We’re only two weeks into the 2026 college football season, but there are already a number of quarterbacks who look poised to be playing on Sundays next year.
Who has been the most impressive of the bunch?
For “Big Noon Kickoff” analyst Matt Leinart, the answer is USC redshirt junior Jayden Maiava.
Brady Quinn and Matt Leinart break down their most impressive QBs from Week 1
“We haven’t really talked about him much this year. … He doesn’t miss a lot of throws,” Leinart said about Maiava. “Great quarterbacks lift the play of those around them. He’s got a lot of young talent around him.
“I know he [Maiava] hasn’t played anybody, and they’re not really playing anybody for the next two weeks. Oregon is a showdown, and that could be a game-changing game for him.”
Maiava spent the first two years of his collegiate career with the UNLV Rebels (2022-23) before transferring to USC ahead of the 2024 season. He became the Trojans’ starting quarterback in 2025.
Jayden Maiava is in his second season as USC’s starting quarterback. (Photo by Griffin C. Hooper/Getty Images)
Through USC’s first two games this season, Maiava has totaled 635 passing yards, five passing touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 218.2 passer rating while completing 88.9% of his passes. Last season, he totaled a Big Ten-leading 3,711 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 157.8 passer rating while completing 65.8% of his passes. Maiava also rushed for six touchdowns.
When it comes to Brady Quinn’s pick, the “Big Noon Kickoff” analyst is going with Miami Hurricanes redshirt junior Darian Mensah.
“He’s only thrown four incompletions to eight touchdowns,” Quinn said about Mensah. “I realize that it’s Stanford and Florida A&M, but I don’t care who you’re talking about: It’s tough to do that in a live game scenario.”
“Oh, by the way, he may have the best connection in college football with [star wide receiver] Malachi Toney. Keep watching Darian Mensah as he keeps making a case for the 2026 Heisman Trophy Award.”
Miami QB Darian Mensah has played for three different schools in three years. (Photo by Michael Pimentel/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Through Miami’s first two games, Mensah has thrown for 653 yards and eight touchdowns, posted a 271.7 passer rating and completed 91.1% of his passes. He exited both games during the second half with Miami holding an overwhelming lead.
Last season, Mensah totaled 3,973 passing yards, 34 passing touchdowns, six interceptions and a 153.6 passer rating with the Duke Blue Devils while completing 66.8% of his passes. He led the ACC in both passing yards and passing touchdowns.
Miami is Mensah’s third team in as many seasons. He spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career with the Tulane Green Wave (2023-24) before spending the 2025 season at Duke.