The Draft "Expert" - FINAL 2026 NFL Draft Quarterback Prospect Rankings

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F__vyf0YXc

Hello one and all and welcome to yet another Draft "Expert" blog post! As you can probably tell by the title, in this one we will be taking a look at my final quarterback prospect rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft!

I'm not going to lie, I'm actually pretty sad that we've reached this point in the offseason, as this blog post insinuates that we are just a couple more days away from the NFL Draft. As someone who stresses day in and day out about making sure everything is as complete as possible, you would think I'd be happy that this process is finally over, right? Well, that's where you're wrong.

As stressful as this may be (and I put that all on myself for some stupid reason) I love watching and writing about each and every quarterback, as this is my favorite thing to do throughout the year regardless of how stressful it may (or may not) be.

Now I am going to be straight up with you, remember last year when I had clips from two games for each and every quarterback? Well, in this one (due to website storage issues) I only have clips for 10 of the 15-quarterbacks in this blog post. I know you're disappointed, and I do apologize. Hopefully you can find it in your heart to forgive me.

All in all I do hope that you enjoy reading through this blog post, regardless of how much you agree or disagree with each ranking. Without any further delay I, Logan Blackman, host of the Logan Blackman Show and self proclaimed Draft "Expert," am proud to present to you my FINAL quarterback prospect rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft! Enjoy!

Podcast Links

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-logan-blackman-show/id1514011056

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6UTqGJOHD5lgrG53AjZD68?si=ffa419860d054e44

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theloganblackmanshowpodcas7014

Garrett Nussmeier, LSU; Fernando Mendoza, Indiana; Ty Simpson, Alabama

1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

Season - 273/379 3,535 yds 41 touchdowns 6 interceptions/90 carries 276 yds 7 touchdowns

• The clear cut favorite to go first overall in this year's draft, Indiana's Fernando Mendoza could not ask for a much better way to cap off an amazing season. Transferring to Indiana after spending the past two seasons at Cal, Mendoza took over for a Kurtis Rourke that broke damn near every single school passing record while guiding the team to their first 10+ win season in program history and a trip to the first ever 12-team College Football Playoff. Following that season, many out there expected the Hoosiers to crash back down to Earth, as thinking they would sustain or even improve upon their 11-2 season seemed preposterous. The thing is, not only did the Hoosiers thrive, the conquered, as they ran the table finishing with a 16-0 record and the school's first ever National Championship, with Mendoza coming away with the Heisman Trophy. Everything that could have gone right for Mendoza and co. did, with that individual and team success again all but locking him up as the top pick in the draft. Standing at 6'5" and weighing 236 lbs., Mendoza possesses the prototypical size team's look for in a quarterback. He possesses a strong arm and a quick release, being a deadly operator in Indiana's RPO offense. An underrated facet of Mendoza's game is his ability to "wash" bad plays, as he lead four touchdown drives directly after throwing an interception. That is an insanely important trait to have at the next level, as it's insanely unlikely that he'll have the same amount of success early on in his career as he did this past season while in Bloomington. The only real concern is how he'll respond to his first read being taken away, as a lot of Indiana's offense were quick hitters, rarely forcing Mendoza to move onto his second or third read. Though I get where those "concerns" are coming from, I think Mendoza's mental makeup and talent will see him succeed at the next level. Tough as hell and a true student of the game in every sense of the phrase, Mendoza has everything you look for in a potential franchise quarterback.

Wk 11 - 19/30 218 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/6 carries 20 yds 1 touchdown @ Penn State (27-24 W)

On the drive Mendoza flashed some of his best traits, with the pass showing his ability to look off the safety before firing it down the middle to his tight end for a 53-yard gain.

Just a great play overall from him, helping set up his 18-yard touchdown run. On that we saw him just take what the defense was giving him as the safeties were locked onto the Indiana receivers. Driving it right down their throats before lowering his shoulder to get into the end zone for the score.

What an athletic play here by Mendoza, keeping the play alive to his left while sucking in the defender before firing it to Becker for the much needed first down. These are the types of plays you love seeing your quarterback make, being able to remain calm under immense pressure and come up with a positive play.

Sometimes as a quarterback you just have to let your receiver make a play on the ball, which is exactly what happened here. Despite pressure coming from the backside and up the middle, Mendoza remains calm and delivers the ball to Becker, putting it in a spot where only his 6'4" receiver could get it.

Long story short, Mendoza just never saw the Penn State defender, who would go onto to make a fantastic catch along the sideline to come away with a crucial interception early on in the fourth quarter. Mendoza definitely thought he had a completion there, but the defender again did an excellent job at not only cutting off the route, but at getting his foot down as well to pick off the pass.

This was a big time throw in a high pressure moment for Mendoza, as the crowd was really rocking following the sack on first down. With pressure coming through the line, Mendoza remained calm and tall in the pocket before delivering a fantastic ball to Cooper on his back shoulder for a 22-yard gain.

What an insane throw here from Mendoza, picking up their third second and 10+ on the drive up to that point. This was such a confident throw from Mendoza, remaining calm in the pocket while firing it down the middle of the field to his tight end for a 29-yard gain. He put it exactly where it needed to be, which helped result in the aforementioned gain.

He saw a match-up he liked as his 6'4" receiver was matched up against a smaller corner, so he threw it high and forced Becker to make a play, which he did. With Penn State showing pressure pre-snap, Mendoza knew he had to get this ball out quick in order to avoid a potential sack. Beautiful throw and catch between quarterback and wide receiver.

With Penn State sending seven to eight defenders, Mendoza knew that he'd just need to go straight back in order to get this pass off. Remaining calm and cool as ever, he tosses it to the back of the end zone where Cooper again registers the catch of the season, somehow getting his left foot in bounds to comes down with it to give Indiana a 27-24 lead with 36-seconds to go in the fourth quarter.

Wk 15 - 15/23 222 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/5 carries -3 yds 0 touchdowns v no.1 Ohio State (13-10 W) (Big Ten Championship)

You absolutely hate to see your quarterbacks take hits lit this, but that being said it says a lot about Mendoza not being afraid to take said hit and deliver an accurate ball on the run for a nine yard gain. An important trait for quarterbacks is not being afraid to take shots in the pocket, which is something Mendoza has proven time and time again throughout the course of the season. Thankfully for everyone wearing crimson and cream, Mendoza was able to come back in a few plays later.

I know this may not look like much at first glance, but I love how Mendoza, after leaving the game due to injury, was able to come back in and take another shot while delivering a nice ball to Becker for the first down on third and four. He did an excellent job at getting outside the pocket when pressure came from the right before sucking in two Ohio State defenders and taking the easy pass for again for the first down.

This is just an insanely unfortunate play for Mendoza, as the Ohio State defender in coverage made a play on the ball before Riley Nowakowski could even come close to throwing a block. The dude just read this play perfectly, breaking up the pass that would ultimately land in the arms of another Buckeye defender for a rather easy interception.

Can you have asked for a much better deep ball than this from Mendoza? I mean with a defender directly in his face, the dude is able to hit Becker in stride with a defender all over him for a 51-yard gain. Everything about this play was perfect, especially given the situation, completely flipping the field.

Much like the guy he replaced at quarterback, Mendoza is undoubtedly the best back shoulder thrower in all of college football, and it's not particularly close. In just one season, Mendoza has built up fantastic chemistry with his receivers, none more so then the aforementioned Elijah Sarratt. This is just a fantastic throw, and could not have come at a better time given that it was third and eight with around eight minutes to go in the quarter. The throw was perfect, and the adjustment by Sarratt made it that much better.

Whenever Indiana needed Mendoza to step up and make a play on a crucial down he did so, once again hitting Becker on a field flipping pass on third down.

• As I stated above, Mendoza has every trait you look for in a potential franchise quarterback. He has the arm strength (quick release), size, and toughness (mental and physical) to be a really good quarterback at the next level. He never lets the moment get too big for him, and for a team like the Raiders who will probably not be very good this coming season, you need a calm presence under center who will be unflappable in the face of everything opposing defenses will throw at him. I may not be the biggest fan of the Raiders, but I am excited to see how he does at the next level.

• Other Key Games

  • Wk 5 @ Iowa

  • Wk 7 @ no.3 Oregon

  • National Championship v no.10 Miami (FL)

2. Ty Simpson, Alabama

Season - 305/473 3,567 yds 28 touchdowns 5 interceptions/90 carries 93 yds 2 touchdowns

• For a good chunk of the season, Alabama's Ty Simpson was my favorite quarterback in this draft class. I would as far to say that up until about week 13 of the college football season, Simpson was the best quarterback available in the 2026 NFL Draft. Obviously things change over time, and Simpson's stock started to drop due to some inconsistent play. There would still be the odd NFL level throw in and amongst the inconsistencies, but his accuracy when push the ball down the field started to wain on him, as reports started surfacing about a lower back injury that he suffered in Alabama's week nine win against South Carolina. As the old saying goes, "what have you done for me lately?" And the last thing(s) most people remember Simpson for are his performances against Auburn, Georgia in the SEC Championship game, and the eventual national champs in Indiana at the Rose Bowl, where he left the game early due to a fractured rib. But like I alluded to before, Simpson has the tape to back up why he was once upon a time considered to be the best quarterback in this draft class. Despite having just 15-starts to his name, Simpson processes both pre and post-snap better than a lot of quarterbacks with double the amount of starts. He is also an effective mover, showing excellent pocket mobility and is able to make some very impressive off balance throws. Speaking of throws, I can sit here and say that I believe Simpson made more NFL level throws than anyone else in this class, as he is fearless when pushing the ball down the middle of the field and is great at leading receivers open despite being tightly covered. Where Simpson struggles most comes on the deep ball, as his deep ball accuracy down the sideline was far from great, as the ball would sometimes sail on him when pushing it down the field. Overall Simpson is far from the finished product, and I do feel that having just 15-starts to his name could cause some teams to look the other way. If he's drafted to a team that will allow him to sit and develop for a season or two, I think he could be an excellent quarterback at the next level. He may not be the most physically imposing quarterback out there, but the dude can play the position.

