Coming into the 2025 college football season, there was a belief that the upcoming quarterback class was loaded with talent. Several of the top QBs have failed to live up to expectations, however. Penn State's Drew Allar , Clemson's Cade Klubnik , LSU's Garrett Nussmeier and others have left a lot to be desired.
CBS' Jonathan Jones reports personnel executives and scouts across the league have not been impressed by the 2026 quarterback draft class so far, with no one yet emerging as a sure-fire top-five selection in April's draft.
One talent evaluator revealed a jarring statement to Jones about the 2026 QB class.
"This quarterback class is a lot of hype without a lot of substance," the evaluator told Jones. "Underwhelming."
Field Yates of ESPN had the Steelers landing LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier at 16th overall in his way-too-early 2026 NFL mock draft.
"This would be the second time in three years we saw six quarterbacks in the top half of Round 1. But hey, there are a lot of QB-needy teams picking early, and there are a lot of really good QB prospects potentially available. And Aaron Rodgers recently said this could be his last NFL season, probably making QB a primary need in Pittsburgh next offseason," Yates wrote.
"Nussmeier — the son of Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier — is like a point guard on the field, playing with elite processing skills and very good accuracy. He lacks dynamic athleticism and has just solid arm strength, but he is still able to deliver the ball on time and to spots where his receivers can create after the catch. Nussmeier — who is dealing with patellar tendinitis — threw for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns last season at LSU.'
Garrett Nussmeier. Gus Stark / LSU Athletics
Todd McShay of The Ringer has Indiana dual-threat Fernando Mendoza landing with the Steelers at 15th overall in his way-too-early 2026 mock draft . Mendoza continues to be mentioned as a rising player in next year's draft .
"Aaron Rodgers is a one-year solution, and sixth-round round pick Will Howard looks more like a good career backup than the quarterback of the future. Mendoza isn't there yet, but I saw a lot of positives — including a snappy release, excellent touch, and a plus arm — in his tape this summer," McShay wrote .
Pittsburgh Steelers assistant general manager Andy Weidl said in August the 2026 QB class is better than the 2025 group.
"It seems to be. Now whether they all come out, we'll find out. We'll do our work. We do every year. We have a great group of scouts," Weidl said on Thursday. "That continuity this year, it's the first time from last year, this year, we've had the same group together. We're expecting big things, we talked about it. It's a great opportunity for our staff to have all these picks and see how this year plays out."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Talent Evaluator Shreds 2026 QB Draft Class: 'Underwhelming'
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