College Football 2026 Quarterback Rankings: Every Power 4 Starter From 68 to 1 - Sports Illustrated

What the report says

Sports Illustrated published a preseason ranking of projected starting quarterbacks for all 68 Power 4 college football programs, framing the list as a lookahead with the 2026 season four weeks away. The outlet said its evaluation combined prior production with staff projections for how each passer may perform in his 2026 situation, while noting that some quarterback competitions have not been formally settled.

The available portion of the ranking covers the bottom of the list, beginning with Stanford’s Davis Warren at No. 68. SI cited Warren’s medical redshirt year at Michigan in 2025 and his uneven 2024 production before an ACL injury. Iowa’s projected Jeremy Hecklinski/Hank Brown competition was placed at No. 67, with the article emphasizing the Hawkeyes’ recent struggles to generate passing yardage under Kirk Ferentz.

Other lower-ranked projected starters included Purdue’s Ryan Browne at No. 66, Rutgers transfer Dylan Lonergan at No. 65, Boston College’s Mason McKenzie at No. 64, Kansas’s Cole Ballard/Isaiah Marshall pairing at No. 63, Michigan State’s Alessio Milivojevic at No. 62, North Carolina’s Billy Edwards Jr. at No. 61 and Florida State’s Ashton Daniels at No. 60. SI highlighted recurring concerns such as turnovers, limited sample sizes, injuries, offensive line issues and uncertainty around transfers moving into new systems.

The list matters because quarterback play often shapes preseason expectations in the sport’s major conferences, especially as teams navigate transfer additions, freshmen contenders and coaching changes. Based on the excerpt, SI’s ranking is a projection rather than a definitive depth chart, and readers should treat unresolved competitions accordingly pending team announcements before Week 1.