From SI · · 3m
Buying or Selling 10 High-Profile College Football Quarterbacks
College football QBs face critical decisions as season ends.
In brief
College football QBs face critical decisions as season ends. Sports Illustrated evaluates 10 high-profile college quarterbacks needing bounce-back games, with some projected for sale and others for buy. Originally reported by SI.
Quarterback Play Critical
Quarterback play is more important than ever as college football approaches the final month of the regular season.
10 Quarterbacks Need Bounce-Back Games
Nine of the 10 quarterbacks listed below are coming off a loss, many of which were the worst individual performances of their season.
Dylan Raiola's Exception
The 10th, Oregon’s Dylan Raiola, played so poorly two weeks ago that he didn’t get the start in the Ducks’ game against Nebraska, only to come off the bench (again) and rally the team to…
All Need Prove-It Performances
All 10 players are desperately in need of at least a few prove-it performances in the coming weeks.
2026 Low Point
And given that this is the low point for many of these quarterbacks in 2026, it’s time to visit the stock market and determine if now is a good time to buy or sell.
Arch Manning
Next game: Saturday, vs. Ole Miss.
Manning's Struggles
Texas became the first No. 1-ranked team in the country to lose to unranked opponents in consecutive weeks since 1961, and Manning has played a major role in that.
Manning's QBR
He posted the second-worst single-game QBR of his career (20.5) against Florida and threw two costly fourth-quarter interceptions the week before against Oklahoma.
Manning's Passing
On deep pass attempts of 20 or more yards down the field this season, Manning is 10 for 25 (40%) with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
Manning's Blame
It’s hard to decipher who or what deserves the bulk of the blame: Manning, Steve Sarkisian’s play-calling, the offensive line (allowed Manning to be sacked 17 times, ranking 114th in FBS) or the highly touted…
Manning's Job Security
Speculation about Manning’s job security hit a boiling point this week with news that redshirt freshman backup KJ Lacey would take more first-team reps this week.
Verdict: Sell
Verdict: Sell.
John Mateer
Next game: Saturday, at Ole Miss.
Mateer's Mistake
A clutch end-of-game drive to beat Texas in the Red River Rivalry was a Band-Aid fix for the Sooners quarterback.
Mateer's Turnovers
With a chance to replicate that moment down one with 1:26 left against Kentucky, Mateer threw an awful pick-six, his third interception of the day.
Mateer's Stats
He has as many turnovers (nine) as he does total touchdowns this season, is bringing nothing to the table as a runner (usually a strength of his) and the Oklahoma offense is suffering as a…
Oklahoma's Rank
The Sooners rank dead last (138th!) in yards per carry. But still, Oklahoma is also 64th in the Power 4 and 114th in FBS in scoring, having not scored more than 14 points in four…
Verdict: Sell
Verdict: Sell.
Bryce Underwood
Next game: Saturday, vs. Indiana.
Underwood's Struggles
Four straight scoreless quarters for the Michigan offense were enough for Kyle Whittingham to bail from Underwood on Saturday in favor of true freshman Tommy Carr.
At a glance
Sports Illustrated evaluates 10 high-profile college quarterbacks needing bounce-back games, with some projected for sale and others for buy.
