By admin 
Week 1 of the 2026 college football season is in the books, and it’s time to rank how the new quarterbacks performed in a new starting role. As a result of increased transfer movement in recent years, over half of the 138 college football teams were expected to start a transfer at quarterback for the majority of the season. With so many names on the move and changes under center, the quarterback carousel is one of the most intriguing storylines this fall.
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There’s a new wave of stars ready to emerge this season, and Week 1 was the first opportunity for the new signal-callers or quarterbacks to make an impression. Miami’s Darian Mensah takes the top spot, with LSU’s Sam Leavitt and Indiana’s Josh Hoover up next. Tennessee true freshman Faizon Brandon, Louisville’s Lincoln Kienholz, Alabama’s Keelon Russell and Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor headline the next tier.
With the influx of new starters across the nation, Athlon set out to rank the debuts for the quarterbacks for Week 0 and Week 1 of the 2026 season. An important note: We only considered freshmen in their first game, transfers, or those that had fewer than three starts at their current school for this ranking. Also, production and quality of opponent were factored into the ranking.
College Football’s Top 10 Quarterback Debuts of 2026
1. Darian Mensah, Miami
Mensah was flawless in a 45-6 victory over Stanford. In his first game with the Hurricanes, Mensah connected on 27 of 30 throws for 401 yards and five touchdowns. Also, his connection with dynamic second-year receiver Malachi Toney already seems to be in midseason form, as the duo connected 12 times for 234 yards and three scores.
DARIAN MENSAH JUST HAD A DREAM DEBUT FOR MIAMI 🔥
27/30, 400 PYDS, 5 PTD, 0 INT pic.twitter.com/uSm6zWRMPs
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) September 5, 2026
2. Sam Leavitt, LSU
Leavitt’s first series for the Bayou Bengals got off to a rocky start with an interception that led to a Clemson field goal. However, Leavitt bounced back and showcased why he’s a great fit for coach Lane Kiffin’s offense. The Arizona State transfer completed 16 of 28 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown and led the team with 113 yards and two scores on the ground.
The Sam Leavitt show is on full display in Death Valley 🤩 pic.twitter.com/w5UeQwgi2C
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 6, 2026
3. Josh Hoover, Indiana
So far, so good for coach Curt Cignetti’s next star pupil under center. Hoover’s arm talent was on display in a 52-16 victory over North Texas. The TCU transfer completed 13 of 16 throws for 231 yards and four touchdowns. His 14.4 yards per attempt ranked second among FBS signal-callers after Week 1.
Josh Hoover put on a show in his @IndianaFootball debut pic.twitter.com/7DvES3sjoJ
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 5, 2026
4. Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State
Taylor was regarded as one of college football’s top breakout candidates this preseason and certainly looked poised to live up to that hype after his Week 1 outing against ULM. In a 62-13 blowout of the Warhawks, Taylor threw for 354 yards and four scores and rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown.
Watching Kamario Taylor throw at Manning Passing Academy was an event. He’s just different! This throw is stupid.
pic.twitter.com/wvVgo4hFCx
— Todd McShay (@McShay13) September 6, 2026
5. Faizon Brandon, Tennessee
Brandon is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential in coach Josh Heupel’s high-powered offense. In a 56-9 win over Furman, the true freshman became the first SEC quarterback since Cam Newton in 2010 to throw three touchdowns and rush for two more in his debut.
Touchdown #5 for Faizon Brandon pic.twitter.com/8n2vsKrjEz
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) September 5, 2026
6. Lincoln Kienholz, Louisville
After a slow start in the first half, Kienholz found his rhythm in the final two quarters and nearly led Louisville to a comeback win over Ole Miss. The Ohio State transfer threw for 307 yards and two scores, including a 62-yard strike to Tre Richardson in the third quarter. He also added 69 yards and a touchdown on the ground to pace the Louisville rushing attack.
LINCOLN KIENHOLZ THROWS A 62-YARD DOT OF HIS OWN 🤯🎯 pic.twitter.com/oMT38UWuWq
— The College Sports Company (@CollegeSportsCo) September 7, 2026
7. Keelon Russell, Alabama
Russell’s performance against East Carolina showcased why the second-year signal-caller won the job over Austin Mack. The Texas native flashed with the arm (18 of 30 for 256 yards) and the playmaking ability (86 rushing yards and a score). With the line and rushing attack still developing, Russell’s ability to extend plays will be a huge asset for this offense.
Keelon Russell is special 😳 pic.twitter.com/B2SWzZUwPh
— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) September 5, 2026
8. Rocco Becht, Penn State
Becht looked comfortable in his new surroundings, as Penn State easily defeated Marshall 45-0 in Week 1. The Iowa State transfer connected on 13 of 18 passes for 271 yards and four touchdowns. Becht also connected on three passes of 30-plus yards and paced all Big Ten quarterbacks by averaging 15.1 yards per attempt.
Rocco Becht goes DEEP to Koby Howard for the 42-yard @PennStateFball TD🔥 pic.twitter.com/pvhA1NMTcs
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 5, 2026
9. Austin Simmons, Missouri
Tougher tests are coming for Simmons, but the Ole Miss transfer seems poised to realize his big-time potential at Missouri in 2026. In an easy win for the Tigers over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Simmons torched the defense for 252 yards and four touchdowns.
Excited to continue watching Austin Simmons this season pic.twitter.com/LHpnKVtvFo
— T.J. Randall (@TJ_Randall12) September 4, 2026
10. Aaron Philo, Florida
Philo’s command of coordinator Buster Faulkner’s offense was on display Saturday night, as he torched Florida Atlantic’s defense for 275 passing yards over 16 completions. The Georgia native tossed three touchdowns and added 20 more yards and a score on the ground.
Crafty 🔥
4 total TDs for Aaron Philo 🐊 pic.twitter.com/PHUfrMrCbb
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) September 6, 2026
Other Quarterbacks With Standout Debuts in 2026
Jackson Arnold, UNLV
Cutter Boley, Arizona State
Aidan Chiles, Northwestern
Anthony Colandrea, Nebraska
Ethan Grunkemeyer, Virginia Tech
Will Hammond, Texas Tech
Nathan Hayes, North Dakota State
Hauss Hejny, Colorado State
Katin Houser, Illinois
DJ Lagway, Baylor
Gio Lopez, Wake Forest
Alberto Mendoza, Georgia Tech
Kenny Minchey, Kentucky
Kalieb Osborne, UConn
Beau Pribula, Virginia
Malachi Singleton, Appalachian State
Marcus Stokes, Memphis
Davis Warren, Stanford
Pop Watson III, UMass
Luke Weaver, San Jose State
Braxton Woodson, Navy
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Related: College Football Top 138 Team Rankings for 2026
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This story was originally published September 9, 2026 at 5:55 AM.