College football is one of America's most popular sports. However, it is also the development home for the country's most beloved pastime, the NFL. The future stars of the league, especially at quarterback, will be playing on Saturdays this fall. With that in mind, let's take a look at the top 10 NFL QB prospects heading into Week 1 of the 2025 college football season.
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Arch Manning will be leading the Texas Longhorns offense in arguably the biggest game in Week 1 when his team takes on the defending champion Ohio State Buckeyes . Manning is one of the most hyped signal callers in the sport and is already being viewed as the likely No. 1 pick in next year's NFL Draft despite this being his first season as a starter. He is a talented pocket passer like his legendary uncles, Peyton and Eli Manning , but he also has the wheels his Hall of Fame grandfather, Archie Manning, had. He will be one of college football's biggest stories all year.
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Outside of Arch Manning, Garrett Nussmeier is a favorite to go No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. The fifth-year senior took a big leap forward in his first season as the full-time starter in 2024 and is a major reason why the LSU Tigers have playoff hopes this year. While he does not have the prototypical NFL frame, he has great touch, a strong arm, and the grit many gifted QBs lack.
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Cade Klubnik and Clemson have been building to this moment. While he and the program have had some ups and downs the last two years, the third-year starter and the Tigers are viewed as a sleeper in the national title chase. He is also a dark horse to go first in next year's draft. He has a powerful arm with impressive deep ball touch and is a great athlete. This year, he will need to work on his post-snap processing and his frame to boost his chances of being first overall in 2026.
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South Carolina is resting it's playoff hopes on the arm and legs of talented QB LaNorris Sellers again in 2025. The third talent had a strong showing in 2024 and is expected to take a leap forward this year as he looks to increase his value for next year's NFL Draft. He has a very good arm with impressive zip on his throws. However, he is one of the elite running quarterbacks in the sport. This year will be about improving the touch on his deep balls and slowing down his processing to avoid silly turnovers.
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Penn State star Drew Allar passed on entering this year's draft to pursue a national title in State College. And his team is a legit threat to do so because of his talents. He has a classic NFL frame, a big arm, but also good touch that makes him an intriguing prospect at the next level. He also has the ability to extend plays, which is now a necessity for NFL QBs. The better the Nittany Lions are in 2025, the higher his draft stock will rise.
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Various rumors about holding Tennessee up for a pay raise last year have severely damaged Nico Iamaleava 's reputation. However, it didn't stop UCLA from bringing in the talented QB via the transfer portal. He took a big step forward in his second season and led the Volunteers to the CFB playoffs in 2024. He has huge potential due to his big arm and escapability. A huge season could push him near the top of QB projections by the end of the year.
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In pursuit of following up a strong season 2024 with 11 wins, Indiana brought in Cal QB Fernando Mendoza to take over for Kurtis Rourke this year. The Junior is a sleeper for next year's NFL Draft because he is a classic pocket passer with the type of arm that can make all the throws and a legit NFL frame at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds. If he can fix his issues with holding on to the ball to long and avoid too many sacks he could rise up many draft boards this year.
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Arizona State star Sam Leavitt will be aiming to improve his draft stock in a major way during his second season with the Sun Devils . He is a good athlete and ran for over 400 yards in 2024, is a smart player who limits his turnovers and has a knack for playing big in high-pressure moments. He is another player who needs to add a bit of size if he hopes to hold up to the brutality of the NFL.
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Carson Beck is one of the greatest winners in college football history. Few other players in the sport's history can say they have led a program to two Nattys. He returned for his senior year and transferred to Miami to not only cash huge NIL checks but also improve his draft value. He is a super sound QB mechanically, with good touch. However, his inability to make all the throws at a high level is why his draft stock has remained low.
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The Oklahoma Sooners are in line to have a big bounce back season in 2025 due to the talents of transfer John Mateer. He had a break through season for Washington State in 2024 as he threw for over 3,000 yards and ran for over 800 more on the ground. Mateer has sound throwing mechanics and pre-snap reads, but his legs is what makes him one of the top QBs in college football this year. He is shifty and very good at making the most of running lanes for a QB.
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