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College Football Passing Leaders Entering Week 1: Heisman Dark Horse Delivers Strong Debut

A Heisman Trophy dark horse candidate delivered the best passing performance of Week 0, while a couple veteran quarterbacks started strong at new schools.
Ryan Young|
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava delivered a standout performance in Week 0, completing 25 of 29 passes for 286 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions while also rushing for a score in a comfortable win over San Jose State. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava delivered a standout performance in Week 0, completing 25 of 29 passes for 286 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions while also rushing for a score in a comfortable win over San Jose State. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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USC TrojansNorth Carolina Tar HeelsSacramento State HornetsEastern Michigan EaglesHawaii Rainbow WarriorsStanford CardinalMemphis TigersNew Mexico State AggiesSan Jose State SpartansUNLV Runnin' Rebels

The 2026 college football season launched last week with a limited Week 0 slate of eight FBS games, but that was enough to generate some notable storylines for several high-profile quarterbacks.

Topping the list was USC fifth-year senior Jayden Maiava, who could find his way into the Heisman Trophy conversation if the Trojans can finally get over the hump in coach Lincoln Riley's fifth season and earn a College Football Playoff berth.

Meanwhile, as is the norm in college football these days, a number of transfer QBs debuted for their new teams -- with varying results.

These were the top 10 passing leaders after Week 0.

Former Michigan quarterback Davis Warren led Stanford to a season-opening win over Hawaii on Saturday in his Cardinal debut.
Former Michigan quarterback Davis Warren led Stanford to a season-opening win over Hawaii on Saturday in his Cardinal debut. (Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

1. Stanford's Davis Warren (310 yards)

Warren hadn't played in a college football game since the end of the 2024 season, when he struggled in nine starts for Michigan before tearing his ACL in the Wolverines' bowl game.

After sitting out last season rehabbing from that injury, Warren is now in his sixth college football season while making his debut for Stanford over the weekend.

He completed 22 of 34 passes for a career-high 310 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions (while adding 31 rushing yards) in a 37-27 win over Hawaii.

That's encouraging, considering Warren never passed for more than 204 yards in any game at Michigan while finishing that 2024 season with 1,199 passing yards, 7 TDs and 9 INTs.

2. UNLV's Jackson Arnold (291 yards)

Arnold is starting for his third different school in three years after bouncing from Oklahoma to Auburn to now UNLV.

He didn't get a win in his debut as the Rebels lost 27-21 to Memphis on Saturday, but Arnold performed solidly while completing 25 of 37 passes for 291 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs and rushing for 54 yards and a score.

Rated a five-star prospect and the No. 4 overall quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class by 247Sports, Arnold is hoping to re-establish his upside after disappointing seasons for the Sooners and Tigers the last two years. He passed for just 1,309 yards, 6 TDs and 2 INTs with 311 yards and 8 TDs rushing in his lone season at Auburn before being benched in late October after a 4-4 start.

3. USC's Jayden Maiava (286 yards)

Maiava had the third-most passing yards across the FBS in Week 0, but he had the best performance overall.

The fifth-year senior was downright unstoppable in USC's 42-26 win over San Jose State, completing 25 of 29 passes for 286 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs while adding a rushing score as well.

Those numbers are even more impressive considering he didn't play the fourth quarter and was without his projected top two wide receivers due to injury. Maiava led USC on five touchdown drives in the seven series he played, staking the team to a 35-3 lead before watching the team's backups and younger players finish out the win.

4. Eastern Michigan's Noah Kim (279 yards)

Kim is another well-traveled veteran quarterback who is actually in his seventh year of college.

After spending four years at Michigan State while not seeing any game action in 2020 or 2021, followed by a season at Coastal Carolina in 2024, he is in his second year as Eastern Michigan's starter.

Kim, who passed for 2,817 yards, 18 TDs and 11 INTs (plus 6 rushing TDs) last year, started 2026 strong by completing 27 of 38 passes for 279 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs (plus a rushing TD) in Eastern Michigan's 28-17 win over Sacramento State.

T-5. Hawaii's Micah Alejado (272 yards)

Alejado was one of the most prolific redshirt freshmen passers in college football last year with 3,106 yards, 24 TDs and 9 INTs. He's back for Hawaii and opened his season Saturday with 269 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs on 30-of-50 passing in a 37-27 loss at Stanford.

Hawaii trailed 23-7 in the fourth quarter before Alejado led the Rainbow Warriors on three straight touchdown drives to take a late 27-23 lead before the Cardinal answered back to seize the game.

T-5. New Mexico State's Trey Hedden (272 yards)

After two seasons at Furman, Hedden debuted as New Mexico State's starting quarterback Saturday in the team's 34-17 loss at Florida State.

The Aggies entered the game as 31.5-point underdogs to the Seminoles yet kept it competitive as Hedden completed 26 of 42 passes for 272 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT. He connected with TK King on a 34-yard catch-and-run touchdown to make it a 10-point game midway through the fourth quarter.

Hedden passed for 2,967 yards, 17 TDs and 13 INTs last season at FCS-level Furman.

7. San Jose State's Luke Weaver (234 yards)

The college football quarterback transfer dominoes saw San Jose State lose former starting QB Walker Eget bolt for Duke in February.

Weaver had already transferred in from Hawaii in January and won the starting job as a redshirt-senior. After a rough three quarters vs. USC on Saturday, Weaver padded his stats in the fourth quarter to finish 21 of 32 for 234 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs, plus a rushing TD in a 42-26 loss.

8. North Carolina's Billy Edwards Jr. (232 yards)

Speaking of well-traveled quarterbacks, Edwards is on his fourth school in six years now after initially signing with Wake Forest, spending three years at Maryland (including one as a starter), an injury-shortened 2025 campaign at Wisconsin and now onto North Carolina.

In his Tar Heels debut, Edwards completed 16 of 28 passes for 232 yards, 0 TDs and 0 INTs in a 15-10 upset win over TCU.

9. Memphis' Marcus Stokes (223 yards)

Stokes is making a big jump this season from Division II West Florida to Memphis, one of the better programs in the AAC.

So far, so good.

In his Tigers debut, he completed 15 of 26 passes for 223 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs and rushed for 45 yards in leading Memphis to a big early win over UNLV, 27-21.

10. Sacramento State's Carson Conklin (222 yards)

Sacramento State is making the leap from the FCS level to FBS this season, joining the MAC.

Conklin, who started for the Hornets as a redshirt-freshman in 2024 before spending last season at Fresno State, is back with the program. He completed 25 of 46 passes for 219 yards, 0 TDs and 1 INT in a 28-17 loss to Eastern Michigan.

Two seasons ago, Conklin set Sacramento State freshman passing records with 2,876 yards and 28 TDs.

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Ryan Young
RYAN YOUNG

Ryan Young joins CFB HQ On SI after 15 years as a college football beat writer, including the last seven years in Los Angeles covering the USC Trojans for Rivals. He previously covered Florida and Coastal Carolina after four years at the Kansas City Star. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland.

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