Another College Football Season is upon us, and as it begins, we can officially start the NFL Draft process with the newest crop of talent ready to emerge and climb the board for this season. For the Browns, obviously, they will be searching heavily at the quarterback position, so this season, we wanted to conduct a fun experiment. This season, we will be doing periodical QB rankings through the season to see how the board develops and who rises and falls. We will document why certain prospects will rise and fall with what I’m seeing on the tape. The goal is to have a full picture of the board come Draft season, when the Browns will most likely draft their franchise QB. So let’s break down the Top QBs going into the 2025/26 College Football Season.
Honorable Mentions
John Mateer, Oklahoma- If you know me, I love gunslinging QBs with confidence. More likely than not, those players translate in some way in the NFL. After a strong season at Washington State, throwing for 29 TDs and 7 INTs, Mateer transferred to Oklahoma to bring the Sooners back to contention in College Football. He can make every throw and every throw accurately. He has the confidence to shake off bad plays and move on, and the leadership to lift his teammates, which is already being praised in Oklahoma. My question is, how does he play against one of the toughest schedules in CFB this year compared to his far easier schedule last year at WSU? Mateer is that guy you don’t think is a first-round guy, but with the right play and run for the playoffs, Mateer can be the out-of-nowhere candidate this year.
Arch Manning, Texas- I’m not going to go in depth on this, but feel it’s criminal to not at least put him in honorable mention. Until Arch declares, I’m not putting him in the Top 5 conversation because its a waste of time. However, I want to put one note here: Stop crowning people as the Top QB in the class. Arch hasn’t even thrown 100 career passes yet. The talent is undeniable, but let’s see him start a few games before we crown him anything.
5. Drew Allar, Penn State- When you look at Drew Allar after 3 years, you see all the traits of a kid who should be the #1 QB in this class, without question. But what’s holding him back? Drew has the arm talent to make any throw, has the ideal size you want at the position, and the athleticism that most QBs at his size don’t have. The comparisons to Josh Allen are there for the taking for him, that every NFL team would’ve been clamoring to take him last draf,t potentially at #1.
However, the problem with Allar is his internal clock and decision-making on the run. He improved last year, rushing the ball and cutting back on unnecessary sacks and throwaways. However, you can tell this change came at the expense of having happy feet in the pocket. Hopefully, he’s used the offseason to balance himself out, and we get a polished, poised QB that can take charge of the game. He showed to many times to lock onto reads, and when it wasn’t there, he scrambled.
I think with Tyler Warren as his safety blanket gone, Allar will be forced to trust other receivers and give them a chance. While I question Penn State’s receiving core (definitely not their running attack), I’m curious to see if Allar’s development as a passer can elevate the receiving core at Penn State. If he can do that over the season, Drew Allar can fly up this list very quickly.
4. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
If you’re looking for that Cam Ward riser who wasn’t even considered as a Top QB going into the year but becomes that guy, it’s Mendoza. First off, I love the decision to go to Indiana to develop under Curt Cignetti, who has had success developing QBs. Mendoza does all the little things you want to see in a QB. Lightning quick release, great touch on his passing, ability to read defenses at the line, and tough in the pocket. All those small things you look for in a QB, he’s got them. The problem is at Cal; he took too many sacks and held onto the ball too long. However, I’m going to blame that on a horrible O-Line at Cal.
Mendoza at Indiana is going to go into a system that’s going to force him to make decisions quicker with the ball, which will only make him a better player this year. I believe Indiana will also offer a better O-Line that will allow him to show how he plays with time in the pocket and maneuvering around. With a weapon like Elijah Sarratt, I firmly expect Mendoza to be possibly the best QB in the Big 10. The thing is, I expect his numbers to improve at a better program with better talent at Indiana; however, my question is how big the jump really is? That question will determine his trajectory in 2026.
3. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
If you were to build the perfect projectable QB, it’s Sellers. A 6’3’’ 240lb. Athletic freak who can sling the ball deep downfield with ease. What’s most impressive in his game is that he plays like a running back who can take the hits given and bounce off them to make a play. Only a handful of QBs I’ve ever watched can do that with their speed. The only one I can recall who really could do that with his speed was Daunte Culpepper or even Donovan McNabb. The question is, which one is Sellers? At this moment, he’s more Culpepper than McNabb. Big arm, electric speed, but an erratic arm in terms of accuracy and decision-making.
