Get ready for fireworks.
Quarterback clashes headline 2026 NFL Draft prospects to watch in Week 7 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The nature of college football is that its quantity of contests breeds quality. A few games are easy headliners, getting prime-time treatment. Between the non-Power Four schools flying under the radar and the weekly blowouts, it's the unexpectedly close games that give Saturday its magic.
That isn't the case in Week 7. A gift from the football gods has given us a slate of games filled with high-profile quarterback matchups. From the Big Ten to the SEC, preseason standouts to midseason risers, it feels like every top passer will meet his match on Saturday.
Of course, that comes with its own set of NFL Draft consequences. Stocks will fluctuate, hype will spike, and the discourse will run rampant. The stage is set for the best week of the college football regular season. Giddy up.
Fernando Mendoza vs. Dante Moore (Indiana at Oregon)
The battle for QB1 might commence in Eugene. Mendoza entered the year with first-round hype and has doubled down with strong performances against Big Ten competition. He has plenty of arm talent, downfield aggression, and flashes of nuance to buoy his stock. His counterpart joined the early-round conversation a bit later, but Moore has real No. 1 pick aspirations after his excellent September.
With a blend of above-average traits and a high intangible floor, Moore is a steady pocket passer with the mobility to win out of structure when necessary. Maintaining his stock will require him to look the part against the best teams on his schedule.
While winning would be a nice boost to either team's playoff hopes, putting out quality film against elite defenses will carry more weight come April. It's a shame this is a mid-afternoon game.
Ty Simpson vs. Beau Pribula (Alabama at Missouri)
Another late-ish (it's only October!) riser is Simpson, whose quality starts after Alabama's Week 1 loss has thrust him into first-round mock drafts. There's real arm talent in his profile, and his processing has passed the SEC tests thus far on the schedule. He's maintained aggressiveness without turning the ball over in droves. With each passing start, Simpson has added credibility to his case. Another ranked matchup could do the same on Saturday.
Pribula isn't getting the same fanfare. His stock resides later on Day 3; perhaps he's a priority undrafted free agent. Competing and/or beating Alabama could go a long way towards boosting his stock.
MORE: South Caroline QB LaNorris Sellers staring down most important month of his career
Since transferring from Penn State, Pribula has flashed, but eliminating one bone-headed play per game would go a long way in earning more trust.
John Mateer vs. Arch Manning (Oklahoma at Texas)
The Red River Rivalry will have no shortage of storylines, most notable of which will be the diverging stocks of the two quarterbacks. Manning began the year as my QB1 before promptly pissing away his Heisman hype against Ohio State. He's been unsteady since, with more bad moments against stronger competition than flashes against lesser teams. Getting his mechanics right is imperative, but he's also putting the ball in harm's way too often and missing routine throws.
Manning was always more likely to return to school than declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, but unless he revitalizes his stock down the stretch, it will become the overwhelmingly obvious choice. He's too talented to write off, although he looks far more like a 2027 prospect.
Meanwhile, Mateer earned Round 1 hype after upsetting Michigan. He's making progress in the pocket and learning to make plays within it. Mateer has the requisite tools to do so, but his tendency to play out of structure remains his biggest question mark. A hand injury could keep him out of Saturday's clash. If he goes, he'll do so as the more successful passer. Remaining composed against a strong Texas defense would maintain his momentum.
LaNorris Sellers vs. Garrett Nussmeier (South Carolina at LSU)
Another premier SEC matchup will host two passers who have long been considered top-10 picks. Neither is locked into that kind of draft capital. Sellers has plenty of questions about his consistency within structure and a tendency to play backyard football. He's shown intangible growth to amplify his otherworldly tools. Keeping that up against LSU is necessary to make his case for Round 1.
Nussmeier, pre-snap, is the best quarterback in the class. Those intangibles were supposed to buoy his profile. Instead, he has struggled with decision-making gaffes. We know he doesn't have elite physical tools or size. If the intangibles aren't compensating, why should he be a first-round pick? Nussmeier's stop has fallen since he beat Clemson in Week 1. Stocking wins and stable performances against SEC competition are necessary to restore the hype he saw this summer.
Bonus: CJ Bailey vs. CJ Carr (NC State at Notre Dame)
Neither Bailey nor Carr is eligible to be drafted in April. With that said, both look like future first-round picks. Carr taking the Notre Dame mantle as a redshirt freshman is nothing to sniff at, while Bailey is a frontrunner to go first overall in 18 months. Their big-time performances have set the stage for one of Saturday's better matchups. Keep an eye on this one, if only for its entertainment value.
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