There will always be FCS quarterbacks who produce at a high level but don’t garner as much attention as their FBS counterparts. We have five FCS signal-callers to watch in 2026.
Although they may not receive the recognition that their FBS-level peers do, history has proven that there are always a handful of hidden gems playing quarterback at FCS schools. That’s certainly become more of a talking point in recent years with the addition of the transfer portal, which has allowed former small-school talents like Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders to make seamless jumps to the high-major level.
However, even before the days of Portal Madness, the FCS level was home to plenty of quarterbacks we’ve gotten to know very well over the years. Before Delaware made the jump to FBS in 2025, they had already had a lineage of quarterbacks that includes a Super Bowl MVP in Joe Flacco and an NFL MVP in Rich Gannon.
Eastern Illinois still hasn’t made the jump, but they boast a quarterback lineage headlined by Tony Romo and Jimmy Garoppolo. Steve McNair, another NFL MVP, first became a household name in the South while playing at Alcorn State. And who can forget Carson Wentz and Trey Lance, who each managed to become top three draft picks out of North Dakota State during the Bison’s unprecedented 2010s.
Top FCS Quarterbacks To Watch in 2026
The point is, don’t let the letters fool you. These quarterbacks may not be at the FBS level (yet), but they are the cream of the crop in the FCS and could very plausibly jump divisions next season. For those out of eligibility, they may even find themselves selected in the NFL Draft.
Beau Brungard, Youngstown State
Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and the “Best FCS Quarterback Crown” is one currently being worn by Youngstown State‘s Beau Brungard. The reigning Walter Payton Award winner, the FCS Heisman equivalent, Brungard tallied 3,230 yards through the air while throwing for 26 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions. Sounds like a great year, right? Well, on top of that, Brungard also ranked second nationally with 27 (!) rushing touchdowns and sixth nationally with 1,488 rushing yards. Brungard was especially super human in a 40-35 win over Illinois State last October, racking up 328 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air while collecting 200 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground. Against Robert Morris in September, Brungard ran for an absurd 264 yards and four touchdowns on 10 carries, one of which was a career-long 78-yard scamper.
Number 1 player to watch play CFB today:
Beau Brungard (Youngstown St QB)
He had 3,230 passing yards, 26 TD’s, & 3 INT’s last season.
He also had 1,468 rushing yards & 27 TD’s on the ground last season. 2025 Walter Payton Award winner. Get eyes on him pic.twitter.com/gv5EMhzTHy
— Garrett Armbrust (@4thandsaturday) August 27, 2026
Devin Farrell, Rhode Island
Rhode Island football is currently in a boom era that only compares to the team’s run in the mid 1980s, and the expectation is that senior gunslinger Devin Farrell is going to keep the good times rolling in Narragansett this fall. Farrell led Rhody to its second straight FCS Second Round berth in 2025, posting 24 touchdowns while ranking second nationally with 3,745 passing yards. Farrell’s most impressive performance of the season was an absolute clinic against Albany, where he completed 19 of 20 passes for 333 yards and 3 touchdown throws in a 58-17 win. Farrell has never lost a game he’s completed against CAA competition over the last two seasons, going 12-0 over that span. The only conference game URI has lost in Farrell’s tenure was a 24-21 setback against now-FBS Delaware, after he suffered a season-ending injury early in the game.
URI QB Devin Farrell(@Dev1nFarrell) put together the best season of his career in 2025, helping lead the Rams to their second straight CAA title.
The Stockbridge, Georgia native earned First Team All-CAA honors after going 267 of 410(65%) for 3,745 yards with 24 TD’s and 8… pic.twitter.com/lSn5WBrv4Y
— Bryan (@RealBGauvin23) May 19, 2026
DJ Williams, Southern Illinois
If Beau Brungard didn’t exist, Southern Illinois signal-caller DJ Williams would take the claim as the FCS level’s most dynamic quarterback. Not only did Williams post 2,846 yards through the air with a 22:5 TD/INT ratio, he also ran for 847 yards and 18 touchdowns on 145 carries. Williams’ was at his most dominant in a 59-13 win over Southeast Missouri State in September, completing 18 of 25 passes for 342 yards and 4 touchdowns while also rushing for 151 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 10 carries. Williams also has an age advantage over just about any other QB at the FCS level, having begun his career with Murray State in 2020.
Southern Illinois QB DJ Williams is probably the most dynamic FCS QB.
With 3700 total yards and 40 TDs last season, expect another impressive year from the athletic senior. pic.twitter.com/z8q9iHKZJn
— Panthers Pulse (@PanthersPulze) May 19, 2026
Justin Lamson, Montana State
Montana State is entering this season atop the FCS polls, in large part because of a returning crop of talent from their 2025 National Championship run that includes their standout senior quarterback. Justin Lamson ranked in top 10 nationally with both 3,172 passing yards and 26 touchdowns while only throwing 3 interceptions. Lamson was especially lights out during the Wildcats’ playoff run, throwing for 735 yards and 6 touchdowns while completing over 70% of his passes during the three-game stretch.
Montana State QB Justin Lamson(@justin_lamson10) transferred in from Stanford and led the Bobcats to the promised land in his first season at the helm.
The El Dorado Hills, California native completed 255 of 356 passes (72%) for 3,172 yards with a 26:3 TD-to-INT ratio.
Lamson… pic.twitter.com/8qQeD6AEVi
— Bryan (@RealBGauvin23) May 19, 2026
Keali’i Ah Yat, Montana
No quarterback at the FCS level accrued more passing yardage than Montana’s Keali’i Ah Yat, who racked up 4,070 yards in his first season as the Grizzlies’ full-time starter. Ah Yat also tallied 33 passing touchdowns and 9 interceptions, but six of those mishaps came during the first half of the regular season. Ah Yat broke out with a 349-yard, 5 touchdown performance against Sacred Heart in October and was dominant the rest of the season, throwing 24 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions from that point on en route to an FCS Quarterfinals berth.
This throw sums up Keal’i Ah Yat… really good under pressure, good read, wobbling ball.
But throws through contact.
He also throws some insanely good balls.
Still a work in progress but a ton of potential for the #GrizFB sophomore QB #BigSkyFB pic.twitter.com/fTonPPf38z
— Skyline Sports (@SkylineSportsMT) September 20, 2025
