We are more than halfway through the 2025 college football season already, which means we now have a really good sample size to evaluate off of. In the 2026 NFL Draft world, scouts from all over the NFL are busy evaluating players, updating their scouting reports, visiting various programs in their areas, and attempting to gain a deeper understanding for what this class will be in the end. 

The 2026 quarterback group is an extremely fascinating one. There are some who believe it is a poor group, while others think it’s one of the deeper ones we have seen in several years. The truth, as is typically the case, is probably somewhere in the middle. Regardless of your perspective on the class in its entirety, most will agree that this group looks a whole lot different than what many believed it would be during the preseason. 

The early top names like Drew Allar (Penn State) and Garrett Nussmeier (LSU) both have underwhelmed this season, which has left things pretty wide open for others to rise. LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina) has also been up and down as a part of a struggling South Carolina offense, and many believe that the redshirt sophomore would be best served returning to school in 2026. Arch Manning (Texas) was also always a long shot to be in the 2026 group in general, and he has also struggled so far this season as well. 

We have seen a couple of big risers in the class, including former Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza (Indiana), Ty Simpson (Alabama), and Dante Moore (Oregon). Those three will lead the conversation into the future.

With several weeks of the season remaining, things will change quite a bit between now and the end of the season. Here are a few interesting tidbits, outside of that assumed top group, that you should know about the 2026 quarterback class. 

2026 quarterback class notes 

After speaking to several scouts across the NFL over recent days, there was a lot of interesting feedback on Oklahoma signal caller John Mateer. The former Washington State transfer had a strong start to the season, but a hand injury against Auburn stalled that hype a good bit. Mateer has returned to action, but things haven’t been great the last couple of weeks. 

According to one NFC South area scout, the process for Mateer has gotten very muddy. Once considered a potential first round selection, the Sooners signal caller is trying to recapture some of his draft momentum. 

“I felt really good about him the week after he got hurt,” they said. “Mateer’s process isn’t perfect all of the time, but after seeing what he did against Michigan and a couple of the other early games, it just felt like he was going to get it. 

“The Texas game was a disaster for him,” that scout continued. “It wasn’t because of the injury. He was just being a bozo. That game was very indicative of the biggest issue with Mateer. He just doesn’t read underneath coverage well enough, safeties rotating, playing robber coverage. It’s a big issue.”

In a conversation with another area scout, this one from AFC West, it remains unclear if Mateer ends up declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s just a redshirt junior, so he does have one more eligibility remaining. As one of my sources likes to say, “the evaluation will write itself” over the next several games. 

“I’m not sure if he’s going to declare,” they explained. “He was leaning toward doing so early but the last couple of games have made it cloudy. Mateer is very confident, and there was an argument early that he could be the first quarterback taken. How the next few weeks go is going to show if he’ll use that last year or not.”

One of the biggest quarterback risers over the last several weeks is Cincinnati signal caller Brendan Sorsby. There has also been a lot of love out there for TCU star Josh Hoover, who has been putting together some impressive numbers in the Sonny Dykes offense. The former has legitimate buzz around NFL circles, and that should only continue moving forward. 

“Sorsby is in a similar tier as Mateer right now,” said the NFC South scout. “We have a starter grade on him. He’s been really impressive this season.”

When it comes to Hoover, who is also just a redshirt junior, there is absolutely intrigue around the league. There is so much so that various sources believe that the TCU signal caller is leaning towards declaring for the 2026 class. If he does, Hoover feels like a player that people will be all over the place on. 

“He has some legitimate arm talent,” they stated. “I’ll give him that. Hoover just needs to play more consistently in some of the bigger games. He’s also not a kid who is imposing when you meet him. He’s small and just looks really young.”

According to that scout, Hoover measured in at 6 ‘0 ⅛” in a visit recently. 

There appears to be a decent sized haul of quarterbacks in the Southwest this season, and you can obviously include Mateer and Hoover into that conversation. A separate Southwest area scout on the NFC side was kind enough to give some insight into a couple other signal callers. That focused on two players that have been viewed as potential risers in the class at various points. 

That begins with Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson, who began his career at Mississippi State. At over 6-3 and 220 pounds, Robertson possesses the prototypical size you want at the position. He has also been very productive so far in 2025, throwing for 2,513 yards and 23 touchdowns in eight games. 

Despite that production, many are not sold on Robertson and his projection to the NFL level. 

“I just don’t see it with Robertson,” they explain. “His lack of arm strength is a major concern and he’s a little chaotic inside of the pocket. He’s a tough kid, which helps. I’m not sure he even sticks as a backup.”

The other quarterback discussed was Arkansas star Taylen Green, who has thrown for 2,178 yards and 18 touchdowns through the air, as well as running for 603 yards and five more scores on the ground. With a big frame (6-5.5, 225 pounds) and nice athleticism, you would expect there to be a lot of appeal with Green. At least from this particular scout, that wasn’t the case. 

“People see Green and assume he has this great arm, but it’s actually pretty below average for his size,” they said. “He’s a good athlete but I’m not sure what the floor is there. There is just a very specific situation that he is going to land in, and it isn’t with us.”

If you liked the early 2026 NFL intel, this is just a small taste. With how important the quarterback position is, it felt appropriate to make this a standalone piece. Over the next couple of days, there will be a larger article for some miscellaneous notes on both sides of the football. Make sure to keep a look out. 

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