A new report suggests that powerhouse college football programs like Penn State, LSU, and Oklahoma have players who could be taken in Round 1 of the NFL Draft this time next year.
There is no bigger story in North American professional sports today than the 2025 NFL Draft. With all due respect to the NBA and NHL Playoffs. The NFL is a dominant sports juggernaut that has a stranglehold on most sports fans on the continent. Landing the stars of the future draws a lot of attention, especially when it comes to quarterbacks.
The big headline maker over the last few weeks has been on when the top QBs in 2025 will be selected. However, this week, CBS Sports looked into their crystal ball to predict the signal callers who could be taken in Round 1 next year. And several playoff contenders next season, including Penn State, have players with first-round talent.
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“There’s still a strong reason to believe [Penn State QB Drew] Allar can be a first-round pick next spring. He has done a good job as a starter, taking care of the football. Allar has thrown just 10 interceptions in his first two seasons as a starter and improved his completion percentage from 59.9% in 2023 to 66.5% last year. Penn State’s offense will revolve around the run game, but the key to reaching the CFP again starts with Allar taking another jump as a decision-maker.”
CBS Sports
LSU star Grant Nussmeier was a player that some thought could go in Round 1 of this week’s NFL Draft. However, the Tigers’ QB is returning for another season in 2025. CBS Sports had Nussmeier on their list of potential first-rounders last year. And while they still feel strongly about his potential, they believe he must fix one key issue to lock up being taken on day one next April.
“What jumps out about Nussmeier is the arm talent, but his overall accuracy on short, intermediate, and deep throws will need to be improved. Nussmeier completed just 64.2% of his attempts last season. Improving that area of his game could be the difference in being selected on Day 1 or 2 next spring.”
CBS Sports
However, the player with the most Round 1 potential in the 2026 NFL Draft is new Oklahoma starting QB John Mateer. A player getting early Heisman Trophy buzz ahead of next season.
“The talk of someone being a “Heisman dark horse” at this time of year can be repetitive, but there’s strong reason to believe Mateer has all the goods to take home college football’s top individual honor. Mateer excelled in his only year as a starter at Washington State, completing 64.6% of his passes for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also set a WSU quarterback program record with 15 scores on the ground.”
CBS Sports
CBS Sports’ look ahead to potential Round 1 QBs in the spring has a good reputation. Last year, they tabbed Miami’s Cam Ward as a player to watch, and he is expected to go No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans tonight. Two years ago, they also mentioned LSU star Jayden Daniels as a player with Round 1 potential. He won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year this past season.
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