LaNorris Sellers Jumps to top of QB list, Arch Manning disappears in Poll

This week, South Carolina LaNorris Sellers was selected as the best quarterback in the 2026 NFL drafting by conducting a poll of 25 NFL scouts and executives.

LaNorris Sellers got eight votes in the poll by ESPN reporter Pete Thamel. He was succeeded by LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier (7), Miami’s Carson Beck (3), Oklahoma’s John Mateer (3), Penn State’s Drew Allar (2), Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt (1) and Texas’ Arch Manning (1).

Anonymous general manager proposed that the poll figures would vary considerably due to the passage of the season and he wrote, “The same way as it was last year, it is difficult to make the choice this early.

Prior to an insane Week 4 college football schedule, ESPN College GameDay conducted a poll of 25 NFL executives and scouts inquiring who they would make their QB1 in the 2026 NFL Draft at this stage in the season.

Although each of the executives/scouts selected one quarterback as their very best guy at this point in time, there were seven different players who received the votes, showing that there is no consensus at the top of the list. The total votes of these leading QBs are shown below:

• LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina): 8 votes.
• Garrett Nussmeier (LSU): 7 votes
• Carson Beck (Miami): 3 votes
• John Mateer (Oklahoma): 3 votes
• Drew Allar (Penn St.): 2 votes
• Sam Leavitt (Arizona St.): 1 vote
• Arch Manning (Texas): 1 vote

Thus does the shakeout of the top QBs look as far as the people whose eyes will eventually be making those decisions regarding drafting come the next spring are concerned. LaNorris Sellers has the first place even though he is good to go this week against Missouri despite a recent injury scare. The South Carolina quarterback is often Cam Newton, in terms of physical endowment, though, he is by no means a one-man show to the Gamecocks this season.

Clearly, the Arch Manning was rated one of the very best prospects going into the season, but there has been an alarmingly bad start to the year, even against inferior competition at times, that has planted the seed of doubt in the minds of the executives, and only one out of the 25 surveyed felt Manning remains No. 1. In the meantime, another of the best QBs going into the season was Garrett Nussmeier, who has not been flawless, but good enough to retain a substantial portion of the votes.

Obvious risers are John Mateer and Carson Beck. Mateer appears to be a glove that fits at Oklahoma since he came in with his offensive coordinatior of Washington State and the performance so far has even surpassed the dreams of Sooner coach Brent Venables. Wit Beck, he is in the spotlight as a legitimate first-round NFL talent again whose season has gotten off to a good start after he ran out of Georgia last winter.

And finally, Drew Allar is just the same and he probably will not gain or lose any ground until the Nittany Lions play Oregon at home on their first big challenge next week, and ASU’s Sam Leavitt got a vote surprisingly, but what a fun guy he was with the Sun Devils.