Where Colton Joseph ranks among Power 4 starters in latest rankings
· Yahoo Sports
Ahead of the 2026 college football season, with most quarterback situations in place, Sports Illustrated ranked the 68 Power 4 starters in the country, looking both at what’s been accomplished and projecting for the upcoming season as well.
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Of course, when it comes to Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph, there’s a little bit of both there. The Old Dominion transfer was one of the best players in the Sun Belt last year, throwing for 2,624 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. But it was with his legs where he had the most impact, as Joseph topped 1,000 rushing yards and double-digit touchdowns.
That included a Week 1 performance against future national champion Indiana Hoosiers, where Joseph went for 179 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
While Joseph has proven himself as a dual-threat, there is still more to come for the redshirt junior, who is continuing to develop as a passer. Where did he land on the Power 4 quarterbacks rankings?
Sports Illustrated’s experts collectively placed him at No. 49, just below Vanderbilt true freshman quarterback Jared Curtis.
“The Badgers’ offense has labored for three years under Luke Fickell, plummeting to 133rd out of 134 FBS teams in points per game last season (12.8), ahead of only 0–12 UMass,” SI’s Zach Koons wrote. “To land a dual threat like Joseph is a huge win, if not an indication that Fickell is down to his last strike in Madison.
“The production is difficult to argue with: Joseph was eighth last season in total yards per game (302.6) and second in yards per completion (15.2), complementing an efficient throwing year with 1,007 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. But he was also bolstered by a strong defense, which allowed for more freedom in the Sun Belt—wiggle room that he may not have when playing in the Big Ten.”
At No. 68, Joseph topped Iowa’s Jeremy Hecklinski (No. 67), Purdue’s Ryan Browne (No. 66), Rutgers’s Dylan Lonergan (No. 65), Michigan State’s Alessio Milivojevic (No. 62), and Northwestern’s Aidan Chiles (No. 51). That places him as the No. 13 quarterback in the Big Ten for the upcoming season.
Notable names ahead of Joseph were Maryland’s Malik Washington (No. 45), Minnesota’s Drake Lindsey (No. 39), Illinois’s Katin Houser (No. 37), and Nebraska’s Anthony Colandrea (No. 27).
Another Wisconsin name was on the list, as former Badgers quarterback Billy Edwards, who transferred to North Carolina, was at No. 61.
The Badgers ponied up for Joseph in the offseason to be their quarterback for potentially the next two years, trusting the fit in Jeff Grimes’s offense, and they’ll need his dual-threat ability to raise the floor after a few abysmal offensive seasons.
Do you think he’s the No. 49 quarterback in the Power 4? Let us know in the comments below.