With Week 1 of College Football getting going, we’re covering 10 QBs to watch in the upcoming college football season for NFL Draft fans

Sure(?) Bets 

Is any QB really a sure bet? We see guys come into their final collegiate season and slide down big boards all the time, but these three players are at the very least, extremely likely to be selected in the 2026 Draft, and more than likely to be taken in the first few rounds. 

QB Garrett Nussmeier- LSU- Nussmeier isn’t a big arm gunner or a flashy athlete, but he is a QB who seems to do all the little things right. That is a tenuous position to be in because he can’t rely on being toolsy to become a top prospect, he has to produce on the field, but his previous work in college has inspired confidence that he can do so this year. He’s an accurate thrower who makes good reads and can command and offense, and he’s known for making plays when times get tough for his squad. A coach’s son who grew up around the game, it’s clear that he’s a smart football player who definitely has an NFL future, it’s just his ceiling that’s a question for a potential first round pick. If he can show some more playmaking with his legs and clean up his tendency to force things a little bit when searching for a winning play, he could convince teams he’s a winning player despite lacking a elite physical tools, something like a Baker Mayfield or Brock Purdy, which would make him worthy of a first round selection. 

QB Drew Allar- Penn State- Allar is a big QB with a huge arm that can make NFL level throws down the field. He has led some very good teams in his time at Penn State, but the biggest concern with him is that he has failed to show up in clutch moments so far in his college career. If he can show an ability to step up in big games this year he could earn himself a selection in the first half of the first round, or he could be a guy who slides with a rough season. The arm talent is legit, but for a QB who lacks the mobility and athleticism that many of today’s best QBs have, he needs to show consistently great decision-making and mental makeup to sell teams on his ability to be an above average starter in the NFL. Last year, he struggled in the Big Ten Championship Game against Oregon, throwing two interceptions and losing the game, and again against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff Semifinal, throwing for only 135 yards and an interception in a loss. The 6’5 Senior is going into his third year starting now though, and he is surrounded by better receivers, and maintains an elite running game to support him. There is a ton to like about this year’s Penn State team, which will put the pressure on him, but will give him the chance to showcase that he is in fact a guy who can get it done when the lights shine their brightest.

QB Cade Klubnik- Clemson- Klubnik is coming off of a strong season with the chance to lead the best Clemson team in years, with a ton of talent returning on both sides of the ball for Dabo Sweeney’s Tigers. Klubnik is in many ways the prototype for a modern NFL QB, an intelligent, athletic player who can win games with accuracy, a strong arm, and high level running ability. While he isn’t the biggest or fastest player compared to the league’s elite talents, he could be above average at a number of crucial NFL skills, and is in a position to show off what makes him a winner this year. That said, with such a good team around him, if he struggles, his stock could drop, with more of the blame falling on him for team failings than signal callers in shakier situations. Ultimately, he seems to have the best chance of coming out of this season as the top QB prospect in the draft, but it is not a sure bet at this point.

Young Guns

Each of these 3 young QBs don’t have to leave school and enter the 2026 NFL Draft after this season, they’re all eligible to return and enter the draft in 2027, and with massive NIL opportunities on the table, it may end up being the wise move for them to stay in school. Still, there is more than enough talent here that any one of these guys could earn a first round selection in 2026 with a stellar season. 

QB LaNorris Sellers- South Carolina- Sellers is an incredibly talented player, a guy with a massive arm, a big, strong frame, and fantastic ability to make plays with his legs. At just 19 years old, he had games where he absolutely tore up SEC defenses last year, although he of course also experienced growing pains. South Carolina has a ton of talent and could be excellent this year, which could elevate Sellers’ stock. We’ve seen players who are more raw than he is right now get taken in the first few rounds in recent years (Jalen Milroe, Anthony Richardson) because they have similar tools, so it is absolutely a possibility he enters this draft even if he doesn’t have as productive of a season as he would like, but this is a guy who should be shooting to be a top 3 overall pick and a future perennial All-Pro with his talent level. If he improves, but has the chance to get better while collecting even more NIL money in another collegiate season, he may be better off waiting until the 2027 Draft. That said, noticeable improvements in pocket presence, decision-making, and accuracy could put him in the position to be the unquestioned number one QB in 2026, especially if the Gamecocks live up to lofty expectations and make it to the College Football Playoff.

