College Football Quarterback Power Rankings: Week 6

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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What do the college football quarterback power rankings look like after Week 5 of the season?

The college football season is trucking along and fans are witnessing some great quarterback play through five weeks. Week 6 is approaching and there are 10 quarterbacks who have stood out above the rest.

Some teams don’t have to worry about the starting quarterback play while others have had issues through five weeks.

Surprisingly, a handful of teams with quarterbacks who have emerged as elite gunslingers are already out of the College Football Playoff race. Usually when you have an elite quarterback on the roster, wins aren’t so tough to come by, but tell that to Notre Dame, California, Oklahoma, Florida State and TCU.

Other teams have the luxury of possessing a solid defense to go along with a quarterback who can command an offense. Teams like Clemson, North Carolina, Houston and Louisville have stood out because they have quarterbacks who are excelling. It’s the most important position on the football field.

Ranking the 10 best quarterbacks in college football after five weeks of play isn’t as easy as you might think. There are plenty of guys deserving of a top-10 distinction and a handful of others who are unquestioned Heisman contenders. Unfortunately, I couldn’t include guys who have impressed me such as Jake Browning, Jalen Hurts and Shane Buechele, but they could be on it next week.

Take a look at this week’s power rankings for the top quarterbacks in college football.

Oct 1, 2016; Fort Worth, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Kenny Hill (7) throws before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Kenny Hill

Junior, TCU

There was a time when Kenny Hill was thought to be the future of Texas A&M, but after a few rough games in 2014 and a not-so-guaranteed starting job in 2015, he decided to transfer from the program. He did pass for 2,649 yards, 23 touchdowns and just eight picks following up the Johnny Manziel era.

Hill now has a fresh start with the TCU Horned Frogs and in his first eligible season, he has passed for 1,936 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. It’s crazy to think that he’s just 700 yards away from eclipsing his mark from his full-time starting job in 2014.

The junior hasn’t been the problem for TCU. The Horned Frogs are just 3-2 to start the season. You might look at the schedule and think that he hasn’t played enough quality teams to be considered one of the top quarterbacks in college football, but he did throw for 449 yards and five touchdowns against Oklahoma last week.

Gary Patterson was wise enough to bring the quarterback in to replace a graduating Trevone Boykin and he has picked up right where his predecessor left off.

Hill can run and pass, a deadly combination in an offense-heavy conference.

Sep 24, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Deondre Francois (12) throws the ball in the first quarter against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

Deondre Francois

Freshman, Florida State

You might be wondering why Deondre Francois deserves to be on this list, but the answer is quite simple: he’s a true freshman and is already surpassing expectations. He can’t be blamed for his team’s 63-20 loss to Louisville a few weeks ago nor can he be at fault for last week’s home defeat versus North Carolina in the final seconds.

Francois has played well this season for a redshirt freshman and he is molding into one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. He has passed for 1,323 yards, seven touchdowns and just two picks while playing opponents such as Louisville, Ole Miss and North Carolina.

If you eliminated his Louisville performance from his stats, you’d have a guy who might be in the running for Heisman right now. He was given no help by his offensive line, though, as he was sent running for his life the entire game, finishing with -34 rushing yards. He was also just 7-of-18 for 101 yards and a touchdown with a pick.

Florida State rebounded nicely the next week to take down an unbeaten South Florida squad on the road and Francois was solid in the drubbing. He finished 11-of-19 for 169 yards and a touchdown and he also rushed for 75 yards and another score.

Deondre is coming off his second-best game of the season, passing for 372 yards on 20-of-32 completions to go along with a rushing touchdown.

Sep 29, 2016; Lubbock, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Patrick Mahomes (5) drops back to pass against the Kansas Jayhawks in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Patrick Mahomes

Junior, Texas Tech

No one talks about Patrick Mahomes and that’s just a shame. Sure, he plays for Texas Tech and the Red Raiders don’t seem to do anything other than win seven or eight games every year, but with the junior quarterback playing the way he is in his second full season as the starter, they might exceed expectations.

Right now Texas Tech is just 3-1, but is plays in the Big 12 where defense is an afterthought. As long as the Red Raiders can keep getting big leads on opponents early on, there might not be many teams that can slow down this offense.

