College Football QB Power Rankings: Pitt freshman star Mason Heintschel surges to No. 1

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Most of college football still has no idea who Pitt quarterback Mason Heintschel is, but that will likely change in November. The Panthers close the season with three games against teams currently ranked in the top 15, which will provide their star freshman a chance to introduce himself to the nation.

Heintschel is 4-0 since taking over the starting job on Oct. 4, and he just earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors for the second time. His 423 yards in last week's 53-34 win over NC State set a freshman record at Pitt. It would be one thing if Heintschel were a former five-star prospect who was pursued by a long list of Power Four programs.

In that scenario, his breakout would be a bit less surprising. But Heintschel's journey to becoming one of college football's top freshman stars looked much different. The Oregon, Ohio, native was ranked the No. 43 quarterback in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports and chose the Panthers over programs like Akron, Bowling Green and Coastal Carolina.

He was unheralded and overlooked, but Heintschel is making a name for himself and rejuvenating the Pat Narduzzi era at Pitt. The program was just 10-15 over its past two seasons before this year. At 6-2 this year and with Heintschel in the fold, the future suddenly looks much brighter.

These rankings are not a Heisman forecast, draft projection or season-long outlook. They are a real-time reaction to performance, weighing competition, game pressure and production. With that, here are this week's power rankings of college football's top 50 quarterbacks.

1. Mason Heintschel, Pitt

Pitt is 4-0 since Heintschel took over the starting job at the beginning of October. Since then, the unheralded freshman leads the ACC in yards, touchdowns and quarterback rating. In a 53-34 win vs. NC State last week, he became the ACC's first freshman in 30 years to pass for 400+ yards and three touchdowns in the same game. Not bad for a three-star prospect. Last week: 43

2. Haynes King, Georgia Tech

King leads the ACC in rushing touchdowns with 12 and is third in rushing yards with 651. He is the driving force behind Georgia Tech's 8-0 start and is coming off another prolific performance. King threw for a season-best 304 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-16 win over Syracuse. Last week: 4

3. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

Mendoza had an easy day at the office in Indiana's 56-6 win over UCLA, tossing three touchdowns in two and a half quarters of work. That was enough to keep him atop the national leaderboard in passing touchdowns at 24 as the Hoosiers hit the road for consecutive road games against Maryland and Penn State. Last week: 2

4. Julian Sayin, Ohio State

Sayin leads the nation in passing efficiency and completion percentage (80%) as Ohio State prepares to host Penn State. The redshirt freshman is leaving little doubt over why he was ranked the No. 1 quarterback in the Class of 2024 by the 247Sports Composite. Last week: 3

5. Ty Simpson, Alabama

Ty Simpson was just 16 of 34 at one point, but he delivered in the clutch during Alabama's win at South Carolina last week. What else is new? The redshirt junior is in his first season as a starter but brings the poise of an NFL veteran during decisive moments. He is up to 20 touchdowns with just one interception for the season. Last week: 1

6. Marcel Reed, Texas A&M

Reed threw a couple of interceptions in the first half but ran for a career-high 108 yards in Texas A&M's bludgeoning of LSU on the road last week. The Aggies have surrendered just seven sacks all season, which is the fewest of any team in the SEC. That's due in part to Reed's elusiveness and pocket awareness. Last week: 6

7. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss

Chambliss keeps checking off new boxes on his storybook ride from unheralded Division II transfer to SEC starting quarterback. His latest accomplishment was a top-15 road win at Oklahoma. Chambliss surpassed 300 yards passing for the fourth time in six starts while outperforming OU's John Mateer. Last week: 13

8. Bear Bachmeier, BYU

Bachmeier continues to show why he was the first BYU true freshman to ever start a season opener. His latest conquest was a 307-yard passing performance in a road win over an Iowa State team that had gone 21 straight games without allowing an opposing QB to reach 300 yards. He also leads the Cougars in rushing touchdowns with nine. Last week: 14

9. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati

The Big 12 is deep with great quarterbacks, and Sorsby is right there with the best of them. He led the Bearcats to a seventh straight victory with his seventh straight interception-free performance last week against Baylor. It was a statistically underwhelming effort — Sorsby threw for just 111 yards — but he added 85 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Last week: 5

