We have reached the midway point of the 2026 college football season, and NFL fans are starting to turn their attention to the 2027 NFL Draft. As losses pile up for some franchises, the draft offers a reason for optimism during a potentially tough year.

No position will draw more attention than quarterback.

The 2027 quarterback class has been heavily debated. Before the season, some people were calling it historic and generational. Now that there is a real sample size, the group still looks good on paper. It just doesn’t look nearly as good as many theorized early in the process.

To get a snapshot of how things are trending, I spent the last few days talking to as many sources around the league as possible. I learned more about the rise of Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker and heard opinions on Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss and Notre Dame’s CJ Carr. I also asked about the enigma that is Texas’ Arch Manning, and one source shared his team’s current quarterback grades.

Here is everything I have learned about what promises to be a volatile class from now until April.

Drew Mestemaker continues to rise

When talking with several sources on the league side, including a couple of current area scouts, Mestemaker continues to come up as a potential No. 1 overall pick. Manning and Oregon’s Dante Moore have been volatile, but Mestemaker has done exactly what many were hoping. He has been an ascending prospect, especially since a horrible debut in an upset loss to Tulsa a few weeks ago.

Since then, he has improved game after game, including a few flash plays in an upset over Oregon. He has also played mostly mistake-free over the last couple of weeks.

The 6-4, 220-pound signal caller has had a remarkable journey. He played safety and punter in high school and hadn’t played quarterback since his freshman year. From there, he walked on at North Texas, broke records, and became an ascending FBS quarterback.

His arm strength is solid to good by NFL standards, but the overall arm talent is what has scouts intrigued. He’s a bit of a risk-taker, though his improvement working the middle of the field stands out as he gets more live reps.

Mestemaker is also a good athlete who is expected to run somewhere in the 4.6s when he tests in the 40-yard dash. That mix of athleticism outside the pocket and comfort over the middle has several people around the league clamoring for him as the top quarterback in the class. He would be my current bet to be the first signal caller taken in April, if his improvement continues to be linear.

One more tidbit to note: star wide receiver Wyatt Young, who followed Mestemaker from North Texas, is expected to be a bit of a package deal on his draft decision. If Mestemaker declares, I expect Young to do the same. If Mestemaker returns, there’s a good chance Young follows.

He isn’t viewed as a top prospect, but a mid-round pass catcher who excels after the catch would still be an intriguing addition to the class.

Trinidad Chambliss is viewed as one of the surest things

Speaking of ascension, Chambliss’ story has been one for the ages. He went from a Ferris State star to one of the best quarterbacks in college football. The Rebels signal caller won an additional year of eligibility before the season, and he has taken full advantage of it.

Chambliss is an older prospect who will be 25 years old as a rookie. He’s also slightly undersized after weighing in at 5-11 7/8 and 208 pounds before the season. Even so, most evaluators view him as one of the surest things in the 2027 quarterback class.

The reason is his consistency against pressure and in pressure-packed moments, along with his ability to work the middle of the field. That skill set translates to the NFL. Despite his lack of height, Chambliss is one of the very best at attacking those middle portions of the field.

If he keeps producing at this level, he’s a pretty safe bet to go inside the top 32 picks next April.

Arch Manning remains the enigma

Opinions on Manning are all over the place. At a verified 6-4 and 230 pounds, it’s easy to understand the hype. The last name helps, but he also has plenty of arm talent and a ton of athleticism. People are still waiting for him to take the next step.

With his lineage and talent, Manning will go inside the top 10 of the 2027 NFL Draft if he declares. I am not nearly certain he does. If he returns for a fifth year in 2027, I would not be shocked at all, though that will depend on how the rest of his season goes.

Manning has some arm arrogance and is a natural playmaker.

Far too often, however, his technique falls to an almost unplayable level when things break down. His consistency and decision-making under pressure need to improve if he’s ever going to hit his upside. He’s going to get picked early regardless, but some people around the NFL are not fully sold on him right now.

One NFC team’s top 3 quarterbacks

An area scout on the NFC side shared the top three quarterbacks his team has graded. These grades will change once teams get into final evaluations in about a month and a half. More information will also arrive after declarations are finalized, all-star games are considered, and full background checks are completed.

As things stand, that NFC team has Mestemaker as its top-ranked quarterback and Chambliss at No. 2. The surprise is Carr at No. 3.

The 6-2, 215-pound Fighting Irish signal caller has great lineage of his own as the grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, and his father also played at Michigan. Carr is known as an incredibly bright football mind. He has clean mechanics, throws a very catchable football, and carries a little arm arrogance as well.

The biggest issue for some evaluators is how he plays outside of structure. He’s a clean decision-maker for the most part, but he makes a lot of questionable decisions when he’s forced off script.

Some people also have questions behind the scenes about his personality. That is not a character knock. In fact, Carr has great character. He’s known as a really good teammate and young man who brings the humble confidence you want from a quarterback.

However, Carr is a bit of a perfectionist, and there are times a bad decision or bad moment sticks with him too long. Quarterbacks need a short memory, and some evaluators worry Carr’s memory runs too long in those tough moments.

There is still plenty of football left, and these grades are far from final. We will see how things play out between now and April.