Big 12 QB Rankings Week 7: Mestemaker Rises to No. 2 Ahead of Battle Against Weigman

Drew Mestemaker climbs to the No. 2 spot in our Big 12 quarterback power rankings ahead of Oklahoma State's ranked clash at Houston.

OSU quarterback Drew Mestemaker (17) warms up before an NCAA football game between the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Cowboys and the University of Central Florida (UCF) Knights at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Individual performances overshadowed quarterback duels in Week 6 of the 2026 Big 12 football season.

Late on Friday night, Bear Bachmeier put together one of the best performances of his career in a 24-10 win against Iowa State. Early on Saturday, Noah Fifita pieced together his first 300-yard passing effort against a Big 12 foe this season in Arizona's 52-31 win at West Virginia.

The closest semblance to a quarterback duel in Week 6 occurred in Oklahoma State's 42-28 win over UCF. Drew Mestemaker threw for over 300 yards for the fourth time this season while Keyone Jenkins kept the Knights in the game with a 30-of-42 effort in the air for 265 yards and four touchdowns.

The meeting between Conner Weigman and Avery Johnson resulted in a one-sided 35-16 win for Houston. Weigman threw four touchdown passes against the Kansas State defense while Johnson couldn't keep his offense at the same pace as Houston's.

Week 7 offers a pair of ranked matchups in the Big 12, both of which should feature terrific quarterback duels.

Bear Bachmeier and No. 8 BYU host CJ Carr and No. 2 Notre Dame at LaVell Edwards Stadium, and both must brave a stout opposing defense. Drew Mestemaker and Conner Weigman clash in the matchup between No. 18 Oklahoma State and No. 20 Houston, a game where both teams could easily break into the 40s.

Below, we rank the eight best quarterbacks in the Big 12 entering Week 7 of the 2026 college football season.

8. Michael Hawkins Jr.

Rough showings and bye weeks from other quarterbacks keep Hawkins Jr. in this week’s rankings. He ran for 98 yards and a touchdown on Arizona’s defense, but his inconsistencies through the air have hurt West Virginia in two of its three Big 12 losses.

The Mountaineers’ third conference home game is against Cincinnati (Noon EDT, TNT). The Bearcats were volatile against run-heavy offenses in their first five games.

7. Avery Johnson

Oct 10, 2026; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson (2) gets away from Houston Cougars linebacker Sione Fotu (12) during the second quarter at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kansas State’s offense put together a rough showing in its loss to Houston. Johnson was an inconsistent 16-of-30 for 182 yards and two second-half touchdowns, and he threw an interception on an ill-advised pass to Josh Manning early in the fourth quarter.

Kansas is the next test for Johnson in Big 12 play (Noon EDT, FS1). The Jayhawks are coming off a brutally bad defensive performance in a road loss to Utah.

6. DJ Lagway

Baylor’s bye was in Week 6. Lagway only played in three of the Bears’ first five contests due to injury, accumulating 860 yards, eight touchdowns and a pair of interceptions while guiding his team to a 2-1 record.

The Bears return to McLane Stadium for a rivalry matchup against TCU in Week 7 (7 p.m. EDT, FS1). The Horned Frogs have yet to allow an opposing offense to break 350 yards, but they are still searching for their first Power Four victory.

5. Conner Weigman

Oct 10, 2026; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman (1) waits for the snap from offensive lineman Anthony Boswell (52) during the fourth quarter at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Weigman connected with tight end Patrick Overmyer for all four of his touchdown passes in Houston’s victory at Kansas State. In addition to the connection with Overmyer, Weigman found both Amare Thomas and Koby Young on deep pass plays in the first half.

No. 18 Oklahoma State is the next major test for Houston in conference play (7:30 p.m. EDT, Fox). The Cowboys allowed Keyone Jenkins to sling the ball around in their win over UCF, so another strong night may lie ahead for Weigman.

4. Bear Bachmeier

Bachmeier took over the offense in LJ Martin’s absence during BYU’s win against Iowa State. He aired the ball out for 329 yards and two touchdowns while leading the Cougars on the ground with 109 yards, icing the game with a 39-yard run in the final minutes.

The Cougars play their toughest test of the season against Notre Dame this weekend (7:30 p.m. EDT, ABC). None of the previous six offenses the Fighting Irish faced accumulated 300 yards of offense against them.

3. Devon Dampier

Oct 10, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) warms up prior to game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dampier turned the ball over twice in Utah’s 41-24 win against Kansas: first on a strip sack, then on an underthrown interception. He mostly hit on shorter passes in his 238-yard, three touchdown evening, and his 71-yard output on the ground was his best of the season.

The Utes travel to Colorado for their Week 7 matchup (10:15 p.m. EDT, ESPN). The defense kept the Buffaloes in games against Baylor and Texas Tech, but neither of those teams can run the ball the way Utah has through its first five games.

2. Drew Mestemaker

Mestemaker consistently worked the middle and left side of the field in Oklahoma State’s win over UCF. He finished the afternoon 19-of-28 for 304 yards and two touchdowns, and all six receivers he connected with had a play of 20 yards or more.

The Cowboys head to No. 20 Houston for their first ranked matchup of Big 12 play (7:30 p.m. EDT, Fox). Houston’s defense played its best game against an FBS quarterback last week but has shown susceptibility to big pass plays, particularly in non-conference games against Oregon State and Georgia Southern.

1. Noah Fifita

Oct 10, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (1) celebrates with Arizona Wildcats running back Antwan Roberts (44) after a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The early interceptions are still a concern for Fifita; a tipped pass deep in Arizona territory resulted in a first down for West Virginia at the 3-yard line at the beginning of the second quarter. Fifita finished the day 16-of-23 for 341 yards and three touchdowns with multiple highlight reel passes to Isaiah Mizell in the Wildcats’ 52-31 win.

Cumulatively, Fifita has thrown for 1,756 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions in the six games before Arizona’s bye. Iowa State's defense is Fifita's first test out of the bye.