Bloodied, dazzling and gutsy: How QBs fared in their Week 1 debuts
Bloodied, dazzling and gutsy: How QBs fared in their Week 1 debuts
Austin Curtright, USA TODAY NETWORKSun, September 6, 2026 at 12:10 AM UTC
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Transfer quarterbacks and first-year starters alike reign supreme across college football, and that was proven by some high-tier Week 1 performances from signal callers at new schools.
First-year SEC starters Keelon Russell and Faizon Brandon, two former five-star recruits, also had strong debuts for Alabama and Tennessee, respectively.
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A few other quarterbacks in new places weren’t as lucky to start off on a high note. Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker, who led the country in passing yards last season at North Texas, struggled in the Cowboys’ second consecutive loss to Tulsa, extending the program’s losing streak to a nation-leading 21 games.
Overall, however, the quarterback play across the country was quite strong in Week 1. Here’s a look at the most important signal caller debuts of the opening weekend:
Darian Mensah, Miami
It’s early, but Darian Mensah might have taken over as the Heisman Trophy favorite after putting on a show in Miami’s 45-6 season-opening win over Stanford on Sept. 4.
The Duke transfer completed 27-of-30 passes for 401 yards with five touchdowns, finishing the game with two more touchdown passes than incompletions. Mensah has the pleasure of throwing to both Malachi Toney and fellow Duke transfer Cooper Barkate, and is poised to dominate the ACC once again this season, especially with his group of offensive weapons.
Josh Hoover, Indiana
Blood rushed down Josh Hoover’s face after being on the receiving end of a facemask penalty in the first half, but it wasn’t anything for the TCU transfer, who threw a touchdown pass to Charlie Becker a few plays later.
Hoover wasn’t asked to do much in Indiana’s 52-16 win over North Texas, but he still threw for 231 yards and four touchdowns on 13-of-16 passing. The veteran starter looks like a Heisman candidate and ample replacement for Fernando Mendoza.
Keelon Russell, Alabama
Keelon Russell’s pure talent is virtually unmatched, although he looked like a second-year player making his first career start at times. Still, the former five-star recruit completed 18-of-30 passes for 256 yards in the 48-10 win over East Carolina, while also rushing for 86 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.
Russell needs to learn how to avoid taking so many unnecessary hits, but the talent is undeniable.
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Faizon Brandon, Tennessee
One of the top-ranked recruits of the 2026 class, true freshman Faizon Brandon won the starting job over George MacIntyre in fall camp and was outstanding in his first start against Furman.
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Brandon completed 13-of-17 passes for 226 yards with three touchdowns against Furman, an FCS program. The talented 6-foot-4 freshman also rushed for 68 yards with two touchdowns.
It was against an overmatched team, but if Brandon can be this good against SEC opponents, then Tennessee’s ceiling rises significantly.
Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
Mestemaker and new-look Oklahoma State maybe forgot to show up against in-state rival Tulsa on the road. Mestemaker, regarded as one of the best-returning passers in college football, was held to 29-of-49 passing for 241 yards with a touchdown to two interceptions in the 24-10 loss.
The Cowboys' nation-leading loss streak to is up 21 games and has now lost back-to-back games against the Golden Hurricane. And it likely won't get broken anytime soon, with a bout against Oregon upcoming next week.
More rough times could be ahead for the Cowboys and first-year coach Eric Morris.
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DJ Lagway, Baylor
DJ Lagway pulled Baylor within one point with less than 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter on a touchdown pass to Gavin Freeman, but the Bears opted for the 2-point conversion and missed by mere inches, losing to Auburn 17-16.
Lagway battled an ankle injury and completed 27-of-54 passes for 333 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in the loss. He had some encouraging moments, but ultimately didn't lead Baylor's offense to enough points.
Byrum Brown, Auburn
Byrum Brown will have plenty of critiques when he goes to watch the tape against Baylor. The first-year transfer from South Florida completed 26-of-35 passes for 259 yards, but made some poor decisions with three interceptions.
The dual-threat quarterback scrambled 21 times for 27 yards and was mostly stopped by the Bears — outside of his game-winning 11-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He was technically good enough to win, but he'll need to be a lot better moving forward for Auburn.
Rocco Becht, Penn State
Veteran starter Rocco Becht was as advertised in Penn State's opening-season win against Marshall, completing 13-of-18 passes for 271 yards with four touchdowns.
The first-year Iowa State transfer doesn't offer a super high ceiling, but he'll be efficient, as he has been for numerous seasons under now-Nittany Lions coach Matt Campbell. Marshall is far from being on Penn State's level, but it was a solid start for the experienced quarterback.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bloodied, dazzling and gutsy: How QBs fared in their Week 1 debuts
Source: “AOL Sports”