Wk 6 - 23/31 340 yds 2 touchdowns 1 interception/9 carries -6 yds 0 touchdowns v no.16 Vanderbilt (30-14 W)

This is just not a good throw from Simpson. I don't really mind them being aggressive by throwing the football on fourth and one, but again, Simpson just has to make a smarter decision as there was a very low chance of this ball getting completed as the defender was in a very ideal position to make a play on the ball.

Just a fantastic throw here from Simpson. With the pocket breaking down around him, he is still able to deliver an incredibly strong throw down the sideline to Horton, who skies up to snatch the ball out of the air while picking up 35-yards on the play. Again, great throw from Simpson and a nice play by Horton to come down with the ball for the big gain.

Again, just a very strong throw here from Simpson, throwing a back shoulder ball to get it to Bernard before the defender could make a play on the ball. Great job by Bernard as well at hanging onto the ball through the contact. That plus the excellent throw from Simpson helped Alabama extend their drive early in the second.

Great job by Simpson at evading the pressure to the right by sliding up before firing it into Williams for the touchdown. With that, Williams also did a very nice job at giving his quarterback someone to throw to in the end zone. Like I've said a couple times already, just a great overall play from quarterback and receiver, resulting in Alabama's first touchdown of the game.

With a defender jumping in his face, Simpson is still able to drive this ball to Bernard in the window between the corner and safety, resulting in the aforementioned touchdown. It may look like Bernard is wide open, but there really isn't as much room to work with as you may expect, as the ball has to have enough air under it to get over the first defender, but also on a line enough so the one over top can't make a play on it.

One thing about Ty Simpson that I absolutely love is that he is not at all afraid to throw it across the middle of the field. I know the defender fell over while trying to track Bernard (making it an easier throw) but I still think this is a very strong throw from Simpson on third and nine.

Like I said in the previous blog post, Simpson doesn't look to run all too often, but when he does he is more than capable and athletic enough to pick up solid gains with his legs. Great job at feeling the pressure coming around the left side of the offensive line before taking it 13-yards up the field for a first down.

Simpson doesn't limit his athleticism to picking up decent gains with his legs, but he also utilizes it to keep plays alive before finding an open receiver down the field (i.e. the touchdown to Williams). This may have only resulted in a nine yard gain, but it's still awesome to see from Simpson.

Wk 7 - 23/31 200 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/10 carries 7 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.14 Missouri (27-24 W)

With pressure coming from the right side of the offensive line, Simpson does a great job at sliding and stepping up in the pocket before delivering a strong throw to Brooks for the aforementioned 18-yard gain. With a defender playing over top and the one in coverage playing with his back turned, Simpson smartly throws it a little behind his receiver, who does an excellent job at adjusting his body and coming back to the ball for the nice gain.

Very strong throw here from Simpson as he's able to hit Cuevas in a tight window in between two to three Missouri defenders. Nice little double move here from Cuevas following the clear out by the defender. Despite the clear out, Simpson still knows to put this ball on a line and on his tight end's body as to avoid any possible recovery play from the defender. Excellent touch and weight on the pass from Simpson.

Simpson does an excellent job at using his eyes to manipulate the secondary to help give him a hole for the eventual touchdown. Knowing Horton is running a post following the motion across the formation, Simpson freezes the high safety in the middle of the field which gave him a bigger hole to operate with for the score. This is just great quarterbacking here from Simpson.

Simpson may not have the most rushing yards in this year's quarterback class, but when needs to pick up decent gains with his feet he's not afraid to do it, again picking up 20-yards on a third and four situation. Though I love seeing him utilize his legs to pick up good gains on the ground, I would also like to see him slide to avoid any unnecessary hits, rather then get up ended at the end of the play, but that's just me.

Despite the running back not picking up the streaking Missouri linebacker, Simpson is still able to deliver a strong and accurate ball to Horton for the aforementioned first down. Starting with his eyes to the right to freeze the linebacker to the left Simpson, knowing damn well he's going to take a shot, remains calm and fires it into his receiver for an 11-yard gain. This is what we love to see from the quarterback position, remaining calm and delivering an accurate ball (while falling back) despite knowing you're going to take a hit. It may not have resulted in a touchdown or a massive ass gain, but it's still a great play from Simpson to help continue the drive.

You really cannot throw and/or place a ball better than Simpson did right here. Though the Missouri defender was in good position to make a play on the ball but as the old saying goes, you can't defend a perfect throw, which is exactly what that was. The balls on Simpson to even attempt this throw on fourth and eight is impressive enough, but to actually make and complete the throw is another thing. A truly impressive throw here from Simpson.

• Like I said before, there was a time this past season where I considered Ty Simpson to be the best quarterback in this year's draft class. Do I feel that way anymore? No, but I do feel as though the discourse surrounding Simpson on social media has gone a little crazy at this point. Though I am aware that he struggled in those final few games of the season, to act as if he was never a top quality quarterback is insane to me. He's got so much to like in his game, and though I am aware of the concerns surrounding his amount of collegiate starts, if he's drafted by a team that will allow him to develop I again think he'd be a fantastic quarterback at the next level.

• Other Key Games

  • Wk 5 @ no.5 Georgia

  • Wk 8 v no.11 Tennessee

  • Wk 9 @ South Carolina

3. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

Season - 194/288 1,927 yds 12 touchdowns 5 interceptions/29 carries -57 yds 1 touchdown

• LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier came into this past season as one of the top quarterbacks in the draft class. Though he still finds himself inside the top three in my rankings, how Nussmeier is viewed now vs the start of the season is vastly different at this point in time. One of the most NFL ready quarterbacks in this year's draft class in regards to everything in between the ears, Nussmeier's best work comes pre-snap at the line of scrimmage, as he is able to dissect opposing defenses before the ball is even snapped. Once it's snapped, Nussmeier shows great anticipation, as he is arguably the most anticipatory throwers in this entire class, throwing receivers open and placing the ball exactly where it needs to be. Where Nussmeier struggles is in his aggressiveness, which in truth can be both a good thing and a bad thing. He wants to make a play every time he drops back to pass, but he needs to learn that not every play will be a positive one, and that sometimes you just need to live to see the next one. That being said, his willingness to want to make a play can see him pick up some decent gains with his legs, even though he may not be the most fleet footed athlete out there. He's also tough as hell, but this season that toughness came back to bite him as he progressively got worse physically, which saw his overall play drop as a result, with him eventually getting benched for Michael Van Buren after nine games. Due to an undiagnosed oblique injury, Nussmeier lost a lot of juice on his deep ball, with a good amount of them hanging on him when LSU would try to push it down the field. I really like Nussmeier's game. He's an absolute gamer who is willing to do anything to help his team over the line. That leadership and willingness saw him get handed the number 18 jersey at LSU, a special honor for those in Baton Rouge. He may not be the most physically imposing quarterback out there, but there's a lot to like with Nussmeier, and I'm excited to see where he ends up.

Wk 7 - 20/33 254 yds 2 touchdowns 2 interceptions/4 carries 30 yds 0 touchdowns v South Carolina (20-10 W)

With a defender coming around the edge to the right, Nussmeier does a very nice job at sliding to his left in order to buy himself more time before getting hit in the backfield. Because he did that he was able to zip it into Green who was ultimately brought down at the seven yard line.

Nussmeier does an excellent job at flipping his hips quickly after the fake before firing it into Green before the linebacker can make a play on it. He did a very nice job at putting the ball right on his tight end's body as to avoid any possible play from the aforementioned linebacker.

As I've spoken about numerous times before, sometimes as a quarterback you just have to let your plays makers make plays, which is exactly what happened here. Green is just a crazy good option to have in these types of situations as there are not going to be many defensive backs in college football that can guard the 6'7" former LSU basketball player on a jump ball situation.

Rolling out to his right with a defender giving chase, the dude is able to fit into his running back 17-yards down the field with two South Carolina defenders in tight coverage. I honestly don't know how this pass was completed, but as the old saying goes, you can't defend a perfect pass, which this one was.

This is just a poorly thrown ball from Nussmeier, completely over shooting his intended receiver and into the waiting arms of the South Carolina defender. The thing that is annoying is that he did have a receiver open down the field, but the ball again just sailed on him with a couple Gamecock defenders in his face.

This is just about knowing your match-ups, as on this one Nussmeier see's his 6'7" former basketball player tight end being defended by a 6'1" safety. Pretty easy pickings if you ask me, with Nussmeier throwing a very nice back shoulder ball for Green to make a play on it, again picking up 19-yards in the process.

No other way around it, Nussmeier just got baited into making this throw. With the linebacker coming down prior to the snap, Nussmeier thought he'd have an open window to hit Green on the slant for a potential touchdown. Unfortunately for him the safety playing over top sat on it and waited for Nussmeier to cock it back before jumping the route and coming away with the interception. You normally are told to throw it off the linebacker, if he crashes throw the slant, but with South Carolina having five in coverage he probably should have taken his read to the safety. Sucks to get this close to the end zone and not come away with anything.

Wk 8 - 19/28 225 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/2 carries -13 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.17 Vanderbilt (31-24 L)

This is a really long and accurate throw here from Nussmeier. With multiple defenders in his face on third and six, he is able to remain calm and deliver a nice ball to Parker along the far sideline for the aforementioned 11-yard gain. I really don't know how the defender didn't make a play on this ball given the circumstances, but it was still a really accurate throw from Nussmeier.

This is one thing Nussmeier does better than most of the other quarterbacks in this class as though he can be a erratic at times, he scans the field very well overall and possesses very good pocket presence. On this one we can see that his eyes started out to the right, but with pressure coming from that side he smartly slides up in the pocket while keeping his eyes down the field before firing it into Brown.

