Potential 2026 NFL Draft quarterback class — led by Arch Manning — looks loaded

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The only league-wide consensus about the 2025 NFL Draft quarterback class was that next year’s group should be better.

Should be — not necessarily “will be.” NIL payments and a much easier transfer process have ended the days of being able to predict a year out who will belong to an upcoming draft class. Even so, the amount of prospective blue-chip QB talent is much higher than it was a year ago at this time.

Things can of course change between now and the end of the college football season. For now, let’s take a look the quarterbacks who will likely receive the bulk of NFL scouting attention once the season starts. They’re sorted below by tiers: potential first-rounders (Tier 1), fringe Round 1/Day 2 prospects (Tier 2) and the best of the rest (Tier 3).

(Editor’s notes: “EPA” stands for “Expected Points Added”; passing stats via TruMedia)

Tier 1

Arch Manning, Texas (Jr.)

6-foot-4, 225 pounds | 20 years old

The biggest knock on Manning right now is his lack of experience. Just about everything else screams “blue-chip QB prospect.”

The Texas junior made just two starts and 10 appearances behind Quinn Ewers last season, but the glimpses of his game were terrific for a first-time contributor. Manning’s start against Mississippi State (26-of-31 passing, 325 yards, two TDs, no interceptions) was elite and showed off why many scouts believe he’ll be in the mix for the No. 1 pick, whenever he declares for the draft.

His size, arm talent and movement skills are all ideal. More importantly, so is his process — Manning’s footwork is consistent, incredibly calm and almost always in rhythm with the pass concept he’s working.

An excellent processor for his age, Manning shows poise against pressure and already has put several examples on film of being able to move beyond a second (or even third) read from the pocket. He’s athletic enough to be a factor as a scrambler and passer on the run, but his natural calm in the pocket will be what separates him long term.

The hype here feels very real. We just have to see more.

Drew Allar, Penn State (Sr.)

6-5, 235 | 21 years old

Had Allar declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, he might have been the No. 1 pick. I don’t want to discount Cam Ward as a prospect, but Allar’s physical traits — at 6-5, 235 — are impossible to ignore.

Nearly everything about his game improved last year, too, as Penn State allowed him more opportunities to push the ball deep. Allar is very comfortable driving the ball down the middle of the field, often into tight windows. And when his feet are on time, he can look elite. He’s also flashed great off-platform velocity and can deliver from different arm slots.

Consistency with his feet in the pocket remains an issue, though, as Allar plays with sloppy mechanics too often. He’ll fade in the face of pressure and throw off his back foot or trust his arm to get him out of a jam — all of which lead to missed layups. Allar can also be indecisive in the pocket. He’s shown an ability to process at a high level, but he can get stuck on reads, leading to late throws over the middle that get him in trouble.

Allar feels like a first-round prospect in next year’s class. With more improvement on details, he could easily find himself in the top 10.

LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina (redshirt Soph.)

6-3, 242 | 19 years old

Sellers made his debut as a full-time starter last season and at no point looked overwhelmed against high-level competition in the SEC.

Generally an accurate thrower with a quick release and enough arm talent to drive the ball downfield, Sellers showed above-average footwork for a QB his age. His consistency in the dropback game was hit or miss, but the flashes were outstanding. He’s also a tank on wheels and really hard to tackle. He runs in the open field like a bigger, albeit not-quite-as-fast version of Jayden Daniels.

Sellers needs to be more decisive from the pocket while finding better consistency with his footwork and throwing process. He fumbled too much last year (13 times) and found trouble when he got stuck on his first or second read.

Plenty of that stuff can be ironed out with more experience, though, and Sellers’ physical traits are first-round — and potentially top-10 — worthy.

Fernando Mendoza, Indiana (redshirt Jr.)

6-5, 225 | 21 years old

A big, sturdy prospect with outstanding arm talent and enough athleticism to navigate against pressure in the pocket, Mendoza will team up with Indiana’s Curt Cignetti this season after a year-plus as Justin Wilcox’s starter at Cal. It’s fair to expect an uptick in downfield shots, both inside and outside the numbers — plenty of the damage Mendoza created within Cal’s offense came on short, quick stuff.

Still, when he’s been asked to operate from the pocket on a deeper drop, he’s flashed explosive arm talent and an ability to make every throw.

Mendoza can be guilty of holding the ball too long in the pocket. His drop rhythm also has to be more consistent, and he needs to avoid throwing while flat-footed. But if Cignetti can do for Mendoza what he did for Kurtis Rourke, the former could be an easy first-round prospect and might even push into the top half of Round 1.

Garrett Nussmeier, LSU (fifth-year Sr.)

6-2, 200 | 23 years old

The official gunslinger of this group. Nussmeier can’t match the size of some of the other prospective 2026 QB prospects, but his arm talent — from the pocket, off-platform, from any arm slot — is the real deal.

A perfect fit for LSU’s aggressive pass offense, Nussmeier has been fearless throwing over the middle and has never seen a vertical route he doesn’t like. He’s also a comfortable thrower who can improvise on the run and a twitchy athlete who doesn’t lose velocity, no matter his base.

