Summer Scouting - QB’s

Welcome to my summer scouting series. Less than a month after the 2026 NFL Draft, we’re back to the grind as we start on the 2027 cycle. In this series I will be giving you my opinion on the top ten players at each position, I will be using a mixture of box score and PFF statistics to give you an overview of their 2025 college season, before summarising what I believe to be their strengths and areas for development based on what I saw on tape. Most of the stats are self-explanatory, but I’ll quickly explain a couple of them; adjusted completion percentage is a PFF stat that takes into account plays such as spikes, obvious throwaways, and drops to give a better representation of a Quarterback’s accuracy. Average depth of target (ADOT) adds context to a Quarterback’s game; anyone can have a high completion percentage if all they throw is screens and checkdowns. PFF's passing grade is how PFF rates a player’s passing ability. In general, I don’t like the player grades PFF produces, as they’re far too subjective for my liking, but it is another point of data that helps build the overall picture of a player.

I’m sure, by now, you’ve heard how the 2027 draft is going to be a historic one, mainly due to the strength and depth of the Quarterback class. A strong QB class normally equals a strong overall draft as talent is pushed down the board. I am sure that the talent will get watered down with players returning to school and so on, but man, am I excited by this class. Today we will be looking at the aforementioned Quarterbacks, for reference, I had a higher grade on new Las Vegas Raider, Fernando Mendoza, than any of the guys listed below. However, I believe a handful could jump that grade with good seasons. To demonstrate the strength of this class, Ty Simpson would currently be QB12 for me, and there are a further five in this class that could leap him with good years.

I’m going to give you eleven Quarterbacks today with the unknown situation surrounding new Texas Tech signal caller, Brendon Sorsby. It seems unlikely that Sorsby will play this year following his issues with gambling and the possibility that he will enter the 2026 Supplemental Draft. I know nowhere near enough about his situation to comment further or let it affect my grade. I just hope he gets the help he needs and we get to see him on the field again sometime soon, because he has a lot of talent.

11.  CJ Carr

Class:​  Redshirt Sophomore​

College:   Notre Dame​

Jersey No.:   13

Height:   6’3’’​​​​

Weight:   210

Previous Schools:   N/A

2025 Stats:

Completions/Attempts	Completion %	Adjusted Completion %	ADOT	Yards	TD	INT	PFF Passing Grade
195/299	65.2	73.2	10.6	2741	24	6	83.5

Carr had a positive first year as a starter in South Bend after a closely contested battle in which he beat out Kenny Minchey to be the man under centre. In fact, Carr impressed so much that he is currently the joint favourite to win the Heisman Trophy. I’ll be honest, I don’t quite see what others do, he’s a fine player, but not in the same bracket as the top Quarterbacks in college football. His arm is good, not great, he throws the ball with excellent touch and is able to layer his pass nicely to exploit holes in the defence. However, there are times that the ball seems to float out of his hand and hang in the air he also occasions that he stares down his intended receiver, making it much easier for the defence to react to the play. Generally, I like his pocket presence, he’s light on his feet and, when he sees the pressure coming, is very apt at evading it with subtle movements. Having said that, he is yet to develop a natural feel for pressure coming from his blindside, this, I’m sure, will come with time and experience.

Carr has the makings of a very good quarterback, but there are aspects of his game that require development. A lot of his weaknesses will naturally improve with time, games and experience, because of this, I believe that he should be looking at staying in college for the next two seasons, declaring for the 2028 NFL Draft, by which time he will have over thirty starts under his belt which often leads to greater success when making the transition to the pros.

10.   Trinidad Chambliss

Class:​  6^th-Year Senior​​

College:   Ole Miss​​

Jersey No.:   6

Height:   6’0’’​​​​

Weight:   205

Previous Schools:   Ferris State (2021-24)

2025 Stats:

Completions/Attempts	Completion %	Adjusted Completion %	ADOT	Yards	TD	INT	PFF Passing Grade
294/448	65.6	75.1	8.8	3934	22	3	83.7

