One of the biggest storylines of the 2026 college football season has been injuries, particularly at the quarterback position. Several high-profile QBs have gone down this year, and their absences have had a major effect on their teams season. The quarterback position is so important in college football, and losing a starter can completely derail a team's season, wich we have certainly seen this year.
Most recently, it was announced that Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor will miss the remainder of the season with a toe injury, dealing a major blow to the Bulldogs after a promising start. Taylor first aggravated the injury in Week 4 against Missouri before making it worse the following week against Alabama. After missing a few weeks, he returned against Oklahoma this past Saturday but almost instantly reinjured the toe, ultimately ending his season.
With Taylor healthy, Mississippi State was off to a 4-0 start and looked like a legitimate contender in the SEC. Since his absence though, the Bulldogs have looked like a completely different team, with backup quarterback Billy Puckett losing three straight games. What once looked like a season full of promise and high hopes has quickly turned into another year of disappointment for Mississippi State fans.
Oregon has gone through a similar situation with Dante Moore's injury. Moore suffered a concussion on a dirty hit back in Week 4, and it was recently announced that we have likely seen the last of him in an Oregon uniform.
While the Ducks were struggling before Moore went down, we have seen their season spiral out of control without him. Backup Dylan Raiola showed promise at first when he came in against USC, but has really struggled since with Oregon even turning to its third-string at times. This has led to a team that entered the season as a favorite for the national championship now looking like a team that may barely reach bowl eligibility by seasons end.
Also in the Big Ten is Ohio State who will be without Julian Sayin for what head coach Ryan Day described as "indefinitely," and a chance he could miss the remainder of the season. With the playoff still in reach, Ohio State will now try to navigate the rest of its schedule with either a true freshman in Luke Fahey or sophomore Tavien St. Clair under center.
These three situations show just how quickly a team's outlook can change when its starting quarterback goes down. Sayin and Moore entered the season as arguably the top two QBs in the country, while Taylor was near the top of the Heisman Trophy conversation early in the year. These situations also highlight the importance of having a capable backup that is ready to step in and you can trust to continue to run the offense at a high level.
While these are three of the most notable quarterback injuries we have seen so far this season, they are not only ones. However, we have also seen several backups step up when their number was called. UCLA lost Nico Iamaleava, but backup Ty Dieffenbach stepped up and has kept the Bruins rolling. Florida also had to go a week without Aaron Philo, but backup Tramell Jones Jr. delivered leading the Gators to a massive upset against Texas, and now leaving Billy Napier with a decision on who he will turn to moving forward with Philo healthy. In addition, UCF pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season behind backup quarterback Keyone Jenkins, who has played well in the absence of Alonza Barnett III.
You never like to see injuries, as they are one of the worst parts of any sport. However, they have become a major storyline this college football season, showing the importance of the quarterback position and the need for teams to have a reliable backup ready to step in. These major quarterback injuries have affected not only individual teams but also the college football landscape as a whole, changing the entire trajectory of the season for some and having a significant impact on the College Football Playoff picture.
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