Which teams are the most QB-needy for 2026? Here are 11 teams that are in the market
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Eli Lederman
Official visits are set, commitments dates are locked in, and the busiest stretch of college football’s annual recruiting calendar is upon us. If the trends of last year’s cycle — when 43% of ESPN’s top 300 prospects sealed their final commitments between June 1 and Aug. 31 — are any indication, the bulk of the 2026 recruiting class will sort itself over the next three months.
However, while the latest cycle is just about to take off in earnest, the top end of the 2026 quarterback class is largely settled already, at least for the time being. Following Jared Curtis‘ May 5 pledge to Georgia, all four of the nation’s five-star QBs and 14 of the 18 passers ranked inside the 2026 ESPN 300 are committed, leaving four blue-chip prospects still on the board:
Despite that scarcity, there are a handful of top programs across the country still working hard to land a 2026 quarterback. Which teams remain the most QB-needy on the recruiting trail as of late spring? We broke them down by tier, from the schools that have to land an elite passer in 2026 to others expected to be active in the QB market, and a few more who could join in this summer.
Jump to a section:
Need to land top QB | Teams to remain in QB market
Don’t need, but might grab | Lingering questions
Tier 1: Need to land a top quarterback in the 2026 class
In his sixth full-recruiting cycle with the Seminoles, coach Mike Norvell is still waiting for his quarterback pipeline to take off. The January decommitment of four-star recruit Brady Smigiel (No. 45 in the 2026 ESPN 300) marked the latest blow to the program’s future plans at the position. Four months later, Florida State’s efforts to land an elite 2026 passer hinge on a pair of priority targets: four-star Landon Duckworth and Oklahoma commit Jaden O’Neal.
Duckworth, a dynamic playmaker who accounted for 51 total touchdowns as a junior last fall, is a precise fit for the mold of a dual-threat quarterback that first-year Seminoles playcaller Gus Malzahn has traditionally relied on over the years. While Ole Miss has established itself as the clear leader in Duckworth’s process this spring, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound prospect from Jackson, Alabama, knows Norvell’s history of producing high-scoring offenses and was previously recruited by Malzahn at UCF. Florida State will get its next chance to woo Duckworth when he arrives for an official visit on June 13.
O’Neal has been committed to Oklahoma since June 24, 2024. But following a coordinator change amid the Sooners’ pursuit of a second quarterback in the 2026 class, ESPN’s seventh-ranked pocket passer enters late spring as a prime flip candidate. O’Neal (No. 113 overall) took unofficial trips to Florida State and Auburn this spring while entertaining interest from Georgia, and he’ll see the Seminoles again for a multiday official visit starting on June 15.
Florida State has gotten just 10 combined starts from the four high school quarterbacks it signed across five classes from 2020-24, and only one of those passers — redshirt sophomore Brock Glenn — still remains on the program’s roster. Can Norvell & Co. get it right in 2026 with Duckworth or O’Neal?
The Tigers didn’t sign a quarterback in the 2025 cycle after Bryce Underwood’s stunning flip to Michigan last November. Even with the offseason addition of Mississippi State transfer Michael Van Buren, the program’s future depth behind Garrett Nussmeier in 2025 is thin, and coach Brian Kelly and his staff have worked hard over the past sixth months in pursuit of a quarterback for the Tigers’ 2026 class.
LSU circled back with five-star prospects Dia Bell (Texas commit) and Keisean Henderson (Houston) and four-star Arizona State pledge Jake Fette (No. 158 overall) earlier this year to no avail. The Tigers were also heavily involved in the recruitment of four-star recruit Jonas Williams (No. 156 overall) prior to his February flip from Oregon to USC. Navigating a narrowing quarterback market, the Tigers have now turned their attention to four-star recruit Bowe Bentley (No. 262 overall), one of the cycle’s top risers this spring after he led Celina (Texas) High School to a 16-0 finish and a 4A state title as a first-year starter last fall.
Bentley landed more than a dozen Power 4 offers before trimming his list of finalists to Georgia, LSU and Oklahoma in late March. Following Jared Curtis’ May 5 pledge to Georgia, Bentley’s recruitment is down to the Tigers and Sooners, and the stage is now set for a critical stretch that will see Bentley travel to LSU (May 30) and Oklahoma (June 6) on back-to-back weekends as he reaches the closing stages in his recruitment. Bentley is LSU’s best chance at grabbing a top QB.