Chambliss was the feel-good story of the 2025 college season, transferring to Ole Miss from Division II Ferris State to be the backup to Austin Simmons. But after Simmons suffered an ankle injury early in the season, Chambliss was given the reins to the offence and never let go of them, even when Simmons returned from injury. Chambliss is a fun player to watch, he’s always looking to make a play, he is very accurate on short passes and has a live arm that can sling it to all parts of the field although the accuracy does wane on the deeper throws. When he breaks the pocket and runs, he’s electric, he added 585 yards and 8 touchdowns with his legs in 2025. Now, the ‘negatives.’ I’ve used quote marks around the negative here because there is actually very little wrong with his tape, his most common criticisms come down to three things; size, age and scheme. At 6’0’’ he is short for the position, but I haven’t seen it affect him in college yet. Being a 6th-year senior, he is an older player, turning 24 just before the college season begins, meaning he will, be a 25-year-old rookie in the NFL. Finally, he’s coming from an offensive scheme that has struggled to produce good NFL Quarterbacks, although Jaxson Dart went some way towards putting that to bed with a fairly impressive rookie campaign. Former Head Coach Lane Kiffin has moved on from Ole Miss and is now coaching another Quarterback that we’ll talk about later, so this scheme may change a little.

Some people will care much more about the size, age and schematic questions surrounding Chambliss than I do. For me he is a straight-up baller and I wanted to get him higher on this list, but there are Quarterbacks whose ceiling is a bit higher than Chambliss’ in my opinion, it really demonstrates the potential depth of this class. In his first season in the SEC, he passed for nearly 4000 yards with a TD:INT ratio of better than 7:1, how can you bet against that? If he comes close to matching that in 2026, he will be a first-round lock for me.

9.  Darian Mensah

Class:   Redshirt Junior​​

College:   Miami​​

Jersey No.:   10

Height:   6’3’’

​​​​Weight:   225

Previous Schools:   Tulane (2023-24) Duke (2025)

2025 Stats:

Completions/Attempts	Completion %	Adjusted Completion %	ADOT	Yards	TD	INT	PFF Passing Grade
355/503	66.6	76.2	9.4	3951	34	6	85.0

Mensah is a player that would have been selected fairly early last month, had he declared, but he decided to return to college, originally staying with the Blue Devils but was ultimately lured away by the bright lights and deep pockets of Miami. With 27 games to his name already, Mensah is one of the more experienced Quarterbacks on this list, and that experience shows on tape. He has a quick, smooth throwing motion which is pleasing on the eye, paired with his post-snap awareness, it allows him to make the correct decision far more often than he doesn’t. Mensah is always aware of where his checkdown is and is more than happy to use it if the defence isn’t giving him the look he wanted, this is a good trait to have as a Quarterback. There is no obvious weakness in Mensah’s game, occasionally the ball seems to hang in the air on intermediate-level throws.

The question for Mensah going into 2026 is how high is his ceiling? He has good production and has looked after the ball over his two years as a starter, he’s clearly a good college Quarterback, can he translate that to the NFL? I’m backing him to do so, but there have been hundreds of productive college Quarterbacks who have not been able to make the jump to the pros. Moving to Miami will help him Mensah, Duke is a very good program, but the Hurricanes are a tier or two above, they attract a high level of recruits, both from the high school ranks and the transfer portal. They will also be banking on playing deep into the playoffs which will expose Mensah to big game pressure, something he didn’t experience at the same level with the Blue Devils, this may prove key to his NFL evaluation, does he thrive in those games, or fold?

8.  Drew Mestemaker

Class:   Redshirt Sophomore

​College:   Oklahoma State​

Jersey No.:   17

Height:   6’4’’​​​​

Weight:   209

Previous Schools:   North Texas (2024-25)

2025 Stats:

Completions/Attempts	Completion %	Adjusted Completion %	ADOT	Yards	TD	INT	PFF Passing Grade
320/466	68.7	77.5	8.2	4381	34	9	86.1

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Another incredible story from the 2025 season; Mestemaker never started at Quarterback in high school; he was the backup for his last two years. After receiving no scholarship offers, he walked on at North Texas in 2024, starting as QB5, he by the end of the spring he was in contention to be the primary backup. Then, in 2025 he won the starting job, and what a year he had for the Mean Green before following his Head Coach, Eric Morris to Oklahoma State. Mestemaker has a prototypical build for a Quarterback and a calm, stoic demeanour which is impressive for a player that doesn’t turn 21 until January. He’s got a good arm, willing and able to deliver the ball to all areas of the field. He’s willing to stand in the pocket and take a hit to allow his receiver that split second longer to get open, he then often hits his receivers in stride, especially over the middle of the field. He is young and inexperienced however, and it shows at times, he is liable to errant throws from time to time, sometimes, this is down to an incorrect post-snap read, sometimes, it’s his mechanics, as he doesn’t always get his feet set properly. He also has a habit of staring down his first read, allowing defenders to trigger on the ball faster. These are far from unusual traits for a Quarterback in his first year as a starter......anywhere!

