Summer scouting is one of my favorite series to do each year. It’s a chance to set the table for the college football season, get the word out on players to keep an eye on, and highlight some sleepers to watch. It sets the foundation for the rest of the draft cycle, and monitoring how each prospect’s stock shifts throughout the process is one of my favorite parts of doing this.

Today we’re kicking things off with the quarterbacks. I’ve ranked my top 10 heading into the 2025 college football season. With quarterbacks, the big question is: how good is this group, exactly? After the overall letdown that was the 2025 class, there’s a lot of hype at the top of the 2026 class, with one prospect in particular, but still a lot of unknowns all around. These guys have potential, but how good is the class top-to-bottom?

To take a stab at answering that question, I have scouting reports on my early top 10 quarterbacks in the 2026 class. At the end, I elaborate on how I view this class overall, how it compares to previous classes, and what our expectations should be. Without further ado, let’s jump right in:

1: Arch Manning, Texas

Nephew of Peyton and Eli, son of Cooper, grandson of Archie and one of the most anticipated draft prospects in years, Manning is an interesting evaluation at this stage of his career. A consensus five-star, No. 1 overall recruit, Manning committed to Texas out of high school and redshirted his first year before backing up Quinn Ewers in 2024. In two starts (plus a handful of games with mop-up duties), Manning totaled 939 passing yards and nine touchdowns to go with 108 rushing yards and four scores. He enters his first season as the starter as a Heisman favorite and top draft prospect. If he lives up to those expectations, he’ll be in contention for the No. 1 pick.

At 6-4, 222 pounds, Manning looks like a prototypical NFL quarterback. His arm talent jumps off the tape, as he has a lightning-quick release that’s clearly been coached up well. There isn’t a throw on the field he doesn’t like, and he delivers consistently and on time. The timing and anticipation Manning plays with is exceptional, which is rare for someone so inexperienced. Not only that, he reads defenses well, processing complex looks and route combinations with ease. Unlike his uncles, he’s a good athlete and a legitimate rushing threat. Texas would frequently sub him in for short-yardage plays to take advantage of his running ability.

About the only thing I want to see Manning improve on is his ball placement. His overall accuracy is good, but he’s still learning to deliver passes in ideal spots to help out his receivers. Other than that, he just needs experience. As good as his tape looks, there’s not a lot of it. The more reps he gets, the better he’ll get, and the rest of us will get a clearer view of how NFL-ready he currently is.

Manning isn’t a lock to enter the draft after this season. He’s only a redshirt sophomore, and his family has said in the past that the plan was for him to play four years in college. If he has the kind of season most are projecting, it’ll be hard to turn down a top-five selection, but Manning has already charted his own path by not transferring when other highly-touted recruits would. Expectations are almost impossibly high, but he doesn’t need to be Superman. With his tools and pedigree, he’ll be viewed as a top prospect, either in 2026 or 2027, if he can continue building upon what he did in limited action last season.

2: Drew Allar, Penn State

A two-year starter entering his senior season, Allar is a former five-star recruit who brought a lot of excitement when he committed to Penn State. After turning in a solid first season as a starter in 2023, he broke out in 2024, racking up 3,327 passing yards and 24 touchdowns to go with 302 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He led Penn State to the Big Ten Championship Game and a win in the College Football Playoff, choosing to return to school to build on that success and take his game to the next level.

Listed at 6-5, 236 pounds, Allar checks every physical box you could want. He might have the strongest arm in the class, as he effortlessly fires balls into tight windows and can hit receivers deep down the field reliably. He’s a fearless passer, standing tall under pressure and delivering clutch throws despite less-than-ideal circumstances. When pressured, he does a good job navigating the pocket and doesn’t panic or bail too early. Perhaps most impressively, Allar’s decision-making is elite, attacking downfield without risking unnecessary turnovers. Outside of structure, Allar thrives. His big frame is tough for defenders to take down in space, and he’s comfortable throwing on the run or picking up first downs with his legs. While you wouldn’t deploy him as a designed runner often, he’s dynamic enough in space to create on his own.

Where Allar struggles is consistency under pressure. He makes good decisions, but his mechanics falter, leading to inaccurate passes and bad turnovers. This is the main thing holding him back at the moment, but the good news is it’s very fixable. With another offseason to work on his base, this could become a thing of the past. I’d also like to see him improve his timing, as he can be late to throws over the middle that would become interceptions in the NFL.