Like LSU, Ole Miss went without a quarterback signee in the 2025 class, but it was not for lack of trying, most notably through the program’s late-fall efforts to flip in-state four-star Deuce Knight from his Auburn pledge. After missing out on one coveted dual-threat passer a year ago, could coach Lane Kiffin manage to land another in the 2026 cycle?
The Rebels have certainly laid the groundwork this spring, centering Duckworth — ESPN’s second-ranked uncommitted quarterback prospect — as the potential cornerstone of Ole Miss’ 2026 class during a pair of unofficial visits with the program this spring.
Kiffin and Rebels offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. have sold Duckworth heavily on his fit in the program’s offensive scheme and their development of former quarterback Jaxson Dart, another mobile passer who emerged as a first-round NFL draft pick after three seasons at Ole Miss. As Duckworth prepares for a slate of spring official visits to Auburn, South Carolina, Florida State and Ole Miss, Kiffin and the Rebels hold a definitive lead in his recruitment.
Redshirt sophomore Austin Simmons will take over starting duties with three years of remaining eligibility this fall. Ole Miss’ current quarterback depth includes a pair of talented underclassmen, too, between former ESPN 300 signee AJ Maddox and Oklahoma State transfer Maealiuaki Smith. But there’s a reason why Kiffin and his staff are so invested in Duckworth, who would mark the program’s highest-ranked quarterback signee since Matt Corral in 2018.
Tier 2: Programs that will remain active in the QB market
Auburn
After finishing 71st nationally in scoring last fall, the Tigers renovated their quarterback room during the offseason with transfers Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma) and Ashton Daniels (Stanford) and Knight, the talented freshman they pried away from Notre Dame last fall.
Knight, No. 40 in the 2025 ESPN 300, is viewed as a future starter at Auburn. But his arrival has not kept the program from pursuing quarterbacks in the 2026 class. The Tigers hosted O’Neal, the Oklahoma pledge, for a visit earlier this spring and stand among the challengers to Ole Miss in the chase for Duckworth, who will take his official to Auburn on May 30.
Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter presents an experienced stopgap in 2025, but the Buffaloes secured their heir apparent to Shedeur Sanders with the flip of five-star quarterback Julian Lewis from USC last November.
Still, Colorado has maintained a presence on the 2026 quarterback trail this spring. The Buffaloes were finalists for three-star Mississippi State pledge Brodie McWhorter, four-star Michigan State commit Kayd Coffman and three-star recruit Luke Fahey among their most recent offers. Most prominently, Colorado remains as one of seven schools in the mix for four-star pocket passer Oscar Rios (No. 193 in ESPN 300), who will close a busy run of spring officials with a trip to see coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes on June 20.
No program is garnering more attention in 2025 than the Tar Heels, and North Carolina’s quarterback recruiting is a key subplot in coach Bill Belichick’s first full cycle with the program following Zaid Lott’s flip to Syracuse in March.
Belichick, whose contract stipulates access to $13 million in revenue sharing dollars, has money to spend on his roster. The Tar Heels have already missed on a pair of big swings with top-100 quarterbacks Curtis and Smigiel, but Duckworth remains a realistic option who could still schedule an official visit with the program over the next month. North Carolina did beat out Auburn for three-star, dual-threat Travis Burgess.
Oklahoma
A once-settled Sooners quarterback situation in the 2026 class could see a few twists and turns before all is said. O’Neal, who committed last June under former offensive coordinator Seth Littrell, remains the top-ranked member of Oklahoma’s incoming class while the Sooners’ staff are now full-throttle in their pursuit of Bentley, whose recruitment could be wrapped up within the next month following his pair of official visits.
All of that fits the program’s plan to add two passers in the 2026 cycle under first-year coordinator Ben Arbuckle. But will it play out so seamlessly? A commitment from Bentley could be the ultimate nudge that prompts O’Neal to jump elsewhere. Conversely, if Bentley lands with LSU, keeping O’Neal on board will be more important than ever. Of course, there’s also the disaster scenario for Oklahoma where Bentley commits to LSU and O’Neal flips elsewhere this summer, sending OU back to the drawing board in the 2026 quarterback class with rising three-star prospect Matt Ponatoski among the passers the program has kept in touch with this spring.
