This was an odd weekend of college football without the marquee matchups that were spread throughout each time slate in Week 1. Arch Manning and Texas went from playing Ohio State to San Jose State. Cade Klubnik had to claw Clemson back against Troy. The matchups may not have been exciting, but the Los Angeles Rams were still paying attention. It’s unclear if Les Snead was in attendance, but the Rams did have a presence at the Oklahoma-Michigan game, featuring quarterback John Mateer.
Every week throughout
the college football season, I will be watching some of the top quarterback prospects for 2026 and rating their performances. My ratings will also take into account the opponent that the quarterback faced.
John Mateer, Oklahoma
Mateer ended up in my “others to watch” category last week. With Oklahoma taking on Michigan, this was a must-watch and Mateer rose to the occasion. Mateer wasn’t on the radar for most people coming into the season and Dane Brugler had him as the fifth-best underclassman. It’s very possible that Mateer is this year’s Joe Burrow as a player who enters the scene after being overlooked.
Again, the Rams had a presence at this game. Mateer makes a lot of sense as a Sean McVay quarterback. Mateer can run, but his entire game also isn’t based around running. He wins from the pocket, but can still execute the fun stuff offensively.
The Oklahoma quarterback wasn’t perfect, but finished 21-for-34 for 270 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also led the Sooners in rushing with 19 carries for 74 yards. There may be some PTSD after the last Oklahoma quarterback that the Rams drafted. However, Mateer is someone that I’ll be watching this season.
Player Performance Rating: 7.5/10
You Didn’t ‘F’ It Up
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
It’s hard to evaluate quarterbacks when they’re going up against a team that isn’t on the same level. LSU played Louisiana Tech and Nussmeier did what was expected. He finished 26-for-41 with 237 yards and a touchdown. While he had an interception and was inconsistent, it’s nothing to be concerned over. We’ll be back on Nussmeier in a few weeks when the Tigers take on Ole Miss and are in the SEC schedule.
Player Performance Rating: 7/10
Drew Allar, Penn State
The Nittany Lions have had a cupcake start to their schedule. They played Nevada last week and then steam-rolled FIU. Next week they take on Villanova before hitting the Big Ten slate. Allar wasn’t great, finishing 19-for-33 with 200 yards and two touchdowns. There were moments that Allar could’ve handled better mentally, but the talent is clearly there. The big test will come in two weeks against Oregon.
Player Performance Rating: 7/10
Arch Manning, Texas
After his Ohio State performance, nothing is going to matter for Arch Manning until Texas is in the heart of their SEC schedule. They open against Florida on October 4, but play Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry game the following week. That’s the next big test for Manning. He looked more comfortable against San Jose State, but it was San Jose State.
Player Performance Rating: 7/10
Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Indiana has started the season against Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, and will have Indiana State next week. They finally hit the Big Ten schedule on September 20 against Illinois. There’s a lot to like about Mendoza, but I’m still holding out judgment until the schedule gets more difficult.
Player Performance Rating: 7.5/10
We Expected More
Cade Klubnik, Clemson
It’s easy to say that it shouldn’t be too hard to just get the job done against a lesser opponent. For much of the game on Saturday, it looked like Clemson was going to lose to Troy. Klubnik wasn’t good against Troy and this is very concerning for a quarterback that was expected to take steps forward this year. It’s admirable that Klubnik was able to bring the Tigers back, but it shouldn’t have gotten to that point in the first place.
Player Performance Rating: 5/10
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
To be clear, this isn’t me being out on LaNorris Sellers. There is clearly a quarterback here with a lot of raw athletic talent. However, it’s worth having the conversation on whether or not he would benefit from another year of school. It’s important to remember that these are 20 year old kids and not finished products. Sellers looks like a quarterback with just over a dozen starts.
Player Performance Rating: 5/10
Sam Leavitt, Arizona State
Much like Sellers, Leavitt will probably need to return to school next year. There are simply too many mental mistakes from Leavitt currently. He did well to help get Arizona State back in this game, but there is a lot of room for growth and he needs experience.
Player Performance Rating: 4/10
Welcome to the Watch List
Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
When it comes to college football, it’s important not to solely look at stat lines. Still, Robertson has 859 yards and seven touchdowns to zero interceptions through two games. What happens in two weeks when Baylor takes on Leavitt and Arizona State could be interesting. Robertson will be someone to keep an eye on over the next month.
