32-TD Star Vaults Past Dante Moore and Arch Manning in Fresh QB Rankings

This Big Ten signal-caller's accuracy and supporting cast push him past two projected first-round picks

This rising redshirt sophomore is widely considered the top quarterback across college football. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2026 college football season carries the kind of quarterback depth analysts have been on waiting for years. Projected Heisman finalists, NFL hopefuls and transfer wild cards fill out a group with real staying power.

USA Today's Paul Myerberg released his post-spring quarterback rankings Thursday morning, and the order at the top raised eyebrows across the sport.

Ohio State's Julian Sayin claimed the No. 1 spot, leapfrogging two of the most talked-about passers in recent memory.

Why Sayin tops the QB rankings

Sayin beat out Oregon's Dante Moore at No. 2 and Texas star Arch Manning at No. 3, despite both being projected as top-of-the-board picks in the 2027 NFL Draft.

The reasoning hinges on production and supporting cast. Sayin completed an FBS-best 77 percent of his throws as a redshirt freshman, the third-highest single-season completion rate in college football history.

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin (10) and the Buckeyes are sure to be one of the top contenders for a national championship run in 2026. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

He also tossed 32 touchdowns, finished fourth in the country in that category and walked away with the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award.

The pieces around him remain intact. Receiver Jeremiah Smith, ranked No. 1 in my returning college football wideouts list, returns as the most dangerous wideout in the country, and former five-star running back Bo Jackson is poised for a heavier workload.

Sayin sits as the lone returning Heisman finalist from 2025, a fact that carries weight in preseason debate.

How Sayin separates from Moore and Manning

The case for Sayin over Moore and Manning becomes clearer when stacked against last season's full body of work.

Sayin posted a 177.46 passer rating, second nationally, and threw only eight interceptions across 14 starts. Manning finished 2025 with 36 total touchdowns but needed a six-game closing surge to salvage his debut as Texas' full-time starter.

Moore's numbers were strong but his finish was rough. Oregon was thumped by Indiana in the College Football Playoff, a result that has lingered through the offseason.

Ohio State QB Julian Sayin had an impressive redshirt freshman campaign and is poised for a breakout season in 2026. He's not a flashy player, but he gets the job done for an offense.

+ Point guard at quarterback
+ Swiftly progresses through reads
+ Excellent short-area accuracy… pic.twitter.com/X5mgAag8Y8

— Drew Collings (@DrewMCollings) May 12, 2026

Sayin's struggles came on the same stage. He was sacked 10 times across losses to Indiana in the Big Ten title game and Miami in the Cotton Bowl, throwing three picks combined.

Still, he passed for 258 and 287 yards in those defeats. CBS Sports analyst Brad Crawford wrote that Sayin "was rarely pressured prior to the Big Ten Championship Game and CFP quarterfinal."

The accuracy floor and roster around him give Sayin a higher baseline than his two rivals. Pro Football Focus has him projected as the No. 1 overall pick in early 2027 mock drafts. In my returning college football quarterbacks ranking, Sayin was also at No. 1 over Moore and Manning.

Sayin and Ohio State open the 2026 season against Ball State at home on Saturday, September 5.