Report Card Grades for College Football's Top QBs after Week 2

Every Tuesday morning throughout the 2026 college football season, we will be grading the performance of the top 20 quarterbacks in the nation, then re-ranking a new top 20 for next week's report card assignment.

Included are each player's production through the air and on the ground, their game outcome, and the quality of their opponent. A 1-5 star system was used to highlight the quality of the opponent, using the most recent version of The Athletic's ranking of all 138 FBS teams, with stars awarded as follows:

5 stars: No. 1-10 in the rankings 4 stars: No. 11-40 in the rankings 3 stars: No. 41-70 in the rankings 2 stars: No. 71-100 in the rankings 1 star: No. 101-138 in the rankings or an FCS opponent

Each quarterback's performance was given a grade of A, B, C, D or F. Those grades were factored into the reordering of the rankings for the following week.

Week 2 Passing Stats: 14-of-16, 337 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: 3 carries, 5 yards Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★ (UC Davis) Week 2 Outcome: Win (56-10)

After a shaky Week 1 performance against Florida State, where he threw two interceptions and struggled to find a rhythm early, Kevin Jennings was nearly perfect against an overmatched UC Davis squad on Saturday.

With eight touchdown passes already this year, he now sits just 10 away from passing Tanner Mordecai to become SMU's all-time leader. The more immediate focus will be surviving a tough Week 3 matchup on the road against a good Louisville team.

Week 2 Passing Stats: 18-of-29, 212 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: 7 carries, 13 yards Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (UCF) Week 2 Outcome: Win (12-7)

Mason Heintschel earned a spot in our Week 2 article with an absurd 453-yard, seven-touchdown game against Miami (OH) in Pitt's opener. While he had a much quieter follow-up performance, Pitt still won against a quality opponent.

After throwing for 2,354 yards and 16 touchdowns as a true freshman in 2025, Heintschel has some legitimate upside. There is a good chance this won't be his only appearance in our top 20 rankings over the course of the 2026 season.

Week 2 Passing Stats: 19-of-29, 292 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: 2 carries, 8 yards Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★★ (Kansas) Week 2 Outcome: Win (38-21)

After losing his starting job to Trinidad Chambliss at Ole Miss last season, Austin Simmons has landed on his feet nicely at Missouri, and through two games, he has 544 passing yards and seven touchdowns.

His 218.3 passer rating currently trails only Gunner Stockton (284.5) among SEC quarterbacks, which notably puts him ahead of the aforementioned Chambliss (170.4), who sits sixth on the list. It's still early days, but the change of scenery looks like a great fit.

Week 2 Passing Stats: 21-of-27, 268 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: 5 carries, 11 yards Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★★ (Temple) Week 2 Outcome: Win (27-9)

After starting the game with a missed field goal, punt, turnover on downs and a 10-play drive that ended in a field goal, the Penn State offense finally came to life late in the second quarter.

Rocco Becht had another strong individual performance piloting a familiar offense in an unfamiliar uniform in his second game after following head coach Matt Campbell from Iowa State to Penn State. Chalk up the slow start on Saturday to a unique environment, as it was a neutral-site game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Week 2 Passing Stats: 9-of-12, 120 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: 1 carry, 6 yards Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Southern) Week 2 Outcome: Win (77-6)

Houston found the end zone in each of their 11 offensive possessions before their final drive brought the 77-6 blowout to a merciful end. Conner Weigman was only under center for the first five drives of the onslaught.

The dynamic dual-threat ability that saw him rack up 2,705 passing yards, 700 rushing yards and 36 total touchdowns a year ago will need to be firing on all cylinders next weekend when they head to Lubbock to take on No. 13 Texas Tech.

Week 2 Passing Stats: 26-of-41, 249 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: 11 carries, 56 yards Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Utah State) Week 2 Outcome: Win (16-14)

Despite a 2-0 start, Washington tumbled out of the AP Top 25 this week following a narrow escape against a Utah State team that checked in at No. 137 on The Athletic's ranking of all 138 FBS teams heading into Week 2.

It was also a second straight lackluster showing from Demond Williams Jr., coming off an inconsistent performance in the Apple Cup in Week 1. He will look to turn the tide against FCS opponent Eastern Washington on Saturday.

Week 2 Passing Stats: 15-of-25, 163 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: 7 carries, 17 yards Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★★★ (Arizona State) Week 2 Outcome: Win (48-20)

It took 24 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of defensive touchdowns, for Texas A&M to pull away from Arizona State in a game that was much closer than the final score suggests.

