Ranking the opposing quarterbacks BYU football will face in 2026
Aug 3, 2026, 3:15 PM
PROVO – BYU football will look to slow down some talented quarterbacks in 2026.
The BYU defense will be led by a new defensive coordinator, Kelly Poppinga, this season. Quarterbacks play a large role in college football in determining the strength of an opponent.
The list of quarterbacks who BYU will potentially face this season includes a lot of transfers, as you would expect in this era of the sport.
Here’s a ranking of the opposing quarterbacks BYU will face from No. 12, all the way to the toughest signal-caller at No. 1.
12. Deacon Hill, Utah Tech
September 5 in Provo
Former Wisconsin and Iowa quarterback is healthy after missing all of last year due to an injury. Utah State transfer CJ Tiller is also in the mix, but we will give the nod to Hill, who started four of the first five games for the Trailblazers in 2024.
11. Cole Ballard/Isaiah Marshall, Kansas
November 21 at David Booth Stadium
The most up-for-grabs quarterback battle in the Big 12 likely resides in Lawrence this year. Either Cole Ballard or Isaiah Marshall will get the nod to replace Jalon Daniels at quarterback.
Ballard isn’t much of a dual-threat, while Marshall can run.
10. Hauss Hejny, Colorado State
September 19 at Canvas Stadium
Former TCU and Oklahoma State quarterback Hauss Hejny is expected to be the starting quarterback to kick off the Rams’ new era in the Pac-12.
It was only one game, but Hejny looked good in his one start for Oklahoma State last year before suffering a season-ending injury.
9. Jaylen Raynor, Iowa State
October 9 in Provo
Raynor steps into a new-look Iowa State program after formerly being the starter at Arkansas State. A dual-threat quarterback, if the Cyclones are going to have any pop on offense this year, it has to come from Raynor.
8. Cutter Boley, Arizona State
October 31 in Provo
Arizona State brings in Cutter Boley from the Kentucky Wildcats. Boley started 10 games last year for Kentucky. Could Kenny Dillingham turn Boley into a star quarterback as he did Sam Leavitt when he transferred from Michigan State?
7. JC French, Cincinnati
November 28 in Provo
French transfers to Cincinnati after two years as a starter for Georgia Southern. He has a big arm, passing for 5,760 yards over the past two seasons.
6. DJ Lagway, Baylor
November 14 in Provo
Which Lagway shows up in Waco? The one that looked to be a face of college football after his freshman season in Florida, or the injury-plagued sophomore campaign?
He’s healthy now. He inherits a Baylor offense that was in the top-five nationally in passing a season ago.
5. Alonza Barnett, UCF
October 24 at Acrisure Bounce House
There’s only one quarterback on this list who has reached the College Football Playoff; that’s Alonza Barnett.
Barnett takes over in Orlando after earning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year honors last season at James Madison, a year that saw the Dukes reach the College Football Playoff. He’s 21-6 overall as a starting quarterback.
4. Jaden Craig, TCU
October 3 at Amon G. Carter Stadium
It’s a new era at quarterback in Cowtown. Josh Hoover is off to Indiana, with former Harvard QB Jaden Craig stepping in as the starter.
Craig was an Ivy League first-team QB last season, passing for 2,889 yards.
The senior Craig has good size at 6-3, 230 pounds. He joins TCU with new offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis, who comes over to Ft. Worth after a successful run at UConn. Craig could be a pleasant surprise in the Big 12 this year.
3. Devon Dampier, Utah
November 7 at Rice-Eccles Stadium
Last year, when Devon Dampier transferred to Utah from New Mexico, the big question was ball security. He passed with flying colors, with a 5-1 TD-INT ratio, while also showing his dual-threat ability by rushing for 835 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Dampier played through injuries last season, including in the loss at BYU last October.
The 5-foot-11, 210-pound senior should be better this year.
2. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
October 17 in Provo
In his first full season as the starting quarterback for the Irish, he led Notre Dame to a 10-2 record. He tossed 24 touchdowns to only six interceptions.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Carr is viewed as a potential first-round pick in the 2027 NFL draft, in large part because of his poise in the pocket. It’s been 20 years since the Irish had a signal-caller selected in the first round of the draft. That was Brady Quinn, who happens to be the last Notre Dame QB to lead an Irish team into a game at BYU in Provo.
1. Noah Fifita, Arizona
September 12 in Provo, 1:30 p.m. (MT)
Arizona’s communications staff kicked off the Noah Fifita for Heisman campaign at the Big 12 Media Days earlier this month. It might seem far-fetched, but don’t be surprised to see Fifita take off with an even better year this season, after being the first-team All-Big 12 QB a year ago.
Fifita passed for 3,228 yards and 29 touchdowns a season ago in the first year with Seth Doege as offensive coordinator. For once, there’s actual continuity for Fifita with Doege returning as offensive playcaller, and the two are in lockstep for what should be an explosive Arizona attack.
Arizona head coach Brent Brennan said the BYU-Arizona game will be the best game in America in week two of the college football season. In large part because of the star power at QB, led by Fifita.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
