With the college football season upon us, NFL executives and scouts will be keeping a close eye on a talented 2027 quarterback class that has the potential to rank as the best in NFL history.
That mythical title still belongs to the 1983 class headlined by Hall of Famers John Elway, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly. For more than four decades, that was the only class to feature six QBs selected in the first round. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the 2027 class matches or eclipses that mark.
Given the buzz that is already floating around league circles, I thought it was the perfect time to take a sneak peek at this deep crop of quarterbacks and rank them as I see them heading into the season. As a bonus, I’m sharing an active pro comparison for the 10 best QB prospects.
Honorable mentions: Josh Hoover, Indiana; Jayden Maiava, USC; Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State; Sam Leavitt, LSU
10. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
The most polarizing prospect on the list has the potential to make the biggest jump up draft boards under the direction of a new head coach with a reputation for building explosive offenses. Iamaleava possesses the athleticism and arm talent that evaluators covet, with the playmaking prowess to shine in a scheme featuring RPOs and movement passes. Although the 6-foot-6, 215-pounder remains a work in progress in the pocket, Iamaleava’s tools and talent will keep him on the radar for scouts looking for a quarterback with the potential to become an explosive playmaker as a pro.
Current pro comp: Justin Herbert
Will this be the year Nico Iamaleava finally puts all his potential together? (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
9. Darian Mensah, Miami
The confident passer heads to Miami after helping a pair of programs (Duke and Tulane) play championship-caliber football as the playmaking point guard from the pocket. Mensah plays on time and routinely puts the ball on target in a rhythmic offense that seemingly has answers for every blitz or pressure thrown at him by aggressive defensive play-callers. With the veteran moving on to a top-10 program to pursue a national title, the football world will have a chance to see how he fares with a stellar supporting cast. If he plays as he has for Tulane and Duke, the slick passer with superb ball placement could dazzle and emerge as an intriguing option for a team looking for a long-term starter.
Current pro comp: Jordan Love
8. CJ Bailey, North Carolina State
The silky-smooth passer is not a household name, but his polished game should pique the interest of evaluators looking for a classic drop-back quarterback to build around. Measuring at 6-foot-6, 213 pounds, Bailey is a wiry passer with a whip that is best utilized in a vertical passing game. The junior (and third-year starter) is a rhythm passer who plays on time and routinely delivers on-target passes to every area of the field.
CJ Bailey had a forgettable day in N.C. State’s Week 0 blowout loss to Virginia. (Photo by Roger Wimmer/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
As a big-play hunter with a high-arcing deep ball that is nearly impossible to defend, Bailey is a wild card who could soar up the charts — if he shows discipline and patience as a passer when defenses opt to play soft against the Wolfpack’s ordinarily potent offense. This past weekend’s season opener seemed a bit inauspicious, however.
Current pro comp: C.J. Stroud
7. Brendan Sorsby
After being ruled ineligible for the 2026 Supplemental Draft, the embattled passer will spend the entire season honing his skills in preparation for the 2027 draft. Meanwhile, executives and scouts will study the 2024 and 2025 seasons to determine if Sorsby is a developmental prospect or franchise player in a loaded class. Studying his old tapes, it is easy to see why the league was buzzing when he was expected to join the 2026 class. At 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, the mobile playmaker possesses the size and strength to generate explosive plays as a runner or thrower on the perimeter. He displays the ball-handling skills and athleticism to make pinpoint throws on the run as part of a creative bootleg or naked-pass game.
With Sorsby also exhibiting the patience to work the underneath areas when opponents take away vertical throws, the veteran flashes the maturity to handle the bright lights and big stage as a pro. Although his gambling woes will force some teams to remove him from their draft boards entirely due to trust issues, the former Bearcat’s talent and tools will pique the interest of a general manager willing to roll the dice on the troubled star.
Current pro comp: Jaxson Dart
Joel Klatt’s 2026 College Football Playoff Bracket Prediction & National Champion Pick
6. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
The rugged playmaker must bounce back from a disappointing 2025 campaign that raised questions about his readiness to be a franchise quarterback at the next level. While his shortcomings are correctable mechanical issues, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound gunslinger must refine his technique to fully unlock his superpowers as a dual-threat playmaker with A-plus arm talent and athleticism.
