Snap Count QB Draft Board: Ranking the American’s Quarterbacks for 2026

10/28/2026 | Snap Count Press |
Snap Count Draft Board

Eight weeks into the 2026 season, who is the best quarterback in the American? We ranked every AAC passer who played enough to qualify, using production and winning, not reputation. Here is the Snap Count QB Draft Board.

Credit where it’s due: the American Blueprint podcast

This board was sparked by “Who is REALLY the BEST QB in the American? Ranking the AAC Quarterbacks” from American Blueprint with Brian Webster on the American BEAT Network (posted Oct. 27, 2026). It’s worth your time.

Web’s Tom F’N Brady “TFB Index” top five: Tayven Jackson, Marcus Stokes, Cale Hellums, Caden Veltkamp and Jackson Gutierrez. He had Owen McCown ninth. We have McCown fourth.

Where we differ

We agree on a lot, including Jackson and Stokes at the top. The gap is mostly method. His index leans on per-play efficiency such as EPA and success rate, which can reward small samples. Gutierrez has thrown 64 passes and Hellums 69. Our board also rewards volume and winning.

Our main question: if an index is built on “winning like Tom Brady,” should it put McCown, 7-1 as a starter, behind Baylor Hayes (3-3), Ajani Sheppard (2-4) and Gutierrez (1-3)?

How we scored it

  • Winning (25%): record as a starter, plus number of starts
  • Efficiency (31%): total yards per play, completion %, TD-to-INT margin
  • Production (19%): total yards and rushing yards
  • PFF passing grade (12.5%)
  • National draft-board presence (12.5%): no AAC QB is on a national 2027 board yet, so nobody earns these points, but we plan to update this ranking after the regular season ends.

Height, weight and class don’t count. To qualify, a QB needed at least 15 plays (passes plus runs) per game played and appearances in at least 75% of his team’s games. Counting runs keeps option QBs in the mix. As a side note, college stats count sacks as runs.

QB Draft Board

The board

1. Tayven Jackson, North Texas

5-2 as a starter | 9.06 yards per play | 18 TD, 5 INT | 72.4% | PFF passing 92.2
He leads the league in yards per play, has 2,173 passing yards and owns the best PFF passing grade in the conference.

2. Marcus Stokes, Memphis

6-2 | 8.24 YPP | 21 TD, 6 INT | 67.0% | PFF passing 77.0
He has the most touchdown passes on the board (21) and 2,161 yards, plus 237 on the ground.

3. Caden Veltkamp, FAU

5-2 | 6.91 YPP | 18 TD, 4 INT | 73.1% | PFF passing 89.0
He leads the qualifiers in completion rate and attempts (260), with 2,084 yards.

4. Owen McCown, UTSA

7-1 | 6.55 YPP | 10 TD, 4 INT | 69.5% | PFF passing 64.9
He has the best record in the league, and UTSA is 4-0 in conference play. His grade is modest, but nobody wins more.

5. Ajani Sheppard, Temple

2-4 | 7.84 YPP | 8 TD, 0 INT | 61.7% | PFF passing 73.7
He hasn’t thrown an interception and has added 331 rushing yards and 5 rushing TDs. The record holds him back.

6. Cale Hellums, Army

5-2 | 5.54 YPP | 3 TD, 1 INT | 56.5% | PFF passing 86.5
He has 840 rushing yards and 16 rushing TDs. He’s thrown only 69 passes, but graded well when he did.

7. Michael Van Buren Jr., USF

5-2 | 5.93 YPP | 6 TD, 0 INT | 64.2% | PFF passing 81.0
He’s mistake-free so far, with no interceptions in 179 attempts.

Places 5 through 7 are a near-tie, separated by less than two points.

8. Jackson Gutierrez, Navy

1-3 | 7.34 YPP | 7 TD, 1 INT | 50.0% | PFF passing 60.1
He’s an explosive option runner, with 872 rushing yards and 12 rushing TDs.

9. Baylor Hayes, Tulsa

3-3 | 6.14 YPP | 10 TD, 2 INT | 62.6% | PFF passing 64.3
He has been efficient with the ball: 1,343 yards and only two picks.

10. Ryder Burton, UAB

4-3 | 5.33 YPP | 6 TD, 5 INT | 54.5% | PFF passing 71.0
He has a winning record, but turnovers and accuracy need work.

11. Emory Williams, ECU

2-2 | 5.28 YPP | 7 TD, 2 INT | 62.4% | PFF passing 51.8
He has split time with Mitch Griffis in the ECU rotation.

12. Jacurri Brown, Rice

1-6 | 5.71 YPP | 3 TD, 2 INT | 48.2% | PFF passing 59.6
He’s a dangerous runner, with 669 yards and 6 TDs, on a struggling team.

13. Mitch Griffis, ECU

1-2 | 5.60 YPP | 4 TD, 4 INT | 54.2% | PFF passing 54.4
He’s the other half of ECU’s quarterback rotation.

Didn’t qualify (not enough games or plays): Cole Gonzales, Conner Harrell (Charlotte); Kadin Semonza, Trace Johnson (Tulane); Dexter Williams II (Tulsa); Jaxon Smolik (Temple); Braxton Woodson (Navy); Gael Ochoa (Rice).

From X

Stats through games of Oct. 25, 2026, from ESPN box scores and official school stats; starter records were checked against official school box scores and the American standings. Grades via PFF.

Follow @SASnapcount210 on X for more AAC and UTSA coverage.