Meet Every College QB Taking the Field at the 2026 NFL Combine
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
February means beach time for most college football coaches. Scouts hit the Indianapolis NFL Combine with stopwatches and dreams of finding the next franchise quarterback. This year won’t deliver many dreams.
The 2026 Combine quarterback class is historically weak. Fernando Mendoza owns the top spot. After him? A cliff. Alabama’s Ty Simpson fights for QB2 status without a guaranteed first-round slot. Oregon’s Dante Moore took one look at this mess and stayed in school. Sixteen quarterbacks show up Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium, and most are praying the throwing drills save their draft stock.
16. Behren Morton, Texas Tech
The 6-2, 200-pound passer hit 66% for 2,780 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six picks in 2025. Morton won’t run. The deep ball lacks juice. What you get is accuracy and enough reps to contribute immediately. Texas Tech leaned on steady, not spectacular. NFL Combine won’t change its seventh-round fate.
15. Jalon Daniels, Kansas
Six years at Kansas, and Daniels still has moments of magic. The 6-0, 203-pounder threw for 2,531 yards with 22 scores against seven picks. He ran 117 times for 404 yards and four touchdowns. Injuries killed his momentum after a strong 2022. The decision-making got shaky. Too many interceptions over two years. When he’s on, the upside shows. Late-round gamble material.
14. Joey Aguilar, Tennessee
Aguilar doesn’t want to be here. The 6-3, 225-pounder completed 67.3% for 3,565 yards, 24 touchdowns, and ten interceptions. He’s fought for another year of eligibility but lost. App State made him good. Tennessee kept him solid. Ten picks tell you he forces throws. The arm will look great in drills. The film tells a different story.
13. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
Robertson threw for 3,681 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2025. The 6-4, 210-pounder stacked nearly 7,000 yards and 59 scores over two seasons. Baylor let him air it out. He gambles too much. Deep ball ability gives him NFL backup upside. The Senior Bowl already showed scouts what they’re getting.
12. Haynes King, Georgia Tech
You want this guy in your locker room. The 6-3, 200-pounder posted 2,951 yards and 14 touchdowns. He rushed 185 times for 953 yards and 15 scores. Too slight. Gets hurt too often. Six years of college ball made him tough as nails. The raw passing tools aren’t special. That IT factor is real.
11. Joe Fagnano, UConn
Six career interceptions. Read that again. Fagnano completed 69% for 3,448 yards with 28 touchdowns and one pick in 2025. The 6-4, 225-pounder has the size and mobility. Sometimes plays too carefully. The Combine will love his fundamentals and basic skill set. There’s too much here to ignore.
10. Luke Altmyer, Illinois
Film matters more than the Combine for Altmyer. The 6-2, 195-pounder hit 67.4% for 3,007 yards, 22 touchdowns, and five picks. Added 100 carries for 242 yards and five scores. Zero wow factor. He’s tough, protects the ball, and leads an offense. The drills won’t showcase what makes him good. Early day-three pick who needs tape evaluation.
9. Taylen Green, Arkansas
A 6-6 smooth runner with four years of experience between Boise State and Arkansas. Green threw for 2,714 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 11 picks. Rushed 139 times for 777 yards and eight scores. The size and arm jump off the screen. Accuracy wavers. Mechanics need work. Saturday determines if scouts see the talent or the flaws. Sleeper upside with patience.
8. Drew Allar, Penn State
Allar might be the X factor in a weak class. The 6-5, 235-pounder hit 64.8% for 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns before a broken ankle ended his season. The size and arm are out of central casting. Penn State never turned him loose. A year ago, he had first-round buzz. Now he’s fighting to stay in the top-100 conversation. The boom potential exists.
7. Cole Payton, North Dakota State
One year as a starter, but five years in the program. Payton completed 70% for 3,188 yards with 16 touchdowns and four picks. The 6-2, 229-pounder rushed 136 times for 777 yards and 13 scores. Only 287 pass attempts raise red flags about the sample size. The running ability is fantastic. His wacky lefty motion won’t matter if the ball comes out clean. The NFL Combine will love him.
6. Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Clemson never did Klubnik any favors over five years. The 6-1, 206-pounder completed 65.6% for 2,943 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six picks. Average receivers. No running game. He can throw, and he’s a strong leader. Smaller than you’d like. The workouts might prove he’s Just A Guy. Fourth-round territory.
5. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
Too small. The arm isn’t great. Did we mention he’s 5-9 and 198 pounds? Pavia completed 70.6% for 3,539 yards, 29 touchdowns, and eight picks. Rushed 167 times for 862 yards and ten scores. He’s an all-time baller with vision and athleticism to create magic. The deep ball works. He might throw picks at the next level. Here’s the problem: fan bases will demand him on the field immediately. The team interviews after his Heisman ceremony comments determine if he gets drafted.
4. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
From a potential top pick in 2025 to fighting for a top-100 slot now. The 6-1, 202-pounder hit 67.4% for 1,927 yards with 12 touchdowns and five picks. Zero mobility. Getting benched late wrecked whatever confidence remained. The NFL Combine will fall in love with his arm and his ability to drive the ball. He trusts the power way too much. One year got the job done. He’s an NFL passer. A too-small NFL passer, but he can throw.
3. Ty Simpson, Alabama
One year as a starter might make Simpson the No. 2 overall pick in a quarterback-starved draft. The 6-2, 208-pounder completed 64.5% for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions. The tape shows NFL throws and good field vision. Injuries hurt his second-half production. The interview process matters more than the workouts. Nail the meetings, he’s a first-rounder. Stumble, he slides to day two. That’s a $9 million difference.
2. Carson Beck, Miami
Six years gave Beck every advantage. The 6-4, 225-pounder hit 72.4% for 3,813 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 12 picks at Miami. One late interception cost Miami a title shot. The experience shows in his reads. Under pressure, things get ugly fast. When it goes bad, it snowballs. The NFL Combine should display his best stuff. He’s well worth the shot if he’s around after pick 30.
1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Mendoza won’t throw. Doesn’t need to. The 6-5, 225-pound Heisman winner completed 72% for 3,535 yards with 41 touchdowns and six interceptions. Rushed for 276 yards and seven scores. Two good years at Cal, then Indiana posted one of the greatest seasons in college football history. He’s got it all: size, mobility, toughness. The deep ball is okay. He benefited from receivers who’d run over your grandma. In a draft full of blah prospects, he’s the easy No. 1 pick.