One is playing Baseball at Baylor and one has completed 15 passes in two years as a backup at Louisville....is the answer to the question; what happened to the Quarterbacks that beat out Mestemaker in high school? Mestemaker has a few things to clean up in his game, but he has the potential to be great, I'mreally excited to see him play this year. Ultimately, being so young and having only started for one year in any form of serious organised football, I highly doubt he declares for the 2027 NFL Draft, he should return to college, but if he balls out again this year, the call of the NFL may be hard for him to turn down.

7.  Brendan Sorsby

Class:​  Redshirt Senior​​

College:   Texas Tech​​

Jersey No.:   2

Height:   6’3’’​​​​

Weight:   235

Previous Schools:   Indiana (2022-23) Cincinnati (2024-25)

2025 Stats:

Completions/Attempts	Completion %	Adjusted Completion %	ADOT	Yards	TD	INT	PFF Passing Grade
205/336	61	71	10.6	2782	26	5	86.3

I talked about the off-field issues regarding Sorsby in the intro, so I’ll just talk about the on-field talent here. Sorsby is one of the best athletes in this class, he ran for 596 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2025 and at 235 lbs, he provides a true power run option, I would like to see him slide more to protect himself at times though. As a passer, he has a quick release and despite the average completion percentages, I think the ball placement is usually good, he has the joint highest average depth of target of the players on this list which may go some way to explaining this. Sorsby goes through his reads well, keeping his feet in good position to throw at any time, he is very willing to throw over the middle of the field and has the arm strength to fit the ball into tight zones.

Ultimately, we do not know what the future looks like for Sorsby at the minute, does he declare for the Supplemental Draft, or does he sit out this year in the hope he gets another year of eligibility? Whatever he decides, it’s going to be a struggle for Sorsby, as both the NCAA and NFL take a very dim view of gambling.

6.  Sam Leavitt

Class:​  Redshirt Junior

​​College:   LSU​​

Jersey No.:   10​

Height:  6’2’’​​​​

Weight:   216

Previous Schools:   Michigan State (2023) Arizona State (2024-25)

2025 Stats:

Completions/Attempts	Completion %	Adjusted Completion %	ADOT	Yards	TD	INT	PFF Passing Grade
144/239	60.3	68.3	9.1	1628	10	3	67.4

With a sub 70% adjusted completion percentage, Leavitt shouldn’t be this high on my list, but man, I just cannot quit him. He possesses an absolute howitzer of an arm, capable of launching the ball 60 or 70 yards through the air, and he can do this with a quick, snappy release, really impressive arm talent. Leavitt is also electric with the ball in his hands, an elusive runner, he added 398 yards rushing in 2025 at 7.1 yards per carry with 5 touchdowns. Despite all this talent, he has some major flaws, his throwing accuracy is inconsistent, even from a clean pocket, and when he’s pressured, he retreats to buy himself time, and then tries to force a pass without setting his feet, sometimes his arm talent means he pulls off the miraculous, most of the time though, it results in an incomplete pass.....or worse.

I’ll be the first to admit that this is a big projection on my part, but I just cannot ignore the absurd natural talent that Leavitt possesses. He’s now transferring into the same scheme that helped Tinidad Chambliss become so productive last year, if Lane Kiffin can’t help Leavitt put it together, I’m not sure anyone can, LSU are going to be an intriguing watch this season.

