The first full weekend of college football is a prime time for overreactions. We’ve been starved for real ball all summer long and now that it’s here, we can jump to conclusions on who’s elite and who’s not.

Using The Athletic’s College QB Tiers — our summer ranking of all 136 projected FBS starters — let’s review some of the risers and fallers at the position after one week of action.

Note: With a couple of exceptions, we excluded players who faced overmatched teams for their season openers. We also included where we had the QBs originally ranked.

Stock upSawyer Robertson, Baylor (Tier 2, 11th overall, 3rd Big 12)

vs. Auburn: 27-of-48 passing, 419 yards, 8.7 YPA, 3 TD, 0 INT

While Baylor’s defense was getting gashed by Auburn to the tune of more than 300 yards, Robertson kept the Bears in the game by slicing up the Tigers’ secondary. Robertson primarily attacked the middle of the field but was able to stretch it outside the hashes for big plays. He had a rough start, completing 12 of his first 26 passes, but finished strong, completing 15 of his last 22.

Sawyer Robertson makes it look pretty pic.twitter.com/s2ctqODzwK

— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) August 30, 2025

Carson Beck, Miami (Tier 2, 12th overall, 3rd ACC)

vs. Notre Dame: 20-of-31 passing, 205 yards, 2 TD, 6.6 YPA, 2 TD, 0 INT

There were plenty of questions about Beck after an underwhelming 2024 season and an elbow injury suffered in the SEC Championship Game. But he looked healthy, poised and much more like his 2023 self in Sunday’s win over Notre Dame. The first touchdown pass — when he scrambled to his left, then fired a strike to Malachi Toney — was perfect. CJ Daniels’ leaping ability may have saved him from a pick on a pass that sailed, but overall, Beck played sound football to beat a top-10 team.

Rocco Becht, Iowa State (Tier 2, 14th overall, 4th Big 12)

vs. South Dakota: 19-of-20 passing, 278 yards, 13.9 YPA, 3 TD, 0 INT

Becht is on this list more for what he did in Week 0 against Kansas State than for his performance against an overmatched South Dakota team on Saturday. In the opener in Ireland, he acquitted himself well in tough conditions in a key conference win over the Wildcats. He dropped two dimes for touchdowns and rebounded from a pair of turnovers to lead the Cyclones to the victory. The veteran’s calm demeanor and resilience shine through for the Cyclones, who are legitimate Big 12 title contenders.

Rocco Becht is one of the more underrated QB’s in the nation for Iowa State.

Pro prospects 📈
pic.twitter.com/DnTGcEvTtg

— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) August 23, 2025

Devon Dampier, Utah (Tier 3, 25th overall, 7th Big 12)

at UCLA: 21-of-25 passing, 206 yards, 8.3 YPA, 2 TD, 0 INT; 16 rushes, 88 yards, 1 rush TD

The Utes needed a quarterback upgrade after their 2024 misfortunes at the position, and Dampier looks to have provided that. Known mostly for his athleticism, which he showed off plenty, Dampier was just as effective throwing it against the Bruins. His scrambles were adventurous, but he avoided the rush to keep passing plays alive and turned them into positives.

Jackson Arnold, Auburn (Tier 4, 35th overall, 9th SEC)

at Baylor: 11-of-17 passing, 108 yards, 6.4 YPA, 0 TD, 0 INT; 16 rushes, 137 yards, 2 rush TD

Arnold’s Auburn debut was promising. He took good care of the football, which was an issue at times at Oklahoma, and took whatever Baylor’s defense gave him. He made the right reads in the run game and made Baylor pay when the Bears didn’t commit to him, picking up first downs and touchdowns. He fits Hugh Freeze’s offense like a glove.

Jackson Arnold was running all over the field in @AuburnFootball‘s win over Baylor 🏃‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/azR1cCRt8D

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 30, 2025

CJ Carr, Notre Dame (Tier 4, 49th overall)

at Miami: 19-of-30 passing, 221 yards, 7.3 YPA, 2 TD, 1 INT, 1 rush TD

In his first career start, Carr showed poise in bringing the Fighting Irish back from a double-digit deficit to tie the game on the road against No. 10 Miami. His first touchdown pass, a 7-yard toss where he scrambled and retreated to nearly the 30, was dazzling. There were mistakes at critical times, and given his youth and the pressure he endured from Miami’s front, those are understandable. But Carr showed a ton of promise.