10. Dante Moore, Oregon

Moore was unspectacular in Oregon's 21-7 win over Wisconsin last week as he completed just 9 of 15 passes for 86 yards without a touchdown. But that was largely a byproduct of the Ducks' conservative, run-heavy approach. His body of work — highlighted by 19 touchdowns and just four interceptions — remains impeccable. Last week: 9

11. Gunner Stockton, Georgia

Stockton has scored as a runner in five of seven games while using his legs to provide a level of dynamic quarterback play that was missing for the Bulldogs during Carson Beck's tenure at UGA. He was unflappable in victories over top-15 foes Tennessee and Ole Miss and has been intercepted just once so far in his first season as the starter. Last week: 10

12. Jayden Maiava, USC

Maiava is fifth nationally in passing efficiency and leads the Big Ten in yards per attempt at 10.2. With a couple of home run threats established at receiver in Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane, the Trojans are poised to continue putting up big passing numbers. Maiava's draft stock will be interesting to monitor, as he's well-positioned for a potential rise if he can close the season with a bang. Last week: 11

13. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt

Pavia was his usual, gritty self in Vanderbilt's 17-10 win over Missouri. It wasn't perfect, but he presided over a winning operation. You won't find his name atop the national rankings in any major statistical categories, but the counting stats don't begin to explain Pavia's impact on a Commodores team nearing the doorstep of a CFP appearance. Last week: 8

14. Byrum Brown, South Florida

Brown and the South Florida offense cooled off at the wrong time, as the Bulls faded late in a 34-31 loss at Memphis last week. But he still totaled a whopping 390 yards and three touchdowns as a passer and runner. USF harbors legitimate CFP aspirations thanks largely to one of the sport's most dynamic QBs. Last week: 7

15. Joey Aguilar, Tennessee

Aguilar extended his edge as the SEC's leader in passing yards by throwing for a season-best 396 in Tennessee's 56-34 win at Kentucky. The former App State gunslinger has returned the vertical explosiveness to the Volunteers' passing game. His 31 completions of 20+ yards are tied for tops in the league. Last week: 15

16. Conner Weigman, Houston

Weigman is making a name for himself in a conference full of great quarterbacks. He was tabbed the league's offensive player of the week for the second straight week after helping Houston reach 7-1 (4-1 Big 12) with a 24-16 win at Arizona State. The Texas A&M transfer threw for 201 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 111 yards and another two scores. Last week: 25

17. Evan Simon, Temple

Temple's new staff wanted Trinidad Chambliss, who ended up at Ole Miss. But Simon is working out quite well as a holdover from the prior regime. He is up to 21 touchdowns without an interception and has guided the Owls to within one win of reaching bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019. Last week: 34

18. Blake Horvath, Navy

Horvath is once again feasting on AAC defenses. He totaled season highs in rushing yards (174) and touchdowns (four) during Navy's 42-32 win at FAU last week. Navy's finishing stretch is absolutely brutal, but Horvath's playmaking will give the Midshipmen a chance to pull an upset or two. Last week: 30

19. Josh Hoover, TCU

Hoover is prone to the occasional head-scratching misfire. But he was interception-free in a pair of tight wins over Baylor and West Virginia the last two weeks. TCU has a bye this week before a tough finishing stretch against four of the Big 12's best teams that will require Hoover to be dialed in. Last week: 12

20. Demond Williams, Washington

Williams flushed the frustration of a poor showing from a loss to Michigan and rebounded by torching Illinois for 280 yards and four touchdowns. The undersized sophomore is also skilled in the art of running around and making things happen with his legs. Last week: 37

21. Darian Mensah, Duke
Last week: 24

22. Joe Fagnano, UConn
Last week: 17

23. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
Last week: 19

24. Drew Mestemaker, North Texas
Last week: unranked

25. Avery Johnson, Kansas State
Last week: 36

26. Carson Beck, Miami
Last week: 38

27. Alonza Barnett III, James Madison
Last week: 40

28. Sam Leavitt, Arizona State
Last week: 16

29. Anthony Colandrea, UNLV
Last week: 29

30. Taylen Green, Arkansas
Last week: 18

31. John Mateer, Oklahoma
Last week: 20

32. Jalon Daniels, Kansas
Last week: 21