Fernando Mendoza takes lead in college football quarterback rankings
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the new Heisman Trophy favorite after a five-touchdown performance against Illinois.
Former Heisman front-runners Carson Beck of Miami and John Mateer of Oklahoma have dropped in the rankings.
Other standout quarterbacks include Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia and Oregon’s Dante Moore, who are ranked second and third, respectively.
We can say this with confidence: Indiana and former California transfer Fernando Mendoza are a good match.
This conclusion comes courtesy of Mendoza’s national introduction as the latest quarterback to shine in coach Curt Cignetti’s seemingly foolproof system. The junior had five touchdowns without an interception in the Hoosiers’ 63-10 destruction of then-No. 8 Illinois.
With 14 touchdowns through four games for the unbeaten Hoosiers, Mendoza has taken over as the early Heisman Trophy favorite, replacing Miami’s Carson Beck and Oklahoma’s John Mateer.
Beck and Mateer are tumbling down the USA TODAY Sports list of college football’s top quarterbacks. Beck was average in the No. 2 Hurricanes’ win against Florida. Mateer led No. 10 Oklahoma to a win against Auburn but suffered a hand injury that could keep him out for the next month.
That helps vault Mendoza to the top of this week’s rankings:
1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Any thought that Mendoza was just feasting on weak non-conference competition was put to bed in the blowout of Illinois. His 14 touchdowns lead the Bowl Subdivision. He’s the only quarterback in the Power Four with more than 10 touchdowns without an interception. His completion percentage of 76.8% ranks second nationally, as does his 206.2 efficiency rating. Mendoza has been a perfect fit for Indiana and should be even better as he gains more game-day experience in Cignetti’s scheme.
2. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
Quarterbacks from Indiana and Vanderbilt topping the Bowl Subdivsion? Sure, why not. After back-to-back road wins against Virginia Tech and South Carolina, the Commodores returned home for a 70-21 rout of Georgia State. Pavia had a season-high 331 yards of total offense and two touchdowns.
3. Dante Moore, Oregon
Moore was unleashed in the Civil War rivalry against Oregon State, setting new season highs with 31 attempts, 21 completions, 305 passing yards, 53 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He’s ready for this weekend’s road trip to No. 2 Penn State with an opportunity to further impress.
4. Carson Beck, Miami
Beck entered last Saturday leading the nation in completion percentage but struggled in messy conditions in a 26-7 win against the Gators, completing just 17 of 30 throws for 160 yards with an interception.
5. John Mateer, Oklahoma
6. Dylan Raiola, Nebraska
Even with the running game missing in action and no help from his offensive front, Raiola nearly carried Nebraska to an upset of No. 18 Michigan with 308 passing yards and three touchdowns. He did throw his first interception, though, part of an ugly first quarter that saw the Cornhuskers quickly fall behind by multiple scores.
7. Josh Hoover, TCU
Hoover is the only quarterback in the country with at least 1,000 yards passing and 10 touchdowns in fewer than four games. He leads the FBS with 333.3 passing yards per game after going for 379 yards and five scores in the No. 25 Horned Frogs’ 35-24 win against rival SMU.
8. Jayden Maiava, Southern California
Maiava’s hot start continued with 234 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-31 win against Michigan State. The junior transfer leads the FBS in yards per attempt (12.7) and efficiency rating (208.8) for the No. 22 Trojans.
9. Jalon Daniels, Kansas
After missing most of 2023 due to injury and struggling in his return last season, Daniels has again resembled one of the nation’s top dual-threat quarterbacks for the sneaky-good Jayhawks. He had three touchdowns through the air and 69 rushing yards on 13.8 yards per carry in a 41-10 win against West Virginia to open Big 12 play.
10. Trinidad Chambliss, Mississippi
A backup rounds out this week’s list. After leading Ferris State to the Division II national championship, Chambliss came to Oxford pegged as the No. 11 Rebels’ backup to Austin Simmons. But Simmons injured his ankle in the win against Kentucky, opening a door for Chambliss to draw the nod against Arkansas and Tulane. Against the Razorbacks, he threw for 353 yards on 12.2 yards per attempt and ran for 62 yards with three scores. He added 307 yards on 11.4 yards per throw with 112 yards on the ground against the Green Wave. He’s been one of the great surprises of the season’s opening month.