Ranking the top quarterbacks in the 2025 CFP field

The most well-known players in college football are the quarterbacks. After all, they do touch the football on every play and are the most heavily scrutinized person on the team outside of the head coach.

Having an elite quarterback can be the driving force behind a national title game run as we saw last season with Notre Dame Fighting Irish's Riley Leonard. Despite not being the most refined passer, Leonard carried his team through the playoff with will power and a physical rushing attack. But in the end, Notre Dame was met by Will Howard and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Howard threw for 231 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the game, including a perfectly thrown deep pass to put the game away late in the fourth quarter.

While it's still true that elite defenses win championships, an underperforming quarterback can drag a team down with them at the same time. On the flip side, an outstanding quarterback can single-handedly lift a team and lead them on a run, a la Leonard last season.

The 2025 College Football Playoff field is full of elite quarterback play, with a number of players receiving all-conference or player of the year honors. In preparation for the playoff, we broke down all 12 of the CFP teams' quarterbacks, ranking them from 12-1.

12. Jake Retzlaff, Tulane Green Wave

Season Stats: 222-for-356, 2,862 yards, 14 TDs, 6 INTs / / 118 rushes, 610 yards, 16 TDs

The former BYU starter, Jake Retzlaff hasn't been overly impressive this season and wouldn't strike real fear in any of the defenses in the CFP. He needs to be accounted for on the ground, but he isn't a consistently accurate passer, putting him at No. 12 on this list.

11. Alonza Barnett III, James Madison Dukes

Season Stats: 193-for-322, 2,533 yards, 21 TDs, 8 INTs / / 115 rushes, 544 yards, 14 TDs

Alonza Barnett III is in a similar boat as Retzlaff, as largely a hot-and-cold passer but a quarterback who impacts the game with his legs as well. When Barnett does throw the ball, it looks pretty — but there's no telling where the strong-armed passers throws are going to go oftentimes. He was more than good enough to take home the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year award, but falls below every Power Four conference starter in the CFP field.

10. John Mateer, Oklahoma Sooners

Season Stats: 221-for-356, 2,578 yards, 12 TDs, 10 INTs / / 130 rushes, 416 yards, 7 TDs

Departing from Washington State as one of the most coveted quarterbacks in the transfer portal, John Mateer hasn't quite had the season expected of him at Oklahoma. Yes, they're in the playoff, but it's mostly due to their dominant defense more so than Mateer's 19 total touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Like Barnett and Retzlaff, Mateer isn't overly accurate with the football and struggled to get it going in numerous games this season — something that could be a death knell for the Sooners against the top competition in the CFP.

9. Carson Beck, Miami Hurricanes

Season Stats: 263-for-352, 3,072 yards, 25 TDs, 10 INTs

Once considered a potential No. 1 pick during his time at Georgia, Carson Beck resurrected his career in a sense after essentially being pushed out of the Bulldogs' program after last season. He's restored some of his draft stock after a solid season in which his accuracy were on display. He still has a propensity for turnovers, as he's thrown 30 interceptions in his career and has had his struggles in the clutch, but Miami certainly wouldn't be here without Beck's overall play this season.

8. Behren Morton, Texas Tech Red Raiders

Season Stats: 201-for-300, 2,643 yards, 22 TDs, 4 INTs

There isn't one trait in particular that Behren Morton especially excels at, but he's a steady passer that can distribute the ball to a talented group of playmakers. As a fifth-year senior having spent all five seasons at Texas Tech, his leadership surely has something to do with the Red Raiders' success offensively. Though not possessing as much raw talent as Beck, Morton's ability to take care of the football puts him above the Hurricanes' signal-caller.

7. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss Rebels

Season Stats: 218-for-333, 3,016 yards, 18 TDs, 3 INTs / / 118 rushes, 470 yards, 6 TDs

Beginning the season as the backup after transferring to Ole Miss from Division-II Ferris State, Trinidad Chambliss showed quickly that he could play once starter Austin Simmons was injured early in the season. Chambliss never gave the job back, emerging as an above-average starter in the SEC as he's made plays with both his arm and legs. It's a shame that this is Chambliss' final year of eligibility, as he's a fun watch. The Rebels wouldn't be in this position without him.

6. Gunner Stockton, Georgia Bulldogs

Season Stats: 251-for-355, 2,691 yards, 23 TDs, 5 INTs / / 116 rushes, 442 yards, 8 TDs

Gunner Stockton is far from the most refined passer of the football among these quarterbacks, but he simply gets the job done. Stockton had to wait his turn in terms of starting, earning the nod after Beck's departure. All he's done is lead the Bulldogs to wins and make winning plays along the way. Talent aside, being a winner has to mean something — and it makes Stockton a top-half quarterback in the CFP field.

5. Ty Simpson, Alabama Crimson Tide

Season Stats: 275-for-428, 3,268 yards, 26 TDs, 5 INTs

Speaking of passers of the football, Ty Simpson is amongst the best in college football. With a lacking rushing attack, the pressure has been immense on Simpson to create a majority of offense for the Crimson Tide this season. Though he slipped a bit at the end of the regular-season and simply wasn't good enough in the SEC title game, two weeks of preparation should do Simpson well as he faces a stout Oklahoma defensive unit.

4. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M Aggies

Season Stats: 209-for-338, 2,932 yards, 25 TDs, 10 INTs / / 89 rushes, 466 yards, 6 TDs

Marcel Reed is as dynamic as it gets, as he has the ability to tuck it and run, using his long strides and speed to burst into the open field. But he doesn't use that skill as much as other quarterbacks in part because he's confident with his arm. He'll need to limit the interceptions in the CFP, but Reed has improved greatly through the air this season and enters as one of the more underrated pure passers in the field.

3. Julian Sayin, Ohio State Buckeyes

Season Stats: 279-for-356, 3,323 yards, 31 TDs, 6 INTs

With so many offensive weapons at his disposal, it can be difficult to quantify how good Julian Sayin truly is. But setting what would be the completion percentage record of 78.4% can't be ignored as well as the 31 touchdowns that he tossed while not playing a number of fourth quarters. It was also the sophomore's first season as the starter for the Buckeyes and he exceeded expectations, certainly proving himself good enough to lead Ohio State to back-to-back championships.

2. Dante Moore, Oregon Ducks

Season Stats: 227-for-313, 2,733 yards, 24 TDs, 6 INTs

While Sayin has the better counting stats, Dante Moore edges him out for the No. 2 spot thanks to his clear advantage in raw talent. Moore has the arm strength to make any throw on the field while making sound decisions with the football. Regardless of the slew of injuries at the receiver position, Moore has produced at a high level in 2025. His rebound from a frazzled true freshman at UCLA to a refined redshirt sophomore with the Oregon Ducks and a potential top pick in the NFL Draft once he declares is one of the best turnarounds in college football in recent memory.

1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Hoosiers

Season Stats: 226-for-316, 2,980 yards, 33 TDs, 6 INTs / / 69 rushes, 240 yards, 6 TDs

The likely Heisman Trophy winner, it's hard to give the top spot to anyone other than Fernando Mendoza because of his play in the clutch this season. He's scored game-winning or go-ahead touchdowns in the final quarter against each of the following teams this season: Iowa, Oregon, Penn State and Ohio State. Without his clutch heroics, which have often been on unguardable back-shoulder throws to wide receiver Elijah Sarratt, the Hoosiers wouldn't be anywhere near where they are — 2025 Big Ten champions and holding the No. 1 seed in the CFP.

Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Ranking the top quarterbacks in the CFP field