This is just a great job by Nussmeier at buying enough time in the backfield to allow his tight end to get open on the crossing route for the pretty easy 24-yard score. I mean, Nussmeier received the ball from center at the 30-yard line and let the ball go around the 39-yard line with a defender directly in his face. Now that's what I call buying time, holding onto the ball until the very last second to help LSU register their first touchdown of the game.

Nussmeier got absolutely walloped on this play, and yet was still able to get off an accurate ball to Thomas for the aforementioned 11-yard gain. Like I've spoken about numerous times before, I always love seeing quarterbacks not being afraid of contact and firing it down the field while remaining calm in the pocket. Was Thomas decently open on the play? Sure, but given the circumstances, this was a great throw from Nussmeier to help pick up a first down on second and eight.

Falling backwards with pressure right in his face, Nussmeier remains calm and delivers an accurate ball to Anderson, who is able to put his hand in the dirt and keep his balance before going down for the aforementioned 18-yard gain. Just a solid throw there from Nussmeier.

I don't really know how 1) Nussmeier was able to get this ball off and 2) how Thomas was able to break through those defenders to come away with the massive 62-yard score. Like, I know the pass only traveled a couple yards past the line of scrimmage, but Nussmeier did an excellent job at rolling to his left as pressure came from the right before taking a shot while firing it to Thomas who again was able to make multiple defenders miss before finding his way to the end zone for six.

• Garrett Nussmeier is a gunslinger in every single sense of the phrase. He's a fantastic anticipatory thrower and is excellent at the line of scrimmage, just sometimes that aforementioned aggressiveness can come back to bite him, but I respect his overall willingness to do anything to help his team get over the line. Like I alluded to before, though he may not be the most physically imposing quarterback in this class, Nussmeier has everything needed between the ears to be a really good player at the next level. He may not be a first round prospect anymore, but the dude can definitely play the position at a high level.

• Other Key Games

  • Wk 1 @ no.4 Clemson

  • Wk 3 v Florida

  • Wk 9 v no.3 Texas A&M

4. Drew Allar, Penn State

Season - 103/159 1,100 yds 8 touchdowns 3 interceptions/36 carries 172 yds 1 touchdown

• My pre-season QB1, there was no other quarterback from this past season that I was more excited to see than Penn State's Drew Allar. I mean, what's not to like about him? The dude is 6'5" 228 lbs. with an absolute cannon for an arm. Trait wise, he's got absolutely everything you could possibly look for in a potential franchise quarterback at the next level. The problem with all of that is that Allar constantly leaves you wanting more. For all the physical talent that he clearly possesses, for whatever reason he struggled putting it all together consistently throughout his collegiate career, why is that? I mean, there would be throws that he would make throughout the course of a game that would leave you saying "wow," but a few plays later he would miss on a pass that should have been a layup. The problem with Allar is that despite again being a three year starter in college, he's still considered to be one of the more "raw" prospects in this year's class. Was coaching holding him back? We may never truly know the answer, but there sure as hell is going to be a general manager/head coach out there that thinks "I can fix him." I mean hell, I would definitely be one of those guys. Again, from a physical talent standpoint, there is so much to like about Allar's game, it's just a matter of how you go about harnessing all of that raw energy. Should he have declared prior to the 2025 NFL Draft, Allar would have certainly been a top five pick, now his stock is in limbo as prior to his season being cut short due to an ankle injury, his play throughout the first six games left a lot to be desired. I'm a big fan of Allar, and I hope he's able to develop into a quality starter at the next level. If he's able to properly develop, he could be really scary.

Wk 5 - Wk 5 - 14/25 137 yds 2 touchdowns 1 interception/9 carries 42 yds 0 touchdowns v no.6 Oregon (30-24 2OT L)

Really nice job by both quarterback and running back as Allar sees nothing open to his right before rolling to his left and waiting for something to open up down the field. As for Singleton, he does a very nice job at giving Allar an option to throw to, as he was initially covered before his defender cut in on Allar.

Like they said on the broadcast, this is the advantage of being 6'5" 235 lbs., as Allar is able to see everything developing down the field despite slipping on his drop back. With that he also has the arm strength get the ball to Ross despite not having the most solid footing.

This is a fantastic throw from Allar, hitting Ross perfectly in stride for the walk in touchdown. With Ross creating a good amount of separation between himself and the defender(s), all Allar really needs to do is not miss him, which he doesn't.

I can see what he's trying to do, but this is ultimately a poor throw from Allar which led to it getting intercepted. This is a really hard throw to make as you have to get it over the top of the defender in front but also put it in the bucket so the defender overtop can't make a play on it. He tried to float it into his tight end up Thieneman just wound making a really good play on the ball.

Wk 6 - Wk 6 - 19/26 200 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/11 carries 78 yds 0 touchdowns @ UCLA (42-37 L)

Pretty simple throw here from Allar, as no one follows Dinkins down the field for an easy 40-yard touchdown. Though it wasn't anything too difficult, I still like seeing Allar make these kind of throws.

Allar may not be the most athletically gifted quarterback out there, but when you need him to (or when he wants to) he can pick up decent gains using his legs as he is more often then not bigger and stronger than those trying to tackle him. At 6'5" 228 lbs., when he gets moving he can be hard to stop.

Again, just a beautifully thrown ball here from Allar, putting the ball in a spot where only his receiver could make a play on it. As we saw last week against Oregon, when everything is synced up Allar can throw a really pretty fade ball.

• There's a lot to like with Allar's game physically, but equally there's a lot to fear in regards to his development at the next level. As I've stated numerous times before I am a big fan of what Allar could potentially bring to the table, I just hope that he goes to a team that will allow him to continue to develop before handing him the reigns of an organization. He's got the size, the arm, and the potential to once again be a truly special player at the next level. He grows with the game and if a team allows him to properly develop, and doesn't give up if he starts to struggle early, they could get a special player at the quarterback position. Don't draft him with the expectation that he'll turn into Josh Allen, just let him be Drew Allar.

• Other Key Games

  • Wk 1 v Nevada

  • Wk 3 v Villanova

  • 2025 Big Ten Championship v no.1 Oregon

5. Cole Payton, North Dakota State

Season - 162/225 2,719 yds 16 touchdowns 4 interceptions/136 carries 777 yds 13 touchdowns

• Cole Payton is one of the harder quarterback prospects to scout in this year's class. A gifted athlete with a live arm, from a purely athletic standpoint Payton could be considered as one of the top quarterbacks available. The thing is though, he is going from playing (high level) FCS football at North Dakota State to the NFL, which makes it very hard to judge how he'll turn out at the next level. Like I alluded to in the previous sentence, there is no higher level of FCS football than North Dakota State, as they play in the hardest conference at that level while also constantly competing for National Championships, though they crashed out in the second round of the Playoffs to conference foe Illinois State (who would go all the way to the National Championship game). After sitting behind quarterback Cam Miller throughout each of his first four years in Fargo, Payton put on some impressive performances throughout this past season that helped ease the burden of losing such a consistent figure under center. A very smart decision maker much like the aforementioned Miller, Payton threw just four interceptions while registering a combined 29-touchdowns (16-passing 13-rushing). More known for his rushing ability more than his passing ability early on in his North Dakota State career, Payton showed flashes on why he should be considered with an early day three pick. Though he may not have a cannon attached to his left shoulder, Payton makes smart and anticipatory throws with his best work coming on intermediate throws, though he does show good touch on his deep ball. My biggest concern with quarterbacks that come from schools like North Dakota State is that how far along are they in the development process. As an alumni of fellow MVFC school Northern Iowa, I have seen my fair share of North Dakota State football. They are the most physical team in the FCS, always trying to ram the ball down your throat in the run game. That dominance and aforementioned physicality opens up so many windows in the passing game, making the quarterbacks life insanely easy. It's safe to say he won't have that luxury at the next level, and I am again intrigued to see how far along he is developmental wise once he gets drafted. Like I alluded to before athletically Payton is one of the best quarterbacks in this class, and I would be more than willing to take a flier on him because of that. I'm rooting for him, and I am again intrigued to see how he does at the next level.

Wk 7 - 13/16 243 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/8 carries 48 yds 2 touchdowns v no.8/9 Southern Illinois (45-17 W)

Was RaJa Wilson decently open on this play? Well yeah, but I still like seeing Payton remain tall and calm in the pocket before delivering a strong and confident throw to the aforementioned Wilson for a 26-yard gain.

Just an excellent throw here from Payton. Knowing his best receiver is on an island to the far side of the field, Payton manipulates the coverage with his eyes before dropping a dime right into the path of Lance for a 48-yard gain.

If you've kept up with my blog posts for long enough, you would know how much I love myself a back shoulder throw. With the corner playing inside, Payton puts this ball in a spot where only his receiver can make a play on it. It may not have been a 50-yard bomb or anything, but this is still a very impressive throw from Payton.

What an absolute seed here from Payton. With a defender barreling down on him, Payton drops an inch perfect pass right into the path of Reis Kessel for a 50-yard gain. With two defenders and RaJa Wilson all in the area, the pass had to be perfect and it was. Great throw from Payton.

After double clutching it, Payton absolutely rips one to Jackson Williams for what would result in a 10-yard gain on third down. With a defender sticking an arm in his face, Payton remains calm and delivers a strike to Wilson with a few Saluki defenders in the area. Really solid throw to help pick up a much needed first down.

One of the best quarterbacks in this class when it comes to making something out of nothing, Payton's athleticism was truly on display on this play. He may not be the shiftiest quarterback out there, but the dude is so hard to bring down in the open field, especially when he's got a head of steam. A 41-yard touchdown run while covering damn near every blade of grass along the way, the dude is just an absolute dog.

Wk 9 - 18/23 243 yds 0 touchdowns 1 interception/17 carries 137 yds 4 touchdowns @ no.2/2 South Dakota State (38-7 W)

This is very strong throw down the middle of the field from Payton. With pressure right in his face and from an unbalanced base, Payton does an excellent at sliding in the pocket before firing it off of the outside shoulder of the South Dakota State linebacker, with RaJa Nelson making a great diving catch for the 22-yard gain.

