- Darian Mensah leads the group in PFF passing grade: The Miami quarterback owns a 92.6 mark through five weeks while also leading qualifying Power Four quarterbacks in adjusted completion percentage, passer rating and EPA per play.
- Julian Sayin has produced elite efficiency: The Ohio State quarterback ranks second with a 92.5 PFF passing grade and leads the nation with a 94.0 grade from a clean pocket.
- CJ Carr has minimized negative plays: The Notre Dame quarterback’s 3.1% negatively graded play rate ranks second among qualifying Power Four quarterbacks, helping him earn a 92.0 PFF passing grade.
Click here to subscribe to PFF+ — $99.99 a year (just $8.33 a month) billed annually
Five weeks of college football have given NFL evaluators their first extended look at the quarterbacks who could define the 2027 draft class.
Some of the position's most notable names have performed as expected, while others have either elevated or hurt their standing through the opening stretch of the season. And for quarterback-needy NFL teams already looking ahead, those early performances will provide the foundation for a much longer evaluation process.
PFF has also started turning its attention toward the draft, expanding the PFF Big Board to 150 players as the evaluation and scouting process ramps up. With that in mind, here is how the top 10 quarterbacks on the PFF Big Board have performed through five weeks.
Arch Manning, Texas
Manning hasn't matched the box-score production of some of the other highly ranked quarterbacks on this list, but the big-time throws have been there. His 5.9% big-time throw rate is tied for 13th among qualifying Power Four quarterbacks, while his 80.4 PFF passing grade ranks 21st.
Manning has performed significantly better when defenses haven't sent extra rushers. He has earned an 89.1 PFF passing grade when not blitzed compared to a 63.8 mark when blitzed.
Dante Moore, Oregon
Moore has been efficient through five weeks, producing a 130.0 passer rating that ranks sixth among qualifying Power Four quarterbacks. His 79.8% adjusted completion percentage also ranks ninth, while his 9.5 yards per attempt rank 12th.
Moore's production against the blitz stands out in the opposite direction. He has earned an 87.6 PFF passing grade when blitzed compared to a 74.6 mark when defenses don't send extra rushers.
CJ Carr, Notre Dame
Few quarterbacks have avoided negative plays as well as Carr. His 3.1% negatively graded play rate is the second-lowest among qualifying Power Four quarterbacks, helping him earn a 92.0 PFF passing grade that ranks third at the position.
Carr has been at his best from a clean pocket, where he has earned a 92.4 PFF passing grade. That number falls to 69.9 under pressure.
Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
Mestemaker's 79.9 PFF passing grade ranks 24th among qualifying Power Four quarterbacks, but he has shown an ability to produce high-end throws. His 6.7% big-time throw rate ranks 11th at the position, and he is averaging 9.0 yards per attempt.
Pressure has produced a significant drop-off. Mestemaker has earned a 90.3 PFF passing grade when kept clean compared to a 48.8 mark under pressure.
Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Sayin has been one of the country's most productive passers through five weeks. His 10.8 yards per attempt are tied for the highest mark among qualifying Power Four quarterbacks, while his 92.5 PFF passing grade ranks second and his 0.55 EPA per play ranks third.
That production has been driven by his work from a clean pocket. Sayin has posted a nation-best 94.0 PFF passing grade without pressure compared to a 65.5 mark when pressured.
Darian Mensah, Miami (FL)
No qualifying Power Four quarterback has earned a higher PFF passing grade than Mensah's 92.6 through five weeks. His production extends well beyond that number, too, as he also leads the group in adjusted completion percentage (89.0%), passer rating (149.4) and EPA per play (0.71).
Mensah has also remained productive regardless of whether defenses blitz. He has earned a 92.1 PFF passing grade against the blitz and a 90.5 mark when not blitzed.
Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
Chambliss has generated positive plays at one of the highest rates in the Power Four. His 21.4% positively graded play rate is tied for seventh among qualifying quarterbacks, helping him earn an 85.3 PFF passing grade that ranks 12th at the position.
Pressure hasn't caused much of a decline, either. Chambliss has earned an 80.6 PFF passing grade under pressure compared to an 83.0 mark when kept clean.
Jayden Maiava, USC
Maiava has quietly put together one of the better five-week stretches of any quarterback on this list. His 90.6 PFF passing grade is tied for seventh among qualifying Power Four quarterbacks, and his 57.6% positive EPA rate ranks ninth.
Maiava has also been relatively steady against additional rushers, earning an 85.6 PFF passing grade when blitzed and an 89.6 mark when not blitzed.
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
Sellers' overall results have been uneven, but his work under pressure has been a notable bright spot. His 76.6 PFF passing grade under pressure ranks seventh among qualifying Power Four quarterbacks, a stark contrast to his 57.7 mark when kept clean.
That unusual split makes Sellers one of the more interesting quarterbacks in the group to monitor as the season goes on.
Sam Leavitt, LSU
Leavitt has done a good job of keeping turnover-worthy plays to a minimum. His 1.1% turnover-worthy play rate ranks 11th among qualifying Power Four quarterbacks, while his adjusted completion percentage sits at 78.4%.
Leavitt has also been considerably better when defenses bring extra rushers, earning an 84.2 PFF passing grade when blitzed compared to a 70.2 mark when not blitzed.
© 2026 PFF - all rights reserved.