How Backup QBs Are Impacting The Success Or Demise Of College Football Teams

Ole Miss was the 2025 College Football Playoff Cinderella story, but its season easily could have gone the other direction. 

In Week 3 of the 2025 season, Rebels starting quarterback Austin Simmons sustained a knee injury and backup Trinidad Chambliss was called into action. Chambliss stepped up, leading Ole Miss to 10 wins in its next 11 games and a CFP berth. He then helped the Rebels blow out Tulane and upset Georgia to make the CFP semifinal. 

Ole Miss fell to Miami, but Chambliss’ legacy was cemented. 

It’s a narrative college football fans fell in love with because not all backup quarterbacks come through like Chambliss did. 

Fast-forward to 2026, many college football teams are dealing with similar situations to Ole Miss was when Simmons went down. Some, like Ohio State and Oregon, lost their starter to injury. Others, like Michigan and Tennessee, made the tough decision to bench their starter in favor of the backup. Now those backup quarterbacks could determine conference championships and CFP berths, which teams persevere and which fall off. 

Here’s a look at how backup quarterbacks are impacting teams during the 2026 season:

Luke Fahey replaced Julian Sayin after Sayin sustained an injury to his throwing arm (right) with 7:38 remaining in the fourth quarter and helped Ohio State maintain its 19-15 lead. Fahey, a true freshman, earned the opportunity to be the next man up this past offseason. A three-star prospect, Fahey beat out five-star recruit Tavien St. Clair. He appeared in the Buckeyes’ blowout wins over Ball State and Kent State, throwing for 203 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. 

On Tuesday, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day shared that Sayin will be “out indefinitely,” and there’s “a plan” for him not being available for the remainder of the season. So, even after improving to No. 3 in the Associated Press Top 25, the Buckeyes’ College Football Playoff hopes could be in jeopardy as neither Fahey nor St. Clair have experience starting at the collegiate level. For now, Fahey will have the chance to prove he can lead Ohio State to a third-straight 12-team CFP, with his first official game as the starter coming after the bye week against No. 16 USC.

Dylan Raiola first appeared in relief of Oregon starter Dante Moore after Moore sustained a concussion in the second quarter against USC on Sept. 30. Raiola shined, throwing for 289 yards and two touchdowns as the Ducks defeated the Trojans, 41-27. With Moore remaining out, Raiola started Oregon’s first game after its bye against No. 9 UCLA. He struggled mightily, completing just six of 19 passing attempts for 43 yards, while committing three turnovers. He was ultimately benched midgame for third-stringer Brock Thomas as the Ducks fell to the Bruins.

After that dismal performance, Thomas received the start over Raiola against Nebraska last Saturday. But when he failed to operate Oregon’s offense, head coach Dan Lanning turned back to Raiola, who led two scoring drives late in the fourth quarter to complete a comeback victory, nonetheless, against the team he transferred away from. 

Moving forward, Lanning said the Ducks will continue to have a competition at quarterback between Raiola and Thomas. While Raiola has two years of starting experience at Nebraska, whereas Thomas was a walk-on, he hasn’t proven to be consistent. There’s no margin for error with that decision, as Oregon is 4-2 and can’t afford another loss if it wants to qualify for the CFP. With Moore’s status remaining unclear, whoever Lanning continues to choose between Raiola and Thomas will have to prove the coach right to keep the Ducks afloat.

Last week, Carr replaced Michigan starter Bryce Underwood at halftime and led the Wolverines to a 21-18 win over Penn State after a scoreless first half. He was an efficient 5-of-7 for 47 yards and no turnovers, adding 36 yards and a score on the ground. Carr wasn’t called on because of an injury, rather because of Underwood’s lack of production. Underwood completed 58.1% of his passing attempts for 924 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions through six games before getting benched; he threw for 43 yards and two interceptions in the first half against Penn State. 

Carr will reportedly remain Michigan’s starter for the foreseeable future as the Wolverines prepare to play No. 6 Indiana. It’s a stunning development as Underwood was the No. 1 overall quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class, and Michigan reshaped its entire program to attract him. Over one-and-a-half seasons, he’s failed to live up to prior hype. Carr was a four-star recruit in the 2026 class, brought in by new coach Kyle Whittingham. Now that brass will turn the reigns over to him in a last-stitch effort to keep their waning CFP hopes alive. 

On the flip side, it’s seemingly the end of the Bryce Underwood era in Michigan. 

Dieffenbach entered for starter Nico Iamaleava late in the first half of No. 9 UCLA’s Oct. 10 game at Oregon. Dieffenbach threw for 43 yards, playing the role of game manager to maintain the Bruins’ lead as they went on to defeat the Ducks, 17-15. Iamaleava has since been ruled out for the season with a knee injury. Dieffenbach made his first official start in Week 7 against Wisconsin, throwing for 264 yards in the Bruins’ 17-7 win. 

