The 2025 NFL draft is over, and we’re on to the next. The 2026 draft class has some exciting prospects. And the quarterback position should have a bounce-back year, with more first-round signal-callers expected. Much like the 2025 group, the defensive line class is very strong, too.

Who are the top QBs to know ahead of the season? Who are the early sleepers? Which teams and prospects will be the most fun to watch in the 2025 college football season? NFL draft analysts Matt Miller and Field Yates were joined by college football reporter Adam Rittenberg to answer seven big questions about the 2026 draft — 12 months out.

For more on next year’s class and its projected top picks, check out Jordan Reid’s way-too-early mock draft of Round 1. But here’s an introduction to the best players to know for the 2026 draft, which will take place in Pittsburgh.

Jump to:
Top QBs | Top non-QBs | Sleepers
Early strength | Comparing to 2025
Sneaky CFB team | Best tape to watch

Who are the top quarterbacks in the 2026 class?

Matt Miller: Next year’s class doesn’t feature a clear QB1 heading into the season, but there is a strong group of passers vying for that spot. Clemson’s Cade Klubnik received plenty of praise after a strong 2024 season. Joining him will be Garrett Nussmeier (LSU) and Drew Allar (Penn State) as well-known prospects. Scouts are also buzzing about Sawyer Robertson (Baylor) and LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina) as high-upside prospects to watch.

Field Yates: This list always looks longer at this time of the year compared to how it will look when we get to draft day in April. But I’ll offer up Nussmeier as the key name to know. I believe he has the trajectory to be a first-round pick, and he’s the one I’ve studied the most so far (he was eligible for the 2025 draft but elected for one more season). Nussmeier throws with excellent accuracy, touch and anticipation. He is a sufficient mover and operates well in the pocket. Nussmeier threw for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns last season.

Adam Rittenberg: Other than Allar — who has all the desired NFL quarterback traits but lacks big-game success — the conversation starts in the SEC. Nussmeier will finish 2025 with vast experience in the same program. Sellers will also be a multiyear SEC starter who could see his stock rise. The one we haven’t mentioned is Texas’ Arch Manning, who will be under the brightest of spotlights given his family ties and where he plays. But will Manning enter the 2026 draft? He has only two starts under his belt.

One quarterback outside the SEC and Big Ten who really intrigues me is Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt. Coach Kenny Dillingham thinks he has high potential.

Which prospects could end up being the top non-QB in the class?

Miller: Ohio State’s Caleb Downs will begin the 2025 season as my top overall prospect, even though safety isn’t a premium position in terms of value. No one can top Downs — he is the best player in college football and the most exciting prospect. I see explosiveness and versatility on the tape. I’m also excited to see what Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa does in his junior season. He has the look of a standout prospect.

Yates: Whether he winds up being drafted high remains to be seen, but I agree with Matt on Downs. He was the most talented player on the Buckeyes’ defense last season, blending exceptional movement traits in space, deep-range cover ability and serious power to be a disruptive force against the run. Over two seasons, Downs already has 30 starts, four interceptions and 184 tackles.

Rittenberg: Clemson’s defense should bounce back, possibly again reaching elite levels under new coordinator Tom Allen. He inherits talented linemen Peter Woods and T.J. Parker, who will enter the 2025 season as projected high first-round picks. Woods, a powerful defensive tackle, has slimmed down considerably during the offseason. His sack numbers should rise under Allen, who helped Penn State’s Abdul Carter become the 2025 No. 3 pick. And Parker had 11.5 sacks and a program-record six forced fumbles last season. He should be one of the top pass rushers on draft boards.

Who are some early draft sleeper picks who could rise this season?

Miller: I’m watching the transfer portal for potential impact players, and one that caught my eye in the winter window is new Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman. He was brilliant at Purdue the past two seasons, with 174 tackles and six interceptions. Thieneman won’t reach top safety status thanks to Downs also being in the class, but he’s an under-the-radar transfer to watch.

Yates: I did a good amount of work on Tacario Davis last season, though the lengthy corner decided to transfer from Arizona to Washington — reuniting with coach Jedd Fisch — instead of declaring for the NFL draft. At one point, I had a second-round grade on him. Davis’ size (6-foot-4, 190 pounds) and ball skills give him a chance to break through next season. He has 19 pass breakups over the past two seasons.

Rittenberg: I’ll choose a different former Purdue player than Matt did. New Ohio State tight end Max Klare might not qualify as a sleeper since he’s playing for the defending champs in 2025, but Klare generated a lot of positive feedback from coaches I talked to this offseason. He had impressive numbers — 51 receptions, 685 yards and four touchdowns — in a struggling Boilermakers offense last season. Being at Ohio State should help him develop into an even stronger prospect.

What is the early strength of the class?

Miller: Much like the 2025 class, next year’s group is very strong along the defensive line. Clemson’s stars Woods and Parker could be the best players at their respective positions and get selected in the top-five picks. They join Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami), Keldric Faulk (Auburn), LT Overton (Alabama), Matayo Uiagalelei (Oregon), Patrick Payton (LSU), David Bailey (Texas Tech) and Tim Keenan III (Alabama) as defensive linemen on my preliminary top-32 watch list.

How does the 2025 class compare to the 2024 group?

Yates: The most obvious difference is the potential of the QB class. We can dive deep into any draft, but ultimately the number of quarterbacks who will get drafted early will play a major roll in the way the class is viewed as a whole. It’s too early to predict the exact number of who will have first-round grades, but this class will certainly offer more options than 2025. I had only one player with such a grade (Cam Ward).

play

Lang lists the top returning SEC QBs to keep an eye on

SEC Now’s Alyssa Lang goes over which quarterbacks appear to be poised for a big year heading into the 2025-26 season.

What is a sneaky college team to watch for 2026 prospects?

Rittenberg: Illinois had only one player drafted this year — wide receiver Pat Bryant (pick No. 74 to the Broncos) — but that number should rise next April. The Illini retained several players with draftable grades from their 10-win team last season, including outside linebacker Gabe Jacas. He could be a first-round selection in 2026.

Illinois has produced high draft picks from the secondary in the past and returns cornerback Xavier Scott, a first-team All-Big Ten selection. Left tackle J.C. Davis will be an intriguing prospect with a lot of experience, and quarterback Luke Altmyer should help his chances after a third season as the Illini starter. Others to watch here include: right tackle Melvin Priestly, defensive tackle James Thompson Jr. (a Wisconsin transfer), safety Miles Scott and possibly tight end Tanner Arkin.

Which prospect’s tape are you excited to watch when you start setting your preseason board?

Miller: During the evaluation process each year, I make notes about prospects who aren’t yet eligible but pop on tape. Utah offensive tackles Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu are the first non-quarterbacks I’ll be diving in on. Fano has been excellent for the Utes in both tackle spots, but he probably projects as a center due to his lack of size (6-foot-5, 304 pounds). Lomu is one to watch as an ascending left tackle as a redshirt sophomore.

Yates: Like Matt, I filter ineligible draft prospects into a corner and make notes on them. I tested that strategy on Auburn’s Keldric Faulk. The long, explosive edge rusher broke out in 2024 with seven sacks and jumped out when I was studying other Auburn prospects for the 2025 draft, including linebacker Eugene Asante. Faulk will be a true junior next season. I look forward to watching him more.