The Pittsburgh Steelers made a wise decision to avoid reaching on a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft , choosing to fortify the roster in other key areas. With the organization starving for long-awaited postseason success and without a viable long-term option on the roster, they figure to be major players in the arms race next offseason. Luckily for the Steelers, this next crop of passers in the 2026 NFL Draft offers more optimism than its predecessor, specifically as it relates to both traits and theoretical upside.
Over the last month, I've spent a significant amount of time combing through the top draft-eligible prospects, gathering my thoughts, and coming up with a preliminary ranking list based on the guys that intrigue me the most as future NFL starters.
Notably absent in this exercise is Arch Manning from Texas . Why? Because for as tantalizing as his 108 career dropbacks have been, the sample size is still far too small to appropriately gauge, and by all accounts, he's not planning on leaving Austin anytime soon. Six months from now, this list will almost assuredly look different as certain players rise, others fall, and unexpected newcomers burst onto the scene. Think of this more as a watch list, as these are my top five quarterbacks entering the 2026 college football season. Without further ado, here we go!
Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Kyle Louis hits Cal quarterback Francisco Mendoza on Oct. 12, 2024. — David Hague/PSN
Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
After two solid seasons on the west coast, the Cal transfer is heading east this upcoming fall, and there's a lot to be excited about with his scouting profile. Mendoza has very good size at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds and a real howitzer for an arm. He's capable of driving the football into tight windows, throwing guys open with eye-popping velocity that delivers an audible thud on contact. Beyond the impressive physical attributes, Mendoza is advanced for his age from a mental processing standpoint. He's hyper aware of complex pre-snap defensive looks and is a quick post-snap processor that looks to punish teams for bringing additional rushers to the party.
Mendoza shows the requisite desire to play from within the pocket, operating on time with the ball frequently coming out before the receivers break. He's not just an accurate passer but a precise one, with consistent ball location that stands out on film. My favorite thing about his tape was how often his best reps seemed to come in high-leverage situations such as long down & distance situations. He's certainly comfortable operating in the RPO world and meets the athleticism threshold for the position. There will hopefully be even more dropback opportunities in Curt Cignetti's offense, and with that, he'll need to work diligently to cut down on the sacks. Don't let the box score fool you: this kid is tremendously talented.
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina Athletics
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
When a 19-year-old finishes his first year as a starter with 12 touchdowns in the final four games, including a heroic performance in Death Valley to knock off Clemson, evaluators are smart to take notice. At 6-foot-3, 242 pounds, Because Sellers was under constant siege beyond a porous offensive line that allowed a 42.5% pressure rate, his rare ability to create for himself out of structure was frequently on display. He's incredibly strong, can shake defenders off with ease, and then turn potential sacks into explosive plays down the field. With him under center, the entire quarterback run game catalog is on the table as a play caller, and with him being such a dangerous rushing threat, he lightens the box count with his mere presence.
It's obvious that Sellers has a strong arm, but he's more than just a one-speed thrower and already shows an understanding of how to take some heat off when necessary. He has nearly unlimited range to uncork the ball over safeties' heads down the field, and the early returns on his deep ball were very solid as he consistently gave his guys chances to make plays down the field. Sellers' accuracy doesn't wane when he's moved off platform, and he's extremely comfortable when throwing on the move. The tools are outstanding, but there is still work to be done. He's a see-it, throw-it passer right now, and his overall operation in the pocket needs to be two ticks faster. But if his environment is more stable in 2025, I'm betting a big leap is on the horizon.
Cade Klubnik, Clemson Athletics
Cade Klubnik , Clemson
With a strong 2024 campaign, Klubnik flipped the narrative surrounding his play, from underwhelming 5-star prodigy to morphing into one of the more prolific passers in all of college football. He looked like a completely different player, taking notable jumps from an accuracy and decision-making standpoint. Perhaps the most noticeable improvement was how dangerous he was on second reaction plays, consistently hunting big play opportunities out of structure. His arm elasticity stands out, especially on throws moving to his left. Much of Clemson's aerial attack relies on Klubnik's ability to play point guard due to his plus pre-snap processing and quick decision-making, making him a methodical quick game operator underneath.
In the drop-back game, Klubnik does most of his damage outside the numbers, and there are a good amount of anticipatory throws on out-breakers and stop routes that are both on time and on the money. When he sees press coverage on the outside, his aggressiveness kicks up another notch. Not only is he capable of bucket throws down the sideline, but he also showcases a nice understanding of leverage and frequently throws guys open on back-shoulder fades with pinpoint ball location. A few areas of focus this fall should be minimizing the unnecessary movement in the pocket and continuing to improve as a post-snap processor to cut out some of the blurry decisions. Klubnik shows good command of his unit, and I'm anxious to see if there's more to tap into.
Garrett Nussmeier. Gus Stark / LSU Athletics
Garrett Nussmeier , LSU
It's never easy following in the footsteps of a Heisman Trophy winner but the spotlight certainly didn't look too bright for Nussmeier in 2024. Despite virtually no prior collegiate experience, his unrivaled confidence and surprising polish stood out on film. All of that starts to make more sense once you find out that his father, Doug, is a former quarterback himself and current offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints . Nussmeier plays with clean footwork and a good base, hits receivers in stride to allow them to maximize their yards after catch potential and is extremely aggressive attacking all three levels of the field. There are some truly beautiful throws of him layering the football over linebackers up the seam and over the middle.
There are subtle nuances to his game that I appreciate, like his control of the operation pre-snap, keeping his eyes up versus pressure and finding the checkdown quickly to avoid sacks that often derail drives. Nussmeier is tough as nails and willing to stare in the fire to deliver a tight window throw, too. If you're looking for one performance to sell yourself on his potential, his bowl game versus Baylor was outstanding with NFL-caliber throws littered throughout. His physical tools aren't overwhelming, so he really needs to reign in some of his reckless tendencies as a passer, but that's certainly fixable with more time on task. Year one provided plenty of highs, now it's about finding more consistency.
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar at the 2024 Peach Bowl in Atlanta. — Jordan Lenenberg / Nittany Sports Now
Drew Allar , Penn State
At 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, Allar has the look of a 2000s-era AFC North gunslinger, and he's worked tirelessly on his throwing mechanics in an effort to give him every shot to make it to the next level. He's a soon-to-be three-year starter with a rocket launcher attached to his right shoulder that allows him to fit the ball into the tiniest of crevices. His release has tightened up over time, and that has further increased his margin for error as a passer. These are skills that came in handy for the Nittany Lions offense last season because of an uninspiring receiving corps that struggled to create any sort of separation.
The senior plays in an offense that gives a ton of pre-snap freedom to get them into favorable calls, and he also flashes the ability to get through full-field, pure progression reads. He's not the quickest cat, but his sheer mass and play strength can make it challenging for defenders to get him on the ground. His maddeningly frustrating lower body mechanics derail his accuracy, and he has a tendency to get in his own head, allowing negative plays to stack. After being given more responsibility, Allar took positive strides last season, all while still taking good care of the football. If he can continue on that upward trajectory, his arm talent and experience will warrant higher consideration on this list.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Bell: Ranking Steelers Top QB Options in 2026 NFL Draft
