The 2027 draft has been billed as a much better draft than 2026 at the least, and potentially a game changing draft due to some of the elite talent that could be available. Everyone talks about how much better next year’s QB draft class is compared to this year’s class, that’s almost a given considering what 2026 ended up with. I would say there are a good 8-10 QB prospects that could be day-one picks if the draft were held tomorrow. There are a few who are projections and of course, there are some who will slip due to performance. At this time last year, I wrote about guys like Garrett Nussmeier and Drew Allar going in the top ten in 2026, those two had horrible seasons and their draft stock tanked, it’s completely possible with this group too.
One saving grace of the 2027 draft is it’s not all about the QB when it comes to high-end talent. 2026 had guys like RB Jeremiyah Love, S Caleb Downs, LB Arvell Reese, LB Sonny Styles, and G Olaivavega Ioane as the high-end talent, they all played non-premium positions. The 2027 draft has some of its best players at OT, DE, and WR, all premium positions in the draft. I’m going to get to the non-QB later, today I’m going to go through the QB talent. I’m going to break it down a bit into sections, starting with seniors and guys I think will declare for the 2027 draft. Then a section on younger guys who could declare but might stay in college. It’s not an easy decision for some of these guys and I’ll note some issues. Lets take a look at the potential QB class for 2027. (All heights and weights are gathered from public sources, I generally take them with a grain of salt)
The Guys Most Likely to be in the Class
Arch Manning RS Jr Texas
I’m going to start with the guy who I started with last season. Arch Manning is the prototypical QB prospect at 6’4 220 lbs., he’s athletic and he’s fantastic as a runner. Many people think he only gets the hype because of his last name, there’s plenty of truth to that, but I see it a bit differently. His last name means we have put expectations on him instead of just letting him develop like a normal QB. If he was Arch Smith, we would understand the year he had last year. It started out rough; he was facing an Ohio St. defense that had high caliber NFL-level talent and was run by an NFL coordinator. He wasn’t great for the first month to six weeks but then he started to look a lot better. The talent around him wasn’t great and he did what he could. His development wasn’t completely linear but he was playing better at the end of the season compared to the beginning of the season and showed flashes of what can make him great.
Texas decided to give him some help this year with some high-end portal talent, and he got Cam Coleman at WR (he’s in the non-QB group coming later), and he got two new RBs to help. Manning is set up to show off his overall skills and they are plentiful. He has a very good arm, it’s not elite, but it’s beyond capable. His athleticism and running ability set him apart, he’s a major plus when he leaves the pocket. There are mock drafts putting Dante Moore ahead of him and it’s fine if you think that, but Moore isn’t a perfect prospect either. The one reason I will have Arch Manning first in my mock draft would be the same as I said last year. If he has a solid year, there is no GM in football who’s going to bet his job on a QB not named Manning if a QB named Manning is available who’s even remotely close in talent. The one chance I could see a team next season passing on Manning first is if a team like the Raiders, who just drafted their future QB, has the first pick and WR Jeremiah Smith fills their biggest need. I would still try to trade down to whoever wants Manning, but I wouldn’t trade down so far as I might lose Smith.
Dante Moore RS Jr Oregon
Moore would have been the second pick this year to the Jets if he had entered the draft and he might go second in 2027 too. He might not if the Raiders or Dolphins are picking two and want Jeremiah Smith, but Moore won’t have to wait long. He’s a good athlete who can move; he has the height you want in a QB at 6’3 but he could stand to put on a few pounds. He had a good year at Oregon, and he should have another one with the weapons around him. Getting another year of starting experience at Oregon is going to really benefit him in his maturation. He needs to see the whole field better and just get more comfortable with pressure. Those are things you can only get better at by playing, you don’t get that if you take a redshirt year in the NFL (sorry Ty Simpson).
Jayden Maiava SR USC
Maiava fits the prospect profile you want, he’s 6’4 230 lbs. and he’s got a great arm and he’s athletic. He isn’t going to run away from guys in the open field, but he can be used on a designed QB run and pick up a first down. His accuracy is excellent down the field, although Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon helped him look good last season. His intermediate throws need work. Maiava is the guy I think is most likely to crash the Manning/Moore party at the top of the draft. Say what you want about Lincoln Riley as a coach overall, his QB coaching is elite. How Maiava progresses this season against pressure, and throwing over the middle or intermediate area, will determine his draft stock. He’s breaking in new WRs and if he can elevate their game, it will really help his draft stock.
