Mel Kiper Jr. already has his early read on the 2027 NFL draft quarterback class, and the list leans heavily on proven starters who have already handled pressure in major college spots.
On ESPN’s “First Draft” with Field Yates, Kiper unveiled his top five quarterback prospects heading into the 2026 season. Four of the five are returning starters, while the lone transfer quarterback comes in at the bottom of the rankings.
At No. 5 is Drew Mestemaker, who just finished his first and only full season as North Texas’ starter by piling up an FBS-best 4,379 passing yards with 34 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He’s also one of the major pieces Eric Morris is taking with him from the Mean Green to Oklahoma State, where the offense now faces a much bigger leap from the American Conference to the Big 12. That transition could end up being a defining part of Mestemaker’s 2027 draft case.
No. 4 belongs to Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who made the jump from Division II Ferris State to SEC football and didn’t blink. The 6-foot, 200-pound passer threw for 3,937 yards, 22 touchdowns and three interceptions while adding 527 rushing yards and eight scores on the ground. He’ll have to work with a new cast at wide receiver and offensive tackle, though age may be the bigger question for NFL teams, since Chambliss is entering his sixth season of college football.
Kiper placed Notre Dame’s CJ Carr at No. 3.
Carr won a tight battle with current Kentucky starter Kenny Minchey to earn the Irish job in 2025, and his first two starts were losses to College Football Playoff teams Miami and Texas A&M. Even so, he posted 514 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in those games, then helped Notre Dame win its final 10 games.
The Irish have another favorable schedule in 2026, but their biggest tests - BYU and Miami - come later in the season, which should give Carr more time to settle in before the toughest stretch.
Arch Manning comes in at No. 2 after surviving the rough early stretch of Texas’ 2025 season. The Longhorns closed by winning seven of their final eight, with ranked wins over Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Michigan.
Manning finished with 3,163 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions, plus 399 rushing yards and 10 more scores. Texas also worked to upgrade the support around him this offseason through the transfer portal, adding help at running back, wide receiver and along the offensive line.
At No. 1 is Oregon’s Dante Moore, who was projected to go second overall to the New York Jets in the 2026 NFL draft before choosing to stay in Eugene in January. Moore spent most of the 2023 season starting at UCLA before using his redshirt after transferring to Oregon, then delivered 3,565 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while leading the Ducks to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season. Oregon should again give him plenty to work with in 2026, including one of the nation’s strongest receiving groups and a backfield that brings back Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill, both of whom topped 600 rushing yards last year.
In Other News...
Herbstreit Just Raised The Stakes Around LSU And Ole Miss
Kirk Herbstreits latest praise for Trinidad Chambliss only adds to the sense that Ole Miss may have found another quarterback capable of driving a serious run in 2025. Herbstreit pointed to Chambliss breakout season in Oxford and the way he handled both the passing game and the ground attack, the kind of dual-threat profile that tends to keep defenses off balance and gives a team real staying power over a long fall.
For Ole Miss, the bigger picture is what that kind of quarterback play could mean in the playoff race, especially with expectations already building around a return to the College Football Playoff. Herbstreit also noted the lane connecting Ole Miss and LSU through Lane Kiffin, which keeps the SEC backdrop interesting even when the focus is on one quarterbacks rise and the ripple effects it could have on the teams chasing the same standard. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Fall Camp Is Putting Two Key Position Battles In Focus
Ole Miss has opened its 2026 fall camp, and the first real evaluations are already underway as the staff sorts through a handful of important jobs. For a roster trying to sharpen its depth before the season, the early days of camp are especially revealing, because a few players are getting the kind of reps that can change their standing quickly.
Among the names drawing attention are transfer Horatio Fields Jr., Oregon transfer Blake Purchase and freshman Caleb Cunningham, each of whom has a real chance to carve out a meaningful role if their camp progress continues. Fields and Purchase both arrive with different backgrounds but the same opportunity in front of them, while Cunningham is trying to turn his first camp into something more than just an introduction. For now, the battles remain open, and the biggest question is which of these players can separate himself before the staff has to start making harder choices. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Enters Camp With One Big Question Around Trinidad Chambliss
Trinidad Chambliss comes back for Ole Miss with the kind of recognition that usually brings even more scrutiny, and he is not the only familiar name lining up for 2026. Kewan Lacy also returns, giving the Rebels a backfield anchor as preseason watch lists start to shape the early national conversation and the team moves toward camp looking for a strong reset after offseason turnover.
The bigger issue is how smoothly everything fits around those proven pieces. Ole Miss has a new permanent offensive coordinator in John David Baker, and the staff has spent the portal season rebuilding at receiver after departures to the NFL, so the offense will spend August trying to turn continuity at quarterback and running back into stability everywhere else. For a team with real expectations, the unanswered question is whether the pieces around Chambliss can be put together quickly enough to keep the Rebels moving forward. [Read more 🡒]