Nice and easy read here from Payton, as once both the linebacker and safety crashed he fired it into Bryce Lance who's able to make the first defender miss before picking up a 33-yard gain. I like that he placed the ball right on Lance's body, as anything in front of him (or further behind) may have seen the pass either broken up or intercepted. Again though a simple play, I like what Payton did.

Fantastic back shoulder throw here from Payton, putting it in a spot where only Lance could get it. Holding the safety just long enough, Payton fit this ball in a really tight window for a 26-yard gain. With a receiver like Lance, sometimes you just have to put it in their vicinity and they'll come down with it. Great play overall.

With the safeties playing shallow, Payton knows his top receiver will be on an island to the outside, hitching up and tossing a nice ball down the sideline for a 26-yard gain. Easy pre-snap read from Payton, we love those.

Rolling to his left following the motion, Payton throws a very strong and accurate ball to Jackson Williams who makes a very nice toe tapping catch along the sideline for a 14-yard gain.

I know this is a very simple throw, but the reason I'm pointing this out is because I love seeing quarterbacks standing tall in the pocket (knowing they're going to take a shot) and making a strong throw down the field. Sure Lance was open, and sure it was just a hitch route, but I do like what Payton showed in the pocket on this one.

This is the kind of stuff Payton brings to the table apart from his arm. After seeing nothing open down the field, he roles to his left before cutting up field and making a few Jackrabbit defenders miss before taking it into the end zone for a 57-yard touchdown.

Keeping the play alive, Payton drops all the way back to the Bison 15-yard line before turning back up field and firing it to Williams along the sideline for a 16-yard gain. Though I'm not a massive fan of how far he dropped back (worst case scenario) I do love how he allowed someone to open up rather than forcing something that wasn't there (even took a little hit after letting it go). Overall, good play from Payton to help extend the drive on third down.

Another third down, another big time throw from Payton. In a sea of blue jerseys, Payton does a nice job at putting the ball in a spot where only Reis Kessel can make a play on it. This is just really good ball placement here from Payton, resulting in a 20-yard gain on third and seven.

Decently tight window throw here from Payton, who just ripped it into Williams in a spot where only he could get it for an 11-yard gain on third and 12 (Payton would pick up the first with his legs on the following play).

What a throw here from Payton, as he's able to get off a very strong and accurate despite rolling to his weaker side. Rolling to his right, falling away with a defender right in his face, Payton puts the ball right on Nelson's body for what would result in a 17-yard gain. Doesn't get a whole lot better than that.

First off, great play by the South Dakota State defender, as he made a diving catch after the initial defender looked to have come down with the ball. Trying to hit Lance in a tight window, Payton just flat out over threw the ball. Overall, just not an ideal situation for Payton and the Bison.

• He may not be your typical prospect, but in a year that's lacking in some real "top end" talent, Payton provides an intriguing option for teams looking for a developmental quarterback. A fantastic athlete with a live arm that can make damn near every throw on the field, Payton is definitely one to watch out for in the back half of day two and/or early day three of the NFL Draft. Though I have some reservations regarding the talent discrepancy between NDSU and the rest of the FCS (and how their run game opens up so many things in the passing game), I think Payton has some intriguing tools that would make me want to take a flier on him.

• Other Key Games

  • Wk 5 v no.17/18 South Dakota

  • Wk 6 v no.6/6 Illinois State

  • Wk 15 v no.17/17 Illinois State (Second Round FCS Playoffs)

6. Carson Beck, Miami (FL)

Season - 338/467 3,813 yds 30 touchdowns 12 interceptions/62 carries 43 yds 2 touchdowns

• Much like a couple other prospects that I've mentioned before, Carson Beck went from a potential top pick in the draft to being considered a near "un-draftable" prospect during his final season at Georgia. I don't think I can remember seeing someone's stock fall off a cliff that rapidly, as his play and seemingly poor attitude rubbed some people the wrong way in the NFL Draft community. Transferring to Miami (FL) was one of the best decisions that he's ever made, as though it may not have flipped him back into being a first round prospect, it changed the overall perspective of him as he played a crucial role in helping the Hurricanes get back to the National Championship game. Though they ultimately wound up falling short, Beck definitely won some people back with his play throughout the season. A good sized prospect with a decent (not amazing) arm, Beck played with a lot of confidence this past season, which was something we really saw him struggling with throughout his final year at Georgia. A negative I would have had on Beck prior to this season is that seemingly when one thing goes wrong, everything else that follows goes wrong as well. He could be like an avalanche at times, but when he's playing with confidence you can tell, and we again saw that a lot from him this season. He's a really good touch thrower, he's best when making intermediate throws. That being said when it comes to his deep ball sometimes he can put a little too much loft on it, which forces the receiver(s) to come back to the ball. I think his arm is better than some of his deep balls would suggest, I think it has a lot to do with timing as he tends to tap the ball before letting it go (sometimes just waits too long). He may not be the best athlete overall, but can prove effective with his legs and can pick up decent gains if/when he needs to. Overall again I think Beck massively boosted his stock with his play this past season, and I'm intrigued to see where he winds up once the draft ultimately rolls around.

Wk 3 - 23/28 340 yds 3 touchdowns 2 interceptions/6 carries 28 yds 1 touchdown v no.18 USF (49-12 W)

With a defender screaming in his face, Beck is able to remain tall and calm in the pocket before getting hit, delivering a perfect ball to Toney for the aforementioned 20-yard gain. With a defender in front and one in behind the window for Beck to work with is rather small, which makes it that much more impressive knowing that he made this throw while getting hit.

Slightly under thrown ball here from Beck after the long pump fake, but really nice job from Moore to bring this in through the defender for the score. But as the old saying goes, if your receiver is open down the field it's better to miss them short then to over throw them. They can always slow down and/or adjust to the ball (see Moore) but it's hard to speed up when you've already reached your top speed. Regardless, nice touchdown on third and seven to double their advantage in the first.

It may not look like much but this is a solid throw from Beck. With Marion's route carrying him across the middle of the field, and the USF linebacker dropping back into coverage, Beck does a nice job at throwing this slightly behind his receiver, keeping it both him and the ball away from danger. Again, doesn't seem like a whole lot but it's a very experienced throw from Beck for the nice gain.

This is just a rough decision from Beck. Like, I know there's not a ton of time left in the first half and you want to make a play but it's still first down, you don't need to try and fit this ball in past three USF defenders, especially while you're getting hit. My guess would be that this pass would have been probably been picked regardless of the hit on Beck as again, it's just not a smart decision.

Regardless of who he was really trying to hit, this is still a hard throw to make for Beck. Hey, maybe he's hitting the outside receiver and fits it in between the two defenders and we're talking about a potential touchdown. But the deflection by the first receiver definitely didn't help anything, as it made the ball stay up longer in the air which lead to it being intercepted. Just an unfortunate play all around for the Hurricane offense.

Beck make a strong throw down the hash marks to Toney with three USF defenders in the area. Now, I wouldn't recommend always throwing this ball falling backwards, but Beck makes it look effortless for the first down.

Beck puts the ball in a spot where only his receiver can make a play on it. With the defender pretty much matching Marion stride-for-stride, Beck throws this to the outside and away from the defender for the aforementioned 36-yard gain. The defender is in good coverage, you just can't beat a near perfect throw.

This is really solid throw here from Beck, hitting Johnson in the middle of the field right off of the USF defender's shoulder. Also, great job by Johnson at adjusting to the ball, then getting his eyes up field to generate a massive play for the Miami offense.

Wk 13 - 27/32 320 yds 4 touchdowns 0 interceptions/2 carries 9 yds 0 touchdowns @ Virginia Tech (34-17 W)

Pretty simple throw, as no one on the Virginia Tech defense bothered tracking Marion when he came across the field, hitting him in a good sized window over the top of the linebacker for the 32-yard gain.

Beck did a nice job at manipulating the defense with his eyes. With him starting to the left that gets the safety to the near side of the field to follow the slot receiver, giving Beck a massive hole to work with in the middle of the defense for the eventual score.

Solid throw here from Beck down the seam to hit Toney for what would again result in a 56-yard gain. Now, it obviously helps that the defender in coverage fell over, but I still like the placement from Beck as it forced Toney to come back to the ball and away from the defender playing over top, which helped create more separation and room for him to pick up more yards after the catch.

Just a simple pitch and catch between quarterback and receiver. Since the Hokie safety hit on the fake handoff, he was late getting back into coverage which gave Beck a little bigger window to hit his receiver along the sideline. He did job at putting it in a spot where only Toney could get it, with him making an excellent leaping catch to come down with it for the first down.

I say this damn near every week, but man oh man do I love myself a back shoulder throw. Beck absolutely just ripped it into Upshaw, who did a very nice job at fighting through the defender in order to come back to the ball and make the catch. You can't really place it much better than that if you are Beck.

Pringle did an excellent job at laying out for that ball, as Beck may have gotten a little too excited after seeing him that open down the field. When mesh combinations are run like that it makes things nice and simple for the offense, Pringle was again able to create separation before making a diving effort to come down with the ball for the score.

Could the Hurricanes have just settled for a field goal, or knelt to just give the ball back to the Hokies here on fourth down? Well sure, but where's the fun in that? This is a very solid throw here from Beck, but an even better catch by Toney to come down with it in the end zone through the defender to again make the score 34-17 late in the fourth. What a way to cap off the game for Miami.

• Like I said a few times before, Beck helped his draft stock tremendously by transferring to Miami last offseason. He may not be considered a first round prospect anymore, but going from where he was to where he is now is truly impressive. I do still have some reservations about him spiraling if/when things start to go bad, but I would say that I was decently impressed with how he handled adversity this past season, and I'm intrigued to see how he handles things at the next level. Again, he possesses good size and a decent enough arm to make damn near every throw on the field. I don't know how high he'll go in the draft, but I do feel like he could make an impact if given an opportunity.

