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Mel Kiper ranks top five NFL Draft QB prospects

Danby: Daniel Hager3 hours agoDanielHagerOn3
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Mel Kiper Jr, NFL Draft - © Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Through three weeks of the NFL season, the quarterback position has emerged as a position of need for a few organizations.

This includes the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans. Through four weeks of the college football season, NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. rattled off his top five quarterback prospects for the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

The full list is below, led by South Carolina standout quarterback LaNorris Sellers.

1. LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina)

South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers hasn’t quite lived up to the hype expected of him so far this season, but he still ranks as Kiper’s No. 1 QB prospect in the upcoming NFL Draft. Through four games this season, Sellers has led the Gamecocks to a 2-2 record with 733 passing yards (64.4 CMP%), four touchdowns and one interception.

Sellers suffered a concussion in Carolina’s 31-7 loss to Vanderbilt but bounced back in a strong way against Missouri, passing for a season-high 302 yards and two touchdowns. He will look to prevent an 0-3 start to SEC play (for the first time since 2021) this weekend against Kentucky. Last season, Sellers passed for 166 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-6 win over the ‘Cats.

2. John Mateer (Oklahoma)

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) throws a pass during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Auburn Tigers at Gaylord Family Ð Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday,Sept. 20, 2025. Oklahoma won 24-17 | © BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The John Mateer train was absolutely rolling, as Oklahoma opened the season 4-0 and Mateer climbed to the top of the Heisman Trophy rankings. Disaster however struck in the Sooners’ 24-17 win over Auburn, as Mateer suffered a hand injury and is set to undergo surgery which will keep him out 3-4 weeks according to multiple reports.

Through four weeks, Mateer boasts 1,215 passing yards (7th most in NCAA), six touchdowns and three interceptions. On the ground, he’s rushed for 190 yards and five more scores. OU coach Brent Venables said the expectation is he can return at some point this year.

3. Drew Allar (Penn State)

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, against weak competition, has had a bit of a rough start to the season. Through three games (Nevada, FIU and Villanova), Allar boasts just 626 passing yards (209 per game), four touchdowns and one interception. Although he hasn’t been great, he hasn’t really had to be yet. That however will change this weekend when the Nittany Lions host Oregon.

Against the Ducks last season, Allar passed for 226 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in a 45-37 loss. He also rushed for 54 yards and another score. This game will be a massive make or break moment for Penn State, and very well could be for Allar and James Franklin as well.

4. Garrett Nussmeier (LSU)

LSU‘s Garrett Nussmeier is just another strong arm still heating up this season. After recording eight 300-plus yard passing games last season, Nussmeier has yet to hit that number in a game this year. His best performance of the season came in the Tigers’ 56-10 win over SE Louisiana, in which he passed for 273 yards and three touchdowns.

Brian Kelly and the team will certainly need strong play from Nussmeier starting now, as four of LSU‘s next five games are against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 Rankings. Nussmeier is the son of Doug Nussmeier, who is currently the offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints. After starting the season 0-3, the Saints could potentially have the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft.

5. Fernando Mendoza (Indiana)

Sep 20, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Elijah Sarratt (13) and IIndiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) celebrate after a touchdown during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Fernando Mendoza has been one of, if not THE, most impactful transfers in all of college football this season. After leading the Hoosiers to a 3-0 record against weak competition, Mendoza passed for 267 yards and five touchdowns in a 63-10 drumming of No. 9 Illinois. The Cal transfer currently leads all of college football with his 14 passing scores and has totaled at least four passing touchdowns in three consecutive games.

Following the win over Illinois, Mendoza skyrocketed to the top of the Heisman Trophy rankings. His Hoosiers are currently ranked No. 11 in the country and could rise even higher with monster matchups against Iowa and Oregon looming on the horizon. Curt Cignetti hit big on a transfer arm last season with Ohio’s Kurtis Rourke, and has seemed to found another diamond this season.