South Carolina
The rise of LaNorris Sellers and the addition of a once-prized talent in Ohio State transfer Air Noland gives the Gamecocks security in the medium-term. However, South Carolina’s efforts in the 2026 quarterback class over the first half of this year suggest coach Shane Beamer knows he needs to add another passer this cycle.
The Gamecocks were among four top contenders for Curtis in January before the nation’s No. 1 overall quarterback cut his recruitment to Oregon and Georgia. The program made Smigiel another priority target and made a late push in April before his commitment to Michigan. Those misses have turned the Gamecocks’ attention back to Duckworth, who previously spent 10 months in South Carolina’s 2026 class before reopening his recruitment last June. Duckworth will return to campus for an official visit next month, where Beamer and the Gamecocks would secure a major recruiting victory if they manage to pull him back into fold amid interest from Ole Miss, Auburn and Florida State.
Tier 3: We don’t need a 2026 QB, but we still might go get one anyway
The Class of 2025 addition of five-star passer Keelon Russell, No. 2 in the 2025 ESPN 300, not only diminishes the Crimson Tide’s need for a quarterback in this cycle, but might also be working against the program’s ability to land one in 2026. Such are the lofty expectations surrounding the dynamic Russell and his future at Alabama.
The Crimson Tide do appear to be ramping up their efforts on the quarterback trail, though. After keeping in touch with Houston pledge Keisean Henderson and eventual Penn State commit Peyton Falzone (No. 236 in ESPN 300) this spring, Alabama extended offers to Ponatoski, ESPN’s No. 27 pocket passer, and three-star Iowa State pledge Jett Thomalla last week. While Kalen DeBoer & Co. might not be battling at the upper reaches of the 2026 quarterback class, there is motivation within the program to continue its pipeline at the position in this cycle.
Ohio State
Between projected 2025 starter Julian Sayin and five-star 2025 signee Tavien St. Clair, the defending national champions are already well-stocked on young quarterback talent. The commitment of coveted 2027 passer Brady Edmunds adds another layer of security to the Buckeyes future at the position.
However, the Buckeyes haven’t been entirely quiet around the current quarterback class, notably hosting top uncommitted passer Ryder Lyons (No. 50 in ESPN 300) and Bentley for visits earlier this spring. More recently, Michigan State commit Kayd Coffman spent a day on campus with the Ohio State staff last month, though the Buckeyes have not yet formally offered ESPN’s fifth-ranked dual-threat prospect. Expect Ohio State to linger as a potential flip contender for multiple prospects across the country from now to the early signing period.
Oregon
Coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks did everything they could to sway Curtis before the five-star passer returned to his place atop Georgia’s 2026 class earlier this month. Multiple years of remaining eligibility for Dante Moore and Austin Novosad, coupled with the arrival of four-star freshman Akili Smith Jr. mean Oregon could comfortably go without a quarterback signee in 2026, but the program’s movements on the trail this spring suggest that won’t be the case.
The Ducks are among the long line of programs to check in with Henderson, the five-star Houston commit this spring. More pressing, the program remains firmly in the mix for Lyons, the four-star passer who will take officials with BYU, Oregon and USC in June. Given the Ducks’ eligibility cushion at quarterbacks, Lyons’ plan to enroll in 2027 following a one-year mission trip won’t be an issue for Oregon. If the Ducks miss on Lyons, then Ponatoski — a two-sport star from Cincinnati who intends to play baseball in college — could emerge as a primary target.
Lingering questions for the 2026 quarterback class
What happens if Jaden O’Neal decommits from Oklahoma?
Plenty of drama could still unfold within the 2026 quarterback class from now to the early signing period. But as things stand, O’Neal appears to be the most likely candidate to flip.
If O’Neal eventually pulls his pledge from the Sooners, he’ll immediately emerge as one of the top available quarterbacks in the 2026 class with previously interested parties like Auburn and Florida State primed to pounce on his availability. Depending on other outcomes across the quarterback class, there could be a number of other programs — LSU, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Oregon — primed to enter the race, too. As for Oklahoma, the scale of damage surrounding O’Neal’s exit would be entirely dependent on where Bentley lands and how open his recruitment might remain if the four-star recruit commits to a program other than the Sooners.
Can anyone flip Keisean Henderson?
No program has shown more faith in Henderson’s ability to play quarterback at the college level than Houston, and the five-star has continued to recruit on behalf of the Cougars this spring while remaining fully locked in with his May 2024 commitment to the program.
However, as long as the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State and Oregon are maintaining contact with Henderson, the door will be open to a potential flip. The noise around Henderson’s recruitment has been quiet this spring, but that could certainly change in the coming months, especially if QB-needy programs such as Florida State, North Carolina and LSU miss on other top targets this summer and intensify their efforts with the athletic playmaker from Spring, Texas. Henderson’s recruitment will be one to watch Houston work to hang on to the highest-ranked pledge in program history.
Who are the most intriguing uncommitted, non-ESPN 300 quarterbacks?
The collection of quarterback talent in the 2026 class extends beyond the ESPN 300, and history shows that star ratings and prospect rankings are always perfect predictors of future success. So which relatively unheralded quarterback recruits could emerge as key targets in this cycle?
Ponatoski is one prospect generating significant interest this spring after throwing for more than 4,000 yards with 56 touchdowns last fall. Aided by his two-sport ability, Ponatoski now counts Alabama and Oregon among the prominent newcomers in his recruitment and also holds significant interest from Arkansas, Duke, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Texas A&M, among others.
Nathan Bernhard, ESPN’s No. 14 pocket passer, flirted heavily with Michigan before he committed to App State last month after the Wolverines landed on Smigiel as the program’s 2026 quarterback. Indiana Hoosiers, Maryland Terrapins, Michigan State and Penn State all entered the mix for Bernhard earlier this spring, and he could emerge as a prized flip candidate later in the cycle for Power 4 programs still looking to secure a quarterback pledge.
Three-star prospect Femi Babalola is another quarterback gaining attention ahead of the busy summer recruiting period. Among more than a dozen Division I offers, NC State, Boston College and Tulane rank among Babalola’s leading contenders while Arizona, Georgia Tech, Maryland and Virginia Tech have all offered ESPN’s No. 18 pocket passer this spring.
Developments around Burgess, the Auburn, North Carolina and NC State target, will have ripple effects across the 2026 quarterback class. Three-star passers Romin Seymour, Laird Finkel and Jarin Mock are another trio worth keeping an eye on this summer.
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Ryan S. Clark
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Kristen Shilton
There’s an ancient South Florida proverb about numbers: Not one. Not two. Not three. Not four.
Opening the Eastern Conference finals with five goals in Game 1 on Tuesday showed that at least for one game the Florida Panthers could find a breakthrough against the Carolina Hurricanes. Only for Thursday to arrive and the Panthers to once again post five more goals in a 5-0 win to take a 2-0 series lead before heading back to Sunrise for Game 3.
How did both teams perform? Who are the players to watch next game, and what are the big questions facing the Hurricanes and Panthers ahead of Game 3 on Saturday?
Say what you will about the offside goal being akin to Charlie Brown getting the football pulled out from under him by Lucy. While it’s possible that the disallowed goal could have provided momentum, there were other things that suggested the Hurricanes were going to struggle.
Under Rod Brind’Amour, they’ve become one of the teams that consistently generates the highest number of shots per game. They entered Game 2 averaging 33.2 shots per game, yet they hadn’t even cracked double digits until there was 14 minutes remaining in the third period. Natural Stat Trick’s metrics showed they had two high-danger scoring chances midway through the third period, and after giving up seven goals throughout the entirety of the second round, they’ve allowed 10 goals in the first two games.
Or view it this way: The Panthers had more goals than the Hurricanes had high-danger scoring chances. — Clark
What more is there to say about Florida, really? The term “clinic” doesn’t seem to cover it. The Panthers have done it all against Carolina in these first two games.
Thursday was another dominant performance by the reigning Stanley Cup champions in an offensive and defensive effort that requires no notes. The Panthers set a tone early with Gustav Forsling‘s goal just 1:17 into the game and never relented. The Hurricanes were averaging over 33 shots per night in the postseason (second most among playoff teams), and Florida limited their chances to seven shots through the first two periods alone — while the Panthers pummeled Carolina with 16 shots and four goals in the same span. It was enough to chase Frederik Andersen from the net, when he was replaced by Pyotr Kochetkov with a four-goal deficit.
