Braden Atkinson

#2 · QB · So. · Oregon State6′1″ · 208 lb · Raleigh, NC · Rolesville

ZPR5255th of 119 QBsLast gameL 22–38at Fresno State · Oct 31
Nextvs Texas StateSat Nov 7 · 10:30 pm ET

Oregon State is 5-3 in the eight games played. A pocket passer.

Strongest: an interception on 0.7% of throws, 14th lowest of 158 starters.

Passing yards

2,956

221 of 331, 67%

TD–INT

25–2

8.9 per throw

NCAA rating

165.5

17th of 119

ZPR

52

55th of 119

How ZPR works

Solid or better in 6 of 8 graded games.

  • No interceptions in the last four games.
  • 0-2 against ranked teams, 394 passing yards a game.

Best by our grade: San Diego State. Lowest: at Fresno State, sacked 4 times. Biggest game: Texas Tech, No. 13.

Tap a game for its plays

Q1Q2Q3Q4

Season

Fades after halftime

How to read this

Each column is a quarter. Blue and up is a good stretch for the quarterback, red and down a bad one, hatched means the game was already decided. A red cross is a turnover and a black dot a touchdown. The word on the right grades the whole game. A gold line means the r/CFB game thread kept naming the quarterback. Tap a game to open its plays: each bar is one of the quarterback’s plays, up helped the team’s chance of winning and down hurt it, and the grey line is that chance.

The word grades the game against every FBS quarterback start, from Rough to Great, using the same throws as the season Zeitgeist Passer Rating and adjusting for the defense faced. Bars are points added per throw in that quarter. The Season row leaves out quarters after a game was decided.

Style of play

Pocket passer

Also: yards after catch

Why this word
Runs1.4 a gameRarelyA lot
Throws9.5 yards past the lineShortDeep
Completes66% by play-by-playFewerMore
Takes sacks4% of dropbacksRarelyOften

The dot is this quarterback, among this season’s starters; the tick is the middle.

Throws at a middling depth and rarely runs. 1.4 carries a game. Closest matches: Richter, DeShields ’25, Simpson ’25, Mandal.

Where the throws go

Behind the line20%typical 17%
Short40%typical 47%
Middle21%typical 22%
Deep19%typical 14%

Runs 1.4 times a game; 91% of starters run more.

Closest in style

RichterDeShields ’25Simpson ’25MandalThis QB

Nearer the middle means more alike.

  • Richter Toledo · Chain-mover
    2,244 yards, 17 TD, 2 INT so far. Both protect the ball and rarely run.
  • DeShields ’25 Kent State 2025 · Vertical passer
    2,030 yards, 18 TD, 3 INT. Both score a lot and protect the ball.
  • Simpson ’25 Alabama 2025 · Balanced
    3,567 yards, 28 TD, 5 INT. Drafted in round 1 (No. 13 overall) by Los Angeles, 2026. Both are efficient and protect the ball.
  • Mandal Fresno State · Balanced
    1,595 yards, 10 TD, 2 INT so far. Both are efficient and protect the ball.

Compared with the 158 FBS starters this season for throws and running, and with 219 quarterbacks across 2 seasons for the matches, on how they play and how they have done.

This week

  • RecordOregon State is 5-3.
  • Last gameOct. 31 · a loss to Fresno State, 373 passing yards.
  • What fans say

    Over the last few games, Oregon State fans have been high on Atkinson's throwing.

    “Atkinson is a top 5 passer in the country”

    “This offense and that connection with Atkinson and Legree is so DAM FUN”

    “s/o atkinson for pushing him into the end zone”

    From r/CFB game threads. Read by AI.

  • Next gamevs Texas State · Sat Nov 7

What’s being said

3 stories this week, from 3 outlets.

Oct 29: 1Nov 2: 1Nov 3: 1L 22-38 at Fresno StateLOct 29Nov 4Most in a day: 1
Oct 29: 1Nov 2: 1Nov 3: 1L 22-38 at Fresno StateLOct 29Nov 4Most in a day: 1
Stories per day. W and L: the team’s results.

Oregon State's Jesse Legree, Braden Atkinson join Nike's Blue Ribbon Elite NIL program

On3 +1 Nov 2

All 46 stories this season

Worth knowing

  • Braden Atkinson has 2 interceptions in 331 throws, the 10th-fewest among FBS quarterbacks.
  • Braden Atkinson has 375.5 passing yards a game at home, 363.5 on the road.

A play of his this season

  1. Q1, 6:17 · Oregon State down 6, takes the leadBraden Atkinson runs 3 yards for a touchdownOregon State at Houston, week 1Q1, 6:17 · Oregon State 7, Houston 6Oregon State took the lead in the first quarterOregon State took the lead in the first quarterB.Atkinson rush right for 3 yards gain to the HOU00 touchdown, kick goodWatch from this playESPN College Football

All 2 of his plays on video

Braden Atkinson

QB · Oregon State · #2

Pushes it downfield on every look. The first one came in 2025: Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman). One game to point at: 409 passing yards and 5 passing TD against San Diego State — Week 6, 2026.

2,956 passing yards · 25 passing TD · 1 rushing yards