10 quarterbacks to know for the 2026 NFL Draft – PFF
2025-05-01T10:45:00Z
Although this year’s NFL draft just wrapped up, it’s never too early to start scouting next year’s quarterback prospects, including Texas’ Arch Manning.
Could Arch Manning be QB1?: Texas’ starting quarterback will look to continue his family’s quarterback dynasty.
LaNorris Sellers is the biggest boom-or-bust prospect: South Carolina’s star signal-caller has the best physical tools in the class but still needs plenty of refinement as a passer.
Get a head start on the 2026 class: Try PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes
While the 2025 NFL Draft produced a quarterback who went No. 1 overall in Cam Ward, only one other signal-caller was picked in the first round (Jaxson Dart). It was only the second class since 2016 with fewer than three quarterbacks selected in the first round, joining the infamous 2022 draft.
The early outlook on the 2026 NFL Draft suggests a much stronger class under center next year, with plenty of players who can emerge as first-round-caliber players.
With that in mind, here are 10 quarterbacks to know as we enter summer scouting for the 2026 NFL Draft. Please note that this is simply a list — not a ranking of the top quarterbacks.
It seems likely that Manning won’t declare until the 2027 NFL Draft, but plans can certainly change. He is currently tied for the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy on FanDuel Sportsbook, and Texas owns the second-best national championship odds. If one or both of those things happen, or if Manning even has a strong season, he has a great chance to become the No. 1 overall pick.
His 88.1 PFF overall grade in 2024 ranked 13th among FBS quarterbacks who played at least 200 snaps, and he placed 16th in both big-time throw rate (6.4%) and turnover-worthy play rate (1.9%). Manning is a much better athlete than either of his legendary uncles, Peyton and Eli, while he’s a similarly elite processor with good arm talent.
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There might not have been a more improved quarterback in college football this past season than Klubnik. After placing 102nd among FBS signal-callers in 2023 with a 63.9 PFF passing grade, he ranked fifth in 2024 with an 87.7 mark. Only Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders threw more touchdowns than the junior (36), and they were regarded as two of the best quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Klubnik’s 28 big-time throws also ranked fifth among all quarterbacks in college football.
The former top quarterback recruit in the 2022 high school class has excellent mobility and the arm talent to make any throw.
While Allar’s performance in the final game of the 2024 season was rough (36.6 PFF passing grade against Notre Dame), he quieted many critics by quarterbacking the Nittany Lions to the College Football Playoff semifinals this past season. He finished as the nation’s sixth-most-valuable signal-caller in the process, according to PFF’s Wins Above Average metric. His 21 big-time throws were a top-20 mark in college football, while his 2.1% turnover-worthy play rate ranked 21st.
Allar showed off his rifle right arm far more as a junior, increasing his average depth of target by more than a yard. He still has some things to clean up — including footwork and accuracy — but Allar will enter his senior season as one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.
After sitting on the bench for three years, Nussmeier finally received his chance to start for the Tigers as a redshirt junior. He extended the flashes of brilliance he displayed as a backup over a full season and finished the year with the fifth-most passing yards (4,043) and the seventh-most big-time throws (26, tied) in college football.
Nussmeier is still a bit of a gunslinger, as his 18 turnover-worthy plays placed him among the bottom 20 signal-callers in the nation. He also adds very little on the ground, as his 93 rushing yards in 2024 were easily the fewest of anyone on this list. But he is still a tough quarterback, fearless in the pocket and capable of making almost any throw on the field.
Garrett Nussmeier’s Career PFF Grades
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After spending one season at Michigan State, Leavitt transferred to Arizona State and was one of the biggest reasons why the Sun Devils went from back-to-back 3-9 seasons to winning the Big 12 and making the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
The redshirt freshman’s 89.1 PFF overall grade ranked ninth among FBS quarterbacks, and he was the only Power Four signal-caller with 80.0-plus grades both as a passer and a runner. He ranked fourth among all quarterbacks in America with a 1.1% turnover-worthy play rate, while his 34 forced missed tackles on the ground were the fifth most in the Power Four. Leavitt has excellent escapability at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, which can lead to some electric plays.
After entering 2024 as our top-ranked quarterback in the country, Beck disappointed in his final year at Georgia before transferring to Miami (FL). The redshirt senior’s 20 turnover-worthy plays this past season were tied for the sixth most in the country. As that number would indicate, he often forced throws due to the Bulldogs’ underwhelming receiving corps. Georgia’s 31 drops on the season were tied for the second most in the Power Four.
Beck still performed at a solid level, all things considered (80.2 PFF passing grade in 2024). His 90.9 PFF overall grade since 2023 is also the second-best mark of any returning FBS quarterback. Beck is hoping he can find similar success to Cam Ward, who went No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans after a standout campaign at Miami.
Think of Sellers as the Anthony Richardson or Jalen Milroe in next year’s draft class. While he’s the most physically talented quarterback, he also needs serious development as a passer before he can become a franchise quarterback. Sellers had a 4.7% turnover-worthy play rate last year, the sixth-worst mark among Power Four quarterbacks.
He also has a rocket launcher attached to his right shoulder and elite mobility as a runner, placing second among Power Four quarterbacks in forced missed tackles (47) and rushing yards after contact (581). Sellers possesses the upside of going No. 1 overall but the floor of falling to Day 3 of the draft.
Iamaleava has been the story of the offseason. And not for his on-field play, but for his highly publicized NIL dispute with Tennessee that led to a transfer to UCLA in April. Still, he has incredible tools and can launch up draft boards if he keeps up the level of play that he showed in the second half of last season. Iamaleava posted 75.0-plus PFF overall grades in four of the Volunteers’ final seven contests while leading the team to the College Football Playoff. The former five-star recruit’s 81.7 PFF passing grade on the season was a top-20 mark in college football.
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After posting just a 60.2 PFF passing grade at Boise State in 2023, Green transferred to Arkansas and dramatically improved his efficiency as a passer this past season (79.2 PFF passing grade).
Green is among the most physically gifted quarterbacks in college football at 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds with outstanding mobility and arm talent. His 22 big-time throws in 2024 were tied for the ninth most in the Power Four, and his 453 rushing yards after contact were the fifth most. If he can avoid some of the head-scratching mistakes that still plague his tape (17 turnover-worthy plays in 2024), he can become a potential first-round prospect.
Mendoza transferred to Indiana from California and will look to lead the Hoosiers to similar heights as Kurtis Rourke, whom the 49ers selected in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He earned a solid 75.7 PFF passing grade with the Golden Bears this past season and finished with the 12th-lowest uncatchable pass rate in the Power Four. Mendoza still put the ball in harm’s way far too often (17 turnover-worthy plays compared to 12 big-time throws), but he has intriguing arm talent and could thrive in Indiana’s RPO-heavy scheme.
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