Way too early look at the 2026 QB class

Drew Allar
Sam Leavitt
Cade Klubnik
LaNorris Sellers
Avery Johnson
Nico Lamaleava
Garrett Nussmeier

 

I like this guy he has good size and is a good runner, he's the reason Will Howard transferred from Kansas State.

 

Nico is dead to me. Nussmeier and Sellers are at the top of the watch list for me.

DJ Lagway won't be 3 years removed from HS for 2026 draft but I expect a big year for him. The guy to watch for 2027.

 

They have 5 QBs in that 1st round mock. All but 1 are underclassmen and will likely stay in school.

 

There are some decent names on that list, but I don't know how great of a class it will be. Leavitt is an underclassman (as is Manning) and there is no guarantee those guys are coming out. Klubnik looks okay, but I am not sure how much better he is that someone like Dart or Sanders as a player. Don't know a ton about Sellers. Iamaleava is a bit of a question mark. Nussmeier looks decent. Allar has the size and arm, but needs a lot of development as a passer.

I think Manning is the clear #1, and Allar's size/arm/athleticism gives him the edge at #2. From there, its anyone's game. Iamaleava is pretty similar style to Kaepernick (maybe he develops as a passer where Collin couldn't). Leavitt and Nuss are intriguing prospects that could be up there based on a quality year this year. Lots can change between now and then.

 

They actually have 6 in the mock, but it got cut off they had Drew Allar to the Steelers at #14.

 

Carson Beck
Arch Manning?
John Mateer
Fernando Mendoza

 

Possible but I heard the same thing about Eli Manning before he won a Super Bowl in 2007 so who know

 

I wondered what happened to the 6 teams missing on the list.

 

I posted this in another thread earlier.:


There's always QB's that come, seemingly, out of nowhere as well. Like John Mateer at Oklahoma maybe. Or possibly Altmyer from Illinois, or Robertson from Baylor. These are just a few guys that are not in the usual conversation like Nuss, Arch, Nico, Sellers, Klubnik, Allar, Beck, Leavitt.

There's 11 names right there that will be eligible and show a lot of promise. Of course not all will declare. At this age these guys can take huge leaps in one year as a starter. You just never know. Burrow is a classic example.

 

I am going to try and watch Leavitt, living in W.PA it maybe difficult. As others have posted with the current state of NIL, some of these QB's may just stay in school and collect the NIL money.

 

Luke Altmyer started out at Ole Miss. He was originally the heir apparent to Corral but transferred to Illinois when he lost the starting job to Dart.

 

Great athlete, really good runner, big arm. Still needs to develop his accuracy (leaves a bit to be desired right now), but he's still very young.

 

Ferando Mendoza is my sleeper pick for the Steelers personally. I have all but conceded the likes of Drew Allar (for now) as I don't see Arch declaring for 2026 unless he tears the CFB a new one the likes of which have not been seen since Joe Burrow. Mendoza has it all; size, arm strength, mobility and poise.


He just needs to put it all together at Indiana. If he can, he is a First Round option that I would pound the table for.

 

Nico pissed me off as well. That said, I personally don't expect him to declare for 2026 anyways unless he has a season for the ages. Super talented while being blessed with super athleticism but super raw as well. Gonna need another season to get that all down; assuming things work out well in 2025 to begin with.


Other than Fernando Mendoza, I also hold LeNorris Sellers in high regard. My biggest reason why I am not including him is that he, along with Nyck Harbor, will both be Top 10 selections in 2026. Sellers began figuring it out at the midway point this past season.


This season is the year he will put it together for certain. He and Harbor are gonna tear the SEC a new one.