USA Today's Preseason Big Ten Quarterback Rankings: Stats Going Into Week 9

With kickoff for the 2026 college football season right around the corner, USA TODAY Sports assembled an expert panel to power rank the top 15 quarterbacks in the country. Between elite returning starters and high-profile transfer portal additions, the quarterback landscape is as stacked as ever. From Oregon's Dante Moore and Ohio State's Julian Sayin leading the board to Notre Dame's CJ Carr, Ole Miss's Trinidad Chambliss, and Texas's Arch Manning anchoring the top tier, we break down every signal-caller's outlook and quotes. Check out our full 15-QB power rankings.

USA TODAY's Top 15 College Football Quarterbacks Going Into Week 9

Following dramatic Week 8 shakeups across the 2026 college football season, we analyze the ESPN Playoff Predictor to project the 12 teams most likely to make the College Football Playoff. Highlighted by Miami commanding the top spot at 97%, Ohio State surging to 91%, Indiana leaping to 89% after their historic win at Michigan, Morgan Scalley's 7-0 Utah Utes climbing to 60%, and new entries for Texas, Will Stein's Kentucky, UCLA, and Boise State, we break down every contender's odds. Check out the full computer-projected field.

ESPN's Playoff Predictor Projects 12-Team College Football Playoff Field Going Into Week 9

ESPN Predicts the Final Record For All 16 SEC Teams Right Now: Going Into Week 9

ESPN Ranks All 16 SEC Teams to Win the Conference Going Into Week 9

Preview Miami-North Carolina, USC-Ohio State and Georgia-Florida, plus Heisman hopefuls, playoff pressure and Deion Sanders&#039; outlook at Colorado this season.

College Football Week 9 Previews: Miami, USC & Georgia

Lincoln Riley faces mounting pressure at USC as Ohio State visits the Coliseum, with critics arguing the fifth-year coach may be fighting to keep his job.

Lincoln Riley Faces Must-Win USC Showdown With Ohio State

The Cardinal’s upset of NC State put six wins within reach in Tavita Pritchard’s first season. Getting there will require taking a little of The Farm on the road.

Checking Out Wins: Stanford’s ‘Library’ Has Bowl Ambitions

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Jeremiah Smith tops a Heisman ballot featuring Miami stars Malachi Tony and Darian Mensah, Notre Dame&#039;s CJ Carr, and Oregon State&#039;s Jesse Legree this year.

Heisman Trophy Top Five: Jeremiah Smith Leads the Race

Indiana&#039;s rise fuels debate over a 60-team college football super league, conference revenue sharing, and ESPN and Fox&#039;s grip on lucrative media rights.

College Football's Premier League and TV Monopoly Debate

Critics say the Protect College Sports Act preserves network and conference power, while collective bargaining may offer athletes a fairer path forward.

Protect College Sports Act Fuels Athlete Labor Debate

Miami&#039;s title hopes, the UNC trap game, SEC playoff bias and NIL&#039;s impact headline a wide-ranging discussion about college football&#039;s changing landscape.

Can the Miami Hurricanes Win the College Football Title?

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View the profile of Idaho Vandals OL Leon Evans on SportsGrid. Get the latest news, stats, player prop picks, related players, and more on SportsGrid.com.

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Leon Evans

#51 · IDHO · OL

HT/WT

6’3”, 305 lbs

Birthplace

Eagle, ID, USA

Class

Junior

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