He wasn’t the official backup to Iamaleava at the beginning of the season as head coach Bob Chesney took a “fluid,” “week-to-week” approach to deciding UCLA’s second-string quarterback. Dieffenbach and Madden Iamaleava would essentially battle for the opportunity each week, with Iamaleava receiving snaps in UCLA’s games against Cal and Purdue. But Chesney felt Dieffenbach’s athleticism was fit for the matchup against Oregon, so he inserted him in that game and hasn’t looked back. 

Dieffenbach hadn’t made a start at the FBS level before last Saturday. He started his college career as a backup at Pitt and made seven starts at the FCS level for Cal Poly over the last two seasons before transferring to UCLA.

With the Bruins at 6-0, it’s on Dieffenbach to lead them to the CFP. Against Wisconsin, he executed the offense, leading them on three scoring drives of 90 or more yards. With his efficiency and the Big Ten’s top rushing attack (231.0 yards per game), UCLA looks to be in capable hands.

MacIntyre replaced Faizon Brandon at halftime in Week 5 against Auburn and led three touchdown drives as the Volunteers defeated the Tigers, 24-14. MacIntyre has since remained the starter, lifting No. 11 Tennessee to a win over Arkansas and an upset of No. 13 Alabama. 

MacIntyre was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2025 and took a redshirt year last season with veteran Joey Aguilar playing quarterback. Then, MacIntyre found himself behind Brandon, a five-star recruit in the 2026 recruiting class. But after five games in which Brandon averaged 121.4 passing yards per game, MacIntyre earned his opportunity and ran with it. 

Now, with the Volunteers coming off their biggest win of their season, they control their CFP destiny. MacIntyre is the one pressing the buttons.  

Jones relieved Aaron Philo after Philo sustained an injury during the fourth quarter of Florida’s ugly loss to South Carolina. Philo remained out with a shoulder injury when Florida faced No. 19 Texas last Saturday and Jones stepped up, throwing for 155 yards and two touchdowns. He added 41 yards on the ground. 

Philo was a game-time decision last Saturday, and the Gators are now on a bye week, so he could presumably return against No. 5 Georgia in Week 9. But Jones certainly earned himself a place in the conversation to help No. 20 Florida get back into CFP contention. While Florida’s offense relies heavily on running back Jadan Baugh and a rushing attack that averages 194.3 yards per game, getting the quarterback decision right will be crucial to how Year 1 under Jon Sumrall turns out. 

Hecklinski replaced starter Hank Brown after Brown hurt his shoulder in the fourth quarter against Ohio State in Week 5. Hecklinski led a touchdown drive, but the Hawkeyes fell, 31-14. Brown missed the following game against Washington with an AC joint sprain, and Hecklinski led Iowa to a 41-24 win. His performance — 202 yards and three touchdowns — was enough for head coach Kirk Ferentz to name Hecklinski the starter for Iowa’s game against Minnesota even with Brown healthy after the bye week. 

Brown, who transferred from Auburn before the 2025 season, was decent through the first five games of the season, completing 62.9% of his passes for 832 yards and five touchdowns. But Ferentz said the competition has been close throughout the season, and the Hawkeyes “will just play it as it comes.” So it seems Hecklinski will be the starter for now. Granted, Brown could still regain the job. 

No. 15 Iowa is 5-1 with its only loss coming to No. 3 Ohio State, so Ferentz’s bold decision and Hecklinski’s play moving forward will determine the Hawkeyes’ postseason chances. 

Brown came in for Demond Williams Jr. at halftime as Washington was getting blown out by Iowa in Week 6. He immediately led a touchdown drive and helped the Huskies score 21 points in the second half, despite a lopsided loss. Brown remained the starter the following game against Purdue and threw for 302 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions in a 38-26 victory. 

Turning to Brown is sad irony for Washington, as it pushed so hard for Williams to return after he flirted with the transfer portal this past offseason. He threw for 3,065 yards and 25 touchdowns during his sophomore season, but wasn’t as effective after coming back to Seattle for his junior year as the Huskies sat at .500. Brown helped them back to a winning record and will continue to start over the once-coveted Williams. 

Year 3 under Jedd Fisch was supposed to be the breakout year. That reality is behind the Huskies, but maybe Brown can still salvage success. That begs the question, what’s next for Williams?

Jenkins relieved Alonza Barnett III in Week 2 against Pitt when Barnett sustained a hamstring injury on the penultimate play of the Golden Knights’ 12-7 loss to the Panthers. Jenkins helped UCF defeat Georgia State and TCU over the next two weeks but was unable to lift them over ranked opponents — Houston and Oklahoma State. With Barnett still out, Jenkins will get another chance when UCF hosts No. 2 BYU on Saturday. 

Jenkins played three seasons at FIU before transferring to UCF this past offseason. He’s a capable backup, but Barnett started for a James Madison team that qualified for the CFP in 2025. While head coach Scott Frost hasn’t specified when Barnett will return, he’ll presumably slot back into his starting role when he does. 

For now, Jenkins will be leading the charge as the Golden Knights try to upset the Cougars.