College football Week 1 is upon us, and for the NFL Draft nerds, there are plenty of potential Steelers storylines to be found in Labor Day weekend’s slate of games. Notably, at the quarterback position.
With Aaron Rodgers publicly announcing that he plans to retire after the 2026 season, quarterback remains a clear top need for the Steelers ahead of the upcoming offseason. And yes, 2026 third-rounder Drew Allar should be considered an option for the team in 2027, but he’s only appeared in three preseason
games in his young NFL career thus far. That means the Pittsburgh front office will still absolutely be doing its homework this college season on prospects playing football’s most important position — and if you’re interested, you can certainly do the same.
If you’re sitting down to watch some football this Saturday, here are five games (and quarterbacks of interest) at different time slots. To keep things somewhat interesting, I’m leaving the two big names at the position, Texas’ Arch Manning and Oregon’s Dante Moore, off this list. Odds are the Steelers won’t ever be in the running for either player, and even if they are, you probably already know quite a bit about them.
Also, keep in mind that top quarterback prospects such as USC’s Jayden Maiava and Miami’s Darian Mensah already played this week.
That’s a lot of intro. Let’s name some quarterbacks.
Josh Hoover, Indiana (Noon EST vs. North Texas)
Hoover, a TCU transfer, has big shoes to fill at Indiana, following up a legendary 2025 season from the NFL’s most recent No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza.
However, Hoover is a talented player in his own right, and he’s expected to take a leap under the coaching of Curt Cignetti in a burgeoning Indiana football program. Summer scouting reports have praised Hoover’s smooth mechanics, pocket mobility and processing, but concerns remain about if he has high-end NFL tools, and the 13 interceptions he threw in 2025.
At the very least, tune in to watch an Indiana team loaded with other NFL prospects, including offensive tackle Carter Smith and wide receivers Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh.
Josh Hoover basics: Listed at 6’2, 205 pounds; fifth-year senior; 3,472 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2025 for TCU
Julian Sayin, Ohio State (12:30 p.m. EST vs. Ball State)
Sayin has some similarities to Hoover in that both are expected to be piloting high-end offenses in 2026 and thus cement themselves in the upper echelon of college quarterbacks — but when it comes to NFL chances, their talent profiles come with some legitimate questions.
Analysts have described Sayin as a capable point guard on offense with plus accuracy and touch as well as a knack for play action. Detractors include a lack of ideal NFL size and good, not great arm strength, although Sayin is certainly able to make some highlight throws.
The narrative with Sayin entering the fall is if he can further his NFL Draft profile by standing out on a team full of standouts. It’ll be hard not to be overshadowed by Jeremiah Smith, who enters 2026 as Sayin’s top target and arguably the top wide receiver in college football.
Julian Sayin basics: Listed at 6’1, 214 pounds; junior; 3,610 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2025 for Ohio State
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina (12:45 p.m. EST vs. Kent State)
Sellers might be the most physically gifted quarterback in the upcoming draft class, and his decision to return to school for the 2026 season was a move analysts hoped would result in further refinement of his game before hitting the NFL stage.
Sellers has typical NFL size for the position, rushing ability with both speed and power, and plus arm strength. The concerns, as you might expect, have to do with the rawness in his game in aspects such as processing and decision-making.
Even if Sellers can’t fully realize his potential in 2026, expect NFL teams to remain highly interested. In a world where every quarterback-needy team is trying to replicate the Josh Allen success story, Sellers will remain a name to watch.
LaNorris Sellers basics: Listed at 6’3, 238 pounds; redshirt junior; 2,437 passing yards, 13 passing touchdowns, eight interceptions in 2025 for South Carolina.
Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State (3:45 p.m. EST vs. Tulsa)
A North Texas transfer, Mestemaker hopes to make the jump to Power Four football in 2026, and possibly emerge as one of the top draft-eligible quarterbacks in the process.
Mestemaker is a tall, lanky prospect with a big arm that pops on-screen, as well as an unorthodox throwing motion. He made all sorts of highlight throws last year, but one of the bigger questions entering this season is if his sometimes-zany playing style can survive at a higher level of the sport.
Mestemaker has clear high-end traits, but his game is still somewhat raw, and he’d likely need to bulk up a bit for the NFL level. He’s a favorite among draft nerds to break out in 2026, but there’s also an expectation that he might return to school instead of declaring in 2027.
Drew Mestemaker basics: Listed at 6’3, 215 pounds; redshirt sophomore; 4,379 passing yards, 34 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2025 for North Texas.
CJ Carr, Notre Dame (7:30 p.m. EST vs. Wisconsin)
Carr has been the beneficiary of plenty of offseason hype entering 2026, now considered one of the favorites for the 2026 Heisman Trophy after a promising 2025 campaign.
Carr fits a similar mold to the likes of Sayin and Hoover: regarded for football smarts, rhythm and accuracy despite not many rave reviews about arm talent or high-end mobility. But now, without the star power of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price in the Fighting Irish backfield, Carr has a chance to really emerge as the focal point of the Notre Dame offense.
While he doesn’t look huge on the screen, Carr brings solid NFL size to the table. Scouting reports also like to note his strong football bloodlines as the grandson of College Football Hall of Fame coach Lloyd Carr.
CJ Carr basics: Listed at 6’2, 215 pounds; junior; 2,741 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns and six interceptions in 2025 for Notre Dame.
