Week 9 in college football was quarterback chaos in its purest form, complete with highlight reels, heart rates, and a few Heisman audition tapes. And our college football QB rankings caught it all.
Arch Manning led Texas back from 17 down, Ty Simpson kept Alabama’s playoff pulse alive, and Fernando Mendoza turned UCLA’s Cinderella run into a pumpkin in record time. Across the country, QBs weren’t just running offenses; they were running the show, reminding everyone that the real drama starts under center in college football.
PFSN College’s QB Impact assigns letter grades by weighing passing, rushing, and clutch performance. It emphasizes stable factors like clean-pocket play and designed runs over less predictable ones like pressure performance and scrambling.
10. Blake Baker, Louisiana Tech
Week 9 PFSN College QBi Grade: 82.6 (B-)
Quarterback Blake Baker and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have moxie; you have to give them that. They battled back from a 13-point deficit to take the lead in overtime but ultimately fell to Western Kentucky on a game-winning two-point conversion. Baker completed a solid 31-of-45 passes for 340 yards and one touchdown, spreading the ball to 10 different receivers. He also ran for a team-high 49 yards.
Baker is very talented and has a good, live arm. He’s also a good runner and an all-around tough, smart player. According to his Offensive Coordinator, Tony Franklin, “It took him some time to master the fundamentals and to buy in completely to my methodology, but once he did, he has the opportunity to be a special player. He has the skillset to be a national top-level quarterback.”
9. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Week 9 PFSN College QBi Grade: 82.9 (B-)
America’s Sweetheart, Mendoza, continues to win college football hearts with his highlight-reel play. This week’s clips included a 56-6 takedown of UCLA, playing the villain in their recent fairy-tale run. He went 15-for-22 for 168 yards and three touchdowns, adding a 20-yard rushing score before handing things off in the third quarter.
Mendoza’s command of tempo and pocket presence in the game match the scouting buzz that pronounces him NFL-ready. And while it’s true that he is a quick processor, has a compact release, and has enough arm to hit every window, he isn’t completely mistake-free, as the interception in the first quarter showed.
8. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
Week 9 PFSN College QBi Grade: 83.3 (B)
Brendan Sorsby graces our list again this week, guiding Cincinnati to a dominant 41-20 win over Baylor by throwing for 111 yards, two touchdowns, and adding a rushing score. He now boasts over 1,800 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes, and just one interception. And his more than 425 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns are sparking Heisman talk.
Sorsby’s dual-threat effectiveness this week underscored why the Bearcats’ offense ranks among the national leaders in yards per play and scoring with the junior under center. Tougher times await the Texas native as the Bearcats face No. 24 Utah, Arizona, No. 10 BYU, and TCU down the stretch.
7. Rodney Tisdale Jr., Western Kentucky
Week 9 PFSN College QBi Grade: 83.5 (B)
With the veteran starter sidelined, Rodney Tisdale Jr. led Western Kentucky on the road to a 28–27 overtime win against Louisiana Tech, completing 21 of 34 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown while rushing 12 times for 73 yards.
What stands out is the stat line and how he turned adversity into opportunity. He kept calm on third-and-seven and fourth-and-ten and executed the game-winning two-point conversion with poise. That blend of athleticism and situational awareness suggests he may not just be a stopgap starter but a legitimate playmaker with the tools to shift momentum when it matters most.
6. Nick Minicucci, Delaware
Week 9 PFSN College QBi Grade: 84.0 (B)
One of my absolute favorite quarterbacks to watch this year, Delaware’s Nick Minicucci, did not disappoint in Week 9, leading the Blue Hens to a 31-28 victory over Middle Tennessee on Wednesday. Minicucci channeled his inner Baker Mayfield while passing for 276 yards and four touchdowns. He completed all eight passes in his first drive and found his rhythm with consistent downfield vision.
Unfortunately, he exited the game midway through the fourth quarter with an injury. But what continues to impress is his duality: the calm precision of his opening drives, followed by the urgency of clutch throws late in the third to build a lead.
5. Mason Heintschel, Pittsburgh
Week 9 PFSN College QBi Grade: 84.2 (B)
Pittsburgh’s Mason Heintschel didn’t just torch NC State; he lit the Panthers’ winning streak on fire, extending it to four games. The freshman quarterback carved up the Wolfpack for 423 yards and three touchdowns, flashing elite arm talent and command in Kade Bell’s high-tempo system.
His 84-yard bomb in the third quarter was pure confidence, a freshman playing like a veteran. Yet even after breaking a school record, Heintschel was critiquing his own misses, a glimpse of the mindset that could make him special. Pitt may have found its long-term answer under center if it keeps this rhythm going.
4. Bear Bachmeier, BYU
Week 9 PFSN College QBi Grade: 85.6 (B)
BYU freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier blends arm strength, mobility, and underclassman poise in a way that has become a brand for the Cougars this season. I’m not saying he’s making college football fun again, but BYU’s 41-27 win over Iowa State in Week 9 was downright delightful.
Bachmeier completed 22 of 34 for 307 yards and two passing scores, while adding a third touchdown on the ground (12 carries, 49 yards) against a Cyclone defense that hadn’t surrendered a 300-yard passer in 21 straight games. Sustaining his level of play consistently will be the true test. As opponents pile up tape, the freshman must protect the football, maintain tempo, and sharpen his decision-making under pressure.
3. Trinidad Chambliss, Mississippi
Week 9 PFSN College QBi Grade: 86.2 (B)
It has been quite the year for Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss, each week seemingly better than the last. In Week 9, he delivered a statement performance in a 34–26 road win at Oklahoma: 315 passing yards, a touchdown, and 53 rushing yards as he exploited a defense that entered the weekend ranked atop the nation.
He’s quickly becoming the kind of dual-threat pivot this Rebels offense was built around: resilient, composed, able to extend plays and punish defenses that load the box. The challenge now is to maintain this production when defenses schedule specifically for him, protect the football, and avoid late-game stagnation.
2. Haynes King, Georgia Tech
Week 9 PFSN College QBi Grade: 86.8 (B)
In Week 9, Haynes King delivered a statement-making performance, completing 25 of 31 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns, while keeping his offense mistake-free under pressure. His balance and poise in the pocket stood out, and he was decisive when the moment demanded movement or change-of-pace recognition.
Already riding momentum as a rising Heisman contender, King’s crisp decision-making and zero interceptions in this outing underscored why analysts are elevating his profile among the nation’s elite quarterbacks.
1. Demond Williams Jr., Washington
Week 9 PFSN College QBi Grade: 87.7 (B+)
Tired of this young man’s name yet? A PFSN QB Ranking favorite, Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. returns for the crown in Week 9. Williams looked electric against Illinois with four touchdown passes and a third-quarter burst where he lowered his shoulder and carried a defender 25 yards, reminding fans he’s not just a pocket passer.
He orchestrated six touchdown drives, kept the offense humming, and converted critical third-downs (nine of eleven) to pull away after Illinois threatened early. Under pressure? Williams looked calm, decisive, and unafraid to make the above play that had Coach Jedd Fisch half-grimacing, half-grinning.
