2026 Big 12 Quarterback Power Rankings Ahead of Week 2

The majority of Big 12 quarterbacks eased into their 2026 season against Group of Six or FCS defenses in Week 1.

Oklahoma State starter Drew Mestemaker was the only quarterback to play a defense outside of the power conferences and lose. He ended the week 29-of-49 passing for 241 yards, a touchdown and a pair of costly interceptions in the Cowboys’ 24-10 loss at Tulsa.

Only three Big 12 quarterbacks saw a Power Four defense last week.

Colorado and Baylor starters Julian Lewis and DJ Lagway made a handful of nice throws each but were very inconsistent in their Week 1 matchups. Cincinnati starter JC French IV’s longest completion against Boston College was for 21 yards, although he was a prominent figure in the Bearcats’ rushing attack with 52 yards and three touchdowns.

Week 2 offers a better look at the potential of the Big 12’s top quarterbacks. Five quarterbacks match up with a defense from either the Big Ten or the SEC, and two more are set to duel one another in the game between Arizona and BYU.

Below, we rank the Big 12’s top eight quarterbacks entering Week 2 of the 2026 college football season.

8. DJ Lagway (Baylor)

Lagway didn’t put together the most complete performance, but Auburn was arguably the toughest team anyone from the Big 12 faced in Week 1. He was responsible for a pair of head-scratching turnovers early in the game, but he also delivered several impressive strikes downfield against a talented Auburn secondary.

Lagway ended the day 27-of-54 passing for 333 yards, two touchdowns, an interception and a lost fumble. The Bears won’t see a defense of Auburn’s caliber for at least another two months, so the games against Prairie View A&M this week (8:08 p.m. EDT, ESPN+) and Louisiana Tech present Lagway with an opportunity to springboard into Big 12 play.

7. Alonza Barnett (UCF)

The lone blemish on Barnett’s UCF debut was an interception on a pass that sailed over his receiver’s head into the hands of a defensive back. The Knights kept the ball on the ground because of how effectively they ran it, so Barnett finished the night 11-of-18 passing for 158 yards and a touchdown pass, to go along with nine yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Barnett’s first Power Four test as a Knight is at Pittsburgh this week (3:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN2). Miami (OH) quarterback David McComb was an inconsistent 16-of-33 for 240 yards and a touchdown against the Panthers, but Barnett offers a more complex challenge with his feet.

6. Cutter Boley (Arizona State)

Boley showed flashes of brilliance at Kentucky last year, but he was stuck in an outdated system. The 387-yard, six-touchdown stat line against Morgan State is inflated by long catch-and-run plays by his receivers, but Kenny Dillingham has placed Boley in a quarterback-friendly offense at Arizona State.

The Sun Devils face one of their toughest tests of the season at Texas A&M this week (Noon EDT, ABC). The Aggies’ defense was a key component in their run to the College Football Playoff last season and is expected to push Boley to his limits on Saturday.

5. Avery Johnson (Kansas State)

Johnson completed 15 of 21 pass attempts for 199 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score in Kansas State’s 71-3 win over Nicholls. All three touchdowns were on intermediate routes, one of which was a 46-yard catch-and-run by running back Joe Jackson.

Kansas State hosts Washington State this week (Noon EDT, TNT). The Cougars faced a dual-threat quarterback last week; Washington only scored 24 points on Sunday, but Demond Williams Jr. finished the day with 268 yards and a touchdown in the air and 61 yards and another touchdown on the ground.

4. Conner Weigman (Houston)

Weigman’s one glaring mistake in Houston’s 33-20 win over Oregon State was an interception on a pass too far ahead of his receiver that ricocheted into the hands of a defender. Interception aside, he completed 20 of 30 pass attempts for 305 yards and a touchdown while adding 30 yards and another score on the ground.

Houston matches up with Southern in Week 2 (7 p.m. EDT, ESPN+). If all goes according to plan, Weigman’s day should be done by the middle of the third quarter.

3. Bear Bachmeier (BYU)

Efficiency was the name of the game for Bachmeier in BYU’s 63-7 victory over Utah Tech. He completed 16 of his 20 pass attempts for 198 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 30 more yards and another touchdown.

The Cougars encounter their first test of Big 12 play against Arizona this week (3:30 p.m. EDT, FOX). Bachmeier was a shaky 12-of-29 passing for 172 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in BYU’s win over the Wildcats last season.

2. Noah Fifita (Arizona)

Fifita finished his first start of 2026 completing 23 of 30 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns against Northern Arizona. Of course, a game against an FCS opponent didn’t require Fifita to be a hero, but the two touchdowns he threw were placed in parts of the end zone where only his receivers could make a play on the ball.

The Wildcats travel to BYU this week (3:30 p.m. EDT, FOX). Fifita was an inconsistent 25-of-45 for 219 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in Arizona’s 33-27 double-overtime loss to the Cougars last season.

1. Devon Dampier (Utah)

Dampier used his legs minimally in Utah’s 66-14 win over Idaho, only rushing for 31 yards on six attempts. He completed 13 of 18 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns, and the majority of his pass attempts were of short or intermediate length.

A late-night game against Arkansas is the Utes’ first matchup with a Power Four opponent this year (10:15 p.m. EDT, ESPN). The Razorbacks should be improved defensively after a dreadful showing in 2025, but Utah is their first game against a Power Four opponent under a completely new coaching staff.