Top 25 QB rankings entering Week 12 of college football

There’s a big mover in the Top 10 of the On3 Top 25 quarterback rankings entering Week 12. Plus, there’s another quarterback challenging for the No. 1 spot.

Other than the movement within the ranking, only one player dropped out/moved in to the rankings. The conference breakdown is as follows: Eight from the SEC, six from the Pac-12, four Big Ten, three from the Big 12, two from the ACC, one Group of 5 quarterback and Sam Hartman.

Check out the full On3 Top 25 quarterbacks heading into Week 12 below.

1. Caleb Williams, USC

Williams and USC lost a fourth game in the last five contests, a once promising season spinning fully off the tracks. And Williams wasn’t at his best on Saturday night.

He completed just under 56% of his passes for 291 yards and touchdown, while rushing for another. he also caught a pass for 15 yards.

2. Jayden Daniels, LSU

Daniels, the likely Heisman front runner at this point, is close to cracking the top spot on this list. If he manages to have another historic performance, it’s almost assured he’ll be atop these rankings.

Daniels accounted for 606 yards (!) of total offense and five touchdowns against Florida. And he does it while completing at a high percentage and pushing the ball downfield — no one in college football has delivered week-in, week-out like Daniels of late.

3. Michael Penix Jr., Washington

Penix and Washington survived a major test to remain undefeated. The Huskies staved off Utah on Saturday afternoon, as Penix picked up his play some.

While his 57% completion rate isn’t stellar, Penix accounted for 332 passing yards and three total touchdowns. It was also his first interception-free game in a month.

4. Drake Maye, North Carolina

Maye and North Carolina won a barn-burning against in-state rival Duke. Maye was, of course, integral to the winning effort.

He completed 65% of his passes for 342 yards and a touchdown, plus an interception, but added a pair of rushing touchdowns to help his squad prevail in double overtime. Maye’s ability to attack defenses on the ground along with his arm continues to serve him well.

5. Bo Nix, Oregon

Nix continued on his torrid pace in 2023, eclipsing 400 passing yards this past weekend. And he’s got Oregon looking on-track for a berth in the Pac-12 championship game.

Nix completed 23-of-31 passes for 412 yards and four touchdowns, plus no interceptions. It was his first game without a rushing touchdown since Oct. 14.

6. Carson Beck, Georgia

Beck and Georgia got back star tight end Brock Bowers after a high ankle sprain and the offensive attack rolled on. As Bowers gets healthier, Beck and the Bulldogs should only get better.

Beck didn’t need to do much as the run game roared to life this past Saturday, too. Beck went 18-of-25 for 306 yards and two touchdowns, but did throw an interception.

7. Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma

Coming off a disappointing loss, Oklahoma and Gabriel shredded. In a blowout win, Gabriel accounting for eight total touchdowns.

The Sooners signal caller completed 23-of-36 attempts for 423 yards and five touchdowns, plus no interceptions. He rushed 11 times for 50 more yards and three touchdowns.

8. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

It was another close loss for Colorado, which now needs to win the final two games of the season to get bowl eligible. And Sanders will likely need to shine for that to happen.

Sanders completed 22-of-35 pass attempts for 262 yards and two scores in the loss. He’s also gone three-straight games without throwing an interception.

9. Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Milroe has surged in the second half of the season, a far cry from his benching in Week 3. He torched the Kentucky defense on Saturday, accounting for six total touchdowns.

Milroe still has plenty of room to grow as a passer, but his ability to make an explosive play happen every single time he has the ball gives Alabama a distinct threat on offense. And one that it’s begun to rev into higher gears with.

10. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

Michigan did its best impression of a service academy in the second half against Penn State, rushing the ball 32-straight times to end the game. There was a pass attempt by McCarthy in that span, but a defensive pass interference call wiped out the play.

As such, McCarthy’s final passing line: 7-of-8 for 60 yards. Unable to hang with the pure speed of Penn State’s pass rush with five linemen, Michigan chose not to put McCarthy in precarious spots and ground out a win.

Quarterbacks No. 11 through 25

11. Jordan Travis, Florida State
12. Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
13. Brady Cook, Missouri
14. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
15. Kyle McCord, Ohio State
16. DJ Uiagalelei, Oregon State
17. Cameron Ward, Washington State
18. Drew Allar, Penn State
19. Sam Hartman, Notre Dame
20. Quinn Ewers, Texas
21. Joey Aguilar, Appalachian State
22. Graham Mertz, Florida
23. Will Howard, Kansas State
24. Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland
25. Joe Milton, Tennessee

Howard (No. 23) climbs into the Top 25 ranking at this late stage. He fills the spot opened by Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke.