5 Underrated QBs Flying Under the Radar in 2026

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5 Underrated QBs Flying Under the Radar in 2026

Tyler Schuster

Wed, Aug 26, 2026 ·

6 min read

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We've never lived in an age when college quarterbacks are playing at a higher clip. Between specialized training at a young age and offenses designed to maximize the quarterback position, the sport has never seen so many genuinely exciting and productive signal-callers at one time.

If you pay attention to mock NFL Draft boards, this year's quarterback crop feels especially loaded. Players such as Texas' Arch Manning, Oregon's Dante Moore and Notre Dame's CJ Carr all have legitimate preseason claims for being in the Heisman Trophy race at the season's end. Alongside them are Ohio State's Julian Sayin, Miami's Darian Mensah, Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss and Cal's Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele, among others.

While the top of the college football quarterback heap is star-laden and deservedly garners a lot of attention, several other high-quality performers deserve attention and admiration.

Here's a list of five underrated college football quarterbacks leading into the 2026 season.

NC State quarterback CJ Bailey celebrates a touchdown against Memphis in the Gasparilla Bowl at Tampa, Florida, on Dec. 19, 2025.© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

North Carolina State QB CJ Bailey

NC State's CJ Bailey does things on a football field that will make your head spin. He stands at a towering 6-foot-6 and possesses enough arm talent and escapability to get himself out of jams.

According to Hudl IQ , Bailey was highly productive for the Wolfpack last season. He posted positive expected points added (EPA) per play (0.16) and EPA/pass (0.14) figures and notched an impressive 68.4% completion percentage. He was successful on over 47% of his passes and completed more difficult passes at a higher clip than most, finishing with a 5.1% completion percentage over completion (CPOE).

For all the goodwill that Bailey deservedly earned last season, his shortcomings reared their ugly head in the Wolfpack's two biggest games, against Notre Dame and Miami. In those two games, he posted a -18.25 EPA figure and completed just above 50% of his passes. The Wolfpack got smoked in both of those games, as you might imagine.

If Bailey is to take another meaningful step in his development, it starts with playing better against tougher opponents. He'll have chances to do just that this season, with big matchups against Virginia, Louisville and Cal on the schedule.

Auburn QB Byrum Brown

Last season, the 6-3, 235-pound Brown did just about everything you could ask out of a Group of 6 quarterback. He tormented opposing defenses with his arm and legs, notching 3,158 yards and 28 touchdowns through the air, while chipping in another 1,008 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. He was the heart and soul of a USF team that opened 2025 with a romp over Boise State and cruised to a 9-4 record. Now he's got a chance to test his skills at the P4 level after following former Bulls coach Alex Golesh to Auburn.

According to Hudl IQ , Brown finished the 2025 season with positive EPA/play (0.27) and EPA/pass (0.24) figures, and notched an excellent pass explosive percentage of 9.8%. The advanced stats tell the story of a player who was not only ultra-efficient in both parts of his game, but, as a passer, could push the ball down the field effectively.

To put Brown's game into perspective, according to Hudl IQ , Brown has a similar style to that of other former dual-threat star Cole Payton of North Dakota State and former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby. All three quarterbacks exhibited the ability to punish defenses with their arms and legs and were the focal points of their respective offenses.

It should be fascinating to see how Brown adjusts to tougher defenses. If he plays well early, Auburn has a great chance to surprise in a loaded SEC landscape.

Pitt QB Mason Heintschel

Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Mason Heintschel throws a pass against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Atlanta on Nov. 22, 2025.© Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Pitt's Mason Heintschel is a bit of a peculiar player. Last season, he showed flashes of being a productive quarterback. He did a nice job of beating up on below-average teams such as Boston College and Florida State, but he struggled in big games against Notre Dame and Miami.

With Heintschel, it's a bit of what you're willing to look past and what you want to see.

Overall, he had a perfectly solid first campaign as the starter after replacing Eli Holstein early in the season. According to Hudl IQ , Heintschel finished with slightly positive EPA/play (0.02) and EPA/pass (0.01) figures. He completed just shy of 63% of his passes, but had a poor explosive percentage of 3.3%.

When you dive deeper into his game, Heintschel resembled a quarterback who did a nice job of staying on schedule, taking what the defense gives him and attempting not to make back-breaking mistakes. He did not do a very good job of consistently stress-testing defenses.

Heintschel has plenty of enticing tools in his tool belt. And there's palpable buzz out of camp that he looks more confident entering this season.

There's reason for optimism that with better players around him and another year in the system, Heintschel can take another step in his development and be one of the better quarterbacks in the ACC this season.

Texas State QB Brad Jackson

Brad Jackson is a do-it-all type of player for the Bobcats. During the 2025 season, Jackson flashed serious dual-threat abilities. He finished the campaign with 21 passing touchdowns and chipped in 744 yards and 17 scores on the ground.

If you compare Jackson to Brown from USF, Jackson (6-0, 197) is not as physically imposing, but he's a nimble runner and has shades of Baker Mayfield to his game. A year ago, Texas State lost numerous close games – something the Bobcats will surely look to overcome this season in the Pac-12.

Texas State head coach and playcaller GJ Kinne is known for building blistering fast offenses. With Jackson at the helm last season, the Bobcats scored points in bunches and kept opposing defenses on their heels.

If Jackson plays at the same high level again this season, keep an eye on Texas State to impress in the Pac-12.

UTSA QB Owen McCown

Owen McCown had a strong 2025 campaign by most advanced metrics. He finished the season with 2,995 passing yards and tallied 30 touchdown passes to just seven interceptions. In big games against Tulane and East Carolina, he threw for 618 yards and nine touchdowns, leading UTSA to 106 combined points.

McCown, unlike some quarterbacks on this list, is very much a precision instrument. According to Hudl IQ , McCown completed 67.6% of his passes last season and notched an impressive success percentage of 49.8%.

The concern with McCown is not whether he can play. It's whether UTSA can get the most out of him in both home and road games. Last season, the Roadrunners averaged 45.8 points per game at home and 24.2 on the road.

If McCown and UTSA can be more consistent across home-road splits, Jeff Traylor's bunch has as good a chance as any team in the American to make a run at the conference title game.

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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