• Other Key Games

  • Wk 1 v no.6 Notre Dame

  • Wk 6 @ no.18 Florida State

  • National Championship v no.1 Indiana

7. Cade Klubnik, Clemson

Season - 257/392 2,943 yds 16 touchdowns 6 interceptions/83 carries 94 yds 4 touchdowns

• Prior to the season starting, a few draft "expert's" not only considered Clemson's Cade Klubnik as one of the top quarterback prospects in this year's class, but also as a possible candidate to go first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Though I understood where people were coming from with that assessment to a certain degree, as Klubnik was coming off of a fantastic season where he flew somewhat under the radar, but I felt as though he didn't possess any physical traits that suggested that he should be taken with the top pick in the draft. Sure if Klubnik put up similar-ish numbers and Clemson competed for a National Championship than maybe would could have had a conversation. Unfortunately for all parties involved none of that happened, as Klubnk and Clemson as a whole were massively disappointing this past season. Only speaking for myself, in my preseason predictions I had the Tigers making a run to the National Championship game, which wasn't an insane prediction at the time as they returned a bunch of key players on a team that went 10-4 and won the ACC Championship before falling to Texas in the first round of the College Football Playoff. After making that prediction, if you would have told me that they'd finish the season with a 7-6 record I would have called you crazy, but that's exactly what happened. For Klubnik, he went from throwing for 3,600+ yards with 36-touchdowns and six interceptions to throwing for 2,900+ yards with just 16-touchdowns and six interceptions. It was just an overall rough season for those wearing orange and regalia, and Klubnik's stock took a massive hit because of it. That being said I do still think he's good enough to be taken with a day three pick, as he has a ton of experience at the collegiate level and is arguably the most accurate quarterback in this year's class when it comes to throwing outside of the numbers (not afraid to push the ball down the field). That being said his accuracy overall wained on him at times, with those times coming mostly when he was getting pressured. Klubnik is also not afraid to make plays with his legs, despite his rushing numbers also going way down this season and not being the most physically imposing quarterback in the class (he is accurate when rolling to his right). Overall I think Klubnik has all the tools to be a successful back-up at the next level. He may not be a top end starter, but given an opportunity I think he could flourish as his experience and leadership should bode well for him.

Wk 10 - 27/36 385 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/4 carries 12 yds 0 touchdowns v Duke (46-45 L)

Great job by Klubnik at keeping the safety honest with his eyes as he starts off looking far to the left before coming back to the middle and hitting an open Williams for what again would result in a 64-yard for the offense. Again, I know Williams was decently open, but this is still a nice overall play from Klubnik, throwing with confidence.

I know I've talked about this a thousand times before, but this is a lot longer of a throw than you think, though Klubnik is able to get it there with decent velocity for the 14-yard gain. Good job at getting this ball out on time, which could have been made difficult by the defender coming in from the right side of the formation. Long but seemingly effortless throw here from Klubnik.

He hasn't done it as much this season as maybe he did last season, but Klubnik is a very good athleticism who can pick up solid gains on the ground with his legs, with this being a prime example. With pressure coming from the right, Klubnik does an excellent job at bouncing it around the right tackle while keeping his eyes down the field for something to open up. With nothing there he makes a couple defenders miss before picking up an eight yard gain with his legs.

This was a strong and quick throw here from Klubnik, hitting Williams right on his body in a tight window for a much needed first down on fourth and two. You really can't ask for a much better throw in this type of situation from your quarterback, this ball was placed exactly where in needed to be.

With the linebacker crashing, Klubnik knows he'll have a decent window to hit Williams in for a decent gain. You always have to get the ball out quick on RPOs, but with Duke sending more people than Clemson had blockers he had to get this ball out even quicker, which he did. Even with the defender jumping as he let the ball go, he still fired in an accurate pass.

Wk 12 - 22/34 187 yds 0 touchdowns 0 interceptions/6 carries -6 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.20 Louisville (20-19 W)

I've always spoken highly about Klubnik's ability to throw outside the numbers, which was very much on display here as he hit Moore on a well timed and well placed throw to help them pick up the first down.

The throw to Patt-Henry was well placed as well, putting the ball more on his body and slightly behind in order to keep the defender from making a play on the ball.

With two defenders playing over the top Klubnik smartly throws this ball on a line, forcing Williams to come back to the ball rather than carrying his route into the path of the defenders. Though Williams finds himself in a decent sized window there is still little room for error here for Klubnik who again makes a nice throw.

Really nice job by Klubnik at remaining calm in the pocket and scanning the whole field before firing it to Moore who was able to make a nice catch despite the big hit by the Louisville defender. This was a really tight window for Klubnik to work with, and yet he was able to fit in in there.

Like I alluded to before, Klubnik is one of the best passers in the nation when it comes to throwing outside of the numbers. Falling back while letting this ball go, Klubnik delivers an on time and accurate pass to Moore along the sideline.

• Like I've said a few times before, though Klubnik may not possess any insane physical traits, I do believe that he could be a very solid back-up and maybe potential starter at the next level. It's no secret that this past season was rough for him and everyone else at Clemson, but I still think he's more than good enough to be a decently early day three selection. He can make the throws, he's a decent to good athlete, and has loads of experience, can't really ask for much more from a day three guy, even though that's a far cry from where many thought he'd be at the start of the season.

• Other Key Games

  • Wk 1 v no.9 LSU

  • Wk 6 @ North Carolina

  • Wk 11 v Florida State

8. Taylen Green, Arkansas

Season - 198/326 2,714 yds 19 touchdowns 11 interceptions/139 carries 777 yds 8 touchdowns

• One of the more intriguing prospects in this year's draft, Arkansas' Taylen Green possesses a rare amount of length and athleticism that you will find nowhere else amongst this year's quarterback class. Now, I'm sure there will be some out there that suggest Green move to wide receiver at the next level (not me), I was impressed enough by what he did as a passer this past season to think that he could make a difference at the quarterback position at the next level. Though he may not be the finished product as a natural passer and overall decision maker, Green possesses a strong arm and an overall athletic tool set that gives him a very intriguing ceiling at the next level. This past season he was one of the lone bright spots in a insanely rough season for the Razorbacks. Like, it's one thing to finish the season with a 2-10 record (after starting 2-0), it's a whole other thing to lose seven of those games by single digits. They averaged over 28-points per game through that 10-game losing streak, with Green and running back Mike Washington giving them one of the best rushing attacks in the SEC. At 6'6" 227 lbs., Green has the ideal size that teams tend to look for in potential franchise quarterbacks at the next level. A long strider when carrying the ball, it is damn near impossible to get a proper angle on him once he gets going, registering a few 45+ yard carries this past season. As for him as a passer, there's still work to be done. He has a strong arm as I alluded to before, but it can sometimes be very wayward, as he's not the most accurate or consistent passer at this point in time. When everything is synced up, Green can be a deadly operator with both his arm and his legs, as he throws a good deep ball and works the middle of the field well. On the other hand though, he can sometimes try to do a little too much, leading to turnovers that cost the Razorbacks a few times this past season. His feet aren't great and he can sometimes panic when pressure is barreling down upon him, which again leads to the turnovers. He's nowhere near the finished product yet but again, his athletic tools make him a very intriguing prospect. I mean, the dude ran a 4.36 in the 40-yard dash, someone will definitely take a flier on him.

Wk 4 - 18/34 325 yds 1 touchdown 2 interceptions/12 carries 53 yds 0 touchdowns @ Memphis (32-31 L)

This is the type of play that Green just needs to throw it out of bounds and live to fight another day. Even in the cleanest of pockets, this throw was pretty much destined to get picked off. I like that he tries to roll out to his right to buy some more time but again, just throw it out of bounds.

This ball deserved to result in a touchdown. Like, this was just an inch perfect throw from Green, dropping it right in the bucket and leading Blake perfectly with three defenders in the area. As perfect as the throw as, the Memphis defender made a fantastic play by punching it away from Blake as he tried to bring it in.

This is a really strong throw from Green, fitting it into Sharpe in a very tight window with three to four Memphis defenders in the area. Just a nice job at putting the ball on his receiver's body to keep the ball away from the defender(s) to help pick up the first down.

With pressure diving at his legs after rolling to the right, Green throws a very accurate ball to Jones in another tight window for a 40-yard gain. One of the best throwers when on the move, Green flashes really good accuracy despite the fact that there were defenders both around him and his intended receiver.

You really can't ask for a much better throw from your quarterback here. Backed up on their own 15-yard line, Green would hit Brown perfectly in stride for an aforementioned 42-yard gain. Just a great play overall.

I'm going to surmise that Green just flat out didn't see the Memphis defender on this play. I mean, with pressure right in his face Green tried to throw it where his receiver would end up after running what seemed like would have been a hitch. Instead of the receiver though he throws it right to the chest of the Memphis defender. Just an unfortunate play for Green and the Arkansas offense.

I know this is just a simple hitch route, but I don't really understand how Green was able to fit this ball into Blake for the first down. Like, not only are there two Memphis defenders in the area, but I thought the one who jumped the route would have at least broke up the pass, if not even intercepted it. Green absolutely zipped this thing into Blake for a big time first down on third and eight.

Wk 8 - 19/32 256 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/12 carries 85 yds 2 touchdowns v no.4 Texas A&M (45-42 L)

Though there wasn't anything too insanely impressive on this play, I just love seeing Green make plays with his legs as he is one of the hardest quarterbacks to contain in the open field. Like he's super athletic and has super long strides, making it really hard for any defender trying to get a proper angle on him, as you could see on that play.

After seeing nothing initially open down the field, Green does a great job at stepping up in the pocket and firing it to his receiver for the nice 18-yard gain. A year ago Green may have tried to take off and run, and who knows, maybe he could have picked up the first with his legs here, but I like that he was able to fire it into Sharpe who would go down a yard short of the first down marker.

