Successful quarterbacks are found across FCS football, but the depth at the sport’s most important position is on a different level in the Big Sky and Missouri Valley conferences.
The Big Sky Conference has long been known for having prolific quarterbacks and the Missouri Valley Football Conferences is regarded for some of the winningest signal-callers in FCS football.
Many times, they fit both descriptions.
This season, the two strongest FCS conferences seem to have even more strength at football’s most important position. Enough so that there are quarterbacks in the two leagues who might may find it hard to get an honorable mention on the all-conference team when they would be in contention for offensive player of the year elsewhere.
Both conferences currently have five teams ranked in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll, and as many as six earlier this season. Some of that has to do with not just having top QBs in the Big Sky or MVFC, but the FCS overall.
Big Sky Conference
Keali’I Ah Yat, Montana – The FCS’ only 4,000-yard passer last season ranks fourth this season with 2,607 yards, with Ah Yat’s per-game average fifth (289.7). He’s tied for third in touchdown passes (26) and ranks fifth in completion percentage (70.5) and passing efficiency (168.8)
Justin Lamson, Montana State – The Most Outstanding Player of the Bobcats’ 2025 national championship game win set the Big Sky record for completion percentage (71.6%) and is slightly ahead of that rate this season (72.0) while passing for 13 TDs against only one interception. He’s won his last 21 starts.
Ty Pennington, Northern Arizona – In his third season of posting particularly consistent statistics, the wins are following more this season, highlighted by a six-touchdown performance in a victory over Montana. He’s accounted for 21 TDs overall and is averaging 286.1 yards of total offense per game.
Joshua Wood, Idaho – Surprise, Wood leads the FCS with six games of 300+ passing yards. He also ranks fourth nationally in yards of total offense per game (325.6), and he was above that average each time while helping Idaho become the first FCS team to sweep Montana and Montana State in the same season since 2019. His 26 total touchdowns tie for ninth nationally.
Nate Bell, Eastern Washington – No FCS QB has completed more passes than Bell’s 228. He’s second in the Big Sky and sixth nationally in yards of total offense per game (318.5), and eighth in total touchdowns (28). His 520 total offensive yards against UC Davis were the third-most by an FCS player this season.
The 13-team Big Sky has four more programs than the MVFC, so the QB depth is even greater. Southern Utah’s Will Burns has the second-most rushing yards (884) among FCS signal-callers, while Idaho’s Jordan Cooke has surpassed 2,000 passing yards for the third time and has set career highs for TD passes (18) and total TDs (22). UC Davis’ Treynor Cleeland (2,246) and Weber State’s Nate Dahle (2,140) have the most passing yards among FCS freshmen.
*-includes stats at Murray State; **-includes stats at NichollsMissouri Valley Football Conference
Beau Brungard, Youngstown State – The 2025 Walter Payton Award recipient continues to play on an elite level, leading the FCS in total offense per game (337.8), total touchdowns (33) and completion percentage (73.6). He accounted for a touchdown on each of his eight possessions (six passing, two rushing) against Duquesne.
Jerry Kaminski, North Dakota – Having gutted through an ankle injury, Kaminski ranks second in the conference in passing yards per game (218.9) and total offense per game (256.8), and is tied for seventh nationally with 22 TD passes. He had a TD pass, run and reception against Youngstown State.
4 FCS players have a TD via a pass, run & reception in the same game this season:Jerry Kaminski, QB, North DakotaSam Milligan, WR, BucknellTy Pennington, QB, Northern ArizonaJP Pickles, QB, MercerThat's more times in any season since at least 1995, perhaps in FCS history.
— Craig Haley (@CraigHaley2025) November 3, 2026Austyn Modrzewski, South Dakota – As a redshirt freshman, the 6-foot-5 Modrzewski leads the FCS in passing efficiency rating (177.2) and is tied for No. 1 in touchdown passes (27). He’s also first in the MVFC and sixth nationally in passing yards per attempt (9.1).
Chase Mason, South Dakota State – Having missed two-plus games due to injury, Mason is back in action and ranks third in the MVFC intotal offense per game (218.9). He’s No. 1 in the conference and seventh nationally in yards per completion (14.8)
DJ Williams, Southern Illinois – Williams isn’t having nearly as strong a season as last year, when he ranked fifth in the FCS in total offense per game and total TDs. This season, his eight rushing touchdowns are the second most in the conference.
Indiana State is the only FCS team with two 1,000-yard passers (Brady Allen and Elijah Owens) and Illinois State isn’t far behind with Beckham Pellant and Gage Roy. Northern Iowa’s Jaxon Dailey ranks fifth in the MVFC in passing yards per game (209.3).
Top photo, from left, from Northern Arizona, Montana, Youngstown State and South Dakota Athletics. For more FCS coverage, follow on X, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
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