The volatility and unpredictability of the 2025 school soccer season has rippled by way of the group of draft-eligible quarterbacks.
ESPN repolled 25 NFL scouts and executives about who would be the first quarterback taken within the 2026 NFL draft, with the outcomes drastically completely different from six weeks in the past.
Within the newest ballot, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza was the highest vote-getter with 13 votes, placing him forward of Oregon’s Dante Moore (6) and Alabama’s Ty Simpson (3). Notably, none of these quarterbacks obtained a vote within the first ballot, and all have eligibility remaining.
The opposite three quarterbacks receiving votes have been Oklahoma’s John Mateer (1), Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby (1) and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers (1). Solely Sellers and Mateer had votes within the first ballot.
“It isn’t a stellar class,” one scout advised ESPN. “In the event you add the maybes [who have eligibility and could leave school], now it will get fascinating. The highest is healthier than final 12 months’s class, for positive.”
The highest of this 12 months’s crop has flipped from Sept. 20, when seven completely different quarterbacks obtained votes, with Sellers (8) edging out LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier (7). Each gamers and their groups have struggled this season. Others receiving votes within the first QB1 ballot have been Miami’s Carson Beck (3), Mateer (3), Penn State’s Drew Allar (2), Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt (1) and Texas’ Arch Manning (1).
The sentiment relating to the category has soured a bit because the preliminary polling. Together with the dip in play from Sellers and Nussmeier, Allar suffered a season-ending harm and Manning hasn’t resembled something near what his household and recruiting pedigrees projected.
Whereas Mendoza is the highest vote-getter, he has but to ascertain himself as a no brainer No. 1 total decide. He’s trending that means, however there may be not but conviction behind these projections.
Mendoza transferred from Cal and has taken a leap underneath coach Curt Cignetti and the tutelage of offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer. His completion share is 72.3%, up from 68.7%, and he has thrown 25 touchdowns, 9 greater than final season at Cal. He has additionally rushed for 4 touchdowns and is averaging 9.5 yards per try, up from 7.8.
What do scouts like? They begin with the fundamentals of him being 6-foot-5 and 225 kilos. He idolizes Tom Brady, which is considered as a powerful North Star for a prospect.
“He has ‘wow’ throws and playmaking passer potential,” one scout advised ESPN. “He can anticipate post-snap.”
Added one other: “He is decisive, and he sees all the things effectively. He is obtained accuracy down the sector and may be very powerful within the pocket.”
There was a play in opposition to Iowa the place Mendoza hung within the pocket and obtained decked by a Hawkeyes linebacker whereas delivering an ideal ball to a receiver in tight protection.
Moore’s emergence has been sudden. He has began 13 video games, together with 5 at UCLA in 2023 earlier than backing up Dillon Gabriel at Oregon final season. A redshirt sophomore who entered school as ESPN’s No. 2 total participant, Moore is 6-3 and 206 kilos. He tried simply eight passes final season however has maximized his beginning position in 2025, with 19 touchdowns, a 71.4% completion share and 1,772 passing yards.
Simpson did not begin a sport till this season, which has led to hypothesis in NFL circles that he’ll return to varsity. (Quarterbacks with underneath 25 begins do not have a constant observe report of NFL success.) Simpson has soared onto radars with 20 touchdowns and only one interception. He has accomplished 67.8% of his passes and thrown for two,184 yards.
Sorsby may be the largest shock. Whereas he struggled in high-wattage spots in opposition to Nebraska and Utah, he has clearly progressed.
One scout summed him up this fashion: “He is huge, powerful, athletic and sensible. He is a pacesetter and may make off-schedule performs and alter arm angles. He is obtained the ‘It.’ I feel he is very gifted.”