Week 5 reminded us that quarterback play is equal parts art and accident. Some quarterbacks painted masterpieces, carving up defenses with precision and poise, while others made a mess of the basics with late throws, forced reads, and costly turnovers.
Efficiency is currency, and a few signal-callers cashed in big in this week’s college football QB rankings.
PFSN College’s QB Impact assigns letter grades by weighing passing, rushing, and clutch performance. It emphasizes stable factors like clean-pocket play and designed runs over less predictable ones like pressure performance and scrambling.
10) Ty Simpson, Alabama
Week 5 PFSN College QBi Grade: 85.9 (B)
Always a steady fixture on this list, Alabama’s quarterback Ty Simpson rounds out the top-10 this week thanks to his incredible Week 5 performance. In the Tide’s 24-21 win over Georgia, Simpson passed for 276 yards and two touchdowns and ran in a score for Alabama’s third consecutive win. He throws accurately, shakes free when needed, and reads defenses steadily.
Simpson has thrown zero interceptions this season, one of just four quarterbacks to starve secondaries of chances. Plus, he helped snap the Bulldogs’ 33-game home winning streak. He’s the Russell Crowe of college football.
9) Lunch Winfield, Louisiana
Week 5 PFSN College QBi Grade: 86 (B)
The legend of Lunch Winfield began with 6:55 to play in the third quarter of the Ragin’ Cajuns game against Marshall. Down 17 points, the redshirt sophomore quarterback rallied his team, leading them on six consecutive scoring drives to eventually defeat the Thundering Herd 54-51 in double overtime. He finished 7-of-13 for 125 passing yards and two touchdowns. He added 13 carries for 129 yards rushing and another three touchdowns.
It was Louisiana’s biggest comeback win since 1982. When called on, Winfield throws with enough touch, and when defense stiffens, he wheels and runs with ferocity. He’s still raw, but the spark is hard to ignore when Winfield’s in.
8) Trinidad Chambliss, Mississippi
Week 5 PFSN College QBi Grade: 86.3 (B)
With all eyes on Oxford last Saturday, Mississippi’s quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss, ensured he didn’t blink first. The Division II transfer passed for 314 yards and a touchdown in Ole Miss’ 24-19 win over LSU. Chambliss has stacked three consecutive 300-yard outings since stepping in for the sidelined Austin Simmons.
He also backs his arm up with legs, mixing it up when defenses stack the box. He carried the ball 14 times for an additional 71 yards. He’s made the leap from “underdog” to “must-watch.” He’s got the sixth-best Heisman Trophy odds after only three starts. Insert eye emoji.
7) Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Week 5 PFSN College QBi Grade: 86.5 (B)
Julian Sayin has looked efficient and steady through Week 5. He’s completing over 70 percent of his passes and limiting mistakes, with zero interceptions. Against Washington, he managed the road environment well, going 22-of-28 for 208 yards with two touchdowns and showing he can handle pressure.
He isn’t putting up gaudy yardage totals yet, but his decision-making and accuracy have kept Ohio State’s offense on schedule. The next test will be sustaining that consistency once Big Ten defenses start throwing different looks at him.
6) LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
Week 5 PFSN College QBi Grade: 86.6 (B)
South Carolina has got to find a better way to protect quarterback LaNorris Sellers. In the Gamecocks’ 35-13 win over Kentucky, Sellers went 11-of-14 for 153 yards but did not find the end zone. SC was buoyed by defensive touchdowns in the win. Sellers carried the ball 14 times for 81 yards. The sophomore quarterback improved at evading sacks (he was only taken down twice) but absorbed too many preventable hits.
5) CJ Carr, Notre Dame
Week 5 PFSN College QBi Grade: 87.2 (B+)
Freshman phenome CJ Carr matched a Notre Dame record with four touchdown passes in the Fighting Irish’s 56-13 routing of the Razorbacks. He completed 22-of-30 passes for 354 yards and zero mistakes. The record was set previously by Ron Powlus, who threw for four scores in his first career game against Northwestern in 1994.
Notre Dame last scored 42 points in the first half during the 2024 season, eventually winning 66-7 over Purdue in the third week of the season. ND’s two losses are the only reason Carr isn’t garnering more national attention.
However, it requires power and confidence to make accurate throws to the outside consistently, and Carr has shown he possesses both. He’s also demonstrated a sharp sense for exploiting openings created by opposing defenses.
4) Micah Alejado, Hawaii
Week 5 PFSN College QBi Grade: 87.4 (B+)
Speaking of freshman quarterbacks, Hawaii’s Micah Alejado enters the chat. The Las Vegas native threw for a season-high 457 yards and three touchdowns in the Rainbow Warriors’ 44-35 win over Air Force. It was Hawaii’s first conference win, and the victory also kept the Kuter Trophy in Hawaii’s possession for the second year. Alejado utlized ten different receivers while leading his team to the highest point total in the Timmy Chang era.
3) Luke Altmyer, Illinois
Week 5 PFSN College QBi Grade: 88.3 (B+)
Defeating a top-25 team will help get you on this list, but playing mistake-free, gutsy football will keep you here. Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer did all the above, helping his team defeat No. 21 USC 34-32. It was a much-needed win after the disappointing loss to Indiana. Altmyer went 20-for-26 passing for 328 yards and two touchdowns, adding five carries for 28 yards and another touchdown to his total.
Atmeyer is efficient and versatile. His multi-faceted playmaking will be instrumental in Illinois’ continued success this season. He managed to effectively evade pressure, only taking one sack compared to seven suffered against Indiana. Before Saturday, Illinois had never beaten Southern California in Champaign. The Illini were 0-6 at home against the Trojans, including a 55-3 blowout in 1996, the last matchup at Gies Memorial Stadium.
2) Jacob Conover, Utah State
Week 5 PFSN College QBi Grade: 89.1 (B+)
Utah State’s 55-35 loss to Vanderbilt was tough. Starting quarterback Bryson Barnes was sacked three times before leaving the game in the fourth quarter, when former BYU and ASU senior quarterback Jacob Conover took the wheel. He threw for 92 yards and two touchdowns, completing nearly 80 percent of his passes. He showed good command and arm strength, and head coach Bronco Mendenhall praised his poise.
1) Devon Dampier, Utah
Week 5 PFSN College QBi Grade: 93.4 (A)
From a disastrous outing last week against Texas Tech to leading the pack this week, Utah quarterback Devon Dampier shows he has range. The Phoenix native threw a career-high four touchdown passes in the Utes’ 48-14 win over West Virginia. The New Mexico transfer’s ability to manage the game and capitalize on scoring opportunities was impressive; he added 11 carries for 33 yards and a rushing touchdown to his output.
It wasn’t perfect; he fumbled the ball twice (not for loss) and threw an interception, but he was able to showcase his escapability and ability to extend plays, something head coach Kyle Whittingham praised him for.