Joey Aguilar, Tennessee (Tier 5, 60th overall, 15th SEC)

vs. Syracuse: 16-of-28 passing, 253 yards, 9.0 YPA, 3 TD, 0 INT; 6 rushes, 34 yards, 1 fumble lost

The former junior college and Appalachian State starter was terrific in his Tennessee debut. He looked comfortable and confident operating the Vols’ high-paced, veer-and-shoot style offense. His arm strength showed on multiple occasions, including on a 73-yard touchdown to Braylon Staley, which hit the receiver in stride. Aguilar was a threat when scrambling, picking up two first downs on the ground. He never looked panicked or out of sorts. His only major mistake was a fumble on the mesh point when trying to pull for an RPO.

Tommy Castellanos, Florida State (Tier 5, 64th overall, 13th ACC)

vs. Alabama: 9-of-14 passing, 152 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 10.9 YPA, 16 rushes, 78 yards, 1 rush TD

Castellanos’ speed and mobility seemed to be a good fit for Gus Malzahn’s offense, and that was the case on Saturday. Castellanos was slippery, knifing through the Alabama defense with regularity. When dropping back, he was accurate and made solid decisions. His numbers aren’t eye-popping, but he played winning football.

Maverick McIvor, Western Kentucky (Tier 5, 65th overall, 1st CUSA)

vs. North Alabama: 24-of-31 passing, 305 yards, 9.8 YPA, 5 TD, 0 INT

This is another Week 0 star who already has two wins under his belt, leading the Hilltoppers to a conference win over Sam Houston to open the season on Aug. 23. In two weeks, the Abilene Christian transfer leads the nation with 712 passing yards and has eight touchdown tosses with no turnovers.

Parker Navarro, Ohio (Tier 5, 66th overall, 1st MAC)

at Rutgers: 21-of-31 passing, 239 yards, 7.7 YPA, 3 TD, 0 INT; 9 rushes, 93 yards, 1 TD

Navarro and the Bobcats gave a Big Ten team all it could handle before the Scarlet Knights squeaked out the win. Navarro was hard to corral thanks to his escapability and made quick decisions in the passing game, keeping the defense off balance for much of the night.

Brad Jackson, Texas State (Tier 6, 102nd overall, 7th Sun Belt)

vs. Eastern Michigan: 18-of-26 passing, 214 yards, 8.2 YPA, 4 TD, 0 INT; 10 rushes, 46 yards

Jackson beat out multiple Power 4 transfers for the starting job in San Marcos and quickly showed why. He was accurate, mixed in some quality downfield throws with an efficient short game and showed off his dual-threat ability, too.

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Cal (unranked)

at Oregon State: 20-of-30 passing, 234 yards, 7.8 YPA, 3 TD, 0 INT

Sagapolutele, a true freshman who won the offseason QB battle over Ohio State transfer Devin Brown, was one of the biggest revelations of Week 1. Sagapolutele completed his first nine passes and looked sharp and comfortable throwing the ball and operating the offense. Most of his throws were on target, whether delivering from the pocket or throwing on the run. The southpaw is going to be fun to watch this season.

Welcome to College Football moment? 🤯🐻

Cal freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele was perfect on his first drive, finishing it with a 19-yard TD pass to Mason Mini. Golden Bears strike first.@CalFootball | @CalAthletics | #GoBearspic.twitter.com/8eRzEglwoj

— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) August 31, 2025

Stock downCade Klubnik, Clemson (Tier 1, 1st overall, 1st ACC)

vs. LSU: 19-of-38 passing, 230 yards, 6.1 YPA, 0 TD, 1 INT

Klubnik made some great throws, but his decision-making was at times rushed. On the second-to-last drive, Klubnik panicked and nearly turned it over on his own side of the field, trying to get rid of the ball while in the grasp of the defender. His third-quarter interception sailed as he tried to avoid pressure. LSU is a tough opponent, but a 50 percent completion rate and zero touchdowns won’t get it done when trying to contend for a national title.