5.  Julian Sayin

Class:   Redshirt Sophomore

​College:   Ohio State

​​Jersey No.:   10

Height:   6’1’’​​​​

Weight:   207

Previous Schools:   Alabama (2024)

2025 Stats:

Completions/Attempts	Completion %	Adjusted Completion %	ADOT	Yards	TD	INT	PFF Passing Grade
301/392	76.8	82.5	8.7	3610	32	8	92.5

Sometimes that stats do all the talking necessary, and here they are telling a story of an insanely accurate, productive Quarterback, which is exactly what Julian Sayin was in his first year starting for the Buckeyes. Sayin takes what the defence gives him, rarely forcing a pass and putting the ball in harm's way, he throws with anticipation and is accurate on passes to all levels of the field. Unsurprisingly, as a young player, Sayin can struggle when the pressure gets to him, creating off-platform plays is not his strength. But my biggest concern with him by far is his arm strength, he can throw the deep pass, but it’s a bit Russel Wilson moon-ball-esque, which can allow defenders to get to the catch point and make plays on the ball. It’s not just the deep ball; there are plenty of intermediate passes that seem to hang in the air of an age. This lack of arm strength is most concerning for me when he tries to fizz the ball into a tight zone, I just don’t think he can do so consistently.

Sayin is still young, maybe he can add strength to his arm, time will tell. Some analysts see Sayin as a good college Quarterback, but one who will struggle with the transition to the NFL, while I see their point, for me, accuracy is accuracy, whether it’s in high school, college or the NFL, and a Quarterback who is able to hit his target 82.5% of the time cannot be ignored. However, I do believe Sayin should return to school in 2027, but we’ll see what he decides.

4.  LaNorris Sellers

Class:   Redshirt Junior​​

College:   South Carolina​

Jersey No.:   16

Height:  6’3’’​​​​

Weight:   240

Previous Schools:   N/A

2025 Stats:

Completions/Attempts	Completion %	Adjusted Completion %	ADOT	Yards	TD	INT	PFF Passing Grade
177/296	59.8	70.3	9.5	2433	13	8	66.9

Everything you could want in a Quarterback....physically, at least. Sellers has been the talk of college football for years now. He decided to return to South Carolina this year, and while it was clearly the correct decision to return to school, and I greatly admire his loyalty to the Gamecocks, they haven’t proven they can build a team around Sellers that matches his talent, I think he should have transferred (which pains me to say as someone who has been critical of the transfer portal). Sellers has all the arm talent in the world, there is not a throw he cannot make, his deep ball is particularly beautiful, but he also shows the ability to layer the ball over defenders with excellent touch, he just needs to trust his arm more, he often holds onto the ball for too long and can seem indecisive and frenetic. He is a strong powerful runner who is incredibly difficult to tackler, defenders often just fall off him, he ran for 593 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2025.

I’m not one for making excuses for these players, but I’m going to for Sellers, to an extent at least. South Carolina in 2025 was frankly a horror show, and Sellers played his part in that, but he was throwing to receivers who couldn’t get open, and was being protected by one of the worst offensive lines I have seen, this was partly due to injury, partly talent and coaching. They have bolstered their offence for the 2026 season, is it enough? We'll see. But even if Sellers has an average year, there will be a team that will gamble on the upside in the first round.

3.  Arch Manning

Class:​  Redshirt Junior​​

College:   Texas

​​Jersey No.:   16

Height:   6’4’’​​​​

Weight:   226 lbs

Previous Schools:   N/A

2025 Stats:

Completions/Attempts	Completion %	Adjusted Completion %	ADOT	Yards	TD	INT	PFF Passing Grade
248/408	60.8	73	9.7	3163	26	7	81.0

Honestly, when I started this process, I wasn’t expecting Manning to be this high, but the more I watch, the more I like. A lot of people stopped paying attention to Manning after his early-season form, myself included, but he quietly played some excellent football in the second half of the year. His arm is good, not great, but even so, he is capable of the sublime, especially on deep throws. Generally, his ball placement is very good, but there are some short throws where he just inexplicably misses his target, I think this is a mental issue which I’m sure he’ll clean up. Manning is a massive threat as a runner too, he went 6.5 yards per carry, gaining 519 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Manning had enormous expectations placed on him going into last year, and he fell well short of them, but I don’t think the Longhorns always put him in a position to succeed, their run game was poor, pass protection was inconsistent, and the receiving corps had a spate of drop issues. Texas have loaded up for the 2026 season, bringing in star Wide Receiver Cam Coleman, revamping the Running Back room with Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers and retooling on the offensive and defensive line. They are going to be a fun watch.