What Sellers has going for him is that he has a veteran offense with explosive playmakers led by Nick Harbor, quite possibly the biggest athletic freak in College Football. He has the weapons to dominate the SEC this season. The thing I want to see is Sellers elevate the Gamecocks into the Playoff conversation. The only way the Gamecocks make the Playoffs is if Sellers elevates this team. If he can, it’ll be because of his more consistent play and playing better against better competition. Struggling against LSU, Ole Miss, and Clemson like last year won’t fly. He needs to play like his Missouri game last year. He does that; it’s going to be hard to deny him.
2. Garrett Nussmeier LSU
For the Top 2 players, I’ll be clear. Both of these guys would have declared last year would’ve gone within the Top 3 picks, possibly #1 overall. When you talk about needing a QB with special arm talent, Nussmeier is probably at the top of this class. He can make every throw needed and has the pocket presence to handle pressure and make the throw. The only downside, really, to Nussmeier is his gunslinging mentality, which can be a good and a bad thing.
A lot of people compare him to Baker Mayfield, and it’s obvious to see the comparisons. Both have great arms that make all the throws, and they know how to handle the pocket; however, they both make some dumb decisions with the football. He’s on the right track to make that next step this season as he shone at the Manning Passing Academy this offseason. With his electric arm and confidence as a passer, I expect him to take the jump needed and lead LSU to the College Football Playoff and be a Heisman finalist. Could he do what Joe Burrow did before him? Time will tell, but I fully expect, with his trajectory, that Nussmeier should most likely be the #1 QB by February.
There’s a reason Nuss has been my guy since last season. He makes the throws nobody else can make…not because he can do it, it’s because he knows he can. That’s what separates the good from the great QBs. You don’t overthink it with Nuss.
- Cade Klubnik Clemson
The former five-star recruit came into Clemson a few years ago and was asked almost immediately to fill the shoes of Trevor Lawrence and Deshaun Watson before him. The expectations on him since he arrived have been sky high, and it’s taken a while for him to put it together, but finally, last season, you started to see the vision. He cut down his interceptions while increasing his rushing numbers and his yards per play. It seemed finally Klubnik has finally figured it all out as a passer. He’s elevating a Clemson team that, while talented, isn’t the same Clemson team that Deshaun Watson or Trevor Lawrence had. That’s what makes it more impressive. Clemson will go as far as Klubnik will take him, and if he takes that next step, he could take them all the way.
Klubnik is a pass-first, dual-threat QB who has shown consistency as a passer in terms of accuracy. His arm isn’t as strong as others in this class, but he makes all the throws you want from your QB. He played great in the biggest games and again was the guy who elevates the guys around him.
My only question is…is this his ceiling? Is he that safe “High Floor, Low Ceiling” QB? Or can he elevate himself and be the next top QB pick that Dabo Sweeney produces? Klubnik controls where the QB rankings go from here; it’s up to him to see if he can hold onto it.
When it comes to Quarterback evaluations at this point, I want to emphasize that it truly is a crap shoot at this time of year. Players like Baker Mayfield, Cam Ward, and even Joe Burrow were not even ranked in the Top 5 QBs in their final years in the preseason. Personally, I’ve always wanted to see how one’s board can change with the right open mind over a season. For all we know, we can find QBs that aren’t even ranked working their way into the Top 5. You have guys like Nico Iamaleava, Sam Leavitt, Miller Moss, Conner Weigman (last year started in my Top 5 QBs), and Carson Beck (last preseason’s #1 QB on the board), all of whom were left off my Preseason Top 5. There are also intriguing athletic QBs like Jalon Daniels, Kevin Jennings, Aidan Chiles, and Taylen Green, who teams will love their skillsets. Bottom line is this QB class has a ton of talent; however, there is, at this moment, no clear-cut #1 QB.
Who will rise to the top? Only time will tell…