photo courtesy wunderfan.com
With over a month since the 2026 NFL draft was completed, the 2027 NFL Draft watch starts now. This college football season has a quality group of NCAA QBs the nation should be watching from now til late January.
Dubbed one of the best quarterback draft classes since the 2024 class, these young men can offer only their effort. They all range from about 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, with natural arm talent and leg mobility. More importantly, these NCAA QBs can all mentally process what throwing in the NFL will look like.
Here are the Top 10 NCAA QBs heading into the 2026 Season.
10. Josh Hoover- Indiana
Hoover will turn 23 this season and has big shoes to fill. Former starter Fernando Mendoza is now a rookie with the Las Vegas Raiders. The transfer from TCU threw for 3,472 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in the ever-loving Big 12 conference.
Now, he will be playing a 9-game conference season in the Big 10 for Curt Cignetti. If Hoover can manage the offense and cut down on his turnovers, Indiana once again should be in the CFP picture for 2026.
9. Darian Mensah- Miami
Mensah is a tall presence in the pocket, with a cannon for an arm and quick athleticism. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound 21-year-old may need to put on some muscle for his junior season so that NFL scouts can notice him this year.
Last season, the Duke transfer threw for 3,973 yards with 34 touchdowns and six interceptions, but he will have a massive responsibility of taking over for Carson Beck. Beck was drafted in the third round by the Arizona Cardinals and led the Canes to the National Championship runners-up.
This player could be one of the more exciting QBs to watch, as he brings more mobility with his legs. Also, he is more of a showstopper than a game manager like Beck was.
8. LaNorris Sellers- South Carolina
Aside from Arch Manning, who is a giant, Sellers may have the best physical traits among this year’s quarterbacks. At 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, the skilled athlete has an incredible arm and unbelievable wheels for a dual-threat quarterback. Last season, he threw for 13 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, a down year for him, demonstrating room for growth.
Smartly, he chose to return for his junior season, in quest of helping South Carolina make a darkhorse playoff appearance and improve his draft stock. This year is sink or swim for Sellers, but big things are ahead for him if he improves his game.
7. Bear Bachmeier- BYU
The Stanford transfer definitely looks the part of a dual-threat quarterback. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound sophomore is built like a truck and can sling the rock. Last year, he threw for 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his first year.
Bachmeier is a player who could translate to the NFL. He needs to have a spectacular season with BYU to be considered one of the NCAA QBs heading into the 2027 NFL Draft.
6. Sam Leavitt- LSU
This year will be a big step up for Leavitt as he looks to recover from his Lisfranc foot injury, which caused him to miss the rest of his season. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound signal caller only threw for 10 touchdowns and three interceptions after leading the Sun Devils to the college football playoff in 2024.
In his first year with Lane Kiffin as coach at LSU, Leavitt will have to be the bigger person and hope he doesn’t quit on his football team, as Kiffin has infamously been known to do.
5. Arch Manning- Texas
Arch, with the famous last name, or “Austin Arch” Manning, is more than just a babyface quarterback. At 6-foot-4, 219 pounds, Manning is built like his Uncles, Peyton and Eli, but he can actually run with the football.
After a so-so sophomore season in which he threw for 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, Manning wisely decided to continue the family tradition and return to school for another year. He’s doing this to build his No. 1 overall draft stock.
If he were smart, he would do what his Grandfather Archie said and finish out his senior season, then declare for the 2028 draft.
4. C.J. Carr- Notre Dame
The grandson of the Michigan Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr, C.J., is carving out his own path to the draft at Notre Dame. There, he has established himself as a top quarterback in the country and also a possible top selection in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The 6-foot 3, 210-pound quarterback played big as a redshirt freshman for the Irish last season. He threw for 2,741 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions, and was pretty mad about being snubbed from the CFP last year.
This year, he looks to play tougher than ever as he hopes to have Notre Dame ranked in the Top 12 of the CFP playoff at the end of the year, so they will automatically make it as part of the new agreement reached last year with the committee.
3. Trinidad Chambliss- Ole Miss
After multiple years of NCAA eligibility, Chambliss will have one more year of college football, and then he must decide whether to declare for the NFL Draft or pursue a 9-5 job. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound athlete has been a great story. After winning the NCAA Division II National Championship at Ferris State, Chambliss transferred to Ole Miss and led the Rebels to a CFP National Semi-final appearance last year.
What he lacks in prototypical size, he makes up for with his arm, legs, and mind. He has a high football I.Q. and is a student of the game, always willing to learn how to improve his craft.
Chambliss will be running it back, but now it’s with Pete Golding, who was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach. Let’s hope he can lead the Rebels to a CFP National Championship this year.
2. Julian Sayin- Ohio State
Sayin should focus on continuing what he was doing and on winning a second CFP title in two years for the Buckeyes. At 6 feet 1, 208 pounds, the talented player is not exactly the biggest quarterback in the world. But he is a winner, and in college, that’s something you can’t teach, especially at Ohio State.
Last season, Sayin threw for 3,610 yards with 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions as a true freshman. Sayin is now most likely the best quarterback in the Big 10 now that Mendoza’s gone. Is anyone Sayin, “National Championship” for Ohio State?
1. Dante Moore- Oregon
The 6-foot-3, 206-pound rising junior decided to return to school for another year to develop his skills and work on his game for the 2027 NFL Draft. He made a smart move to return to school so he could be more NFL-ready coming out of a better QB draft class than if he were to come out of last year’s class.
Last season, Moore threw for 30 touchdowns but had 10 interceptions, which is why there was no way he was going to declare for the 2026 NFL draft. Now, he’s a year older and more mature, able to take better care of the football and cut down on interceptions.
Moore has all the physical tools to be a successful NFL quarterback; he has to learn how to use them this season.
Time will tell how these skilled NCAA QBs will pan out, but this year’s group may turn out to be one of the best in terms of quality and quantity of talented arms.