Marcel Reed is averaging just 7.2 yards per attempt through two games this season, down from 8.4 a year ago. This is despite the dynamic one-two punch of Mario Craver and Isaiah Horton at wide receiver.

Week 2 Passing Stats: 23-of-31, 230 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: 11 carries, 38 yards, 1 TD Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★★ (BYU) Week 2 Outcome: Loss (17-28)

Noah Fifita is now 0-3 in his career against BYU following Saturday's loss. The Arizona offense could only muster three punts and a turnover on downs in the second half after taking a 17-14 lead into halftime.

Fifita's first-quarter interception also came at Arizona's own 23-yard line and gave the Cougars terrific field position that was cashed in two plays later for their first touchdown of the game.

Week 2 Passing Stats: 17-of-33, 189 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: 13 carries, 45 yards Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★ (Michigan) Week 2 Outcome: Loss (10-17)

After cruising against UTEP in Week 1, John Mateer failed to come up with the big play when Oklahoma needed it in a Week 2 loss to Michigan that sent them tumbling down the AP Top 25.

An Oklahoma field goal early in the fourth quarter made it a 10-10 game. The defense forced an immediate three-and-out, but Mateer handed the momentum right back with a crucial interception. The Wolverines capitalized with the go-ahead touchdown. Oklahoma managed just 25 total yards across 13 plays in their final three offensive possessions.

Week 2 Passing Stats: 6-of-11, 145 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: 6 carries, 18 yards Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Howard) Week 2 Outcome: Win (55-0)

Josh Hoover needed just 11 pass attempts to record his second straight four-touchdown game. Three of those went to Charlie Becker, who has now hauled in five of Hoover's eight touchdown passes this year.

He also surpassed 10,000 career passing yards on Saturday, becoming the 166th quarterback in college football history to eclipse that mark. His 10,005 passing yards lead all active passers, ahead of Rocco Becht (9,813) and Noah Fifita (9,692).

Week 2 Passing Stats: 13-of-16, 234 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: 1 carry, 3 yards Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Western Kentucky) Week 2 Outcome: Win (70-20)

Through two abridged games this season, Gunner Stockton has more touchdown passes (8) than incompletions (4), as he has completed 28 of 32 pass attempts for 436 yards in blowout wins against Tennessee State and Western Kentucky.

There is not much to be learned from those performances, aside from the simple fact that Georgia was the far superior team, but things ramp up quickly in the coming weeks as SEC play gets underway. The Bulldogs face Arkansas on the road this weekend, followed by a home game against a tough Oklahoma defense.

Week 2 Passing Stats: 18-of-24, 261 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: 11 carries, 50 yards, 2 TD Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★★ (Arkansas) Week 2 Outcome: Win (43-10)

Devon Dampier's dual-threat skills were on full display in a convincing Saturday night win against Arkansas, as he logged 311 total yards and four touchdowns, continuing to make it clear that the nagging injuries that hampered him a year ago are in the rearview.

His lone interception came on an underthrown pass. He was hit right as he released the ball, so it was more about pressure than poor decision-making. Dampier also responded with four straight touchdown drives following the turnover, effectively putting the game out of reach.

Week 2 Passing Stats: 16-of-20, 253 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: N/A Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Rice) Week 2 Outcome: Win (52-0)

As he continues to take on a more prominent role in the offense this season, CJ Carr drew the praise of head coach Marcus Freeman after dismantling the Rice defense in a nearly flawless performance.

"His decisions are impeccable," Freeman told reporters . "Last week he made the right decision 99% of the time. This week it felt like he was making the right decision, and getting us in the right protections, the right checks, all those different things that he does."

Week 2 Passing Stats: 23-of-37, 195 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: 8 carries, 24 yards Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★★ (Ohio State) Week 2 Outcome: Win (24-23)

The raw numbers might not jump off the page, but consider where we were a year ago, following the Ohio State vs. Texas matchup.

Arch Manning finished 17-of-30 passing for 170 yards with a touchdown and an interception in that game. The Longhorns took a 14-7 loss in the season opener as part of a disappointing 3-2 start to the year.

A touchdown pass to Ryan Wingo early in the fourth quarter kicked off a stunning comeback from down 23-3. Manning orchestrated a 12-play, 73-yard drive in under four minutes to set up the game-winning touchdown run by Hollywood Smothers.

