The Las Vegas Raiders traded for Geno Smith, signaling to the rest of the NFL how confident they were about taking a franchise quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The new regime of head coach Pete Carroll, general manager John Spytek, and minority owner Tom Brady is looking to minimize risk and create a solid framework for the franchise’s future — taking a risk on Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart with a high pick won’t cut it.
Smith will likely be a serviceable starter for the time being, but a long-term option is still a top priority lingering in leadership’s mind. While the Raiders could very well take Ohio State’s Will Howard or Texas’ Quinn Ewers in the middle rounds, the 2026 quarterback class already looks far more promising than its predecessor.
Pro Football Focus’ Max Chadwick highlighted the best returning quarterbacks in college football, and some of them could very well be on the Raiders’ mind come April 2026.
Drew Allar, Penn State:
Chadwick: “While his performance in Penn State’s final game of the season was rough (36.6 PFF passing grade), Allar quieted many critics by quarterbacking the Nittany Lions all the way to the College Football Playoff semifinals this past season. He finished as the nation’s sixth-most valuable signal-caller in the process, according to PFF’s wins above-average metric. His 21 big-time throws were a top-20 mark, while his 2.1% turnover-worthy play rate ranked 21st.
“Allar showed off his rifle of a right arm far more as a junior, increasing his average depth of target by more than a yard. There are still some things for him to clean up, including his footwork and accuracy, and plenty of questions surrounding Penn State’s wide receiver room, but Allar will enter his senior season as one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU:
Chadwick: “After sitting on the bench for three years, Nussmeier finally received his chance to start for the Tigers as a redshirt junior. He extended the flashes of brilliance he had as a backup over a full season, finishing the year with the fifth-most passing yards in the nation (4,043) and tying for seventh in big-time throws (26).
“Nussmeier is still a bit of a gunslinger, as he ranked in the bottom 20 in turnover-worthy plays (18). He also adds virtually nothing as a runner, with his 93 rushing yards in 2024 being easily the fewest of anyone on this list. But he’s still a tough quarterback who is fearless in the pocket and capable of making almost any throw on the field.”
Arch Manning, Texas:
Chadwick: “Manning’s placement on this list was the hardest to figure out. Even though he’s started only three games in his career — all against bad competition (UTSA, Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State) — the rising redshirt sophomore is still the betting favorite to take home the Heisman Trophy …
“His 88.1 PFF overall grade in 2024 ranked 13th among FBS quarterbacks who played at least 200 snaps, and he ranked 16th in both big-time throw rate (6.4%) and turnover-worthy play rate (1.9%). Manning is a much better athlete than either of his legendary uncles, Peyton and Eli, rushing for four touchdowns on just 21 attempts last year — including a 67-yarder.”