The 2027 NFL Draft Class is one for the ages. There are talented players at every position that continue to make plays every week that deserved to be talked about.
Unfortunately for those wide receivers, edge rushers, etc., those darn quarterbacks keep stealing the spotlight.
After one quarter of the season under the belt of most teams, there have been a number of QBs that have displayed why they need to be given recognition.
In our Week 1 Draft Report, I mentioned some of the quarterbacks whose names were already pretty well-known among most of draft fans. Today, I’d like to talk about even more QBs that have shown out during the first few weeks of the college football season.
At the risk of leaving even more QBs off the list, let’s take a look at some of the signal-callers making a name for themselves.
Spotlight
During Week 1’s report, I mentioned how Lincoln Kienholz was a QB that had an up-and-down opener, and needed to show some more. Well, he clearly reads this column, and decided to prove what he can do.
In an incredible match between SMU and Louisville, the Cardinals prevailed for a ranked win and a boost in the ACC standings, behind the legs of RB Keyjuan Brown and behind Kienholz’ stellar play.
Kienholz’ yardage total on the season was actually at its lowest in this game (177 passing), but three total touchdowns and limiting mistakes allowed Louisville to consistently move the ball down the field and score.
An interesting trait about Kienholz that may go under the radar is his running ability.
In the prior three seasons, Louisville’s starting QBs have posted the following rushing stats:
Jack Plummer - 98 carries, 34 yards, 1 TD
Tyler Shough - 42 carries, 19 yards, 1 TD
Miller Moss - 54 carries, -65 yards, 9 TDs
Through only three games, Kienholz already has 32 carries for 153 yards and four touchdowns.
It should be noted that sacks are registered as rushing yards in college football, so Kienholz already having more rushing yards than his predecessors is even more impressive.
Again, it’s early. But Kienholz firmly has my attention. It’s going to be hard to dethrone someone with the pedigree of Arch Manning or the pure talent of Drew Mestemaker (if he declares) for the QB1 spot, but Kienholz is certainly on his way to inserting himself into that conversation.
Showstoppers
One of the byproducts of the NIL era and players being granted more and more years of eligibility is the burying of players on depth charts, forcing them to transfer. Lincoln Kienholz is a perfect example of this.
Maybe the poster child of this new landscape is Trinidad Chambliss (who had himself another huge game against LSU), who after taking the starting role last season, has fought for and been granted another year at Ole Miss.
The player he replaced at Ole Miss, Austin Simmons, had to transfer to Missouri to get his chance, and he has not disappointed.
Through three contests, Simmons has accumulated 652 yards and 8 touchdowns, but it isn’t the counting stats that have Simmons on my radar.
Simmons’ traits are incredible, the ball absolutely flies off his hand.
Yes, the competition the Tigers have faced has not been elite, but Simmons has shown the ability to operate his offense and use his arm to access every area of the field. I’d like to see Simmons use his mobility more as a weapon, but he hasn’t really had to so far.
Simmons is still only 20 years old in his third season playing collegiate ball, so his ceiling is still much higher than what he’s already shown. While he could declare for 2027, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him stay and play for the 2028 NFL Draft Class.
Another member of the 2028 Class will be Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor.
Unfortunately, Taylor is still a sophomore, but like with Cal’s JKS, Taylor will be discussed for much of this upcoming draft cycle as someone teams can’t wait for.
Through three games, Taylor has amassed 832 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns, and a rushing score. This past week in Columbia, SC, Taylor absolutely dominated the Gamecocks defense, dissecting the secondary with his arm.
I’d go as far as to say no quarterback has been as impressive as Taylor through the first quarter of the college football season. This week, we’ll get a fun matchup between Taylor and Simmons as the Tigers travel to Starkville for Taylor’s SEC home opener.
After facing (19) Mizzou, Taylor and Bulldogs face quite the gauntlet:
(8) Alabama
(10) LSU
Oklahoma
(1) Texas
Vanderbilt
Auburn
A relief game against Tennessee Tech
(4) Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl
If Taylor can keep up his pace through a plethora of ranked conference opponents, we might see the first underclassman Heisman winner since Bryce Young and Caleb Williams in 2021-2022.
And the scary part is - Taylor still has another year to go before being drafted.
Steady Hands
Aside from the Arch Manning’s and Dante Moore’s, CJ Carr was a name to watch entering the season as a potential top QB. So far, Carr has been pretty efficient, earning 726 passing yards and 6 touchdowns on 72.6% completion. Carr has also rushed for one score.
