In a surprising move, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore announced today that he will not declare for the 2026 NFL Draft and will return to school. He was expected to be a top three selection in the draft, with some even speculating he could be the first name called. His decision, ultimately, is passing up on nearly $50 million in guaranteed money. Moore made it clear that he did not want to enter the draft unless he was completely ready for the next level.
This puts him atop a completely loaded quarterback class for the 2027 NFL Draft. According to Draft Buzz ratings, the 2026 class will have three players with a grade of 85 or better. The 2027 class will now feature seven such players, if Dylan Raiola were to declare, but Moore’s decision has made a mess of those potential plans. There may be no better time for a quarterback-hungry team to tank. Actually, with this much talent in the class, nobody will have to.
Moore has an 89.6 rating on Draft Buzz (currently second, behind Julian Sayin). Returning to school could push that number up, or it could completely tank. Carson Beck looked destined for NFL stardom after the 2023 college football season, but then 2024 happened. While Oregon will be one of the top teams before next season starts, all it would take is a handful of games like the National Championship to torpedo Moore’s draft stock. If he can replicate 2025, he will certainly be in the conversation for the top pick.
The true sophomore started all 14 games for the Buckeyes this past season. They went 12-2 and made the college football playoff, in large part due to the outstanding play of their quarterback. Sayin completed an NCAA-best 77% of his passes for 257.9 yards per game, and 32 touchdowns to eight interceptions (4:1 ratio). Draft Buzz has given him a grade of 91.5, the third-highest overall for the whole 2027 NFL Draft class.
There was a time when Cooper’s kid was the guaranteed top pick in the 2026 class. NFL teams were supposed to be falling over themselves to lose games to secure his services. That was before he completed just 61.4% of his passes. Manning averaged 243 yards per game and had 26 touchdowns to 7 interceptions. The team went 10-3 and missed the CFP. Hopefully, the recent addition of Cam Coleman from Auburn will boost Manning’s completion percentage and increase his yards and touchdown totals.
It’s easy to overlook anything USC did well this season, after a disappointing 9-4 finish. If they had one bright spot, it was their play at quarterback. Maiava completed 65.8% of his passes for 285.5 yards per game. He added 24 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. Draft Buzz gave him an 86.3 rating, and highlighted his best trait as his lightning quick release, but points out he stays locked onto targets too long and struggles with intermediate passes. Like Moore, he is hoping that another year in college will clean those things up, and help him compete for the top spot in the 2027 NFL Draft.
At 6’3 and 240, Sellers is the first true dual-threat quarterback on the list (even though he averaged just 1.8 yards per carry this past season). Everything about his game regressed this season. He went from a 65.6% completion rate to 60.8% and from 211 yards per game to 203. His touchdowns went down, and his interceptions went up. Despite all that, he is oozing with raw potential. A good rebound year could push him into the first round of the draft in 2027.
Lane Kiffin’s prize transfer acquisition, Leavitt, led the Arizona State Sun Devils to the college football playoff as a redshirt freshman in 2024. Injuries limited him to just seven games in 2025, but he still averaged 233 yards per game and added another 306 on the ground with five rushing touchdowns. The hope is that the talent around him in Baton Rouge and Kiffin’s pass-heavy offense will catapult his numbers and his draft stock. If not, Leavitt may be looking more towards the 2028 NFL Draft.
Draft Buzz has him as the sixth-highest graded quarterback of the 2027 class (including Moore) with a grade of 85.2. He lost his starting job at Nebraska, despite completing 72.4% of his passes for 222 yards per game and 18 touchdowns to 6 interceptions. He committed to Oregon in the transfer portal, with the expectation that he would replace Moore, who was expected to enter the draft. Moore chose to stay, and now Raiola could opt to sit on the bench and learn from him, but if he is determined to enter the 2027 NFL Draft, he may need to go back on his commitment and play elsewhere this upcoming season.
There are a number of players who could find themselves in the conversation as well, that weren’t mentioned here. DJ Lagway could propel himself into the first round next year with a good season at Baylor. Ben Sorsby is leaving Cincinnati to play in the continental version of Hawaii, with Texas Tech’s air raid offense. Nico Iamaleava turned off fans with his greed this past season, but a big year at UCLA will have scouts drooling over him. Josh Hoover is poised to do what Fernando Mendoza just did, which is use Indiana to boost his draft stock in 2027.
Every year, a team needs a quarterback. Maybe they look to get one in the draft as part of a rebuild, or maybe they bring in a free agent because they are in win-now mode. No matter the situation, the 2026 NFL Draft is light on arm talent, and 2027 is loaded. There will be plenty of top-flight, talented quarterbacks in the pool if teams can wait one more year.
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