Mahomes is coming off a season in which he passed for over 4,500 yards and 36 touchdowns with 15 interceptions and rushed for 456 yards and 10 more scores. He’s currently on pace to shatter those numbers.

A third of the way through the 2016 campaign, Mahomes already has three 400-yard passing games, amounting to 1,770 yards, 18 touchdowns and three interceptions. His completion rate is also up from 63 percent last year to 73 percent this season.

If Mahomes can continue this pace, he’s going to end the season with about 5,310 yards, 54 touchdowns and nine interceptions. That would be quite a story.

Sep 24, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) runs for a touchdown in the first quarter against the Duke Blue Devils at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

DeShone Kizer

Junior, Notre Dame

If Notre Dame was still an unbeaten or one-loss team, DeShone Kizer might be considered one of the top-two or three quarterbacks in college football. Currently, the Irish are just 2-3, but Kizer is still considered an elite NFL draft prospect, regardless.

It’s hard to believe he wasn’t even the consensus starting quarterback to begin the season as he had to beat out Malik Zaire who was supposed to be the starter last season and then he got injured early in the year. Kizer took over from that point on and led the Fighting Irish to the Fiesta Bowl.

The second-year starter is already on pace to smash last years’ numbers, passing for 1,567 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions. He’s on pace to finish with over 3,600 yards, about 35 touchdowns and if he can continue to complete 63 percent of his throws, the Irish will turn things around.

The main problem with Notre Dame’s horrid start has nothing to do with the offense, though. It’s the defense that has been holding the Fighting Irish back.

Kizer is a talented kid, but when his team is allowing 33 points per game, there’s not much that can be done.

Oct 1, 2016; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Davis Webb (7) passes against the Utah Utes in the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

Davis Webb

Senior, California

The second of three current or former Texas Tech quarterbacks to make the power rankings, Davis Webb has found a new home with the California Golden Bears. Taking over for Jared Goff comes with some lofty expectations and huge shoes to fill, but Webb is doing a fantastic job.

It’s pretty obvious at, this point, that California is a pass-heavy offense and Webb is proving that. After losing the starting job to Patrick Mahomes last season in Lubbock, the former Red Raider decided to transfer to a program that surely needed a proven starter, and he was it.

Webb passed for over 5,500 yards and 46 touchdowns in three seasons with Texas Tech and he’s currently on pace to approach that total in just one year with the Golden Bears.

To begin the 2016 campaign, the senior gunslinger has accounted for 2,143 yards and 22 touchdowns in just five games, leading all of college football in both categories. He’s averaging over an interception per game, but that can be cleaned up.

It’s Webb’s strong play that has helped the Golden Bears upset Texas and Utah already, but the defense for Cal is too lackluster to string together a couple of wins.

Sep 17, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Mitch Trubisky (10) looks to pass in the first quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Mitch Trubisky

Junior, North Carolina

Larry Fedora and North Carolina had no choice but to start the dual-threat quarterback Marquise Williams over the last couple of years despite having Mitch Trubisky on the bench at his disposal.

Trubisky struggled during his freshman season a bit when given some playing time, completing just 54 percent of his passes for 459 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions. OK, it wasn’t necessarily a struggle, but compared to his numbers the following year in limited action, it was pedestrian.

In 2015, Trubisky saw the field a little less, completing an impressive 85 percent of his passes for 555 yards, six touchdowns and no picks. It was obvious at that point that the Tar Heels had a special talent stashed for the 2016 season.

Now that Williams is gone, it’s Trubisky’s turn to show what he’s got, and he’s done a phenomenal job through five games, going 4-1. The only loss was to Georgia in the season opener and he still played well.

Since that loss, he is completing 81 percent of his passes for 1,555 yards and 13 touchdowns with no interceptions. He has arguably been the best quarterback in the country over the past four games.

Sep 22, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) celebrates after a touchdown pass against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Deshaun Watson

Junior, Clemson

Fresh off a national title appearance after the 2015 season, the Clemson Tigers knew they had some things to correct in order to get over that hump and finish as the top dogs in 2016. Beating Alabama will be no easy task, but with Deshaun Watson returning for a junior season, anything is possible.