I think Green may be the hardest player to track down once he gets going in the open field. Like I alluded to earlier, it's nearly impossible to get a good angle on him because of how long his strides are. Mixing that with his natural athleticism makes him really hard to bring down, as you can see above. Just a nice job at making something out of seemingly nothing.

With pressure barreling down on him, Green remained calm in the pocket and floated one into his tight end in the window between a few Texas A&M defenders. With one over top waiting to make a play, Green took a little bit off of it for Jones to come back to hit, giving him time to secure the catch and get his head up before picking up a decent gain on second down.

With nothing initially open down the field, he smartly slides to his right and takes what the defense gives him for the eventual walk in touchdown.

What a play here from Green. As I've spoken about before, I love quarterbacks who have an innate ability of making something out of nothing, which is exactly what Green did on this play. With nothing initially open in the end zone, he steps up and slides around the defender coming around the left side of the offensive line before making another defender miss and getting to the outside to try and buy time for someone to get open. He then fires it against his body into Blake who is able to make a very good catch in the end zone for the score.

What a play here by Green. With the pocket collapsing all around him, he manages to escape and roll out to his left. From there he remains calm and patient and despite there being two Texas A&M defenders barreling down on him, he delivers a strike to Blake who goes do to get it for a 16-yard gain on third and six.

I know this was only a four yard pass from Green, but he still did a very nice job at floating it in there perfectly and in a spot where only his tight end could make a play on it. Great catch by Platt as well but great throw from Green with a defender in his face to help bring the Razorbacks back to within three early on in the fourth quarter.

Making something out of nothing once again. With less than three minutes to go in the fourth while backed up on your own 12-yard line on fourth and five, this really could have been the game, and it probably would have been had Arkansas had a different person lining up behind center. With A&M sending pressure and one essentially getting a free shot to the quarterback, Green rolls to his left with two defenders giving chase before cutting up field and picking up a whopping 49-yards on the ground to completely flip the field in Arkansas' favor. Those long strides of his again make it impossible to get a good angle on him.

• Taylen Green is definitely one of the more intriguing prospects in this year's draft. Athletically, he is head and shoulders above every other quarterback in this class, but as a passer there is still a good amount left to be desired. His footwork needs a ton of work and needs to learn to how to play within himself and not try to do too much, but if you can properly develop him, you could have a very special player on your hands.

• Other Key Games

  • Wk 3 @ no.17 Ole Miss

  • Wk 5 v no.22 Notre Dame

  • Wk 7 @ no.12 Tennessee

9. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor

Season - 304/503 3,681 yds 31 touchdowns 12 interceptions/56 carries 17 yds 3 touchdowns

• Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson was someone who I considered to be my "sleeper" quarterback prior to this past season. After taking over as the starter in 2024 following an injury to transfer Dequan Finn, Robertson helped the Bears end the regular season on a six game winning streak, finishing the season at 8-5 (lost in the bowl game to LSU) despite starting with a 2-4 record. Robertson's play and Baylor's hot end to the season lead a lot of people (including myself) to thinking that they could wind back up at the Big 12 Championship game for the first time since 2021. Despite a week one home loss to Auburn, things still looked good for the Bears following a double overtime victory against SMU. The Bears would ultimately start the season off with a solid 4-2 record, with their lone conference loss coming on the road against another preseason Big 12 favorite in Arizona State. Though they started off solid, the season took a turn following their week seven bye week, as they would go onto lose five of their next six games to finish the season with a 5-7 record, which would be the third time they'd finish a season below .500 since 2021. During that stretch Robertson would shoot very hot and cold, posting three 300+ yard passing performances (threw for 430 v Utah) while also posting two sub 200-yard games against Arizona and Cincinnati. The turnovers would start to veer their ugly head(s) during that run as well, as Robertson would register eight interceptions through the final six games of the season, despite only throwing four through the first six. Robertson is a gunslinger in every sense of the word, as though he registered 12-interceptions on the season, he also racked up 31-touchdowns while throwing three or more touchdowns in eight of Baylor's 12-games. When everything is clicking, Robertson is really one of the better quarterbacks in this year's class, the problem is that again he can blow really hot and cold at times. At 6'4" 216 lbs., Robertson possesses good size for the position while also boasting a strong arm that can make every throw on the field. A former baseball player, Robertson can make throws from any arm angle, and is able to get the ball out quick when throwing short. The thing that scares me (and I'm sure many others) is the style offense that Baylor runs, as it's very "pass happy" that has a lot of bubble screens. With that I'm sure there's going to be questions surrounding how far along Robertson is from a processing standpoint (I don't think he's that bad). He will also need to improve on his overall accuracy, as he can sometimes get the placement wrong on his throws, which is another cause for some concern. Like I said before though, he is not afraid to push the ball down the field, though that aggressiveness can get him into trouble. Overall Robertson will definitely need time to develop, but he does have the skills to be a solid player in the league if/when he does.

Wk 2 - 34/50 440 yds 4 touchdowns 0 interceptions/6 carries 20 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.17 SMU (48-45 2OT W)

Great job by Robertson at getting out of a would be sack after the Mustang defender got around his right tackle. Not only that, but Robertson was able to keep his eyes down the field and find an open Trigg who was able to create separation from his defender by smartly cutting up field to give Robertson an option.

This is just a really good throw from Robertson, zipping it into Cameron with three SMU defenders around. Such a tight window to work with, especially with the edge rusher dropping back into coverage. I just like how Robertson threw his receiver open, letting this ball go while Cameron was still behind the defender. Great anticipatory throw from Robertson.

On third and one with a defender diving at his feet, Robertson is able to drop this ball right in the bucket, perfectly in stride for Prentice to run under for the score. Prior to the throw though, Robertson does an excellent job at looking the single high safety off to the right before flipping his eyes back to the left before again hitting Prentice.

With SMU playing zone with a single high safety, Robertson knows he has to get this ball out quick and on a line, otherwise that aforementioned safety will come over and make a play on the ball. After Robertson fit it in there, Cameron does a nice job at making the safety fly by on the tackle attempt before making his way to the end zone.

Really good throw here from Robertson, placing the ball over Hawkins' outside shoulder and away from the defender for the nice gain. Maybe you could say that he placed this ball too far to the outside, but I still think it's a very nice throw that again resulted in a 28-yard gain.

Robertson absolutely zips this in to Prentice in between four SMU defenders for the 21-yard score. Given the situation, given the defenders in the area, you can't really ask for much more from your quarterback.

Wk 5 - 24/35 393 yds 4 touchdowns 0 interceptions/5 carries 6 yds 1 touchdown @ Oklahoma State (45-27 W)

34-yard touchdown pass from Robertson to Wilson.

Great job by Robertson at getting outside of a collapsing pocket, all while keeping his eyes down the field waiting for someone to free up. Also nice job by Cameron at stopping his route and giving his quarterback that aforementioned option to hit for the 10-yard gain.

Robertson does an excellent job at remaining calm in the face of pressure. After seeing nothing to his left, and with pressure coming around the edge he smartly cuts up the the right. Keeping his eyes down the field he is able to find an open Klopfenstein for the aforementioned 11-yard gain.

This is just a perfect throw from Robertson. With a defender in his face, Robertson is able to hit the streaking Prentice perfectly in stride for the eventual touchdown.

Robertson does a fantastic job at dipping under what should have been at least a five yard sack. With two defenders giving chase after the close call, he's able to find Knighten down the sideline who does a very nice job at coming back to the ball for his quarterback.

With the motion telling him the Cowboys were in zone, and with the corner blitzing, Robertson knew he'd have an open Cameron on the corner route that would result in a 40-yard gain for the offense. He let the ball go before his receiver made his break, just good play recognition and good ball placement from Robertson to help get them to the Oklahoma State 35-yard line.

You can't really ask for much more from your quarterback on this play. Knowing the situation, he calmly slides around the oncoming pressure before rolling up in the pocket before hitting Trigg down the sideline on a beautifully thrown ball in a spot where only his tight end could get it for a 35-yard gain.

• Like I said above, I really like Robertson's game when everything is synced up, the only problem is that he's not consistent enough to warrant being any higher than this. His accuracy can wain on him at times and he comes from a very "pass happy" offense, which could potentially scare some teams away. But if you feel as though you can develop him, then I would definitely consider him in the later rounds of the draft. He's got the tools you want, now it's just a matter of teaching him how to properly use them.

• Other Key Games

  • Wk 1 v Auburn

  • Wk 4 v Arizona State

  • Wk 8 @ TCU

10. Luke Altmyer, Illinois

Season - 246/365 3,007 yds 22 touchdowns 5 interceptions/100 carries 242 yds 5 touchdowns

• Unlike some of the other quarterbacks that I've mentioned up to this point, Illinois' Luke Altmyer is probably the least physically imposing quarterback here. Standing at just over 6'1" and weighing 210 lbs., Altmyer and myself wouldn't look too dissimilar if we stood next to each other. Though we both played quarterback at the collegiate level, I am aware enough to understand that Altmyer may be slightly better than me at the position (just slightly). Jokes aside, from what Altmyer may lack in traditional size he makes up for in accuracy, decision making, experience, and leadership, being one of the main reasons why Illinois has found themselves in and around the top-20 throughout each of the past two seasons. A transfer from Ole Miss, where he competed with the likes of Matt Corral and Jaxson Dart, Altmyer totaled 35-starts in three years in Champaign, ranking in the top-10 in every major statistical passing category in school history while ranking in the top five for both career passing touchdowns (57) and yards (7,607). This past season at Illinois was his best, throwing for over 3,000-yards with 22-touchdowns and just five interceptions, while completing 67.4% of his passes. Though I'm not a fan of looking at completion percentage to show how accurate (or inaccurate) a quarterback is, Altmyer is very smart with his ball placement (though it can wain on him at times) and does show off some solid accuracy when playing in rhythm. A true "point guard" in every sense of the phrase, Altmyer allows his playmakers to make plays, which is what you like to see from your quarterback. Playing in a pro style offense Altmyer really plays within himself, possessing quick eyes and quick feet to find the open receiver regardless of what the opposing defense throws his way. He may not have a cannon attached to his right shoulder or anything, but Altmyer can push the ball down the field well when needed, possessing nice touch and timing on his deep balls (though the zip he gets on balls to the outside can leave a little to be desired). Along with that Altmyer is a solid athlete, registering three 50+ yard rushing performances this past season (season high 88 v Rutgers). He can really make defenses pay with his legs, and will smartly maneuver towards the sideline to avoid any unnecessary hits (he's not the biggest fan of sliding). Overall I think Altmyer would make for a safe option in the latter rounds of the draft. His size and overall arm strength may cause some teams to look in a different direction, but I think he plays the position really well and is a "point guard" style quarterback that can work well at the next level. He's a leader and will do anything to help his team win, I'm intrigued to see where he winds up on day three.