The Hurricanes’ top scorers were simply no match for Florida’s attack or a locked-in Sergei Bobrovsky, who, while not heavily challenged, was a match for all comers in a 16-save shutout. The way Florida is playing right now, one has to wonder how the Hurricanes can get back in this series as the teams shift down to Florida. — Shilton
Three Stars of Game 2
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Panthers go up 3-0 on Sam Bennett’s power-play goal
The Panthers threaten to run away with it after Sam Bennett’s power-play goal makes it 3-0 in the first period.
He had two goals and a helper, as the Panthers dominated the Hurricanes in Game 2. This is Bennett’s second career 3-plus point playoff game and second career multigoal playoff game.
2. Team defense
The Hurricanes were averaging 33.2 shots per game this postseason, second in the playoffs to the Colorado Avalanche. But the Panthers, with their efficient and suffocating defense, held Carolina to five shots in the first 30 minutes of the game. Near the end of the second period, the fans at Lenovo Center were growing tired of it and started chanting “shoot the puck” at their team. Carolina did have more shot volume in the third period, ending with 17, but nothing got past Sergei Bobrovsky.
3. Offside reviews and coaching tactics
Normally, I’m not the biggest fan of lengthy offside reviews. I wish there was a timer — if you can’t make the call in 90 seconds, then the call on the ice stands. But the Florida Panthers executed one to perfection in Game 2. Up 3-0 in the second period, the Hurricanes scored, but thinking the play was offside, the Panthers called a timeout to buy more time to see every angle available, eventually calling for the challenge. It was indeed determined to be offside and the goal was taken away. — Arda Öcal
Players to watch in Game 3
Let’s start here with the Hurricanes. There’s no shortage of options. Part of the reason Svechnikov is in this space is because he leads the Hurricanes in goals this postseason. The rest of it has more to do with whether the Canes can rely on a certain postseason pattern for Svechnikov holding true. After going goalless in Games 2 and 3 against the New Jersey Devils in the first round, he responded with a hat trick. He didn’t score in the first two games against the Washington Capitals only to then score a goal in three straight games. Could Svechnikov respond by grabbing at least one goal in Game 3? Or are the Canes in store for more offensive struggles once they arrive in Sunrise? — Clark
The Panthers’ instigator had been quiet since Florida’s first-round series win over Tampa Bay, recording just five assists in eight games heading into Game 2 against Carolina. But Tkachuk looked more like himself Thursday, agitating the Hurricanes and making his physical presence felt. He also emerged early on the score sheet, registering an assist on Gustav Forsling’s game-opening salvo and adding a goal — Tkachuk’s first in 10 games — in the opening period to extend Florida’s lead to 2-0. It was a testament to how commanding Tkachuk’s line was with Sam Bennett (two goals and an assist) and Carter Verhaeghe (three assists) that he was able to finally appear as the Tkachuk of old. If this was indeed Tkachuk’s reawakening after a slow stretch, then the Hurricanes better be well aware of Tkachuk going forward because he was as dangerous as ever at both ends of the ice in Game 2. — Shilton
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Matthew Tkachuk taps it in to pad the Panthers’ lead
Matthew Tkachuk sneaks the puck past the goalie to pad the Panthers’ lead against the Hurricanes.
Big questions for Game 3
What’s the response to their worst playoff loss this year?
Several questions will be asked when it comes to what adjustments can be made before Game 3. Could one of them be about what the Hurricanes must do to get off to a stronger start? Allowing two first-period goals in Game 1 already presented the reality that the Panthers were going to remain aggressive. But to then give up the first goal less than two minutes into the first before giving up three in total in an opening frame that saw the Panthers record just five shots on net? That only adds to the degree of difficulty for a team that has now lost two straight playoff games after losing two postseason games in total over the first two rounds, especially when the last time the Hurricanes were down 0-2 to the Panthers in a playoff series was during the 2023 Eastern Conference finals in which they were swept. — Clark
Will Sam Reinhart be back at full strength for the Panthers?
Florida saw one of its top skaters exit in the first period after Sebastian Aho delivered a hit that forced Reinhart out for the remainder of the game with a lower-body injury. While Florida had Game 2 well in hand even before Reinhart became unavailable, it’s safe to say the Panthers are a better team when he’s in the lineup. Reinhart’s status going forward is significant for Florida overall. Reinhart paced the Panthers with 39 goals and 81 points in the regular season and notched 11 points in 13 postseason tilts going into Game 2. Florida must hope that Reinhart isn’t just available for Game 3 (and beyond), but that he’s not too banged up to continue operating at a high level. — Shilton
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