Every QB WVU Will Face This Season, Ranked From Worst to Best

West Virginia will have their hands full this season, facing some of the best quarterbacks the Big 12 has to offer. There are also a few opponents who have yet to decide on a starter and could see a bit of a rotation, which could make life difficult in game prep.

Who is the best signal caller the Mountaineers will face? I ranked all "12" of them below.

Note, there are some schools where two are listed, hence the quotes around the twelve.

No. 12: Julian Calvez (UT Martin)

Grambling's Julian Calvez during their game against Pine Bluff Saturday afternoon, November 5, 2022, at the Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium at Grambling State University. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It looks like Calvez will be the starter for the Skyhawks this season after spending the last three years as a backup. In 189 career attempts, he's completed just 43.9% of his passes.

No. 11: Trever Jackson/Deuce Bailey (Coastal Carolina)

Jackson transferred in after pit stops at Florida State and Arkansas, where he was a backup. Bailey has the potential to be a dynamic dual-threat, but is still young and has to continue to develop. Wouldn't be surprised if Bailey is their guy, considering he spent last season with head coach Ryan Beard at Missouri State.

No. 10: Jaden Craig (TCU)

Sep 28, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of a TCU Horned Frogs helmet against the Kansas Jayhawks during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

I'm a little conflicted on where to put Craig. I think he'll fit in just fine with TCU and have the best year of his career with a stronger supporting cast. But then again, it's a massive jump up from the Ivy League — he played at Harvard.

No. 9: JC French (Cincinnati)

Sep 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Georgia Southern Eagles quarterback JC French IV (12) throws a pass during the first half against the USC Trojans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

French put up decent numbers at Georgia Southern last year; however, he had three pretty forgettable days against James Madison, Southern Miss, and Old Dominion. He'll give the Bearcats a chance each week, but I'm not buying the hype others have built around him.

No. 8: Cole Ballard/Isaiah Marshall (Kansas)

I'm not really sure which direction Lance Leipold will go here. Marshall gives them more of a dual-threat look, but Ballard can run it too. With Ballard having more experience, I assume that's where they'll land to begin the season, but that could change by the time they come to Morgantown in November.

No. 7: Beau Pribula/Eli Holstein (Virginia)

Both Pribula and Holstein have shown they are capable of leading a Power Four offense at their previous stops, so it'll be interesting to see where they land. It looks like Pribula has the edge right now, but it could honestly go either way. Both quarterbacks have upper-level talent, but are prone to turning the ball over.

No. 6: Jaylen Raynor (Iowa State)

You don't really know what you're getting from Raynor on a weekly basis. One week, he looks to be unstoppable with both his arm and his legs, and then the next week, he may miss a bunch of easy throws and turn the ball over multiple times. Consistency is his biggest issue, and if he cleans that up, Iowa State will have a chance to not finish in the bottom two or three of the league.

No. 5: Will Hammond (Texas Tech)

Hammond will be tasked with taking the place of Brendan Sorsby. This isn't some unknown backup that the hope can get the job done; they know he can. The former four-star recruit was one of the guys Joey McGuire made sure to get on a multi-year deal, knowing he would one day be their guy. He is coming off a torn ACL, but appears to be ahead of schedule and could start Week 1. He'll certainly be available by the time WVU heads to Lubbock.

No. 4: Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State)

Some are already touting Mestemaker as the best QB in the league. I understand it to some degree. He looks the part, put up big numbers last year at North Texas, and has continuity with his head coach and several others around him. My only hesitation is that he didn't look all that great against the two best teams they played last year, South Florida and Tulane.

No. 3: Conner Weigman (Houston)

After struggling to put it all together at Texas A&M, Weigman finally found his stride last year with the Cougars. He threw for 2,705 yards and 25 scores while rushing for 700 yards and 11 touchdowns. Now, a full year at Houston under his belt, he should be even more comfortable and put up even bigger numbers.

No. 2: Devon Dampier (Utah)

Dampier answered a ton of questions last year about his ability to throw the ball, improving his completion percentage by nearly six full points and cutting down his interception total from 12 to five. As far as true dual-threats go, he is arguably the best in the Big 12. He's thrown for 5,783 yards and rushed for 2,329 in his career.

No. 1: Noah Fifita (Arizona)

Fifita bounced back with a huge 2025 campaign after a surprising down year in 2024. With superstar WR Tetairoa McMillan in the NFL, he managed to spread the ball around and tossed for 3,228 yards and 29 touchdowns. West Virginia defensive coordinator Zac Alley better have some answers in the secondary before the Wildcats make their way in.

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