard passing mark for the season.
Brown has been responsible for 37 total touchdowns this year, reflecting his impact as a dual-threat quarterback who can stress defenses in multiple ways. He’ll look to guide South Florida to its ninth regular-season win when they face Rice on Saturday, even though the Bulls’ playoff hopes ended after their third loss back in Week 12. That raises a tough but fascinating question: how much should team playoff status influence an individual QB’s place in a national ranking?
- Joe Fagnano, UConn (+2)
Drew Mestemaker may lead the nation in passing yards, but Joe Fagnano is not far behind and is closing the gap with eye-popping production of his own. He sits third nationally with 3,441 passing yards, along with 28 touchdown passes and just one interception the entire season — a level of ball security that is borderline elite. When a quarterback combines that volume with that kind of mistake-free play, it’s hard to keep him out of the top 10.
Fagnano is also in his seventh year of college football, and over that time he has surpassed the 10,000-yard mark for his career, giving him a résumé full of experience and longevity. UConn wrapped up its regular season at 9–3 after a thrilling 48–45 win over FAU, led on the other side by Caden Veltkamp, the nation’s No. 2 passer by yardage. Here’s the twist: with that kind of career and current-season stat line, should Fagnano be closer to the top five than the bottom of the top 10?
11–25: The rest of the reshuffled field
From here, the list features a mix of established names, rising stars, and players whose teams’ trajectories might be affecting their perceived value more than their individual tape. The movement in this range shows just how tight the competition is once you step outside the true Heisman-level group.
Here’s how CBS Sports currently stacks the rest of its Top 25 after Week 13:
- Dante Moore, Oregon (+4)
- Noah Fifita, Arizona (-5)
- Devon Dampier, Utah (+30)
- Jayden Maiava, USC (no change)
- Demond Williams Jr., Washington (+5)
- Bear Bachmeier, BYU (no change)
- CJ Carr, Notre Dame (-1)
- Carson Beck, Miami (+18)
- Arch Manning, Texas (+9)
- Mason Heintschel, Pitt (+19)
- Jake Retzlaff, Tulane (no change)
- Behren Morton, Texas Tech (no change)
- Kevin Jennings, SMU (+6)
- Chandler Morris, Virginia (-1)
- Darian Mensah, Duke (-1)
Some of these jumps — like Devon Dampier rocketing up 30 spots or Mason Heintschel leaping 19 places — suggest that late-season surges and marquee performances can completely rewrite a quarterback’s national reputation in just a few weeks. Others, such as Noah Fifita’s slide or the modest movement for players like CJ Carr and Bear Bachmeier, show how thin the margin is between “rising” and “holding steady.” And this is the part most people miss: often, these rankings are as much about narrative and timing as they are about pure stats.
So now the spotlight turns to you: which of these rankings feels spot-on, and which ones feel like blatant disrespect? Does Diego Pavia truly deserve to be No. 1 over undefeated leaders like Marcel Reed or Fernando Mendoza, or is this a classic case of recency bias after one explosive performance? Drop your agreement, outrage, or hot takes in the comments — which QB is the most overrated on this list, and who is the one name you’re sure has been snubbed?
