College football is an ever-evolving landscape with large fluctuations in the college talent pool occurring year after year. Powerhouses in college football continue to churn out promising prospects every year. But it is vital to identify players at under-the-radar programs, as well. Another art in prospect evaluation is to appreciate the overrated or underrated prospects within college football. This article is by no means a comprehensive or all-encompassing summary of every prospect for each team. Instead, I hope to provide a wide glimpse into the state of college football and the fantasy prospects that will eventually influence our NFL fantasy teams. First up, Quarterbacks
2026 Prospects
At the quarterback position, there are small sample size standouts amongst the top-end 2026 NFL draft prospects. Fair or unfair, many of these players that have been standing out do not have year-after-year production and extensive college film to back their high-end status with confidence. Fernando Mendoza at Indiana has a strong claim to QB1 status, given his previous production at Cal. But, how much of his breakout season is related to the coaching and system?
Ty Simpson at Alabama has similar concerns, but has also been very successful in his first season as a full-time starter. Both Mendoza’s and Simpson’s tools and leadership have certainly been on display so far as well as they lead their top-5 teams to likely playoff births.
Dante Moore at Oregon is also a potential small sample size trap, and I view much of his success this year as being related to team-based success. They all ooze upside and excitement, but the hope for the state of college football is that this year is not a one-hit-wonder season or a mirage.
Other players in the 2026 class have definite high-end talent like LaNorris Sellers, Arch Manning, Jayden Maiava at USC, and Darian Mensah at Duke. All of these players feature very exciting upside and reason for optimism, but are not perfect prospects either. Sellers is the QB1 in terms of traits, but has been disappointing in the context of his team’s limitations. Arch Manning has just been downright disappointing, massively underperforming his massive expectations.
Maiava has the production, but it comes with competition concerns, as USC hasn’t faced the toughest schedule so far. That’s right, I mentioned Darian Mensah. I am a fan and think he deserves praise and greater public recognition amongst the top quarterbacks in the country. But, he won’t get enough credit for the season he’s having because he’s at Duke and they don’t draw the same level of national attention as the other teams on the list.
Underclassmen
Amongst sophomores, Julian Sayin at Ohio State has functioned at a high level on a dominant team with arguably the best WR duo in the country. Sayin may have some athletic limitations, but it is hard to ignore the proficiency he’s shown in that offense.
CJ Carr at Notre Dame also deserves praise. As a limited rushing QB on a strong run-first offense, it can be difficult to appreciate his upside truly. But Carr has been effective and efficient, so there is promise that he could continue to develop into a high-end quarterback prospect.
Cedrick “CJ” Bailey at NC State could be something with his size and processing. But, he could also be nothing more than a good college QB with just average athleticism and arm strength. Demond Williams at Washington is entertaining, with his dynamism and play-making. But his size limitations mean he has to be Kyler Murray, and please, please be the Kyler Murray who loves the game and not Call of Duty.
There have been freshman flashes with significant unknowns present as well. Bryce Underwood at Michigan, Malik Washington at Maryland, and Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele (let’s use “JKS” from now on) at Cal are excellent examples of flashing promise and upside in small sample sizes, but not being at superstar levels yet. I should shout out more freshmen we really haven’t seen, but it is only a matter of time, given their talent. Husan Longstreet at USC, Keelon Russell at Alabama, Tavien St. Clair at Ohio State, and Deuce Knight at Auburn all deserve some recognition.
Old and Uninspiring
There are the “old” reliable quarterbacks who are mostly not going to be difference-makers in the 2026 NFL draft class. No offense to Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt legend). I had hope for Sawyer Robertson at Baylor, but I am not sure the rise to the first round in the 2026 draft is going to happen for him. I do think Brendan Sorsby at Cincinnati would qualify as one guy who COULD really rise in the draft, who has never garnered the respect he deserves as a prospect. And don’t completely forget about Conner Weigman; we may be seeing a resurgence in his career.
Notable Fallers
There are many names not mentioned above who will play a role in the state of college football. Most are notable fallers in 2025. Carson Beck at Miami is as hot and cold as they come. DJ Lagway at Florida has struggled to take the next step and not throw interceptions. Garrett Nussmeier at LSU has the interception bug, too, and also has impressive immobility.
Cade Klubnik at Clemson might be having the worst season of anyone on this list. John Mateer at Oklahoma has fallen off significantly after a nice start, making him seem like fool’s gold at this point. There is still some promise with Sam Leavitt at Arizona State. And while it may not necessarily be a bad thing, he’s a bit boring as a player.
Hopefully, this is a light, fun look at the state of college football and the quarterback landscape, while still informative and highlighting the key QBs in college right now. Stay tuned for the look into the running back, wide receiver, and tight end landscapes (just kidding about the tight ends, they will just get an honorable mention in the wide receiver piece. Tight ends do matter, some, too).
-Aaron Wilcox