Allar generated some buzz last year but ultimately chose to return to school. Had he declared for the 2025 draft, he likely would’ve been the second quarterback taken. Some had him as a top-10 player, but he clearly didn’t have that kind of promise or he would’ve stayed in the draft, especially since he’s now fighting for positioning in a deeper class of quarterbacks. I have Allar with a mid-first-round grade currently. If he can elevate his game in the biggest moments of Penn State’s season, he’ll be a fast riser. There’s a lot to like with him, but also some risk he could get lost in the shuffle if he doesn’t take another step in 2025.

3: LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina

One of the more exciting quarterbacks in the SEC next year, Sellers was a three-star recruit who won the starting job for the Gamecocks as a redshirt freshman. In his first season as the starter, Sellers battled through injury and still put up 2,534 passing yards and 18 touchdowns, plus 674 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He established himself as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country, and despite his still-developing game, had South Carolina in contention for the College Football Playoff. With a reputation as one of the most clutch playmakers in the conference, Sellers has a wide range of outcomes for his NFL future.

Sellers is athletic in every sense of the word. Checking in at 6-3, 240, he has top-notch arm strength and can threaten every inch of the field. There are times when he shows the impressive ability to both fire passes into tight middle-field windows and layer passes over defenders with touch, showcasing some variety in his delivery. He processes what he’s seeing quickly, especially given how young he is, navigates the pocket well and makes smart decisions. As a runner, Sellers punishes defenders with his size and strength, but he can also make people miss in the open field. In my opinion, he’s the top rushing threat at quarterback in the class.

Everything Sellers needs to improve on are things you’d expect him to as he gains more experience. He’s still developing his anticipatory throws — right now, he needs to see receivers open before he lets the ball go. I’d also like to see him show more consistency in his touch passes, particularly over the middle of the field. While he’s shown he can deliver those perfect passes, he doesn’t do it often enough, sometimes rocketing throws past his receiver. Above all, he just needs more starting experience. The more live reps Sellers gets under his belt, the better he’ll become at reading defenses.

Right now, Sellers’ scouting report reads very similarly to Colts QB Anthony Richardson’s when he was coming out of Florida. Critically, Sellers is “merely” a great athlete, not an otherworldly one like Richardson. Because Richardson has struggled with the Colts so far in his career, it might not bode well for how the league views Sellers. The good news for him is he has a full season to develop before he has to worry about that. I have a mid-first-round grade on Sellers, but I’m confident he can continue to develop and raise that evaluation. He’s shown flashes of high-level quarterbacking, and more experience will do him a lot of good.

4: John Mateer, Oklahoma

A transfer from Washington State, Mateer was a three-star recruit who backed up Cam Ward in 2023 before stepping into the starting lineup last season after Ward transferred to Miami. He excelled when given the opportunity, throwing for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns and rushing for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns. His impressive dual-threat ability caught the eye of many evaluators, and he chose to follow his offensive coordinator to the Sooners for the 2025 season.

At 6-1, 219, Mateer doesn’t have the physical build of a traditional NFL quarterback. But he makes up for that with high-level athleticism, especially in the open field. He forces a ton of missed tackles as a ball carrier and has the speed to win the sideline and cut through traffic. Mateer has a cannon for an arm and can make every NFL throw. He’s at his best over the middle of the field, throwing with anticipation and threading passes into tight windows. Under pressure, he maintains his cool, and his mechanics don’t falter when he needs to make plays out of structure.

That said, Mateer does tend to hold onto the ball too long, forcing himself into extra work to avoid negative plays. He also has unmatched confidence in himself, which is usually great, but can lead him to taking risks that would be punished by NFL defenses. Additionally, his ball placement could use some work, as he doesn’t always deliver passes designed to maximize yards after catch.

Arguably the most dangerous dual-threat quarterback in this class, Mateer enters his redshirt junior year as an under-the-radar draft candidate. I gave him a late first-round grade, but with a little more consistency in his decision-making, that grade could easily rise. He’s taking a big step up in competition now that he’s in the SEC, so it’ll be important to monitor how he adjusts. I can see him working his way into the top 10 conversation, but he always has the option of returning to college for his senior season if he doesn’t have the year he wants.

