Story by
Hidden gems: sleeper QBs that could surprise scouts at the NFL Combine
- Story by
- Hidden gems: sleeper QBs that could surprise scouts at the NFL Combine
The NFL Combine invites went out on Wednesday, with 349 players set to converge upon Indianapolis from February 23-March 2 to show franchises why they should be considered as one of the 257 picks slated for the 2026 NFL Draft in April.
At quarterback, Fernando Mendoza is the top prospect in the draft, but players such as Ty Simpson , Trinidad Chambliss , Garrett Nussmeier , and Carson Beck are considered signal-callers who could be selected in the first few rounds.
Advertisement
But a number of quarterbacks are projected anywhere from late Day 3 selections to undrafted free agents, and many will attend the Combine. Here are three of those quarterbacks to keep an eye on, as they could significantly bolster their draft stock in Indianapolis.
Diego Pavia
Pavia has been the darling of college football over the past two years, leading the historically SEC cellar-dwelling Vanderbilt to relevance as he went from an unknown JUCO quarterback to a Heisman finalist.
Pavia passed for 5,832 yards and 49 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions over the past two seasons with the Commodores, and added 1,662 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. With him under center, Vanderbilt went 17-9 with two bowl appearances after winning just nine games in the three seasons prior.
Advertisement
Joe Fagnano
Fagnano spent four years at the FCS level with Maine before transferring to UConn in 2023, where he became one of the most consistent and reliable quarterbacks at the FBS level over the past two seasons without much fanfare or flash.
Fagnano was injured in 2023 and missed most of the season, before starting five games at quarterback in 2024 and 12 games in 2025, going 13-4 as a starter and passing for 5,079 yards and 48 touchdowns while recording just five interceptions. In 2025, he didn't throw an interception until Week 12 and led UConn to a 9-3 record.
Luke Altmyer
Altmyer is the second quarterback on this list to have revived a struggling Power 4 program in recent years, as he took the reins of a typically middling Illinois team and led them to a 19-7 record and two bowl appearances from 2024-2025.
Advertisement
Over those two seasons as the full-time starter, a role he inherited partway through the 2023 season, Altmyer passed for 5,724 yards, 44 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. This past year, he also posted the eighth-lowest off-target throw percentage at the FBS level.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Hidden gems: sleeper QBs that could surprise scouts at the NFL Combine
