Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin led the national Total QBR season ratings after Week 5 with a 92.1, edging Miami’s Darian Mensah, who posted a 92.0. ESPN released its updated ratings for Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks ahead of Week 6.
The ranking uses Adjusted Total Quarterback Rating, a 0-to-100 scale that assesses quarterbacks across all play types and accounts for the strength of the opposing defenses they’ve faced. Sayin’s score put him first among the 15 quarterbacks listed. Mensah trailed by one-tenth of a point.
The top 15 entering Week 6
Alabama’s Keelon Russell ranked third with a 91.0. Notre Dame’s CJ Carr followed at 90.4, and West Virginia’s Michael Hawkins Jr. took fifth at 89.3. Georgia’s Gunner Stockton ranked sixth with an 88.7.
Memphis’ Marcus Stokes came in seventh at 88.0, while Boise State’s Maddux Madsen ranked eighth at 87.3. Indiana’s Josh Hoover followed at 86.4. Northwestern’s Aidan Chiles placed tenth with an 83.7.
North Texas quarterback Tayven Jackson ranked 11th nationally with an 83.3. Illinois’ Katin Houser came next at 83.2, followed by USC’s Jayden Maiava at 82.9. Miami University’s David McComb ranked 14th at 82.8, and Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss rounded out the top 15 with an 82.5.
Jackson’s first season at North Texas
Jackson, a former Tennessee quarterback, entered his first season at North Texas in 2026. Through five starts, the 6-foot-4, 209-pound quarterback completed 119 of 167 passes for 1,519 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions.
He added 55 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 22 attempts. That put him among the top 15 quarterbacks in the ratings entering Week 6.
Jackson played at Tennessee in 2022, appearing in three games. He completed three of four passes for 37 yards and added 10 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown for the Vols.
Tennessee freshman’s rating
Tennessee freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon ranked 90th nationally with a 48.2 QBR in five starts. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound freshman completed 61 of 101 passes for 697 yards and seven touchdowns.
Brandon also gained 130 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns on 53 attempts. His rating and statistics appeared in the updated rankings ESPN released after Week 5.
Dan Harralson of Vols Wire reported the story, dated Oct. 6, 2026, at 5:10 a.m. ET. Readers can follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X, formerly Twitter.