As the 2025 season began, the volume of high-end quarterbacks resonated as one of the year’s defining themes.

Heading into Week 4, there’s still little clarity regarding who could emerge from that pack as the top quarterback for the 2026 NFL draft.

ESPN polled 25 NFL scouts and executives to see who they projected as the top quarterback for the upcoming draft. The responses were varied, as seven different quarterbacks came back as the answer for QB1 among the 25 different responses.

South Carolina‘s LaNorris Sellers came back as the top vote-getter with 8, edging LSU‘s Garrett Nussmeier (7). The next crop, in order are Miami‘s Carson Beck (3), Oklahoma‘s John Mateer (3), Penn State‘s Drew Allar (2), Arizona State‘s Sam Leavitt (1) and Texas‘ Arch Manning (1).

While a handful of hyped players have slumped, the crop is still considered a significant uptick from last season.

The poll should be considered more of a touchstone of the varied opinions than a scientific projection. Last season, we conducted the same poll heading into Week 6. At that time, Colorado‘s Shedeur Sanders led Beck (nine votes to five) among the 25 scouts/executives. Cam Ward got one vote. It’s also uncertain who will declare, as Sellers, Mateer, Leavitt and Manning all have eligibility remaining.

The way scouting works, scouts and general managers don’t evaluate everyone week by week. Many general managers don’t dig in intensively until after the season. There’s a process of checking and cross-checking that often goes by region, so many scouts haven’t dug into all the prospects in the same way they will by the end of the season.

“Much like last year,” a general manager said, “it’s hard to pick this early.”

Why is Sellers the early favorite?

“He’s got most physical talent,” one veteran scout told ESPN. “His ability to scramble and make plays with his feet as a runner. He’s instinctive and the ball comes out quick. He’s got a unique talent level. The kid, his story and how he got there. He’s got a toughness to him. It intrigues people.

“He’s got the makeup, intangibles and ability to run. He’s got the most potential to be an impact player.”

The debate between Sellers and Nussmeier came down to physical traits for some scouts. Sellers is a 6-foot-3 and 240 pound redshirt sophomore who fits the modern paradigm of quarterbacks who can be a threat in the called run game.

Nussmeier is listed at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds and is considered a good athlete, as LSU coach Brian Kelly wanted him to use his legs more this season as part of his development. While both are in their second full season as a starter, Nussmeier has been in school five seasons and is the son of an NFL offensive coordinator.

“Instinctive and finds a way,” another scout said. “He’s got a great feel for the position and a good arm.”

Beck has helped himself in the early part of the season, as he struggled in stretches during 2024 after entering the season as the projected favorite to be the top quarterback in the 2025 draft.

“Let’s see if Beck can continue his renaissance,” said a scout, “because there’s enough ability there.”

Mateer’s performance against Michigan convinced a few scouts, as he also fits the more pure dual-threat role.

Most scouts around the NFL expected Manning to go to school another year, and that belief has been amplified only by his tepid start to the 2025 season.

“He’s very talented,” a scout said. “Just from top-to-bottom, arm talent. Just understanding in the pocket and seeing the field and feeling the field. You see his arm strength.

“He just needs to get everything under control and for the game to slow down.”

Florida might be without three of its top defensive linemen when it tries to end a two-game losing streak at No. 4 Miami on Saturday night.

The Gators (1-2) will be without defensive tackles Caleb Banks and Michai Boireau, and potentially starting defensive end George Gumbs Jr., sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Saturday.

Gumbs made the trip to Miami (3-0) for Saturday’s game at Hard Rock Stadium (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) and will try to play, but sources told ESPN that he’s unlikely to go.

Gumbs has 10 tackles and a half-sack in three games.

Sources told ESPN that Boireau didn’t travel to Miami and won’t play against the Hurricanes. He has five tackles in two games and missed last week’s 20-10 loss at LSU with an undisclosed injury.

Banks has already been ruled out of the Miami game after suffering a foot injury against LSU. After missing the first two games, Banks played 29 snaps against the Tigers.

Swamp247 reported Wednesday that Banks had surgery on his foot in Birmingham, Alabama, and a timeline for his return wasn’t known.

Brendan Bett, Brien Taylor Jr. and Jamari Lyons will likely continue to get the majority of playing time up front for the Gators.

“We got a really good group. I’m excited about what I see out of the young players in the group,” Gators coach Billy Napier said. “Still enough players there to have a very effective group.”

HOUSTON — Seattle right-hander Bryan Woo exited the Mariners’ 4-0 win over the Houston Astros because of pectoral tightness after throwing a couple of warmup pitches in the sixth inning Friday night.

Shortly after Woo started warming up on the mound for the sixth, a team trainer and coaches came out. After a brief discussion, the All-Star exited with the trainer, and Eduard Bazardo replaced him.

“He had a little pec tightness,” manager Dan Wilson said after the Mariners’ victory, which vaulted them into first place in the American League West. “He kind of gave us a heads-up and that was why Bazardo was getting loose. We will know more tomorrow. Likely an MRI, and we will get to know a little bit more tomorrow, but that’s all we know at this point.”

Woo said he “felt a little tightness” but came out to try to throw in the sixth.

“It didn’t feel like it was best for the team,” he said. “I felt like Baz was ready to go. We’ll get some stuff done [Saturday], and I’ll know more. I really don’t know much.”

Woo said he had “felt great all game,” and that the tightness happened in the fifth.

“I just felt it at the end,” he said. “I thought it was smart to not try to push it.”

Wilson said when Woo returned to the dugout after the fifth, he told the coaching staff about the issue.

“So, that’s why we were semi-prepared. He was going to give it a shot and still felt tight, so we went to Bazardo at that point,” Wilson said.

Woo cruised through five innings, yielding one hit and one walk while striking out seven in the opener of a pivotal series between the rivals, who began the night tied atop the division.

“It’s a big series, obviously, but I tried to treat it like any other game,” Woo said. “Obviously, take care of business and come out with some urgency, but don’t try to do anything more. Just do your job.”

Woo got the win, improving to 15-7. He threw 67 pitches and lowered his ERA to 2.94. Carlos Correa got the only hit off Woo, a double with one out in the fourth.

Woo has 198 strikeouts this season.

“I think you’re obviously concerned in some ways, but in other ways, Bryan’s a tough cookie,” Wilson said. “It was smart that he let us know. There was no reason to push it. We will just find out more [Saturday].”