Elite 3,900-Yard QB Snubbed From College Football Top 10 Players Rankings

This quarterback missed the cut on a list of the top 10 college football players heading into the 2026 season.

Jan 1, 2026; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) passes the ball Georgia Bulldogs in the fourth quarter during the 2026 Sugar Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Just over three months separate the end of May from the opening weekend of the 2026 college football season.

With much of the top talent from a season ago opting to stay in college as opposed to declaring for the NFL, the starpower across the sport figures to be stronger than it was in 2025.

One of the most exciting quarterbacks to watch in the 2026 season will be Ole Miss starter, Trinidad Chambliss.

The former Ferris State Bulldog led the Rebels to their first College Football Playoff appearance a season ago, finishing with 3,937 yards, 22 touchdowns and three interceptions in the air. The seamless transition from Division II to SEC football, along with his ability to produce on the fly, are among the reasons expectations around Chambliss are high this season.

While he is generally regarded as one of the top quarterbacks in the sport, not everyone holds as high an opinion of Chambliss.

Clark Brooks of On3 released a list of the 100 best players in college football heading into the 2026 season. Chambliss made the list but fell well below the top 10 entries at No. 45 overall, a surprisingly low rank for one of the last four quarterbacks standing in the 2026 College Football Playoff.

Which quarterbacks ranked inside the top 10 players?

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) runs during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dante Moore received the highest ranking of any quarterback at No. 2 overall. Fresh off a season where he threw for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, Moore appeared to be a lock for the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft before he decided to stay in college.

The second quarterback in the list of the top 10 players was Ohio State signal-caller Julian Sayin (No. 8). His 77% completion rate was the highest among college quarterbacks in 2025, but Sayin did not elevate the Buckeyes' offense when it needed it most.

Additionally, Sayin had the luxury of throwing to Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith, the former of whom was selected at No. 4 overall in the 2026 NFL draft. Smith's production throughout his college career should catapult him higher in the 2027 NFL draft than Tate went in 2026.

New LSU starter Sam Leavitt checks in at No. 9 on Brooks' list. Leavitt was among the handful of five-star prospects in the 2026 transfer portal cycle, but his outings against SEC defenses are ones to forget.

In each end of Arizona State's home-and-home with Mississippi State, whose defensive struggles were well-documented each of the last two seasons, Leavitt hovered near a 50% completion rate and threw for under 85 yards. The Sun Devils rallied to take Texas to overtime in the 2025 Peach Bowl, but much of that comeback was completed on the shoulders of Cam Skattebo, not Leavitt.

Arch Manning rounded out On3's top 10 players heading into the 2026 college football season. Much of the hype around Manning stems not only from the momentum he and Texas mustered at the end of last season, but also from his ability to produce with what surrounded him in that stretch. The Longhorns' 2026 portal haul was designed to purposefully strengthen Manning's surroundings this season.