Heading into week 4 of the college football season, there are many unknowns on who the top quarterback will be in the 2026 NFL draft. Many thought Texas' Arch Manning would jump out as the favorite and take the Heisman race by storm. However, that hasn't happened and left the door wide open.
ESPN polled 25 NFL scouts and executives on who was the top quarterback for the upcoming draft. The responses were all over the board. Seven different quarterbacks came back as the answer for QB1 among the 25 different responses. A majority coming from SEC teams.
"South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers came back as the top vote-getter with 8, edging LSU's Garrett Nussmeier (7). The next crop, in order, are Miami's Carson Beck (3), Oklahoma's John Mateer (3), Penn State's Drew Allar (2), Arizona State's Sam Leavitt (1) and Texas' Arch Manning (1)."
Why is Sellers the early favorite?
"He's got most physical talent," one veteran scout told ESPN. "His ability to scramble and make plays with his feet as a runner. He's instinctive and the ball comes out quick. He's got a unique talent level. The kid, his story and how he got there. He's got a toughness to him. It intrigues people. "He's got the makeup, intangibles and ability to run. He's got the most potential to be an impact player."
Not to say Nussmeier or Beck might surge ahead later in the season, but Sellers is getting recognition. But move forward with caution. ESPN conducted the same poll heading into Week 6 last year. Colorado's Shedeur Sanders led Beck, who was at Georgia, among the 25 scouts/executives. Cam Ward got one vote but came out as the top pick in the draft.
Manning will likely stay at Texas for another year and not come out early. If that's the case, next year's pool will be a six-man race with probably half of those going in the first round.
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