Week 2 Passing Stats: 25-of-38, 344 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: 11 carries, 22 yards, 3 TD Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Louisiana Tech) Week 2 Outcome: Win (45-14)

On the one hand, 366 total yards of offense and four touchdowns are a significant level of contribution that led to LSU ultimately walking away with a comfortable 45-14 victory.

However, it's difficult to ignore those three interceptions against what was perceived to be a far inferior opponent, given the staggering 35.5-point spread. All three certainly looked like Leavitt's fault, as two came in the end zone and one led to a 100-yard return for a touchdown. Those mistakes won't be as easy to sweep under the rug once SEC play is in full swing.

Week 2 Passing Stats: 14-of-29, 191 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: 6 carries, -9 yards Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Oklahoma State) Week 2 Outcome: Loss (31-39)

Facing an Oklahoma State team that lost to Tulsa in Week 1, the Ducks offense went punt, punt, turnover on downs, punt and punt to begin the game, digging a 17-7 hole in the process.

After finding some rhythm after the slow start, Dante Moore hit a wall again in clutch time, as he had two possessions to try to flip a one-possession game and the offense logged negative four yards across seven plays. The final stat line doesn't look as disastrous for Moore's overall performance. Oregon's College Football Playoff hopes took a major blow after the result.

Week 2 Passing Stats: 23-of-26, 225 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: 3 carries, 2 yards Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Charlotte) Week 2 Outcome: Win (41-9)

Considering he played into the fourth quarter against a Charlotte team that was No. 138 in The Athletic's 1-138 rankings, Trinidad Chambliss ideally would have put up a gaudier individual stat line.

That said, the result here was never in doubt as Ole Miss built a 27-0 halftime lead before switching to cruise control. It's hard to argue with a 23-of-26 passing performance even if it didn't lead to dizzying yardage or touchdown totals.

Week 2 Passing Stats: 19-of-29, 261 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: N/A Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Louisiana) Week 2 Outcome: Win (49-30)

The overall numbers are a bit deceiving right now, since Jayden Maiava and USC have played one more game than most teams because of their Week 0 matchup, but the stat line is staggering nonetheless.

Through three games: 67-of-83, 896 yards, 10 TD, 1 INT

His interception came on the first drive of the game after the pocket collapsed. It was an ill-advised throw, but he responded with touchdown passes on each of the Trojans' next three drives.

Week 2 Passing Stats: 17-of-32, 278 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: 4 carries, -7 yards Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★★★★★ (Texas) Week 2 Outcome: Loss (23-24)

After leading the nation by completing 77 percent of his passes a year ago, then connecting on 21-of-25 attempts in the season opener against Ball State, a certain level of efficiency has become Julian Sayin's calling card.

His 53.1 percent completion rate on Saturday was the worst single-game showing of his career as a starter. While his interception was a non-factor coming on a last-second heave at the end of regulation, a pair of three-and-outs and a stalled drive that ended in a missed field goal down the stretch opened the door for the Texas comeback.

Week 2 Passing Stats: 14-of-15, 252 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT Week 2 Rushing Stats: 2 carries, 21 yards Week 2 Quality of Opponent: ★ (Florida A&M) Week 2 Outcome: Win (77-7)

Darian Mensah only played the first half of Friday night's lopsided win against Florida A&M, but that was more than enough for him to add some nice padding to his early Heisman resume.

Malachi Toney (4 catches, 96 yards, 1 TD) again served as his go-to target while padding his own award case. The Miami offense went on to pile up a school-record 856 total yards in a blowout win. A road game against Wake Forest next weekend will provide the Hurricanes' first real test.

To keep things fresh and include breakout performers, we will re-rank the top 20 quarterbacks each week on this final slide. That will then reset the field for next week's report cards.

With only two games in the books for most of these players, preseason expectations still serve as the backbone of these rankings, though a few new names joined the mix while others fell out due to a lackluster start to the new season.

1. Darian Mensah, Miami 2. Jayden Maiava, USC 3. Arch Manning, Texas 4. Devon Dampier, Utah 5. Gunner Stockton, Georgia 6. Josh Hoover, Indiana 7. CJ Carr, Notre Dame 8. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss 9. Julian Sayin, Ohio State 10. Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State 11. Austin Simmons, Missouri 12. Rocco Becht, Penn State 13. Lincoln Kienholz, Louisville 14. Kevin Jennings, SMU 15. Conner Weigman, Houston 16. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M 17. Dante Moore, Oregon 18. Sam Leavitt, LSU 19. Bear Bachmeier, BYU 20. Anthony Colandrea, Nebraska