**Brendan Sorsby** Sr Texas Tech
This one is interesting because I don’t think he’s making it to the 2027 draft. Sorsby has great QB tools with the size and athleticism you like. However, his college career is likely over given he is seeking treatment for gambling addiction and has reportedly bet on his own team (many years ago when he was at Indiana), and that’s a non-starter for the NCAA. His bets were apparently placed on Indiana when he wasn’t even on the travel squad so there’s no malfeasance there but it’s just not something the NCAA will forgive. He has retained council to fight for his eligibility and while the NCAA has lost plenty of lawsuits lately, this is one where they are on pretty solid footing if they ban him for good. That said, if it happens, he could go into the NFL supplemental draft in July, and a team could spend a pick in next years draft on Sorsby. No one is spending a first rounder for him but he’s a good QB prospect and if Cleveland, New York Jets, or Arizona draft him, he could start this season for them. He probably would have been the second QB off the board in 2026.
LaNorris Sellers RS Jr South Carolina
Sellers was another guy on last year’s list who came back to school. Unlike Manning or Moore, Sellers is trying to rebuild his draft stock, not enhance it. South Carolina’s offense was horrific last year and now they have a new OC, Kendal Briles. Briles is a great college OC, but we will see if he can help Sellers translate his immense physical talent into a real NFL QB prospect. Sellers is too willing to pull the ball down and take off running instead of looking for his next read, that doesn’t go over well with NFL scouts. He is one of the most physically gifted players in college football, he’s an elite runner with a cannon for arm. His accuracy comes and goes but someone will bet on his traits.
Trinidad Chambliss Sr Ole Miss
Chambliss broke out last year as the injury replacement at QB for the Rebels and he never gave the job back. Then he sued the NCAA and got another year of eligibility and he’s hoping to parlay that into a potential first round pick. He doesn’t have the requisite size the NFL likes, he’s 6’1 200 lbs. and that’s going to hurt him. He does stand up against pressure, and he’s got a good arm and is accurate. Someone will take a chance on him, but it will be after most of the athletic freaks are off the board.
Nico Iamaleava RS Jr UCLA
Iamaleava already let the cat out of the bag that he’s planning on entering the 2027 draft even though he still has eligibility. I’m not surprised and won’t be surprised when someone takes a shot on him, I don’t think he’s a first-round guy, but who knows. He’s 6’6 215 lbs. and is an elite athlete who runs like a gazelle. He can throw the ball a mile, but his accuracy needs work there and in the shorter passing game. He’ll be playing for a new coach, his third in three years (fourth if you count UCLA’s interim) after transferring from Tennessee last year. Bob Chesney comes from James Madison and maybe he’ll be able to harness the sheer talent of Nico unlike last year’s UCLA coaching staff.
John Mateer Sr Oklahoma
This is more about a guy bouncing back after a decent season but one that didn’t really live up to expectations. Mateer ended up with a hand injury that derailed part of his season, and he didn’t progress like many thought he might. He’s 6’1 224 lbs. so he’s a little on the short side but he’s well-built and he’s a good athlete who gains yards on the ground. He needs to work on his mechanics to help avoid batted balls due to his height. His progression reads can be inconsistent, and he will hold the ball too long. His short throws need work, but he’s got a plus arm, so he has that going for him. He’s a talented player with a lot of experience; teams will like that. If he has a great season, he could move up the ranks.
Gunner Stockton Sr Georgia
Stockton is a bit like Mateer in the fact that he’s on the shorter side, he’s listed at 6’1, which is maybe a bit generous, but he also has good size at 215 lbs. There’s one glaring difference and it’s going to be the issue for Stockton; he doesn’t have a great arm. It’s fine on some throws but he lacks velocity and it would be a problem against NFL defensive backs. He has the dual-threat ability as a runner and he’s not afraid to run through defenders but that won’t overcome the issues with his arm.
