​When considering the 2027 quarterback class, hope remains high. After a 2026 cohort that yielded two first-rounders in Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson, and a 2025 group that produced Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart as first-round or top-tier prospects, the NFL optimism is that the 2027 signal-callers will resemble the 2024 era, which saw three quarterbacks go in the first three picks, six in the top 12, and four legitimate NFL starters in Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and Bo Nix. Even the later-round talents, Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy, haven’t exhausted their NFL possibilities yet.
On paper, the 2027 class looks stacked from a tools-and-potential standpoint. We could see Arch Manning of Texas, Dante Moore of Oregon, Julian Sayin of Ohio State, Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss, LaNorris Sellers of South Carolina, Drew Mestemaker of Oklahoma State, C.J. Carr of Notre Dame, and Brendan Sorsby of Texas Tech all competing for the top of the next year’s quarterback draft boards. Each of them has a plausible path to staking a claim at the top, and there’s always room for a surprise breakout who emerges from relative obscurity to show NFL-caliber potential.
That’s at least eight quarterbacks for NFL teams to evaluate next year. Of course, history shows that not every touted prospect becomes a surefire star once they’re selected; even the most hyped players can struggle when they encounter real competition and plan gaps.
The aim of this series is to assess each notable future prospect by weighing what they’ve already accomplished against what they still need to do to maximize their ceiling. We’ll begin with Arch Manning, the Promised Son who demonstrated meaningful improvement during his first season as an NCAA starter. Manning logged only 103 dropbacks across his first two seasons with Texas, and the start of the 2025 campaign was challenging for him. Through Weeks 1–7, he completed 102 of 163 passes (62.6%) for 1,317 yards (8.1 yards per attempt), with 12 touchdowns, five interceptions, and a passer rating of 99.7. Early in the year there was chatter that head coach Steve Sarkisian might consider benching Manning for his own sake, but Sarkisian refused to waver.
“I don’t know if any college player has gone through what he’s endured before he was fully the starter,” Sarkisian explained. “Part of it is his last name, part of it is our brand. Those two factors became a major storyline before the season, but none of it reflected Arch’s performance. He stayed focused on what he needed to do.” As the season progressed, the improvement became evident. From Week 8 through Texas’ Citrus Bowl win over Michigan, Manning went 146 of 245 through the air (59.6%) for 1,846 yards (7.5 YPA), with 14 touchdowns, two interceptions, and a passer rating that rose significantly, signaling a transition from rough early-season moments to a more confident and efficient passer.