NFL Draft QB Rankings: Austin Simmons, Drew Mestemaker rising

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NFL Draft QB Rankings: Austin Simmons, Drew Mestemaker rising

Troy Finnegan, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Wed, Sep 30, 2026 ·

6 min read

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A month into the college football season, some of the quarterbacks in the 2027 NFL Draft class are finally starting to find a groove, make a name for themselves and rise up draft boards. It just wasn't the quarterbacks you may have expected coming into the year.

While Arch Manning and the Texas offense continue to struggle and Dante Moore recovers from a scary concussion suffered in a win over USC , the others behind them continue to close the gap. Trinidad Chambliss had another strong day in a loss to Florida on Saturday. Drew Mestemaker continues to light it up at Oklahoma State and is becoming a more realistic candidate as a 2027 prospect.

A couple of new names also put themselves on the radar with their performances in Week 4. Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons continues to look like a much more refined product than expected, even in a loss to Mississippi State on Saturday night. Dylan Raiola also was excellent filling in for Moore, and even if he is a likely 2028 prospect, his performance off the bench in Los Angeles was very impressive.

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Who lands where in the latest 2027 NFL Draft QB rankings? Let's get into the list.

1. Arch Manning, Texas

Last week: 1

Look, is it frustrating to see the Texas offense, with Manning, Cam Coleman , Ryan Wingo , Trevor Goosby , Raleek Brown , and others, struggle like this every week? Absolutely. It's maddening that this collection of talent struggles through quarters and halves of games as often as it does, especially when the ceiling looks like the second half of the Ohio State game.

But Manning's tape looks much better than it does watching it live on Saturdays. He can still make all the throws and, despite the inconsistency, continues to show the flashes that NFL teams want to see in a franchise quarterback. If he continues to play at this level, the results will come with more reps just as they did last season.

2. Darian Mensah , Miami (FL)

Last week: 3

Mensah and Miami blew the doors off of Central Michigan in the last of their non-conference cupcake games on Saturday, and now the Canes get into the meat of their schedule where they will really play some better defenses. First up in that slate is Clemson on the road in what will be a hostile Death Valley environment. That will give a much better feel for where Mensah stands in this class.

3. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss

Last week: 4

Chambliss was still dynamic in Week 4 despite a loss to Florida, showing off his big-play ability with his legs while still pushing the ball downfield with his arm. He did that against a talented defense without as much help as usual from the running game with Kewan Lacy sidelined . Ole Miss is off this week, but will be back in a action against Vanderbilt in Week 6.

4. Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State

Last week: 6

Mestemaker is an old fashioned gunslinger, and as a result he is one of the most entertaining players to watch in the country. Sure, that mentality combined with his inexperience leads to some mistakes, and some ugly ones at times, but the overall product has been extremely positive so far in 2026. On Saturday, the North Texas transfer threw for 389 yards and three touchdowns against a sneaky good West Virginia team in Morgantown.

5. Dante Moore , Oregon

Last week: 2

First of all, it's great news that Moore is all good and is only dealing with a concussion after the frightening hit that knocked him out of the USC game on Saturday. But prior to that, some of the same concerning signs were plaguing the projected first-rounder. There has been a general sense of skittishness and erraticism around the way he has played so far this season, and it has made this Oregon offense inconsistent at times. When Moore does make it back, he will have to look more like the 2025 version of himself to get back near the top of these rankings.

6. CJ Carr , Notre Dame

Last week: 4

Carr was solid once again in another uncompetitive game for Notre Dame, but it was good to see him get this offense and this Irish passing game into a nice rhythm against the Boilermakers after a frustrating outing against Michigan State. Week 5 should present a bit of a tougher test when the Irish travel to Chapel Hill to take on Bill Belichick and North Carolina .

7. Austin Simmons, Missouri

Last week: NR

Simmons, who lost his job via injury to Trinidad Chambliss at Ole Miss in 2025, is looking very good as the starter at Missouri so far this year. The lefty has a big arm, is a good athlete and has been surprisingly polished as a pocket passer so far this season. Kamario Taylor got a lot of the attention during Missouri's game against Mississippi State, and rightfully so, but Simmons was more than up to the task. This Tigers offense is a fun watch as a result.

Simmons has another chance to show out on a big stage on Saturday when No. 8 Florida comes to town.

8. Julian Sayin , Ohio State

Last week: 8

If there's anything you can say about Sayin, it's that he knows where his bread is buttered. He found Jeremiah Smith 12 times on Saturday for over 200 yards and four touchdowns in a blowout win over Illinois . It's going to be hard to separate Sayin as a prospect on his own from what he is with Smith, who covers up a lot of deficiencies for any quarterback. He will have a chance to raise his stock on Saturday in a game against one of the best defenses in college football in Iowa .

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9. Jayden Maiava , USC

Last week: 7

Maiava and USC fell to Oregon on Saturday night in a game that many USC fans are hoping spells the end for Lincoln Riley with the Trojans. Maiava was unimpressive for the most part while still putting up decent numbers. However, many evaluators will be waiting for the game where he elevates his offense around him. He will have another chance to do that on Saturday against Washington.

10. CJ Bailey , NC State

Last week: 9

NC State got back in the win column after its disastrous loss to Vanderbilt, taking down Appalachian State 41-31 on Saturday to get back to 2-2. Bailey continues to look solid after his meltdown in the season opener, and his traits will be intriguing for many teams this offseason as the draft process rolls on. Next up is what should be a fun matchup with Louisville , where Bailey and the Wolfpack will have to score a lot of points to keep pace.

Next five: Nico Iamaleava ( UCLA ), Brendan Sorsby , Drake Lindsey ( Minnesota ), LaNorris Sellers ( South Carolina ), Dylan Raiola (Oregon)

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