Quarterbacks are king.
Have a good one? You’re set. Need to find one? Good luck—but you may have hit the jackpot with the 2027 quarterback class.
To a degree, this is a tradition as old as the sport itself. Next year’s quarterback class is always the next best thing, a potential crop of passers unlike any other. The last two years, the classes flopped. Only four total quarterbacks went in the first round in the 2025 and ‘26 drafts.
Perhaps this is Charlie Brown getting ready to kick the football. Or maybe, just maybe, this quarterback class will meet expectations.
There’s certainly plenty of optimism within NFL circles surrounding this group, which features several would’ve-been draft picks in 2026—Dante Moore, Brendan Sorsby, Josh Hoover and others—to go along with promising redshirt sophomores, resurgent redshirt juniors and seniors and, of course, Arch Manning, who somehow fits three of those categories.
So, what will this quarterback class become? Time will tell—but here’s Sports Illustrated’s first look at the top 10 signal callers in the 2027 NFL Draft.
1. Dante Moore, Oregon
Moore was firmly in the 2026 QB1 race before a rough outing against Indiana in the College Football Playoff semifinals and his subsequent return to Oregon. Moore now gets the chance to bolster his resume and pad his number of starts—if he stays healthy, he’ll eclipse 30 in college—before entering the NFL with more seasoning than he otherwise would’ve. The 6' 3", 206-pound Moore checks the size, arm strength and athleticism boxes, and his accuracy is generally above average both in the pocket and on the move. Moore’s best trait may be his poise—he’s a competitor who handled plenty of loud, tough environments as a redshirt sophomore last fall. He’s in line for a big season.
2. Arch Manning, Texas
Manning’s resurrection in the second half last season received plenty of praise, and yet it somehow doesn’t do justice to a redshirt sophomore who faced an abundance of criticism while figuring out life as a starting quarterback in the SEC. Manning, now a redshirt junior, enters this fall with momentum at his back and a real shot at being QB1 in the 2027 draft. He has prototypical size at 6' 4" and 226 pounds, a strong right arm, quality anticipation and impressive field vision—he can throw receivers open and has the confidence to throw to spots, not just bodies. Manning, like Moore, could reach the 30-start mark if Texas makes a run in the College Football Playoff this fall.
3. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
Sellers, unsurprisingly, is the repeat winner of summer scouting’s most physically tantalizing quarterback prospect. At 6' 3" and 240 pounds, Sellers has a huge arm and elite explosiveness. He’s dangerous outside structure and on designed quarterback runs, but questions persist about his ability to execute the offense within structure. South Carolina’s offense let him down last season. Sellers has the tools—arm talent, toughness and playmaking as a runner—to be a top five pick. If he puts it all together in the fall, he’ll validate this ranking.
4. Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
Mestemaker was amongst college football’s most productive quarterbacks last fall as a redshirt freshman at North Texas, leading the FBS with 4,379 passing yards. Now entering his redshirt sophomore campaign in the same offense under coach Eric Morris and in a Power Four conference at Oklahoma State, Mestemaker has the chance to cement himself as an elite quarterback prospect. The 6' 3", 211-pound Mestemaker is adept at pushing the ball downfield, and he pairs a quality arm with tremendous accuracy. He’s an intriguing talent.
5. Brendan Sorsby, Texas Tech
Sorsby is in a world of question marks. He’s under investigation from the NCAA for his betting behavior, and he’s entering a gambling addiction treatment program. Whether he plays this fall—let alone if he’s eligible to play—is firmly up in the air. The NFL’s supplementary draft could, theoretically, be an option, too. But there are a few certainties around Sorsby: he has next-level talent and the tools to be a franchise quarterback. Sorsby has a strong arm, flashes of elite ball placement and layered passes and enough mobility to scramble and shift pockets.
6. Josh Hoover, Indiana
Have you seen Indiana coach Curt Cignetti’s track record of quarterback development? The list extends far beyond Fernando Mendoza. Given Cignetti’s past success with signal callers, it’s fair to think Hoover can be in the Heisman Trophy race, much like Mendoza, and in the first-round conversation, too. Hoover could’ve been a Day 2 pick in 2026 had he entered. At 6' 2" and 200 pounds, Hoover’s passes have plenty of zip and he’s fearless targeting tight windows. He’s battled interception issues, but Hoover has the goods to turn a strong 2025 season into an elite 2026.
7. CJ Carr, Notre Dame
All told, Carr had a splendid redshirt freshman season at Notre Dame. He was efficient, throwing 24 touchdowns to only six interceptions, and carried veteran poise. Carr, at 6' 2" and 215 pounds, has all the physical tools necessary to pair with tremendous mechanics. He can throw from different arm angles while remaining accurate, and he’s an aggressive passer trending in the right direction entering his second year as the starter.
8. Jayden Maiava, USC
Maiava carries a big frame at 6' 4" and 230 pounds, and he produced at a high level last fall, ranking fifth in the FBS and first in the Big Ten with 3,711 passing yards. Maiava has a really strong right arm, and he can access every window and every quadrant on the field. He’ll lose his top two targets from 2025 in first-round receiver Makai Lemon and third-round wideout Ja’Kobi Lane, but Maiava’s blend of size, arm talent and mobility is amongst the best in the country. He could be a Heisman candidate this fall.
9. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Sayin, like many of the big-school quarterbacks before him, will face questions about whether his success is more because of himself or his supporting cast. No matter, he was a Heisman finalist as a redshirt freshman and should be one of the favorites once more in 2026. Though he’s smaller than prototypical size at 6' 1" and 208 pounds, Sayin has a lot of savvy and a natural presence to him. He has thrilling flashes of ball placement, and he’s an underrated athlete with enough movement skills to force opposing defenses to account for him.
10. Sam Leavitt, LSU
Leavitt was QB4 on this list last year as a redshirt sophomore before inconsistency and a late-season injury prompted him to return to college. He then transferred from Arizona State to LSU, where Lane Kiffin has his latest high-level quarterback talent. Leavitt will draw comparisons to Jaxson Dart—maybe it’s the hair, or perhaps it’s the arm talent, easy delivery, pocket mannerisms and moxie. Leavitt can rip passes through tight windows and he creates explosive plays as a result. His processing quickness needs to improve, as does the consistency of his accuracy, but Leavitt has all the tools necessary to be an NFL starter.
More College Football from Sports Illustrated
- The NCAA Lost a Nine-Figure Court Case Over an Ex-SMU Football Player’s Head Injuries
- Way-Too-Early 2026 Heisman Trophy Rankings: Arch Manning Leads Loaded List of Hopefuls
- Ahmad Hudson, Top Tight End and Star Basketball Recruit, Commits to LSU
- Fernando Mendoza Explains Why He Might Not Join Indiana on White House Visit
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2027 NFL Draft Quarterback Rankings: Dante Moore, Arch Manning Contend for QB1 Spot.
