Mountain West Quarterback Rankings for 2026

Turnover and new faces are the top storylines surrounding quarterback play in the Mountain West entering the 2026 college football season. Hawaii’s Micah Alejado is the conference’s unquestioned No. 1 signal-caller, with a trio of intriguing names in UNLV’s Jackson Arnold, Air Force’s Liam Szarka and New Mexico’s Jack Layne up next. Arnold hopes to live up to his five-star billing out of high school in coach Dan Mullen’s offense, while Szarka flashed intriguing potential in his first year as the starter for coach Troy Calhoun.

Just four teams — Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico and Air Force — enter ‘26 with a returning starter at quarterback. A handful of transfers provide intrigue in the Mountain West, including Northern Illinois’ Taron Dickens (Western Carolina), UTEP’s EJ Colson (Incarnate Word), Wyoming’s Tyler Hughes (William & Mary) and San Jose State’s Luke Weaver (Hawaii).

Ranking the quarterbacks by conference or nationally is no easy task. To help compile the rankings, some projection was involved for 2026. This was not a ranking of quarterbacks based only on accomplishments so far or pro potential. All factors — pure talent, supporting cast, having a clear hold on the No. 1 position, previous production, '26 projection, and scheme changes (just to name a few) — were considered to rank the quarterbacks in the Mountain West for 2026.

MW Preview: Predictions | Coach Ranks | 138 Team Rankings |All-America
Bowl Projections | Mountain West All-Conference Team

With Micah Alejado entrenched as Hawaii’s No. 1 quarterback, Weaver transferred to Mountain West rival San Jose State for a chance to start in 2026. The California native played at Modesto Junior College from 2022-24 before spending the ‘25 campaign with the Rainbow Warriors. In five appearances (and two starts), Weaver threw for 628 yards and six touchdowns. Also, he provided one of the top moments of bowl season by tossing the game-winning touchdown pass to beat California in the Hawaii Bowl. The Spartans run a similar offense to the one he played in at Hawaii, which should help ease the transition to his new surroundings.

After ranking at the bottom of the Mountain West in scoring in each of the last two seasons, Wyoming coach Jay Sawvel reset the offense this offseason. Former William & Mary play-caller Christian Taylor arrives in Laramie after a stint as an assistant in the NFL with the Bills and is tasked with upgrading the team’s struggling offense. In addition to his creative schemes and play-calling, Taylor will have plenty of help with Hughes arriving from the portal. The pair worked together at William & Mary from 2022-23, and that familiarity will help the transition period to the Mountain West. Hughes starred with the Tribe in ‘25, throwing for 2,330 yards and 20 touchdowns and rushing for 670 yards and 11 scores.

Colson has bounced around a bit in his collegiate career, but he’s expected to be a key cog in UTEP’s hopes of an improved offense in 2026. After playing in three games as a true freshman at UCF in ‘24, Colson transferred to Incarnate Word for a chance to start the following year. The Georgia native shined at the FCS level, throwing for 2,142 yards and 16 touchdowns to four picks and adding 287 yards and three scores on the ground. Colson also flashed good accuracy at UIW, completing 71 percent of his passes last year. If Colson makes a seamless transition to UTEP and adapts to the tougher level of play, he could be an underrated portal addition for the Miners.  

It’s a critical third season for Nevada coach Jeff Choate with a 6-19 mark over the last two years. If the Wolf Pack are to contend for a bowl appearance, the offense needs to take a step forward under new coordinator Brett Bartolone. The development of Jones is also a key reason for optimism in Reno, as the Texas native flashed intriguing potential in 10 appearances last year. In his true freshman campaign, Jones threw for 1,019 yards and six touchdowns and connected on 64.3 percent of his passes. Cutting down on the turnovers (eight picks) is a must as Jones continues to develop as a sophomore in ‘26.

Hayes is a first-time starter, but considering the track record of success in North Dakota State’s offense and in developing quarterbacks, optimism is high for the senior to deliver a solid year. The Illinois native played in 15 games over the last two seasons and completed 37 of 63 throws for 595 yards and seven scores to just one pick. Also, Hayes flashed good mobility with 178 yards and two rushing touchdowns. If the senior turns a successful small sample size into a full season of solid production, he could rank among the Mountain West’s top signal-callers.

Dickens is an intriguing post-spring addition and a potential massive upgrade at quarterback for Northern Illinois. The Florida native posted a monster statistical season at Western Carolina in 2025, throwing for 3,508 yards and 38 touchdowns and adding 321 yards and a score on the ground. Additionally, Dickens set an NCAA record with 46 straight completions in WCU’s win over Wofford on Oct. 4 and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award going to the top FCS offensive player. He was slated to transfer to North Carolina but was released from his scholarship this summer, opening the door for another transfer and a starting job at Northern Illinois.

Layne followed coach Jason Eck from Idaho to New Mexico last offseason and turned in a solid debut with the Lobos. En route to leading the program to a nine-win regular season, the Oregon native set a new school record with a 65.1 completion rate and finished with 2,486 passing yards and 13 touchdowns. Layne also added 152 yards and four scores on the ground. With backup and change-of-pace option James Laubstein also returning, Layne might not post massive statistical totals. However, if he can cut down on the turnovers (10 picks last year), the senior should push for All-Mountain West honors in '26.

A late-season injury prevented Szarka from playing in Air Force's final two games, but the 10-game sample size in 2025 showcased a player on the cusp of a breakout season. In his first year piloting the Falcons' attack, Szarka ran for 922 yards and 13 touchdowns while throwing for 1,294 yards and nine scores. With another year to develop and learn in Air Force's scheme, Szarka should easily exceed 1,000 rushing yards and potentially earn a spot among the top Group of 6 quarterbacks in the nation.

Arnold — a former five-star recruit in the class of 2023 — is one of the most intriguing quarterbacks at the Group of 6 level this season. After struggling during stops at Oklahoma and Auburn, Arnold has another chance for a career rebound at UNLV under offensive mastermind (and head coach) Dan Mullen. With Mullen's track record of success, along with an ability to adapt to players or team strengths, he should help Arnold turn his career around after struggling in the SEC. In 27 career appearances, Arnold passed for 3,293 yards and 22 touchdowns to eight picks and rushed for 871 yards and 12 scores. The Texas native struggled to push the ball downfield during stints with the Sooners and Tigers, averaging just 5.5 yards an attempt in SEC play in '25 and 5.1 in '24.

After showcasing intriguing potential in limited time in 2024, Alejado lived up to the hype as one of the top breakout quarterbacks in college football last year. The Las Vegas native threw for 3,106 yards and 24 touchdowns and connected on 66.3 percent of his passes. Despite battling a leg injury for most of the '25 campaign, Alejado's play was instrumental in directing a passing attack that ranked eighth nationally in per-game production (290.6 yards a game) and in guiding the Rainbow Warriors to a nine-win season. Additionally, Alejado ranked second among Mountain West quarterbacks with 112 completions of 10-plus yards and also ranked second with six connections of 50-plus yards.