5: Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

A former four-star recruit who backed up Jayden Daniels, Nussmeier earned a starting role last year in his fourth year in the program. A 6-2, 200-pound passer, he put together an impressive season for the Tigers. With 4,052 passing yards and 29 touchdowns, Nussmeier garnered some draft buzz but was a projected second-round pick. Given that, he decided to return to school, where he’ll be one of the SEC’s premier quarterbacks and have a chance to work his way into the first round.

Nussmeier’s arm talent is impressive, and he pairs it with the skill to vary his throws and play with touch. He can fire passes deep down the sideline or layer throws between zone defenders over the middle of the field. When pressing downfield, he’s confident and accurate, carving up defenses that show the smallest vulnerabilities. Despite not being much of a rushing threat, Nussmeier excels under pressure, utilizing smart pocket movements to clear traffic and deliver timely balls. He can throw on the move and plays with anticipation, hitting receivers right out of their breaks before defenders can close.

Still, Nussmeier was a first-year starter last year and it showed in his play. He’s still learning to read defenses, as he was consistently confused by post-snap coverage adjustments. He tends to lock onto his primary read rather than going through his progressions to find the open man. As evidenced by 12 interceptions thrown last season, Nussmeier is aggressive at all times, sometimes to a fault. Reining in his tendency to overestimate his ability to deliver impossible throws will be important this year.

A true gunslinger in every sense of the word, Nussmeier might be the best middle-field passer in this class. That’s an important trait in the NFL and one that will get him far in his career. I have him with a second-round grade, but if he shows more consistency in his second year as a starter, that could certainly rise. He had some huge fans last draft cycle, and there are evaluators higher on him than I am. He’s a little small for the NFL, but we’re seeing more and more prospects overcome this standard to make it in the league.

6: Cade Klubnik, Clemson

A former five-star recruit from Austin, Texas, Klubnik spent his freshman season as D.J. Uiagalelei’s backup before taking over as the starter in the ACC Championship and Orange Bowl. He’s started the two seasons since and took a major leap forward as a junior in 2024, when he put up 3,639 passing yards and 36 touchdowns to go with 463 rushing yards and another seven touchdowns. Down the stretch of the season, Klubnik’s play rose to the occasion. He was the ACC Championship Game MVP, securing the Tigers a berth in the College Football Playoff, and returns for a senior season with high expectations.

Klubnik is listed at 6-2, 210 pounds, which is a bit undersized for an NFL quarterback. What stands out most on tape is his downfield accuracy. His passes over the middle arrive with zip and targeted placement, and his deep throws are some of the purest in the class. He’s a true dual-threat athlete who can threaten defenses with his legs and make things happen under pressure. I like his quick, clean throwing motion, and he’s able to adjust on the fly and release from a variety of platforms and arm angles. Importantly, Klubnik doesn’t let his versatility impact his reliability, as he has a stable release when he has time to throw.

I’d like to see Klubnik improve as a decision-maker. He only threw six interceptions last season, but he’s a risk-taker when the protection breaks down. Even against college defenses, his tendency to dance in the pocket indefinitely caught up with him — he took 23 sacks in 2024. That won’t fly in the NFL. He needs to make faster decisions, and going through his progressions is a big part of that. Klubnik tends to lock onto his primary read too long, often waiting for it to come open rather than checking his alternate options. If he wants to be a first-round quarterback, these are areas he’ll need to show improvement in this year.

I have Klubnik with a second-round grade at the moment. If he doesn’t improve in his consistency under pressure and ability to read the field, he’ll likely fall towards the third or fourth round, especially considering his smaller frame. But I think he has a great chance to work his way up the board, too. Klubnik already does so many things so well, and he’s shown flashes of the high-level processing necessary to play quarterback in the NFL. If he stays on this trajectory, he’ll have a lot of fans in NFL front offices.

7: Darian Mensah, Duke

A 6-3, 205-pound redshirt sophomore from California, Mensah was a three-star recruit who committed to Tulane. After redshirting, he started spring practices last year as the fourth quarterback on the depth chart, working his way up from seemingly out of nowhere to grab a stranglehold on the starting job. Though he was off the radar to start the season, he caught eyes by the end of it, totaling 2,723 passing yards and 22 touchdowns. Now he takes his services to Duke, where he’ll get a chance to show what he can do in the ACC.

