Pac-12 QB rankings: Boise State, Texas State and Washington State are well positioned with quality and depth

The rebuilt Pac-12 becomes official in a little more than two weeks and returns to competition in a little less than three months. It will feature six new teams, three new head coaches and, notably, four new starting quarterbacks.

Washington State, Utah State, Colorado State and Fresno State are expected to lean on passers who made use of the transfer portal last winter.

Boise State, Texas State, San Diego State and Oregon State have known commodities.

All eight teams will be challenged if their QB1 is unavailable for any duration — and that, folks, is the impetus for our Pac-12 Quarterback Comfort Quotient rankings (QBCQ), which take into account both the quality of the starter and the reliability of the backup.

After all, QB2 is the least important player on any team … until he’s the most important.

(In some cases, the starters and/or backups are projections.)

1. Boise State
Starter: Maddux Madsen
Backup: Max Cutforth
Comment: With 834 career attempts and 50 touchdown passes, Madsen is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the conference and certainly the most accomplished, with multiple Mountain West titles and a playoff appearance on his resume. Cutforth might be the best backup in the Pac-12. He replaced the injured Madsen in November and, after a rough start, played well in the critical final weeks to secure a spot in the MW championship. Relative to most teams, the Broncos have an embarrassment of riches at the position that matters most.

2. Texas State
Starter: Brad Jackson
Backup: Shaker Reisig
Comment: Fans of the two holdover Pac-12 schools and the five Mountain West transplants might not be familiar with Jackson, so here’s what you need to know: The dual-threat sophomore just might be the best quarterback in the conference. He rushed for 17 touchdowns last season and passed for 21 and should be even better with the full year of experience and coaching staff continuity. We considered slotting the Bobcats on top, but Reisig remains an unknown commodity after playing sparingly for Boston College last year.

3. Washington State
Starter: Caden Pinnick
Backup: Julian Dugger
Comment: Although it didn’t generate much attention, Pinnick’s move from UC Davis to Washington State was one of the most significant transfer decisions of the offseason in the rebuilt Pac-12. Yes, the Cougars were fairly desperate for a quarterback, but that’s not the only reason. Pinnick is better than his FCS background would suggest. Also, there’s every reason to believe he will flourish under coach Kirby Moore’s tutelage. Dugger has attempted just 19 career passes.

4. San Diego State
Starter: Jayden Denegal
Backup: Stone Saunders
Comment: Experience isn’t the issue for Denegal, who began his career in 2022 as a Michigan backup, then transferred before last season and started the Aztecs. Instead, the twin challenges are consistency and efficiency: He completed just 59 percent of his attempts in 2025 and had almost as many interceptions (eight) as touchdown passes (nine). Can coach Sean Lewis tap into Denegal’s considerable raw talent? If so, the Aztecs will contend for the title. Saunders was on Kentucky’s roster last season but did not play.

5. Utah State
Starter: McCae Hillstead
Backup: Kaleb Maryland
Comment: Hillstead was named the starter by coach Bronco Mendenhall in April, so there is no guessing required with the Aggies. His career began in Logan in 2023, before a two-year stint for Brigham Young, then a return to his former home. We suspect he will mesh with veteran playcaller Robert Anae and provide Utah State with more effective quarterback play than many expect.

6. Oregon State
Starter: Maalik Murphy
Backup: Braden Atkinson
Comment: Murphy did not make the anticipated impact for the Beavers last season after his tenures at Duke and Texas, but we attribute much of his modest performance to the coaching and roster shortcomings that swallowed OSU’s season. The new playcaller, Mitch Dahlen, is a disciple of Kalen DeBoer and will attempt to revitalize an aerial game that struggled last season. The potential exists for this projection to look foolish by November. But if Murphy struggles, the Beavers have a solid option in Atkinson, who threw 34 touchdown passes for Mercer (FCS) last season.

7. Colorado State
Starter: Hauss Hejny
Backup: K’saan Farrar
Comment: Hejny might be a familiar name for college football junkies — he was part of the Oklahoma State quarterback competition last summer but did not win the job for a team that went winless in Big 12 play. So yes, he has much to prove for Jim Mora Jr. and the Rams. The same goes for Farrar, who played sparingly for UConn last fall and followed Mora to Fort Collins. Our hunch: The quarterback who powers CSU’s eventual turnaround under Mora is not currently on the roster.

8. Fresno State
Starter: Khristian Martin
Backup: Jayden Mandal
Comment: If you’re looking for a sleeper QB to emerge, Martin might be the best option. Years ago, he was a coveted recruit with scholarship offers from the likes of Virginia Tech and Texas A&M. He settled on Maryland but served as a backup last year, then opted for a fresh start with the Bulldogs. Mandal will provide competition, however — he has been on the roster for four years and knows coach Matt Entz’s offense.

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*** Previously published Pac-12 content:

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— 100 days to kickoff: Storylines to watch
— Which FBS school would make the cut for a super league
— Pac-12 kickoff times and TV networks are (mostly) set)
— Boise State tops our post-spring Pac-12 forecast for 2026
— Pac-12 aligned with Big 12, ACC in support of Senate bill
— Breaking down Pac-12 finances for FY2025

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