20. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt (Previous Rank: 13)

Stats: 143-of-236, 1,843 yards, 15 TD, 3 INT; 628 rush yards, 5 TD

Pavia has put together multiple clutch performances this season, but he had a quiet game in Saturday’s 28-7 loss to South Carolina. He finished 16-of-31 for 166 yards with zero touchdowns or interceptions, although he did contribute 65 rushing yards and score the Commodores’ lone touchdown with his legs.

19. Drew Allar, Penn State (Previous Rank: 21)

Stats: 149-of-212, 2,006 yards, 13 TD, 5 INT; 172 rush yards, 3 TD

Allar was extremely efficient in Saturday’s lopsided 35-6 victory over Washington, completing 20-of-28 pass attempts for 220 yards and a touchdown as the Nittany Lions rebounded nicely from their Week 10 loss to Ohio State. Allar has raised his completion percentage from 59.9 percent last season to 70.3 percent this year, which ranks ninth among qualified quarterbacks.

18. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU (Previous Rank: 11)

Stats: 235-of-375, 2,866 yards, 21 TD, 11 INT; 21 rush yards, 3 TD

The Tigers have asked a lot of Nussmeier in his first season in the starting role. His 375 pass attempts lead the SEC, but his production has steadily dipped as the season as unfolded:

• First four games: 70.4 Cmp%, 1,243 yards, 13 TD, 2 INT
• Last five games: 56.9 Cmp%, 1,623 yards, 8 TD, 9 INT

LSU closes out the regular season against Florida, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma as he looks to finish on a high note.

17. Blake Horvath, Navy (Previous Rank: 16)

Stats: 69-of-117, 1,154 yards, 11 TD, 4 INT; 870 rush yards, 13 TD

Horvath put up lackluster numbers in losses to Notre Dame and Rice, but he moved the Midshipmen back into the win column on Saturday on the road against South Florida. He tallied 56 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground and completed 6-of-11 pass attempts for 58 yards and his first touchdown through the air in three weeks.

16. Alonza Barnett III, James Madison (Previous Rank: 20)

Stats: 159-of-273, 2,034 yards, 21 TD, 2 INT; 325 rush yards, 5 TD

Barnett had 241 passing yards and three touchdowns on Saturday against Georgia State, which marked his fourth game this season with at least three passing scores. After spending two years on the bench behind Todd Centeio in 2022 and Jordan McCloud in 2023, he has done a terrific job stepping into the starting job.