Mensah is more of a pocket passer than a true dual-threat guy, but he’s not a statue. He excels on the move, resetting his platform and delivering accurate passes out of structure. Under pressure, he keeps his eyes downfield and isn’t afraid to stand tall and take a hit to deliver a pass. His arm talent is evident, as he has some eye-popping throws on film. He delivers accurate passes into tight windows, able to get the necessary zip on the ball to beat defenders, and he has some varied arm angles and velocities to choose from. For someone as young as he is, Mensah reads the field well and goes through his progressions, diagnosing defenses on the fly and setting pre-snap adjustments.

Now, Mensah could stand to tone down his gunslinger habits just a bit. He got lucky last year with only six interceptions, as he put the ball in harm’s way too frequently. He’s a risk-taker, and though that’s okay for a redshirt freshman, he’ll need to learn to make smarter decisions with the football moving forward. More experience reading defenses and seeing different looks will be key for his development, and he’ll need to work on taking fewer sacks. Additionally, Mensah needs to put on some weight and add strength, as his frame is thin, which could be a problem in the NFL.

My favorite sleeper quarterback in this class, Mensah is another young guy who might be a more realistic candidate for the 2027 draft than 2026. I love his game, though, and I think he’s a lot closer to being ready than he gets credit for. How he adjusts to stiffer competition in the ACC will be telling. With another year of natural development and experience, I expect Mensah will take steps forward in his on-field maturity and is a dark-horse candidate to earn some first-round buzz by the end of the year.

8: Nico Iamaleava, UCLA

Listed at 6-6, 215 pounds and hailing from Long Beach, California, Iamaleava was a consensus five-star recruit who initially committed to Tennessee. He started as a redshirt freshman for the Volunteers last season, throwing for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns to just five interceptions. He added 358 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, establishing himself as one of the premier up-and-coming dual-threat talents in the SEC. However, his career took a surprising turn when an NIL dispute caused him to leave the Tennessee program and enter the transfer portal, eventually landing at UCLA. Offseason drama aside, Iamaleava still has a chance to build upon a promising freshman season and work his way into top NFL draft consideration.

The arm talent Iamaleava possesses is eye-catching. The ball rockets out of his hand with the easy ability to make every NFL throw. He can deliver bullet passes off-platform or on the run, adjusting his arm and maintaining his accuracy. It’s not just power, either, as he has pretty mechanics that equate to a fast, rhythmic release. At his size, Iamaleava has great athleticism and is dangerous on the move. He doesn’t have the same wiggle some smaller quarterbacks do, but he can leave defenders in the dust and make plays with his legs. Unlike some in this class, his athleticism is NFL-caliber and he should continue to be a rushing threat at the next level.

Most of Iamaleava’s issues are experience-based. He’s a young player with only one season of starting experience. In several of Tennessee’s biggest games last season, he failed to deliver, routinely fooled by more complex defensive looks and post-snap adjustments. Ideally, he’ll improve his footwork, as his mechanics sometimes break down under pressure. Additionally, he’s overreliant on chunk plays and could stand to bump up his check-down percentage. Not every snap can be a big play, and sometimes he gives up easy yards in pursuit of the home run.

Iamaleava may be a controversial figure among college football fans given how his exit from Tennessee played out, but he’s an intriguing NFL prospect. He still has a lot of learning to do and needs to add some weight, but all the tools are there. I love his throwing motion; he’ll have NFL evaluators salivating over his arm talent. He might be someone who needs another two years in college, as I’d currently give him a third-round developmental grade, but he’s draft-eligible after this season. With a big enough year, he could easily work his way into the first round.

9: Sam Leavitt, Arizona State

A redshirt sophomore and transfer from Michigan State, Leavitt won the starting job for the Sun Devils last year and came out of seemingly nowhere to establish himself on the national stage. A four-star recruit, Leavitt totaled 2,885 passing yards and 24 touchdowns, as well as 443 rushing yards and five touchdowns. His performance earned him Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors, as he helped lead Arizona State to a Big 12 title and a berth in the College Football Playoff.

Measuring at 6-2, 210, Leavitt thrives under pressure. He keeps his eyes downfield and navigates the pocket with expertise, finding throwing lanes and escaping for scramble yardage when necessary. Most importantly, he does so without risking turnovers. Leavitt had an exceptionally low turnover rate last year, but he wasn’t gun-shy. Smart decisions with the football let him attack downfield when able and settle for shorter plays when necessary. He’s got great touch on his deep passes. Perhaps his strongest trait is his accuracy, as his ball placement is superb.