There are times his aggressiveness can get him into trouble — some of his off-platform attempts aren’t necessary, as he plays with inconsistent feet in his drop and throwing process. He needs to be a more decisive passer from the pocket and work to avoid making unnecessary risks, because he’s not big enough to play on the move as much as he prefers.

Same time, Nussmeier never gives up on a play. The son of longtime college and NFL assistant Doug Nussmeier, Garrett has some J.J. McCarthy in him. There’s enough in his game for teams to consider him in Round 1.

Cade Klubnik, Clemson (Sr.)

6-2, 210 | 21 years old

A dynamic athlete with a quick trigger and a great deep ball, Klubnik enjoyed a breakout 2024 season in Clemson’s Air Raid attack, throwing for 36 touchdowns to six interceptions while becoming a serious run threat for the first time in his college career. An explosive scrambler who can cut on a dime and force missed tackles in space, Klubnik is a legit dual-threat passer, even at his modest size.

Klubnik had a whopping 16 completions of 30 or more air yards last season and has shown an ability to layer the ball between levels downfield.

Klubnik’s flashes are pretty outstanding. On the other hand, he is not the sharpest processor from the pocket, often working only one side of the field before looking to run. He needs to show more consistent feet and a better feel for staying in the pocket, with or without pressure.

Like Nussmeier, his size isn’t ideal, but his full profile — assuming he improves this season —  could be more than enough to make him a possible first-rounder.

Tier 2

Sam Leavitt, Arizona State (Jr.)

6-2, 200 | 20 years old

A first-year starter at Arizona State last year after transferring from Michigan State, Leavitt has an above-average feel for a passer his age. He plays tall, with generally solid footwork, and isn’t afraid to step up and drive the ball against pressure. A good athlete with enough speed and agility to be a solid scrambler, Leavitt is hard to sack and can launch a beautiful deep ball when his base is stable.

Other quarterbacks in this class have better arm talent, and Leavitt’s accuracy and velocity can be impacted if he abandons his technique. There are too many examples of missed layups on his tape, so he also needs to develop more strength if he’s going to run as much as he does.

Fundamentally, though, he plays older than his experience level, including with his ball handling in the run and play-action games. Leavitt still has plenty of time in college, but a great 2025 could launch him toward a first-round grade.

John Mateer, Oklahoma (Sr.)

6-1, 220 | Age: 21

Mateer was one of this offseason’s biggest transfers after throwing for more than 3,000 yards and putting up a combined 44 touchdowns (29 passing, 15 rushing) last season as a first-year starter at Washington State.

A thick, powerful runner with good speed and vision, Mateer is capable of running over or away from some defensive backs — he’s a legit dual-threat option. He’s also an aggressive passer who will throw from some pretty crazy arm slots. Mateer has flashed good footwork and rhythm from the pocket while maintaining velocity from any arm angle.

He has to be careful to maintain sound technique with all his improvisational skills and, more than anything, has to show stronger processing from the pocket — he fades away, throws from flat feet, and aims and stares down early reads too often. Physically, though, Mateer is a very interesting player. Not unlike Ward, the guy he replaced at Washington State, he has the tools to make a big jump.

Carson Beck, Miami (fifth-year Sr.)

6-4, 220 | Age: 22

Beck has had a long journey. Despite the step back he took last season, though, he’s still a solid prospect.

His best work came in 2023 at Georgia, with Brock Bowers and much more refined offensive talent around him. He’s an accurate passer who isn’t afraid to test the middle of the field, so long as he’s working from a clean pocket. Beck’s quick processing and release are what helped him throw for nearly 8,000 yards in two years as Georgia’s starter. When he’s pressured or forced to improvise, though, issues pop up.

He is limited athletically, just as his ceiling will be if he can’t develop better consistency against pressure.

Tier 3

Nico Iamaleava, UCLA (Jr.)

6-6, 215 | 20 years old

The drama surrounding Iamaleava’s exit from Tennessee will be stuck in scouts’ minds until he gives them enough reasons to forget it. That said, Iamaleava showed plenty of arm talent and downfield playmaking ability as a tall passer with quick feet and an over-the-top release. He needs to get stronger, but many see Justin Herbert in parts of Iamaleava’s game at this stage.

He has to prove he can operate in an offense that’s more translatable to what he’ll see in the NFL, but there’s plenty to be intrigued about here.

Taylen Green, Arkansas (redshirt Sr.)

6-6, 230 | 22 years old

A gigantic passer and a capable runner — both through or around defenders — Green was a two-year starter at Boise State before joining Sam Pittman and Bobby Petrino at Arkansas last season and producing his best year to date. Green showed good pace and relatively consistent feet with his pocket drops last season and did plenty of damage throwing on the run outside the pocket.

He’s athletic and strong enough to escape and improvise, but he has to improve against pressure. His accuracy fades beyond 30 yards, too, although Green was 23-of-43 on throws of between 20 and 29 air yards last season.

Others to watch: Aidan Chiles, Michigan State; Miller Moss, Louisville; Dante Moore, Oregon; Mark Gronowski, Iowa; Conner Weigman, Houston; Kevin Jennings, SMU; Jackson Arnold, Auburn

(Top photos of LaNorris Sellers and Arch Manning: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images; Scott Wachter / Imagn Images)

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