With Week 0 in the books and the NCAA football season underway, it’s time to take a look at the top offensive prospects for the upcoming season. The landscape of NCAA football has changed, but one thing remains constant: talent rises to the top. We’re going to use our NPS Grading to evaluate and identify the top NFL prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Old Guard
Grayson McCall, NC State
NPS Grade: 9.24
Preseason Welch Analytics Rank: 1
One of the older prospects at 24 by the start of the 2025 NFL season, McCall is entering his 6th season as a college quarterback. This season, he heads up the NC State Wolfpack after 5 years at Coastal Carolina. While at Coastal, he had an impressive 9.8 yards per attempt (2nd) and 8.6% of his attempts went for touchdowns (3rd). He’s an effective runner with great accuracy, looking to boost his profile by playing in the ACC. Expect McCall to be one of the better quarterbacks in the NCAA this season, but I wouldn’t expect him to be drafted high next season.
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
NPS Grade: 8.41
Preseason Welch Analytics Rank: 4
Taking over for Bo Nix in Eugene, Dillon Gabriel comes in with an impressive track record from Oklahoma. He seems to fit the mold that Oregon is going for—efficient, accurate passers. He has the highest NPS Passer Rating at 9.30 coming into the year. He’s not the most dynamic runner, so you won’t see him scampering down the field too often for the Ducks. His size is also something that drives his grade down, being listed at 5’11”. I see Gabriel in the Heisman mix this season, putting up video game numbers. Next season, he could vault into the 1st round.
Anointed Too Soon?
Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
NPS Grade: 7.75
Preseason Welch Analytics Rank: 15
We have only one season to go on, and Sanders is projecting everywhere to be a top 10 pick next season. With pedigree and near-ideal size for a top NFL quarterback, he should be NFL-ready. Sanders ranks high in completion percentage and interceptions per attempt but doesn’t have the yards per attempt you’d like to see coming out of college. This season will be telling for the future NFL draft pick. If he can lead the Buffalo to the playoff and show he can push the ball down the field with more timing, he’ll skyrocket in the rankings.
Quinn Ewers, Texas
NPS Grade: 8.41
Preseason Welch Analytics Rank: 6
It’s now or never for Ewers, the former #1 prospect in the country, who now enters his senior year as a starting quarterback in the SEC. The defense will be tougher this season, and Ewers has the chance to prove he’s a first-round pick. He’s an 8.74 on our passer rating, and he’ll have to do most of his damage through the air. He lacks the rushing upside to be in the Heisman race and will need to drive the ball down the field more to get the attention of scouts.
One Season Could Change Everything
Jalen Milroe, Alabama
NPS Grade: 7.92
Preseason Welch Analytics Rank: 12
Milroe comes into his junior year heading a team in transition. Kalen DeBoer takes over as the head coach at Bama after leading the Washington Huskies to the National Championship last year. Milroe has been better on the ground than through the air so far in his career (8.80 rushing and 7.18 passing grades). The hope is DeBoer can take Milroe to the next level in the passing game. I predict Milroe will be in the hunt for the Heisman this year and will lead Alabama back to the playoffs with National Championship aspirations. With improvement in his passing abilities, his NPS grade should skyrocket to top 5 levels.
Conner Weigman, Texas A&M
NPS Grade: 8.16
Preseason Welch Analytics Rank: 9
With 9 games under his belt for the Aggies, Weigman is coming into his sophomore season in the top 10. He grades out as a very balanced quarterback with 8.62 passing and 7.60 rushing grades. His completion percentage and yards per attempt need to improve to vault him into the top tier of the rankings. While not a prolific rusher, he’s effective when he does so, averaging over 4 yards per carry and scoring once every 19 times he rushes the ball. With growth this season, Weigman will be a top prospect in the 2026/2027 draft class.