I don’t think Leavitt is particularly athletic, and his tendency to drift in the pocket concerns me. Currently, he has some habits that could come back to bite him in the NFL. He’s not the only player on this list with a single season of starting experience, or even less, but Leavitt’s usage was lower than most of these other guys. Arizona State did not ask a lot of him, and he’ll need to show more to scouts this year if he wants to be a first-round pick.

I’d give Leavitt a third- or fourth-round grade right now. There’s a lot to like, but I do have my concerns when projecting his skillset to the next level. With so much runway ahead of him, Leavitt is in no rush to be NFL-ready today. To me, he looks more like a four-year college starter than someone who’ll declare early, but if he builds on what he did last year while shouldering more responsibility, it’ll be hard to doubt him.

10: Carson Beck, Miami

A familiar name in a new location, Beck was considered one of the top quarterbacks for the 2025 draft last summer before turning in a disappointing season. Originally at Georgia, he spent two years backing up Stetson Bennett before taking over as the starter in 2023. He put together a promising campaign that year, leading to some early draft buzz, but in 2024 he wasn’t the same player. Last season, he had 3,485 passing yards and 28 touchdowns to go with 12 interceptions. Most of his numbers were down from 2023 when he threw for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 72.4 percent of his attempts. Now at Miami, Beck has the chance to revitalize his draft stock and push his way back towards the middle rounds.

At 6-4, 220 pounds, Beck has ideal NFL size. As a pocket passer, he can pick apart a defense when he’s kept clean. He drives passes into tight windows over the middle of the field, layers throws between zone defenders, and can hit deep sideline hole shots. Beck is a pro at hitting timing routes and can keep an offense on schedule with rhythm throws. He’s fairly consistent in his mechanics and can deliver passes from a variety of arm angles, adding versatility to his game. Additionally, he shoulders a lot of responsibility in getting the offense set, reading defenses pre-snap and adjusting the play as needed.

Under pressure, Beck’s game can fall apart. He’s not athletic enough to consistently evade sacks in the pocket, struggling to adjust quickly enough to avoid hits. While his reads are crisp normally, his decision-making becomes erratic when the play breaks down, leading to turnovers and consistent misreads. Post-snap, Beck is still learning to read changes in the coverage, and there were times in 2024 when he got fooled by secondary rotations and threw some bad interceptions.

There’s a chance Beck can rebound from his 2024 campaign and work his way back into Day 2 consideration. His age and athletic limitations put a bit of a cap on how high he can go, even in a best-case scenario, but he runs a smooth offense when there’s no pressure. The issue is, pressure is a constant in the NFL, and someone who folds under pressure as badly as Beck does is a hard sell. Still, I think he has a better chance than you might think to establish himself as an NFL backup. I’ll give him a late-round grade right now, but I’ll be watching him at Miami this year.

So just how good is this quarterback class?

There’s certainly a lot of potential, more than a year ago, but there aren’t any sure bets in this class. There’s no Caleb Williams or Trevor Lawrence in this group, guys we knew coming into the year were expected No. 1 picks. Even Manning, the consensus top potential draft-eligible quarterback in this class, has two college starts under his belt. We expect him to be great, but there are a lot of unknowns with him.

Compared to last year, though, there’s hope. Allar and Nussmeier were projected top-50 picks who returned to school. Klubnik has a lot of fans who are higher on him than I am, and guys like Sellers, Mateer and Iamaleava are one breakout year away from being a top-10 pick. All told, there are nine quarterbacks in this class I see as having first-round potential.

Will all of them earn their way there? Obviously not, but with so many prospects with that kind of potential, odds are good that a few of them pan out. There’s a chance none of them do, of course, or only one or two. That would land us in a similar spot to last year. Regardless, it seems likely that a few of these underclassmen will choose to return to school, especially if the class as a whole turns out well. But I would bet on two or three consensus first-round prospects and then a few more in that Day 2 range.

I had Cam Ward as my QB1 last year, followed by Shedeur Sanders and Jalen Milroe. Per my current round grades, my top seven quarterbacks in this class are projected above Milroe. There’s a lot of football to be played, but I like how this class is shaping up, even if there aren’t any surefire stars at the top heading into the season.