NFL Trade Rumors
Summer scouting is one of my favorite series to do each year. It’s a chance to set the table for the college football season, get the word out on players to keep an eye on, and highlight some sleepers to watch. It sets the foundation for the rest of the draft cycle, and monitoring how each prospect’s stock shifts throughout the process is one of my favorite parts of doing this.
Today we’re kicking things off with the quarterbacks. I’ve ranked my top 10 heading into the 2025 college football season. With quarterbacks, the big question is: how good is this group, exactly? After the overall letdown that was the 2025 class, there’s a lot of hype at the top of the 2026 class, with one prospect in particular, but still a lot of unknowns all around. These guys have potential, but how good is the class overall?
To take a stab at answering that question, I have scouting reports on my early top 10 quarterbacks in the 2026 class. At the end, I elaborate on how I view this class overall, how it compares to previous classes, and what our expectations should be. Without further ado, let’s jump right in:
Nephew of Peyton and Eli, son of Cooper, grandson of Archie and one of the most anticipated draft prospects in years, Manning is an interesting evaluation at this stage of his career. A consensus five-star, No. 1 overall recruit, Manning committed to Texas out of high school and redshirted his first year before backing up Quinn Ewers in 2024. In two starts (plus a handful of games with mop-up duties), Manning totaled 939 passing yards and nine touchdowns to go with 108 rushing yards and four scores. He enters his first season as the starter as a Heisman favorite and top draft prospect. If he lives up to those expectations, he’ll be in contention for the No. 1 pick.
At 6-4, 222 pounds, Manning looks like a prototypical NFL quarterback. His arm talent jumps off the tape, as he has a lightning-quick release that’s clearly been coached up well. There isn’t a throw on the field he doesn’t like, and he delivers consistently and on time. The timing and anticipation Manning plays with is exceptional, which is rare for someone so inexperienced. Not only that, he reads defenses well, processing complex looks and route combinations with ease. Unlike his uncles, he’s a good athlete and a legitimate rushing threat. Texas would frequently sub him in for short-yardage plays to take advantage of his running ability.
About the only thing I want to see Manning improve on is his ball placement. His overall accuracy is good, but he’s still learning to deliver passes in ideal spots to help out his receivers. Other than that, he just needs experience. As good as his tape looks, there’s not a lot of it. The more reps he gets, the better he’ll get, and the rest of us will...
