By Greyson McGinnis
Uncertainty at Quarterback One
As the College Football Season is four weeks in, position groups for the 2027 NFL Draft are starting to establish themselves. At quarterback, however, the best prospect has yet to establish themself. Arch Manning was expected to run away with extremely strong tools and a mental ability that was seemingly unparalleled entering the season. Manning has been wildly inconsistent this season for Texas, missing throws, processing slowly at times, and struggling with awareness.
Oregon’s Dante Moore was projected to be the number two pick in the 2026 NFL Draft; after he went to school, scouts looked for him to be a top prospect in the 2027 NFL Draft. Moore did not show scouts anything to separate him, starting off slowly at the start of the season. Moore ultimately suffered a concussion against USC, and with no timeline for when he will return, nor a guarantee that he will play even to the level that he did before his injury, scouts have already started to slot him lower on their boards.
The other quarterbacks that have stepped into contention for the number one quarterback role include: Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State; Trinidad Chambliss, Mississippi; and CJ Carr, Notre Dame. Mestemaker is still a very raw prospect who did not start at quarterback in high school, but has all the tools.
At six-foot-four inches, Mestemaker combines his size, big arm, and speed to win for Oklahoma State. Mestemaker is missing the polish that many first-round quarterbacks have, but his top plays have scouts seeing the ceiling possible with Mestemaker.
Mississippi’s Trinidad Chambliss has played the best in college for quarterbacks so far into the season. Chambliss has played better in tough moments and thrown with anticipation. His ability to throw with anticipation is something that will wow coaches. Chambliss is shorter for a quarterback, standing at six feet. His short stature is the main issue, along with concerns about his ability to play within a structured offense.
CJ Carr has played the best in terms of a polished quarterback who plays in structure. Carr has not yet played a tough defense, so scouts are hesitant to push him high yet, but if he continues to dominate as Notre Dame’s schedule intensifies, scouts may have him as the best quarterback in the class
Dylan Stewart Suspension
Before the season started, Dylan Stewart was projected to dominate and end up a top five pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. After South Carolina’s game against Alabama and his subsequent suspension, that projection is looking less than probable. Stewart has a lot of talent but still has quite a few question marks surrounding him. Can he stay healthy? Will he develop pass-rush moves? Now, Stewart has added character concerns to those questions.
With Stewart’s suspension by both the NCAA and South Carolina, he has likely played his last game with the garnet and black. This leaves Stewart with two options: declare for the draft in hopes that what he has already shown is good enough, or transfer to another school to revamp his image, answer any questions about him, and show more to scouts.
Stewart can still likely end up in the first round, as many teams will be pressed to pass up on a talent like Stewart at such a premium position. It would still be a risk, as not listening to coaches and punching players does not go over well with NFL owners, general managers, or coaches looking to draft Stewart.
Stewart would certainly be a hot commodity in the transfer portal, as many teams would be willing to take a chance on the 6-foot-5-inch edge rusher. Stewart, with another year, could prove that the incidents at South Carolina are behind him.
What happens next is up to him, but the projection is that Stewart goes back to school, finding a new home and a better situation for him.