Specifically, Sellers must improve in his accuracy and efficiency to graduate from “freak” athlete to certified franchise quarterback on the draft board. Given his raw tools and playmaking prowess, Sellers will be in the discussion as a Day 1 possibility, but his production must match his potential to vault to the top of the charts as a blue-chip quarterback prospect.
Current pro comp: Jalen Hurts
5. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
The diminutive playmaker is a dynamic weapon with the potential to produce big plays with his arm or legs. Chambliss took the football world by storm when he took over at Ole Miss, but electric displays have been a part of his game since he helped Ferris State claim a D2 national championship in 2024. Although his size (6-0, 200 pounds) will make some teams pause, it is hard to deny his performance and production as a quick-rhythm passer with explosive running skills.
Trinidad Chambliss became one of college football’s most compelling figures after being granted a sixth year of eligibility in the offseason. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images for ONIT)
As a slick ball handler with a quick release, he is best suited to play in a wide-open offensive scheme that leverages his dual-threat talents through RPOs and timely deep balls. With some teams hesitant to gamble on an undersized quarterback regardless of talent, Chambliss is one of the biggest wild cards of the 2027 class.
Current pro comp: Kyler Murray
4. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
The one-year starter has captivated scouts seeking a “winner” with the tools to thrive at the next level. Despite entering 2026 with only 293 pass attempts, the grandson of former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr is a tough-minded competitor with the discipline and patience to win games utilizing a conservative approach from the pocket. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder rarely puts the ball in harm’s way, opting for checkdowns and underneath routes when the defense plays “umbrella” coverage designed to take away the deep ball.
That said, Carr is not afraid to take his chances down the field on “alley-oop” tosses to big-bodied receivers and tight ends near the boundary. The clever game of chess played by the redshirt sophomore reflects his maturity and suggests he is built to play winning football for a top team as a pro.
Current pro comp: Bo Nix
3. Arch Manning, Texas
The ultra-talented passer has a chance to jump into the family business as the next Manning to emerge as a franchise quarterback. At 6-4, 219 pounds, he oozes blue-chip “drip” as a mobile playmaker with a knack for producing “wow” plays inside and outside the pocket. Manning’s combination of athleticism and arm talent is better than the tools his famous uncles (Peyton and Eli) brought to the field, but he lacks the experience to dominate the game with his intelligence and diagnostic skills.
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However, another season at Texas under the direction of a quarterback guru who knows how to showcase an athletic drop-back passer could lead to significant improvement in his production and performance this fall. Given his combination of talent, tools, and technique, Manning could shoot to the top of the charts by the end of the 2027 draft process with a strong showing as a two-year starter.
Current pro comp: Joe Burrow
2. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
The 6-foot-1, 208-pounder is a masterful “grip it and rip it” passer with the touch, timing and anticipation to shred defenses with a flurry of pinpoint passes thrown at intermediate range. While skeptics will question Sayin’s arm strength compared to his peers, the Ohio State standout deftly attacks every area of the field with layered throws over the top of squatting defenders aggressively “playing at the sticks” on critical downs. With the junior showing impressive processing quickness and sound judgment as a pass-first point guard, teams willing to take a technician over a superior talent will view Sayin as a system player with franchise potential.
Current pro comp: Baker Mayfield
Does Julian Sayin have the physical tools to be a top pick in the NFL draft? (Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
1. Dante Moore, Oregon
As a pure thrower with outstanding footwork and mechanics, Moore looks like a seasoned veteran directing an offense that is loaded with playmakers. Although his critics have been picking apart his game after a disappointing finish in the College Football Playoff, the 6-foot-3, 206-pounder is a polished pocket passer and a sneaky dual-threat playmaker who can operate within or outside the system. Given his tools, toughness and deadly accuracy, Moore possesses the traits executives and scouts look for in a franchise QB1.
As a patient player who will take the checkdown and underneath throws when opponents sit in a soft zone, Moore keeps the offense on schedule with a patient approach that tests the discipline of opposing defenses. Now he just needs to demonstrate as much against top competition.
Current pro comp: Jordan Love
