The Heisman watch is on, and the 2027 NFL Draft quarterback class continues to deliver. If you are a college football fan and NFL Draft enthusiast, things are just getting good in the race to be the top quarterback off the board next April.
What is great about the early part of the season is that there is no clear runaway quarterback. As much as Arch Manning is the story everyone wants, there is so much talent in this class that it has truly become a week-to-week argument based on performance, matchups and the numbers these quarterbacks put up.
And Week 3 changed the conversation.
Darian Mensah's historic hot streak has him pushing Manning and Dante Moore for QB1, while Trinidad Chambliss just delivered the type of performance that can completely change a quarterback's NFL Draft stock. With one familiar name also falling out of the top five, this week's rankings have a much different look.
2027 NFL Draft QB Power Rankings: The top 5
Rank | Quarterback | School |
|---|---|---|
1 | Darian Mensah | Miami |
2 | Arch Manning | Texas |
3 | Dante Moore | Oregon |
4 | Trinidad Chambliss | Ole Miss |
5 | CJ Carr | Notre Dame |
No. 1 Darian Mensah, Miami
As highlighted in this week's Rapid Fire, Darian Mensah was electric in Miami's 33-20 victory over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Friday night.
The nation's hottest quarterback started the game by completing 24 consecutive passes, setting an ACC single-game record for consecutive completions. Dating back to Miami's previous game, Mensah completed 35 consecutive passes, setting another ACC record and demonstrating the impressive accuracy that has made him one of the hottest quarterbacks in the country.
Of course, when you have a phenomenal wide receiver like Malachi Toney, it helps. But it's not just the playmakers around him. Mensah is showing off his superb accuracy along with the rhythm and decision-making that have been so impressive through the first three weeks. He has also shown off the deep ball, which should really grab the attention of NFL scouts.
While it's going to take a big win against major competition to completely separate Mensah from Arch Manning and Dante Moore in the QB1 conversation, through Week 3, he has leapfrogged both quarterbacks in our weekly rankings.
No. 2 Arch Manning, Texas
Texas improved to 3-0 after a 30-6 win over UTSA in Week 3. The undefeated start and No. 1 ranking help keep Arch Manning at No. 2 this week, but his performance against the Roadrunners wasn't enough to hold off Mensah.
Manning and the Longhorns offense were a bit underwhelming against UTSA. After leading Texas to a big comeback victory over Ohio State a week earlier, Manning struggled with his accuracy against the Roadrunners, completing just 16 of 32 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns.
Although Manning showed off his mobility with 50 rushing yards on nine carries, struggling to show more passing proficiency against a lesser opponent will keep questions surrounding his status as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft alive.
We will, however, give the highly touted quarterback some slack. Coming off a huge win against Ohio State with the SEC opener against Tennessee up next, perhaps it was simply a down week for Manning and the offense following such an emotional victory.
No. 3 Dante Moore, Oregon
Dante Moore's fall to No. 3 this week has little to do with his performance. Mensah is simply so hot that it was hard to keep him behind Moore after Week 3. I'm also still looking at that Week 2 performance against Oklahoma State, when Moore struggled in the first half.
In a get-right game, Moore and the Ducks put the hammer to Portland State in an 84-0 blowout victory.
Moore completed 19 of 23 passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone. That might've been enough for him to make a run at No. 1 with Manning struggling a bit, but it was Portland State, and Oregon did what it was expected to do.
Well, okay, maybe 84 points weren't expected.
What NFL scouts need to see now is Moore perform at that level in a big game against heavyweight competition. He will get that opportunity against the USC Trojans in Week 4.
No. 4 Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
We have a new riser in the top five this week.
After a clutch performance against LSU in Week 3, Ole Miss star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss saw his NFL Draft stock rise, and he's making his debut in these rankings at No. 4.
In the 32-24 win over the Tigers, Chambliss was outstanding, completing 33 of 48 passes for 363 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also delivered a game-sealing rushing touchdown with his former coach, Lane Kiffin, watching from the other sideline.
NFL scouts were watching, too, and Chambliss put his talent on full display. Given that he's undersized and in his sixth year of eligibility, Chambliss isn't getting the same NFL Draft hype as some of the other quarterbacks highlighted in these rankings.
But the SEC Offensive Player of the Week is quickly making his case as one of the biggest risers in this quarterback class.
Chambliss is not only making his case as a Day 1 quarterback prospect, but he's also putting together quite the highlight reel in the race for the Heisman Trophy.
No. 5 CJ Carr, Notre Dame
CJ Carr gets the nod over Julian Sayin this week at No. 5. Again, it has nothing to do with Sayin's performance and more to do with what Carr showed against Michigan State in a matchup we identified as his first real test of the 2026 season.
Although Carr didn't throw a touchdown against Michigan State, he continued to showcase his accuracy by completing 18 of 24 passes for 234 yards. More importantly from an NFL Draft perspective, he showed off his ability to deliver the deep ball.
That had been one area worth watching with Carr, and he answered with a 61-yard bomb to Micah Gilbert. He also delivered a 28-yard dart to Gilbert and another 39-yard outside-shoulder strike to the receiver.
All three throws showcased the different levels of arm talent Carr possesses. They also showed how dangerous he can be when he has comfort and chemistry with his receivers. He obviously has that with Gilbert.
Carr's next test we'll be watching comes against a Bill Belichick-coached North Carolina team on Oct. 3.
Who could crash the top five?
As mentioned above, Sayin did nothing to necessarily fall out of the top five. The high-level play and stronger competition faced by Chambliss and Carr simply pushed both ahead of the Ohio State quarterback this week. Sayin remains right on the fringe of top-five status.
In Ohio State's 59-3 victory over Kent State, Sayin threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Given the level of competition, however, that type of performance was expected. While his consistent play keeps him firmly in the Heisman conversation, Sayin still needs that eye-popping performance that will make him a serious top-10 prospect on more NFL Draft boards.
Another riser this week is Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover.
The Indiana star was fantastic in the Hoosiers' 38-0 win on Saturday, completing 18 of 24 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns. One of those scores came on a 79-yard strike to this week's Mocks Watch featured player, Charlie Becker.
While Hoover is already high on some quarterback prospect rankings, he still needs to show what he can do against the tougher competition awaiting him on Indiana's Big Ten schedule.
Along with Sayin and Hoover, Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker is another quarterback we will continue to watch. Following his upset win over Oregon, Mestemaker delivered another outstanding performance with 324 passing yards and five touchdowns.
Three weeks into the season, the biggest takeaway might be that there is no safe spot in these rankings. Mensah went from chasing Manning and Moore to sitting at No. 1, while Chambliss crashed the top five with one statement performance.
With conference play heating up, who makes the next move?
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