News Article
Published
Oct 15, 2026 at 10:52 PM EDT
The college football season began with as many as seven quarterbacks having the possibility of going in the first round of the 2027 NFL draft.
Texas’ Arch Manning, Oregon’s Dante Moore, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, Miami’s Darian Mensah, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers were all projected as Round 1 picks (especially with the number of QB-needy teams expected to be drafting next year).
However, five games into the season, there are serious questions about at least four of those signal-callers.
How drastically has the 2027 draft’s QB landscape shifted one-third of the way through the college football season? Well, the top-ranked passer on ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper’s big board is someone who was considered a borderline first-rounder a little over a month ago: Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker.
In fact, Kiper has Mestemaker ranked as the No. 2 overall player in the 2027 draft class.
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“Mestemaker didn't even start at quarterback for his high school team; he was the punter, played some safety and was the backup QB,” Kiper wrote. “Then he walked on at North Texas in 2024 as a QB before becoming the starter in 2025. After throwing for more than 4,000 yards, Mestemaker transferred with coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State. It's an incredible story.
“His toolbox is also pretty incredible. I love the way he scans the field and bides his time in the pocket. Mestemaker has the big arm to make all of the throws, with 30 completions going for 20-plus yards this season (third in the FBS). But he also has the mobility to pick up nice chunks of yardage on the ground.
“Mestemaker shows linebacker-esque toughness and plays with a competitive edge. He doesn't turn 21 years old until January, and he has just 20 career starts to his name. So, there's a lot of untapped potential.”
Kiper’s top five QB prospects in the 2027 draft are listed below.
- Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
- Darian Mensah, Miami
- Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
- CJ Carr, Notre Dame
- Austin Simmons, Missouri