There’s always one quarterback who comes out of nowhere and forces his way into the national conversation. Fernando Mendoza was that guy in 2025, a name far more casual fans learned on the fly than had circled in advance. And if this season follows the same kind of script, there are plenty of quarterbacks lurking well outside the spotlight who could be next.
The usual headliners are already getting the attention: Arch Manning, Dante Moore, CJ Carr, Julian Sayin, Trinidad Chambliss and Darian Mensah. But quarterback seasons have a way of rewriting the board fast.
Someone outside that group is going to crash the Heisman race or the first-round debate, maybe both. The trick is spotting who has the traits to make the leap.
Jaden Craig at TCU is one of the cleaner bets. The Harvard transfer brings an FCS-to-Power Four jump that looks steep on paper, but Trinidad Chambliss just showed that kind of rise is possible after coming from Division II.
Craig’s résumé at Harvard was efficient and controlled: 10 interceptions in 611 pass attempts over two seasons as a starter, plus 2,869 passing yards last season. At 6-3, he already has the frame, and early reports say his arm strength has held up as he adjusts to the Big 12.
He’s also stepping into an offense that has already done real work for Max Duggan and Josh Hoover. If he hits, the NFL Draft talk will follow.
At NC State, CJ Bailey is the kind of quarterback who could take a big step just by smoothing out the rough edges. He had a few ugly outings last season, but the overall arc pointed up after a promising freshman year.
He finished with three straight games of two touchdowns and no interceptions, a strong closing stretch that showed what he can look like when he’s in rhythm. At 6-6, Bailey is one of the tallest quarterbacks in the country, though his slight build could raise questions at the next level.
Still, the upside is obvious if he trims the mistakes.
Drake Lindsey at Minnesota might be the most intriguing long-term name in the group. The Gophers haven’t had a quarterback drafted since 1972, but that could change in 2027.
P.J. Fleck clearly thinks Lindsey is the right guy after he replaced Max Brosmer in 2025 and delivered 18 touchdowns to six interceptions.
The 6-5 Arkansas-born quarterback finished hot, too, completing 66 percent of his passes for eight touchdowns without an interception over his final five starts. He turned 21 just before the season, so there’s a real chance he’s still in college in 2027, and with his size and arm strength, he has the tools to get into the NFL conversation.
DJ Lagway’s story is all about the reset. Not long ago, he looked like a future NFL quarterback.
Then came a rough year at Florida, where he threw 14 interceptions and passed for only 2,264 yards. A move to Baylor gives him a fresh start in a system that should put him in position to throw more and play through mistakes.
He’s just 21, and the conference landscape should give him a little more breathing room. If the talent shows up the way it once did, he could either jump to the NFL or stay put and cash in as a senior in 2027.
Cutter Boley’s numbers at Kentucky don’t tell the whole story. The Wildcats were in a bad spot, and that matters when you’re judging a young quarterback.
Boley still threw 12 interceptions and didn’t pile up much yardage, but he also had strong performances against Tennessee, Florida and Georgia despite the talent gap around him. Now he’s headed to Arizona State, where Kenny Dillingham should give him a much better runway.
It may be too soon to put Boley in NFL draft terms, but the ceiling is there to become what Sam Leavitt was for the Sun Devils and make noise in the Big 12.
Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele is probably already too well known to fit the “underrated” label, but he belongs in this conversation anyway. He’s been mentioned as a possible No. 1 pick or at least a first-rounder in the 2028 NFL Draft, and the freshman season he just put together only added fuel.
Thrown into the starting job in a tough situation at Cal, he dealt with some midseason bumps but still passed for 3,454 yards and showed off the arm talent scouts are already tracking. “JKS” ended the year with back-to-back games of at least 330 yards and didn’t throw an interception in six of his final seven starts.
With Tosh Lupoi taking over as head coach, the breakout many are expecting could arrive soon.
Then there’s Josh Hoover at Indiana, a name that fits the Mendoza blueprint almost too neatly. Indiana didn’t make Mendoza, but Curt Cignetti’s system clearly didn’t hurt him, and Hoover arrives with plenty of familiarity with the style of offense Mike Shanahan runs.
He’s got nearly three seasons of starting experience from his time at TCU, and the production could get loud in Bloomington. Turnovers remain the obvious thing to clean up, and his age works against him a bit since he turns 24 next June.
Even so, after Mendoza and Kurtis Rourke both delivered breakthrough years there, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if Hoover puts up huge numbers too.
In Other News...
Florida State May Have Found Its Next Difference Maker At Running Back
Week 0 brought a few early-season statement performances across college football, and one of the more encouraging ones for Florida State came from its backfield. The Seminoles got a strong opening punch from a sophomore running back who led the team with 115 yards and a touchdown, giving the offense a useful jolt as the 2026 season got underway.
For TCU fans, the bigger takeaway was the kind of company that performance kept. A junior Horned Frogs running back was among the other standouts in the opening weekend, piling up 142 yards in his own season opener and showing the sort of burst that can change a game quickly. With several backs making noise and a dual-threat quarterback at Virginia also turning in career-best numbers, the first weekend already offered a reminder that early September can help identify who might become a real difference maker before conference play even settles in. [Read more 🡒]
TCU May Have The Same Receiver Problem Again This Week
Jordan Dwyers status looms over TCU again this week after the senior receiver did not play in the loss to North Carolina and is listed as questionable for the matchup with Grambling State. Dykes acknowledged that Dwyers absence affected the offense, and the Horned Frogs were left sorting through their passing-game options after the opener in Dublin, Ireland.
The encouraging part for TCU is that the staff has already started getting a look at the younger receivers, with Jacobe Hayes among the names in the mix. Still, Dwyer was suited up against North Carolina before ultimately never seeing the field, which leaves the Horned Frogs waiting to see whether a key veteran returns or whether the offense has to keep adjusting on the fly. [Read more 🡒]
Sonny Dykes Faces Pressure On Two Fronts During TCU Bye Week
Following TCUs loss to North Carolina, Sonny Dykes, KaMorreun Pimpton and Max Carroll spent part of the bye-week reset fielding questions about where the Horned Frogs stand and where they need to go next. Dykes discussed the game itself, player performances, position battles and the recovery work ahead, trying to put the loss in the broader context of a team still searching for steadier footing.
The conversation also carried an off-field layer that Dykes could not fully address. A TCU spokesperson said he was not able to comment on Jacob Fields dismissal or the related investigation because it is still ongoing, leaving another matter hanging over a program already trying to regroup during the break. [Read more 🡒]