Perhaps it’s because Notre Dame hasn’t faced an impressive opponent yet, but Carr’s name has somewhat flown under the radar. However, Carr has quietly been one of the best deep passers in the nation.
On passes 10+ yards down the field, Carr is 15/22, for 424 yards and 3 scores so far this season. Carr has also yet to throw an interception.
Once Carr’s Fighting Irish face more prominent opponents ((9) BYU, (6) Miami, and (22) SMU are all in the second half of the season), he will become more of a household name.
Efficiency and willing to throw deep are traits that NFL teams covet; if Carr keeps it up we’ll hear his name on Night 1 next April.
Show Us Some More
Kamario Taylor’s opponent from last week, LaNorris Sellers, has had an up-and-down draft process so far.
Early in his career, Sellers looked to be a Cam Newton-lite prospect, someone with a massive frame, the strength to be hard to bring down in the pocket, and a massive arm that could hit every area of the field with ease.
Following a 2024 season where Sellers accounted for over 3000 total yards and 25 combined touchdowns, it seemed that he would continue to improve and fill the mold of an ascending prospect.
Unfortunately, partially due to injury and a poor offensive line, Sellers regressed a bit in 2025, totaling fewer touchdowns and more turnovers. Instead of declaring for the draft or transferring, Sellers decided to stay at South Carolina for one more season.
2026 will be huge for Sellers. If he can recapture the form he had in 2024, he can play himself into first-round talks with his talents. It seems like this season is off to a bit of a slow start, but a matchup with (8) Alabama could be the stage Sellers needs to show off his abilities.
The old school, stand-in-the-pocket statue quarterbacks with a strong arm are a dying breed. In today’s NFL, you have to have some semblance of mobility. Even the more pocket-passer type players like CJ Stroud, for example, can make you pay with their legs if you don’t contain.
Minnesota’s Drake Lindsey might be the last one. The Golden Gophers signal-caller had a strong sophomore season, but has only followed it up with 4 touchdowns through 3 weeks.
Lindsey will have the opportunity later in the season with (18) Michigan, (17) Iowa, (5) Indiana, and (13) Penn State to show off his arm. If he is unable to recapture some of the magic of last season, it will be an uphill battle during the draft process.
Standby
We’ve talked about JKS and Kamario Taylor as potential headlines of the 2028 NFL Draft Class, but Alabama’s Keelon Russell may have also just played himself into that tier.
After a few rocky offensive performances (despite the scores), Russell was absolutely electric against Florida State. In what became a 50-36 shootout, Russell dominated the Seminoles’ defense, adding 320 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, 56 rushing yards, and a rushing score.
Russell is Kalen DeBoer’s first recruited quarterback to start for the Crimson Tide. With a pedigree of multiple first round quarterbacks (Michael Penix Jr (8) and Ty Simpson (13)), Russell could be on his way to becoming the next Bama QB to hear his name called on Night 1.
Player(s) of the Week
In keeping with the theme of offensive players, I wanted to highlight a player that drove his team to an upset win over then-ranked Top 10 Texas A&M.
Kentucky RB CJ Baxter, after a letdown against Alabama, bounced back for 115 total yards and two touchdowns on the way to upsetting the Aggies.
Baxter originally started his career at Texas, but injuries to his knee in 2024 slowed down what was once a promising start, following the lineage of players like Bijan Robinson, Roschon Johnson, and Jonathon Brooks.
Now, at Kentucky, Baxter has a chance to reignite his 5 star status and drive his name up draft boards.
With Florida’s Jadan Baugh and Ole Miss’ Kewan Lacy, the running back class is in good hands. If Baxter can continue to show out, he can push his name toward the top half of the draft as well.
I know that I said QBs won’t be the only focus of this newsletter, and I stand by that. I promise that we’ll be highlighting more of the talented skill players, linemen, and defenders in this draft class as the season progresses.
With conference play started for everyone, here are some of the key Week 4 matchups to keep an eye on this week:
(14) Tennessee vs. (1) Texas
(18) Michigan vs. (17) Iowa
(8) Alabama vs. South Carolina
(12) USC vs. (20) Oregon
(10) LSU vs. (23) Texas A&M
(24) Mississippi State vs. (19) Missouri
(21) Florida vs. (4) Ole Miss