2026 NFL Draft: Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore Lead Top QB Prospects

Quarterback has always been the most important position in football, but it has perhaps never been more obviously critical than in this year’s College Football Playoff, where four of the eight teams still vying for the national title feature early-round 2026 NFL Draft prospects. 

We’ve committed to tracking the progress of this year’s top QBs — carefully documenting the rises and falls of this year’s most intriguing candidates. 

With the CFP, all-star games and Scouting Combine still on the horizon, here is how we currently project the quarterbacks to come off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft. 

1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

Like Indiana itself, Mendoza entered the year as more of a curiosity than a realistic candidate to be No. 1 overall. But the poise, precision and mobility he’s demonstrated in guiding the unbeaten Hoosiers to the playoffs have turned all doubters in the scouting community to believers along the way. 

In a draft class full of quarterbacks with more questions than answers, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner’s consistency stands apart. He has completed 68.1% of his passes over his career and has thrown nearly three times as many touchdowns (63) as interceptions (22) during that time, dating back to his time at Cal. Simply put, Mendoza takes care of the ball. In an era of pass-happy gunslingers, Mendoza has thrown multiple interceptions in a game just once in the past two years. He shows not only impressive anticipation and accuracy on throws to all levels of the field, but the pre- and post-snap recognition that comes with starting 33 games at the collegiate level for two different offenses. 

Mendoza’s decision-making and clutch play in tight road wins at Iowa, Oregon and Penn State and in the Big Ten