The Miami Dolphins are embarking on a new era of quarterbacking under the guiding hand and rocket-launcher arm of Malik Willis. Fans are chomping at the bit to see Willis in real game action, as they should be. Still, if Miami is going to be as bad as people are projecting them to be, it's prudent to keep close tabs on the incoming class of college QBs.
Draft talk is littered with differing takes and opinions. As such, we've decided to use DraftTek's quarterback rankings to assemble our initial list of prospects we're keeping an eye on. The college football season will undoubtedly twist and turn, leading a new player to emerge onto the radar while one or more may drop off as things unfold.
We are going to rank the QBs by how impressive their performance was, not necessarily how they would rank as prospects — genius, I know. Without further ado, here's how things kicked off in Week 1 for the 2027 draft's top QBs. (Note: We will get legitimate rush yards for each player by subtracting sacks and sack yardage from their rushing totals, so that statistic may look different from the official box score.)
Week 1 was a rousing success for most of college football's top signal-callers, and the Miami Dolphins should take notice
1. Dante Moore vs. Boise State Broncos (Rank: 50 according to ESPN's Football Power Index)
Stats: 28/37 (76%), 378 Yards (10.2 YPA), 3 TDs, 1 Rush., 2 Yards. Outcome: W 34–27.
Moore earns the top spot after putting together an impressive performance against one of the stronger teams on this week's slate of opponents. The Ducks were in for a fight when they fell into an early 17–7 hole. Dante Moore remained calm and steady, including when he tossed a 62-yard touchdown to Dakorien Moore to take the lead with eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Oregon would hold the lead the rest of the way.
2. Trinidad Chambliss vs. Louisville Cardinals (Rank: 30)
Stats: 21/36 (58%), 336 Yards (9.3 YPA), 3 TDs, 1 INT, 9 Rush., 60 Yards, 1 TD. Outcome: W 41–38.
You could easily make the case for Chambliss to take the top spot, and it'd be hard to disagree. He was Mississippi's offense in the contest, considering none of his running backs eclipsed four yards per carry on the ground. He went toe-to-toe with a formidable Louisville team and continued pulling rabbits out of his helmet. If not for his turnover and suboptimal completion percentage, we'd have him at No. 1.
3. Darian Mensah vs. Stanford Cardinal (Rank: 80)
Stats: 27/30 (90%), 401 Yards (13.4 YPA), 5 TDs, 1 Rush., 5 Yards. Outcome: W 45–6.
For the Dolphins faithful who doubly root for the Miami Hurricanes, Mensah put on a clinic. Stanford is not exactly a world-beating football team this year, but they're still a Power 4 opponent. Mensah blew the doors off them and produced video game numbers in the process. The efficiency and yards per attempt are otherworldly. He was able to leave the game early, too, so consider the damage done only partially.
4. Arch Manning vs. Texas State Bobcats (Rank: 84)
Stats: 20/27 (74%), 305 Yards (11.3 YPA), 4 TDs, 1 INT, 2 Rush., 16 Yards. Outcome: W 59–7.
The Longhorns torched the Bobcats in a game that was just as lopsided as many expected. Manning was fantastic and did exactly what was expected against an inferior opponent. Like Mensah, he got an early trip to the bench after a wildly successful day at the office. The turnover was the lone blemish that he'll be looking to clean up in next week's heavyweight clash against Ohio State.
5. C.J. Carr vs. Wisconsin Badgers (Rank: 43)
Stats: 19/29 (66%), 239 Yards (8.2 YPA), 2 TDs, 1 Rush., 2 Yards. Outcome: W 41–13.
Competition matters in college football, and Carr faced the second-best team of the bunch this week. He wasn't particularly dominant, but he did his job well enough to earn a runaway victory. Notre Dame woke up from an early-game snooze to pour 28 points on the Badgers in the second half. Carr was at the controls through it all.
6. Julian Sayin vs. Ball State Cardinals (Rank: 136)
Stats: 21/25 (84%), 320 Yards (12.8 YPA), 3 TDs, 1 Rush., 3 Yards, 1 TD. Outcome: W 56–3.
You can't fault a player for who's on the schedule, but it will provide some fine print to an admittedly insane performance. Ball State, ranked 136 out of 138 FBS teams, isn't exactly giving the Buckeyes near-NFL-level competition. In any case, Sayin did what he was supposed to. He carved up the Cardinals with elite accuracy and efficiency and earned himself an early exit as his backups continued the downpour.
7. LaNorris Sellers vs. Kent State Flashes (Rank: 135)
Stats: 19/23 (83%), 270 Yards (11.7 YPA), 3 TDs, 1 Rush., 5 Yards. Outcome: W 57–0.
Much of what was said for Julian Sayin applies here, too. Sellers picked apart his undermanned opponent with otherworldly accuracy and insane efficiency. The game was never in question, as few would expect it to be against such an inferior opponent. In any case, the Gamecocks will have another cupcake next week against FCS Towson before beginning SEC play against Mississippi State in Week 3.
8. Drew Mestemaker vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (Rank: 105)
Stats: 29/49 (59%), 241 Yards (4.9 YPA), 1 TD, 2 INTs, 3 Rush., 16 Yards. Outcome: L 10–24.
This one was unfortunately a major flop for Mestemaker and head coach Eric Morris in their Cowboys debuts after defecting from North Texas this offseason. Oklahoma State was a 13.5-point favorite in this game and managed to lose by 14.
Mestemaker was frazzled and didn't look much like the QB who led North Texas to a 12–2 record with the nation's No. 1 offense in 2025. They'll get a chance to rebound against Oregon and Dante Moore next week, though the stink of losing to a team ranked in the 100s will not soon go away.
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