Josh Hoover Sr Indiana
Hoover transferred from TCU to Indiana and is hoping to become the next Fernando Mendoza. He’s going to have some elite playmakers at Indiana (WRs Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh) and Curt Cignetti’s offense so that will help. He’s not the same profile as Mendoza, he’s only 6’2 200 lbs., he’s much smaller. He’s also not nearly as accurate and he turns the ball over too much. He has talent but he may end up like some smaller QBs and be a later round pick.
Guys who could enter the draft but should probably go back
Drew Mestemaker RS So Oklahoma St.
Mestemaker is the one guy on this list who I could see actually being in the 2027 draft, and for good reason. He has all the measurables a team would love, he’s 6’4 211 lbs. and he has a howitzer for an arm. He can make any throw you want. The one thing that can hold him back will be his jump to better competition. Mestemaker dominated at North Texas but he’s moving up to the Big 12 and it won’t be an easy task. Oklahoma St. is trying to rebuild with the new coaching staff and I’m not sure if his supporting cast will make him look great. He’s only a redshirt sophomore and with all the QBs in this draft, he might be better off getting more experience and entering the 2028 draft if he’s not a top ten pick in 2027.
Darian Mensah RS Jr Miami
Mensah has moved up levels from Tulane to Duke and now to Miami. If he has a season like Cam Ward had two years ago at Miami, he could be a first-round pick, and he should probably come out. If not, he should probably give it another year, and he could be a top pick the next season. Mensah is 6’3 205 lbs. so he probably needs to add a little weight just to get a bit stronger and hold up better in the NFL. Miami’s offense should be good with Malachi Toney at WR, Mark Fletcher Jr. at RB, and one of his WRs from Duke transferred there too.
CJ Carr RS So Notre Dame
Carr is an excellent college QB who lacks any elite traits for an NFL prospect. When he’s throwing on time and in rhythm, it looks good, but when things break down, it gets a little wonky. He would be a good QB in the Shanahan/McVay type of system, but he needs elite talent around him. Losing Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price at RB and his security blanket TE Eli Raridon is going to test him this season. We shall see how he responds. He should stay in school at least another season after this one, if not two.
Julian Sayin RS So Ohio St.
I’ve seen Sayin in a number of mock drafts as a top ten pick and going ahead of guys like Manning and Moore, that tells me the writer either hasn’t watched Sayin much or doesn’t know the NFL draft. Sayin is an excellent college QB, just like Carr, except he plays with even better players. Unfortunately for him, he’s listed at 6’1 208 lbs. and I think both those numbers are generous. Sayin is a very accurate passer, but he doesn’t have the arm strength to be a top NFL prospect. Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate made him look great and now Smith and the next great OSU WR will likely do the same. He just doesn’t profile like an NFL QB. He has one other thing to worry about, Tavien St. Claire. His backup QB is a physical freak who may be ready to take his job. Sayin could turn pro after the season but if I were a betting man, I would say he ends up transferring to another top program and being an excellent starter in college for another year at least.
Sam Leavitt RS Jr. LSU
Leavitt is the wildcard this season. He is coming off a foot injury that derailed his season at Arizona St., and he transferred to LSU to start for Lane Kiffin. This could either be a huge breakout season for a very talented QB, or it’s a complete disaster. Leavitt has a strong arm and sometimes trusts it too much; it can get him in trouble. He also likes to break the pocket and play some “backyard” football a little too much. If Kiffin can harness his talent, he’ll be awesome in his system. As a prospect, his size is going to hurt him a little as he’s 6’2 205 lbs. but he doesn’t play like a guy who’s a little undersized. He’s also going to be a three-year starter (okay, he missed half of last year so 2.5 seasons).
3 Other Wildcards
Aidan Chiles- New Northwestern QB who could break out in Chip Kelly’s system. It would be crazy if after his last three years, he finally put it together.
DJ Lagway- New Baylor QB who flamed out at Florida but has serious physical tools.
Byron Brown- New Auburn QB, the transfer from USF has a crazy arm and a weird throwing motion that no one seems to understand.
The Hott Read 