Arch Manning, Texas (Tier 1, 10th overall, 5th SEC)

at Ohio State: 17-of-30 passing, 170 yards, 5.7 YPA, 1 TD, 1 INT; 10 rushes, 38 yards

Manning’s grand opening was rough. He didn’t look comfortable until well into the second half, and once he did, he unleashed quality throws and moved the offense. But too many times, balls were off target, particularly in critical moments. Some grace is advised considering the environment, that it was his first career road start and against the defending champs. But there’s a lot to clean up in the coming weeks.

Nico Iamaleava, UCLA (Tier 3, 19th overall, 4th Big Ten)

vs. Utah: 11-of-22 passing, 136 yards, 6.2 YPA, 1 TD, 1 INT; 13 rushes, 47 yards

Iamaleava’s return to the West Coast left much to be desired. His accuracy was lacking, but he was under a good bit of pressure all game. He was sacked four times and blitzed on 59 percent of his dropbacks, the seventh-highest rate last week, according to TruMedia. He did flash his running ability and rifled some good throws in from time to time, but there wasn’t enough consistency.

Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati (Tier 3, 20th overall, 5th Big 12)

vs. Nebraska: 13-of-25 passing, 69 yards, 2.8 YPA, 0 TD, 1 INT; 13 rushes, 96 yards, 2 TD

Sorsby was highly thought of by conference peers because of his size and arm talent, but he couldn’t get the passing game going against the Cornhuskers. His rushing ability kept the Bearcats in the game, but a pick in the final minute ended all hopes of an upset.

Maddux Madsen, Boise State (Tier 3, 23rd overall, 1st MWC)

at South Florida: 25-of-46 passing, 225 yards, 4.9 YPA, 1 TD, 0 INT, 11 rushes, 31 yards, 1 fumble lost

Madsen’s first game without star tailback Ashton Jeanty was rough. It wasn’t all on him, as the Broncos were outclassed by a faster USF team that looked more talented. Boise State pass catchers recorded four drops, according to TruMedia. But Madsen was off target quite a bit as well, and his fumble came in the red zone, where he simply dropped it on a rollout without any contact from a defender.

Mark Gronowski, Iowa (Tier 4, 39th overall, 8th Big Ten)

vs. Albany: 8-of-15 passing, 44 yards, 2.9 YPA, 1 TD, 0 INT; 11 rushes, 39 yards, 1 rush TD

Gronowski, the highly regarded South Dakota transfer and NFL hopeful, was underwhelming in his Iowa debut. Of his 15 pass attempts, only three traveled 10 or more air yards according to TruMedia, and he only completed one of those. There was an expectation that he would inject some life into the Iowa passing game.

Preston Stone, Northwestern (Tier 4, 45th overall, 11th Big Ten)

at Tulane: 19-of-36 passing, 160 yards, 4.4 YPA, 0 TD, 4 INT; 1 fumble lost

Stone, an SMU transfer, had about as rough a debut as one could imagine. He suffered a sack/fumble on the first play from scrimmage, which was an omen of things to come. He was under pressure often and turned the ball over five times in a 23-3 loss to the Green Wave. Two years ago, Stone led SMU to a conference title and threw for more than 3,000 yards. But this performance was one to forget.

Zach Calzada, Kentucky (Tier 5, 63rd overall, 16th SEC)

vs. Toledo: 10-of-23 passing, 85 yards, 3.7 YPA, 0 TD, 1 INT

Calzada, a transfer from Incarnate Word and seventh-year quarterback who also had stints at Texas A&M and Auburn, threw an interception off his back foot under pressure, and was tackled for a safety while misreading a crashing defensive end on a read option. He completed only one of his 11 pass attempts of 10 or more air yards.

(Photo of Jackson Arnold: Chris Jones / Imagn Images)