Iowa State is staring at a 2026 schedule loaded with quarterback talent, and not all of it comes with the same level of polish. Some of the Cyclones’ opponents will bring proven playmakers.
Others will roll out passers who are still trying to prove they belong. That mix makes for a tricky ranking, especially with several quarterbacks carrying very different resumes into the season.
At the very bottom sits SEMO’s Weber. He put together a solid 2025 season at the FCS level, but that production comes with a major asterisk when the jump to FBS football is on the table. He’s a decent player, but the lower-level success simply doesn’t stack up against the rest of this group.
The next two spots are occupied by quarterbacks Iowa State is likely to see in a game that should still draw plenty of attention. Iowa’s Hecklinski barely played last season and came out of high school as only a three-star recruit.
He has reportedly done solid work in spring practice, but there’s no hiding the fact that he could be a limiting factor for the Hawkeyes. Right behind him is Novosad, who looks a lot like Hecklinski in terms of experience.
The difference is the recruiting profile: Novosad was a four-star coming out of high school and carried more buzz.
There’s a noticeable drop from those three to the next tier. Hawkins Jr. got real snaps for Oklahoma and flashed enough to matter, even if he eventually lost the job.
West Virginia is betting on that Power 4 experience translating. French IV, meanwhile, has been a steady force at Georgia Southern and really stood out in the Sun Belt last season.
Cincinnati feels like a natural step for him, and one that should let him settle in as a solid Big 12 quarterback.
Barnett III comes in next after guiding James Madison to the College Football Playoff. That kind of season earns attention, and now he’s taking what looks like a manageable step to UCF. He may not be among the conference’s elite, but he’s absolutely the kind of quarterback a team can win with.
Johnson is a tougher call. He’s carried hype through every stage of his college career, yet the production hasn’t always matched the expectations.
Even so, he brings plenty of Power 4 experience and knows the program well enough at this point. That gives him an edge over proven Group of 5 quarterbacks making the jump up.
Lagway lands squarely in the middle of the pack because his profile is so hard to pin down. If you’re focused on high school ranking and name recognition, he belongs much higher.
If you’re judging by college results, the turnovers in big games are a real concern. Baylor is his next stop, and the range of outcomes is huge.
He could become a Heisman contender or flame out completely.
From there, the list starts to tilt toward quarterbacks with more dependable production. Dampier brings a dual-threat game that opens up a lot of ways to attack defenses, and he doesn’t need a perfect system to be effective.
The challenge is that he’ll be working under a new head coach next season. Bachmeier is cut from a similar cloth, with a strong freshman season at BYU that helped push the Cougars into the conference championship game.
He’s got a decent supporting cast, especially on the ground, but the lack of elite receivers puts a cap on how far he can go.
Fifita has been one of the steadiest names on this list. Over the last few years, he’s shown enough consistency at Arizona to make it hard to doubt him now. He’s more experienced, and the roster around him looks good enough to help him take another step.
And at the top, there’s no debate: Mestemaker is the clear No. 1.
He proved plenty as a freshman and returns with familiar weapons around him, which only raises the ceiling. He could be in Heisman Trophy conversations, and for Iowa State, slowing him down will be a major challenge.
In Other News...
True Freshman Just Crashed BYUs Most Important Receiver Battle
BYUs wide receiver room is wide open heading into fall camp, and that has created a real path for true freshman Legend Glasker to matter right away. The early enrollee turned heads in spring practice, and offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick has already signaled that Glasker is expected to contribute this season after a receiver group lost several key pieces from last year.
Glasker is at least in line to back up on the two-deep, but the more interesting part is how quickly he has moved from newcomer to legitimate contender. He spent much of spring working with the second team before earning more first-team looks as camp went on, and with BYU still sorting out who can handle the physical demands of the Big 12, his development over the next few weeks could determine whether he stays a useful depth option or pushes all the way into the starting conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Former BYU Star Fred Warner Just Earned Massive NFL Respect
Fred Warners standing around the NFL keeps getting louder, and for BYU fans it is another reminder of how far the former Cougar has carried his game in San Francisco. The Associated Press put together a ranking of the leagues top off-ball linebackers entering the 2026 season, and Warner landed at the top of the list ahead of a strong group that included Detroits Jack Campbell and Philadelphias Zack Baun.
The recognition fits the broader arc of Warners career, which has already included multiple first-team All-Pro selections and a reputation as one of the most complete defenders in football. Even with the conversation around the position getting deeper, Warner continues to separate himself in the eyes of evaluators, and the only real question now is how long he can keep that standard going. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Is Betting Big On One Of Its Riskiest Position Groups
BYUs receiver room is one of the bigger unknowns hanging over the upcoming season, and it is easy to see why. The Cougars are trying to piece together a pass-catching group with returning players, transfers and a freshman class that still has to prove it can handle the jump, all while adjusting to the loss of the most established targets from last year. Kalani Sitake has sounded cautious but encouraged about where things stand, which is about as much certainty as a staff can reasonably offer at this point.
The challenge now is turning that optimism into production before the season starts to ask real questions. BYU is counting on a mix of newcomers and holdovers to settle into roles quickly, and there is still time for more help to emerge from the young group or from other additions. For a team trying to build around an inexperienced position room, the margin for error is slim, and the next few weeks will tell a lot about how much faith the Cougars can really place in that part of the roster. [Read more 🡒]