Wk 5 - 20/26 328 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/5 carries 28 yds 1 touchdown/1 catch 3 yds 1 touchdown v no.21 USC (34-32 W)

I know this is a pretty bog standard slant route here, but I do like the timing and placement of this throw from Altmyer (right on the receiver's body), as he threw it right off of the inside shoulder of the USC linebacker. Like, he started his throwing motion with his receiver on the aforementioned linebacker's outside shoulder. Again, I know it's nothing that would pop up on Sports Center or anything, but I still think it's a good throw from Altmyer to help pick up a much needed first down.

You really cannot throw a ball much better than Altmyer did right here. Though initially ruled as an incomplete pass, after review they saw that Hank Beatty was able to get his foot down for a 16-yard gain. This play took a good amount of time to develop, but Altmyer remained calm in the pocket (with pressure in his face) and throw this ball in a spot where only Beatty could get it. Great throw and catch from quarterback and receiver here.

With the linebacker crashing, Altmyer knows he'll have a good sized window to connect with Collin Dixon on the slant route. With the defender in cover coming over top, and another sitting in the middle of the field waiting, Altmyer smartly zips this thing right onto his receiver's body as to avoid any potential pass breakup from the USC defense. The placement also allows Dixon to brace and spin away from the defender in the middle of the field, seeing him pick up some more yards after making the catch.

Very smart throw here from Altmyer. With USC playing zone, Altmyer knows that Cole Rusk's route will carry him right into the path of a Trojan defender. Because of that, he smartly places it right on his tight end's body, keeping the ball away from the defender and allowing Rusk to brace for any potential hit (throwing it low as well). Just a good overall play from Altmyer to help pick up 17-yards.

Given plenty of time to throw, Altmyer allows his receiver to get open across the field before hitting him for what would result in a 32-yard gain. Deep crossing routes take a while to develop, and the protection gave Altmyer enough time to make a nice and easy throw.

One of the easiest touchdown passes Altmyer will ever have. With the safety to the near side of the field following the following the motion, Altmyer pulls the ball from his running back and fires it into the space left by the aforementioned safety to Justin Bowick for an easy 25-yard score. Easy read and an easy throw.

Bowl Game - 20/33 196 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/10 carries 54 yds 1 touchdown (30-28 W) (Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl)

This may have only resulted in an eight yard gain, and the pass itself may have only traveled five or so yards past the line of scrimmage, but I will never get tired of seeing quarterbacks remaining calm in the pocket despite pressure barreling down upon them. With the cut blocks failing, Altmyer was greeted in the backfield by a Tennessee lineman. After double clutching it to allow more time for Beatty to get open, he makes an accurate throw between two defenders for what again would result in an eight yard gain. Nothing insane, but it's still nice to see.

Again, nothing crazy happened on this play, but I just like seeing Altmyer remain calm in the pocket while letting the play develop knowing that he could take a little shot from the Tennessee defender. Nice job going through his progressions before finding Clement for an 11-yard gain.

Calm, cool, and collected, standing tall in a collapsing pocket before finding the open man for a 24-yard gain. Exactly what you love to see from your quarterback.

Nice throw here by Altmyer. With three Tennessee defenders in the area, Altmyer rips this ball in between the first two defenders and places this ball right on Bowick's body to avoid a potential pass breakup by the deepest defender. Great job at getting low by Bowick to secure the pass as well. Just a solid play overall to give the Illini their first score at the end of the first quarter.

This is what Altmyer can do if you give him space. He may not be the same level of athlete as a Taylen Green or something, but if you give him an opening he'll take it and make you pay. Hell, he'll even make the ref pay as he runs him over before smartly taking it out of bounds after picking up the first down.

Once again, though it may not look like anything spectacular, I will never get tired of Altmyer remaining calm and allowing his receiver to get open despite there being a defender coming in on him. Sometimes as a quarterback you just have to trust the play, which Altmyer does really well as he rarely looks flustered in the face of pressure.

• Like I stated above, though Altmyer may not be the most physically imposing quarterback in this class, he possesses quick eyes and quick feet in the pocket which allows him to remain calm in the face of pressure. He plays within himself, makes the smart throws and can make plays with his legs if you let him. A true point guard, he gets the ball to his playmakers and lets them make plays. He won't go very early, but he possesses a good amount of traits teams look for in later round quarterbacks.

• Other Key Games

  • Wk 2 @ Duke

  • Wk 7 v no.1 Ohio State

  • Wk 10 v Rutgers

11. Haynes King, Georgia Tech

Season - 252/361 2,951 yds 14 touchdowns 6 interceptions/185 carries 953 yds 15 touchdowns

• If you're looking for a quarterback that's tough as hell, and someone who is more than willing to put his body on the line in order for his team to win, then Georgia Tech's Haynes King is your guys. He's far from the prettiest prospect out there, but the dude constantly produced and willed the Yellow Jackets to multiple wins throughout his time in Atlanta. One of the more experienced prospects in this year's class, King has been in college since 2020 (also turned 25 in January), where he was in College Station playing for the Texas A&M Aggies. That being said, his career didn't really take off until he transferred to Georgia Tech, where as in three years as the starter he totaled 91-touchdowns (school record), with 55 of those being passing and 36 being rushing touchdowns. What's interesting with King is that he nearly had more passing touchdowns in his first year at Georgia Tech (27) then he did the following two (14 in 2024, 14 in 2025). The thing is though his passing touchdown numbers were lower, every other stat was improved upon, as he threw just eight interceptions combined in 2024 and 2025, whereas he threw 16 in 2023 alone. With that he became a much better decision maker, with his completion percentage also shooting up to around 70%. This past year though we saw King at his best, posting career highs in both passing (2,951) and rushing yards (953) while totaling 29-touchdowns which saw him finish 10th in this season's Heisamn Trophy race, even receiving two first place votes. There's no doubting how good of a collegiate quarterback he was, but we all know it's a different thing to be a good pro prospect. There's a lot to like with King as a football player, as again he will more than put his body on the line for the betterment of the team. He's a great athlete (4.46 40 at the Combine), but the thing is though that he can't afford to do that too much at the next level, as not only he did miss some time due to injury in 2024, but he's also not the biggest quarterback out there, as he's only 6'2" 212 lbs.. For better or worse, it's hard to imagine that he will be able to play the same way at the next level, as he just doesn't have the body of a Cam Newton or a Josh Allen to sustain those hits at a consistent basis. Along with that, King is not fully there yet as a passer. Yes he improved each year at Georgia Tech as a passer, and yes he holds the Georgia Tech record for career completions (674), but he's not necessarily the quickest processor as a lot of his completions came on his first read. He just wasn't asked to go through a full progression a ton while in Atlanta, and that could cause some concern for some in regards to his development. He has a good arm, but again he needs to do better at seeing things quicker. King is an easy player to root for, but I am weary about how his overall game will translate to the NFL.

• Key Games

  • Wk 3 v no.12 Clemson

  • Wk 9 v Syracuse

  • Wk 12 @ Boston College

12. Joe Fagnano, UConn

Season - 285/413 3,448 yds 28 touchdowns 1 interception/47 carries 131 yds 3 touchdowns

• One of the crazier stats you'll see throughout this entire blog post, but yes, UConn quarterback Joe Fagnano registered just one interceptions throughout an entire 12-game season (he did not play in the bowl game). To make it even crazier, that lone pick didn't come until week 12 when the Huskies beat the Air Force Falcons by a score of 26-16. That's just not something you see everyday, especially from someone who attempted 413-passes (joint 17th nationally). To put things in perspective, Josh Hoover, who was tied with Fagnano on pass attempts, registered 13-interceptions with around the same number of yards and touchdowns. Now, it must be noted that UConn did not necessarily play the toughest schedule in all of college football this past season, as seven of their nine wins came against either teams with losing records or Central Connecticut, an FCS school. That being said they did manage to pull off a pretty impressive 37-34 upset against the Duke Blue Devils, the eventual ACC Champions, a game where Fagnano threw for 316-yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions with a further 51-yards on the ground. Turning 25 back on March 31st, Fagnano is an older prospect who has seven years of collegiate experience, spending his first four years of college at Maine before transferring to UConn in 2023. Now, I must say that though he's been in college for seven years, he's only started 45-games (COVID certainly didn't help with that), starting more than six games in a season just twice throughout those seven years. Taking over as the starter in 2024, Fagnano finished his Husky career 48-touchdowns and six interceptions in just 18-starts. A good sized prospect who stands at 6'3" and weighs in at 226 lbs., Fagnano may not posses an elite arm by any means, but he can still make damn near every throw on the field, showing nice touch on his throws. He's very technically sound and possesses decent pocket mobility and awareness, which comes into great effect as the game goes along. Though he's not the most fleet footed quarterback out there, Fagnano can make you pay with his legs if given enough space, registering a few 20+ yard runs this past season. Does he have the speed and fluidity to make NFL defenses pay, both in the open field and in the pocket? I guess that remains to be seen. Out of everything though his biggest strength is again taking care of the football, as he does a good job at taking what the defense gives him rather than forcing the issue. Now, I will say that Fagnano rarely needs to go to his second read, as a lot of UConn's passing offense relies on slants and quick passes. Not saying that he can't push the ball down the field, but UConn's offense is really quick when it comes to the passing game. Overall I think Fagnano has the ideal frame, experience, and poise to be a solid late round draft pick, or un-drafted free agent. His level of competition definitely makes things interesting, but I thought he played well against the "stronger" teams UConn faced this past season. He could be a little higher on this list, but I feel good overall having him here at 12.