QB Arch Manning- Texas- Arch Manning, nephew of Peyton and Eli, has been in the national spotlight since he was a young kid, and has continued to produce despite sky-high expectations and pressure. In limited playing time at Texas last year while backing up now Miami Dolphins QB Quinn Ewers, Manning showed flashes of a player worthy of a number one overall selection, but he was also largely doing it against relatively weak defenses with an extremely talented group of players around him on the Longhorns. This year, he has the chance to prove that was no fluke, but it’s unfair to expect that his first full year starting in the SEC will be easy. Maybe he continues to be fantastic and is forced to strongly consider entering the 2026 Draft as a projected first-rounder, but if there is any reason not to, whether it’s about him struggling, injury, a lack of interest in joining the NFL teams selecting at the top of the draft, or something else, he always has the option to return to school, keep learning, and collect a big check while doing it. With the resources of his wealthy and well-connected NFL family, he is under no pressure to make a decision for any reason other than what is best for his personal development. 

QB Nico Iamaleava- UCLA- Iamaleava’s name was in the headlines this offseason, but not for football reasons. Instead, because his transfer from Tennessee to UCLA received widespread criticism, largely due to frustration with the NIL system as a whole being projected onto his specific situation. The whole situation may raise some questions for NFL teams about his character, or the influences around him, but ultimately that is not going to matter much if he goes out and has a great season from a football perspective. There is no question that he’s a great player. A 6’6 QB with a strong arm and great running ability, you simply don’t see a QB with his skillset very often. As a freshman at Tennessee he was fantastic and took them to the College Football Playoff, so if he can continue that success this year, he will definitely get looks in the 2026 Draft. That said, this may be a season about rebuilding his reputation and proving doubters wrong, building towards a return to school and a push to be picked at the top half of the first round in 2027. 

Dark Horses 

These guys are firmly on the radar for NFL teams and have built somewhat of a national profile, but they aren’t front of mind for most NFL fans going into this college season. Still, with good play this year, each of these players could easily jump themselves into conversations at the top of the draft, and are strong candidates to come off the board at some point. 

QB John Mateer- Oklahoma- Mateer had a special season at Washington State last year and made himself known to college football fans, but he may not be on the radar for many NFL fans who aren’t as tuned into the college game. He has a great opportunity though to prove his 2024-25 season was no fluke though, stepping into a starting role at a storied program, now playing against SEC defenses. He also found himself in the news because of an investigation into sports gambling allegations this offseason, which he ultimately denied and was not disciplined for. He’ll hope to put that behind him in what could be an electric Oklahoma offense, taking his offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, with him from Washington State. Watch out for Mateer to fly up draft boards if he produces this year, especially if he can clean up his mechanics and show good decision-making when it counts.

QB Sam Leavitt- Arizona State- Leavitt was catapulted into the national spotlight last year as he quarterbacked a gritty Arizona State team that earned an unexpected berth to the College Football Playoff, but with RB Cam Skattebo being the national media darling from that team, many NFL fans may not be aware of Leavitt’s skillset and potential. A well-rounded pocket passer who also has legit running ability and made good decisions in big games for a young player, Leavitt is firmly on the radar for NFL teams coming into this season. He’ll also once again be playing with one of the best receivers in the country in Jordyn Tyson, which will give him more opportunity to shine.

QB Fernando Mendoza- Indiana- Mendoza has had a strong college career so far at Cal, and now will step into a great situation at Indiana. Last year, Coach Curt Cignetti elevated Indiana from a lower tier power conference team to a College Football Playoff team, and he certainly plans on returning this year. We saw him take a guy with less hype coming into last season than Mendoza has now, Kurtis Rourke, and make him an NFL QB (selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the 7th round), so it makes sense that he can do the same for Mendoza, who is clearly a player with an NFL-level skillset.

QB Sawyer Robertson- Baylor- Robertson had a fantastic year last season at Baylor, but he wasn’t really in the national spotlight. He’s an under-the-radar guy who has an NFL level skillset with a 6’4 frame, a strong arm, and enough mobility to make defenses have to respect his legs. Baylor starts the season unranked, but they have the potential to jump into the Top 25, especially if they go on a strong run in the Big 12, a relatively much weaker conference than the SEC or Big 10. If Robertson has a great season he could easily make himself a strong consideration on day two, or even potentially day one of the 2026 NFL Draft.