The third-year starter lived up to the immense hype last season, passing for 4,104 yards and 35 touchdowns to go along with 1,105 rushing yards and another 12 scores. He was the toughest quarterback in the country to stop and nearly took home the Heisman as a sophomore.

After getting off to a sluggish start this season, Watson is starting to turn things around. He had a sub-60 percent completion rate through the first two weeks in close games against Troy and Auburn, throwing just four touchdowns and three interceptions.

Since then, in three games, he has completed over 65 percent of his throws for 762 yards with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. His turnover rate is a little higher than he would like, but that’s something he’s working on.

Clemson is also coming off its biggest win of the year against No. 3 Louisville and Watson has this team rolling. If he continues to play like he has over the past three weeks, no one will be able to slow the Tigers down.

Sep 29, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Greg Ward Jr. (1) attempts a pass during the third quarter against the Connecticut Huskies at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Greg Ward Jr.

Senior, Houston

Greg Ward Jr. is a serious threat to win the Heisman Trophy this season and he’s the product of a successful system in Houston under Tom Herman. The Cougars’ head coach took over prior to the 2015 season after serving as an Ohio State assistant and has turned Houston into a non-Power Five juggernaut.

Houston has been one of the best teams in college football over the last two seasons, posting an 18-1 overall record. When he took over, Ward Jr. was a middle-of-the-road dual-threat quarterback who looked to just finish his career as a slightly above average player.

That’s not what has happened, though. Ward Jr. has blossomed into one of the most electric quarterbacks in the country, accounting for 2,828 passing yards and 17 touchdowns with a 67 percent completion rate and over 1,100 rushing yards and 21 more scores.

Despite missing a game already this season, Ward Jr. is on pace to surpass those passing numbers. He has rushed for just 178 yards and five scores in four games, but he has thrown for 1,325 yards, eight touchdowns and just two picks. Oh yeah, and his completion rate is up three percent.

If Ward can lead the Cougars to an unbeaten season, he might run away with the Heisman.

Sep 17, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett (16) runs in the open field against the Oklahoma Sooners in the first quarter at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

J.T. Barrett

Junior, Ohio State

Can you believe Urban Meyer decided to go with Cardale Jones to start the year in 2015 over then-sophomore quarterback J.T. Barrett? The Ohio State head coach doesn’t make many mistakes, but that one may have cost him a shot at the national title because the Buckeyes were so uncomfortable all year with quarterback shuffling.

Barrett is proving even more so this season that he deserved to be the starter all along. Heck, he took over for an injured Braxton Miller right before the 2014 season as a true freshman and led the Buckeyes to an 11-1 regular season record before Jones took control after Barrett’s late-season injury, leading OSU to a national title.

The 2016 season has all the same feel as 2014 did. Well, you could argue that the Buckeyes probably feel better through four games this year than they did in 2014 because of a September loss to Virginia Tech at home.

Ohio State is currently 4-0 and blowing opponents out of the water. The Buckeyes are showing no mercy on either side of the ball and it all starts with elite quarterback play.

Barrett has passed for 888 yards, 14 touchdowns and two picks with a 68 percent completion rate with a nice 21-point road win over Oklahoma. Quite a way to rise up the quarterback power rankings.

Oct 1, 2016; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers linebacker Kendall Joseph (34) attempts to bring down Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during the second quarter at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Lamar Jackson

Sophomore, Louisville

Is there a player more deserving of the Heisman Trophy through five weeks of the 2016 season than Lamar Jackson of Louisville? Probably not. The sophomore quarterback has been the most exciting player in the country and everyone tunes in just to see him make opponents look silly with his slippery moves.

Not many quarterbacks can move the way he does and you can bet he’s the most valuable player to his own team in college football. The Cardinals’ offense might not be nearly the same if there was a different quarterback under center.

Why do I say this? Just look at the numbers.

After a solid 2015 season as a first-year starter, the Boynton Beach, Fla., native has put up even more impressive numbers through five games than he did his entire freshman season. He’s completing about 59 percent of his throws for 1,625 yards and 14 touchdowns with four picks. He has also rushed for 688 yards and 14 more scores.

With 28 touchdowns through five games, Jackson is on pace to record 67 total touchdowns on the season. If he continues this pace, there’s no way Barrett, Watson, Ward Jr. nor Trubisky will be able to wrestle the Heisman away from him.