• Key Games

  • Wk 8 @ Boston College

  • Wk 11 v Duke

  • Wk 13 @ Florida Atlantic

13. Jack Strand, Minnesota State-Moorhead

Season - 303/483 3,546 yds 42 touchdowns 14 interceptions/112 carries 288 yds 5 touchdowns

• Before any of you say anything I know, who the hell is Jack Strand and how did he make it into the final quarterback prospect rankings? Now I'm not going to sit here and lie to you and tell you that I've spent months "scouting" him and tuned into every single Minnesota State-Moorhead game this past season (I'm a draft "expert," not a draft expert). Like, I had no clue Jack Strand existed until a couple of months ago. The thing is though, despite not knowing he existed until then, after taking some time to watch him I can confidently sit here and say that he is one of the top 15 quarterbacks in this year's draft class. Will he wind up getting drafted? I really have no clue, as Minnesota State-Moorhead is a division II school who isn't necessarily in and around the national spot light. That being said the Dragons were a solid team this past season, finishing with an 8-3 record with an impressive 31-23 win (on the road) against in-state rivals Minnesota State-Mankato in the final week of the regular season. Weirdly enough, that win was actually their first ever win against Mankato, as they had lost each of their previous six meetings. In the win Strand put forth his best performance of the season as threw for 240-yards with three touchdowns and one interception with a further 118-yards on the ground (season high). Strand was one of the most prolific passers in DII history, ranking inside the top-10 in regards to yards, attempts, and completions. Across four seasons Strand racked up 13,161-yards, which is second to only Tennessee's Joey Aguilar who registered 13,317-yards. A good sized prospect, Strand stands at 6'5" and weighs in at 240 lbs.. With that size, Strand is an insanely effortless thrower, possessing a cannon for an arm that is able to push the ball down the field with ease. With a flick of the wrist he can launch it 50-yards down the field. Now that can be both a good thing and a bad thing, as he rarely uses his lower body when throwing it down the field. With a big arm can come an "arm arrogance" mentality, as he feels as though he can make every single throw on the field. Though we love confidence, that mentality can come back to bite him as he can sometimes be a little too aggressive for his own good, as he's registered 10-or more interceptions in each of his four seasons (registered a career high 14-last season). Being a four year starter the coaches instilled a lot of trust in him at the line of scrimmage, possessing nice pre-snap awareness that is nice to see at the college level. That being said it is coming against DII competition, so how will he look when going up against NFL competition? A finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy (college football's premier scholar athlete award) Strand held a 3.87 GPA as an engineering physics major, so I think he'll be smart enough to figure it out (hopefully). Overall Strand is an insanely fun quarterback to watch. He's a very anticipatory thrower and can make every throw on the field. He has good size and is a decent enough athlete (though somewhat stiff) to make plays with his legs when he needs to. Again though, he can be a little too aggressive at times, and that jump up to the NFL will be something to watch out for. Overall though he's got a fun skillset that could make for an intriguing option in the seventh round.

• Season Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO-HvEtMQTw

• Career Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtVAtLzM3nY

• Key Games

  • Wk 9 @ Northern State

  • Wk 10 v Bemidji State

  • Wk 12 @ no.14 Minnesota State-Mankato

14. Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers

Season - 229/368 3,124 yds 20 touchdowns 7 interceptions/96 carries -26 yds 4 touchdowns

• With by far the coolest name out of all the quarterbacks in this year's draft class, Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis put forth his best season of college football this past time out. After losing the likes of running back Kyle Monangai and leading receiver Dymere Miller, many out there wondered how Kaliakmanis (who completed 54% of his passes in 2024) would fare in his second season in Piscataway. Though his touchdown and interception total(s) are about the same from his junior to senior year, Kaliakmanis played with much more consistency in 2025, completing more passes while attempting less while also registering his first 3,000+ yard season of his career. A lot of those improvements came down to things he was doing off the field, as his mechanics improved a good amount as he went from torquing his body to having a more fluid motion (mostly lower body improvement). That being said, he still does have a pretty tight motion, but again the overall improvement was right there to see. With that, he looked a whole hell of a lot more comfortable throwing the ball down the field this season than the year prior, as he showed off nice accuracy and touch. This past season Kaliakmanis completed 28-passes of 20-or more yards, which was just behind Heisman Trophy winner, National Championship winning, and soon to be number one overall pick in the draft Fernando Mendoza. I would say the main thing is that he just looked comfortable, which is big for a quarterback taking the step up to the NFL. He possesses a good (though not great) arm, and along with the improvements he possesses good size for the position, as he stands at 6'3" and weighs 212 lbs.. The thing is though he is not really a threat to take off and run, which was his longest rush last season coming in at just 15-yards. Hell, he registered less than a yard rushing in all but four games this past season, with three of those games coming within the first four weeks of the season. That being said he has improved on making throws on the run, decently effective when rolling to either side. Overall there was a good amount to like from Kaliakmanis' game this past season. He's becoming a more confident thrower and showed very solid accuracy from the pocket thanks to his improved base. Though he may not be the best athlete, I do think he's good enough to warrant a spot in the seventh round. He's improved a lot from season to season, and I'm intrigued to see where he winds up come day three.

• Key Games

  • Wk 4 v Iowa

  • Wk 7 @ Washington

  • Wk 14 v Penn State

15 Jalon Daniels, Kansas

Season - 198/319 2,531 yds 22 touchdowns 7 interceptions/117 carries 404 yds 4 touchdowns

• One of the more electrifying players in this year's class, Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels is somewhat of a "what could have been" story more than anything. Though he saw action as a true freshman, Daniels really announced himself to the college football world as him and the Jayhawks walked into Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and came away with an insane 57-56 overtime victory against the Texas Longhorns. Though Texas wound up finishing that season with a disappointing 5-7 record this was still a massive win for Kansas, as this was only the second time they have taken down the Longhorns since 1938, with the one other time since then coming in 2016. That win also ended Kansas' run of 18-straight conference loses, also marking the end of a 56-game road losing streak in conference play. After that game, people started to take notice of Daniels, as he would go onto register 18-passing touchdowns to just four interceptions the following season as the starter, which saw him named Second-Team All-Big 12. The next two seasons though would be marred by injury and overall inconsistent play, as Daniels only started three games in 2023 before putting up some poor numbers in 2024 (14-touchdowns 12-interceptions). This past season though we saw a better version of Daniels, with him setting new career highs in completions (198), attempts (319), yards (2,531), and touchdowns (22) all while throwing just seven interceptions. He was still the usual threat with his legs as he posted yet another 400+ yard rushing season, but his improvement as a passer is why he's on this list. Though he may not be the biggest prospect out there at 6'0" 219 lbs., Daniels possesses a live arm and an ability to push the ball down the field. The only issue is that his accuracy and overall ball placement can wain on his sometimes, which mostly pops up on those intermediate throws. Those are the throws you have to make at the next level, but there's definitely traits of Daniels' game that give you a reason to take him in the later rounds. One of the best athletes in the draft, Daniels worked perfectly in Kansas' RPO style offense as his athleticism mixed well with his quick release and strong arm. If given an inch of space he will make you pay, as his elusiveness causes so many headaches for opposing defensive coordinators. He has excellent instincts and those pop out in the run game, though he needs to work on being more protective of the football. Again, he still has some room to grow as a passer, but you can't teach the tools he possesses. If he's able to refine everything when it comes to throwing the ball, specifically on those intermediate throws, he could be a real steal in the back half of day three (his play dipped in the back half of the season). 

• Key Games

  • Wk 5 v Cincinnati

  • Wk 6 v UCF

  • Wk 7 @ no.9 Texas Tech

Others

*alphabetical order by last name

• Joey Aguilar, Tennessee

  • Season - 272/404 3,565 yds 24 touchdowns 10 interceptions/71 carries 101 yds 4 touchdowns

• Tommy Castellanos, Florida State

  • Season - 180/309 2,760 yds 15 touchdowns 9 interceptions/137 carries 557 yds 9 touchdowns

• Jacob Clark, Missouri State

  • Season - 247/376 3,244 yds 28 touchdowns 11 interceptions/94 carries -16 yds 3 touchdowns

• Mark Gronowski, Iowa

  • Season - 166/262 1,741 yds 10 touchdowns 7 interceptions/130 carries 545 yds 16 touchdowns

• Blake Horvath, Navy

  • Season - 97/160 1,580 yds 12 touchdowns 6 interceptions/224 carries 1,200 yds 16 touchdowns

• Maverick McIvor, Western Kentucky

  • Season - 183/273 2,062 yds 12 touchdowns 6 interceptions/39 carries 76 yds 2 touchdowns

• Behren Morton, Texas Tech

  • Season - 219/332 2,780 yds 22 touchdowns 6 interceptions/43 carries -113 yds 0 touchdowns

• Miller Moss, Louisville

  • Season - 244/380 2,679 yds 16 touchdowns 7 interceptions/54 carries -65 yds 9 touchdowns

• Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt

  • Season - 267/378 3,539 yds 29 touchdowns 8 interceptions/167 carries 862 yds 10 touchdowns

• Jake Retzlaff, Tulane

  • Season - 242/391 3,168 yds 15 touchdowns 7 interceptions/129 carries 634 yds 16 touchdowns

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