2.  CJ Bailey

Class:​  Junior​​​​

College:   NC State​​

Jersey No.:   11

Height:   6’6’’​​​​

Weight:   213 lbs

Previous Schools:   N/A

2025 Stats:

Completions/Attempts	Completion %	Adjusted Completion %	ADOT	Yards	TD	INT	PFF Passing Grade
273/402	67.9	76	8.9	3105	25	9	64.1

A surprise name to many, I haven’t seen anyone as high on Bailey as I am. He is the youngest of the players we’re talking about today having only recently turned 20, despite the age, he already has 25 games under his belt, and that number will be in the mid-high 30’s after another healthy season, a threshold that NFL teams covet. He throws with an orthodox high arm and shows the ability to fizz it into tight zones as well as layer the ball over defenders into vacant zones with some great touch. There are times he misjudges the amount of touch to put on the pass, putting too much air under the ball, this is when he likely to get picked off. He can also get confused by disguised coverages, which isn’t a surprise for a young player, this will improve with experience. He’s a decent runner too, adding 356 yards and 6 touchdowns with his legs.

Clearly, I am a big fan of Bailey, with a good year, I truly believe he can compete to be the first Quarterback taken in the 2027 NFL Draft. I’m sure he was tempted to transfer but decided to remain a member of the Wolfpack but has lost his starting Left Tackle Jacarrius Peak, and Running Back Hollywood Smothers to South Carolina and Texas respectively via the transfer portal, so a lot may depend on how the team can retool the offence around Bailey.

1. Dante Moore

Class:   Redshirt Junior​​

College:   Oregon​​

Jersey No.:   5

Height:   6’3’’​​​​

Weight:   209 lbs

Previous Schools:   UCLA (2023)

2025 Stats:

Completions/Attempts	Completion %	Adjusted Completion %	ADOT	Yards	TD	INT	PFF Passing Grade
295/412	71.6	80.3	8.3	3550	30	10	90.2

Moore would have been a top 5 pick if he had opted to enter last month's NFL Draft. Now going into his third year in Eugene, second as a starter, he has his eyes on a National Championship and the first overall selection in 2027. Moore has a good arm; he can fit the ball into tight windows over the middle of the field and is able to stress the defence both horizontally and vertically. Generally, his ball placement is spot on, often leading his receivers, allowing for some quick yards-after-catch. I really like Moore’s pocket presence; he has a good feel for pressure from his blindside and does well to keep his feet under him when moving in the pocket. Although Moore can run, I wouldn’t describe him as a dual threat, he tends to run in order to extend the play, showing off his ability to throw on the run.

Dante Moore only really has the one weakness for me, but it’s a fairly important one; he can struggle to diagnose defences that are able to disguise their coverage scheme, especially when paired with simulated and disguised blitzes; just look at both the games against Indiana in 2025. Now, this is a common struggle for young Quarterbacks, and one that tends to improve with experience as they see more schemes and disguises. If Moore can begin to trust what he’s seeing post-snap, he’s a top-five lock for me in the 2027 NFL Draft.

A few honourable mentions; Drake Lindsey, Minnesota and Jayden Maiava, USC are both pocket passers, Lindsey has the higher ceiling just needs more experience for me, I have concerns about Maiava’s arm strength, but he reads the field well when given the time. Aiden Chiles, Northwestern, is a talented player who hasn’t quite put it all together yet. John Mateer, Oklahoma, was in the Heisman race at one point last year before suffering an injury to his throwing hand and he never really looked the same again, I’m looking forward to seeing how he plays now that he’s fully healthy. Demond Williams, Washington and Marcel Reed, Texas A&M are undersized, dual-threat players who need to show more as passers for me. There’s the incredibly talented Nico Iamaleava, who never really recovered from his tumultuous offseason surrounding his transfer from Tennessee to UCLA. Lastly, there’s DJ Lagway, now at Baylor, he was tremendous as a freshman at Florida, then was dreadful as a sophomore, he’sso far away from being ready for the NFL, he needs another two years.

Have I missed someone? Is there another Quarterback you’d like me to look at? Let me know in the comments below.