CBS Sports recently put together a list of the top 150 college football players heading into the 2026 season. Then they took the top 10 from that list and asked some NFL scouts, college general managers and personnel executives who were the most overrated. Multiple players were given negative reviews with Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker and Texas’ Arch Manning getting the most votes.
Mestemaker was the top of the overrated class thanks mostly to what will be a step up in competition and the price tag his new school had to pay to land him. Via CBS Sports:
“Feel like most would point to Arch here but I go with Drew,” says a high-ranking ACC personnel executive. “Think the rest of the list is proven and really legit talents. In my mind, Drew is the one and only unproven player at the Power Four level. (I) like some of the traits and he has ability, but I’m rolling with him because I think he is overpaid and (Oklahoma State) won’t even make a bowl game.”
Says a Big Ten general manager: “I’m not sure I’d put (Drew) above (Jayden) Maiava or (Julian) Sayin in terms of pure talent. I don’t think you can put him above (John) Mateer, either. That’s crazy now that I think about it. No way. He’s the second-best quarterback in that state.”
Mestemaker is coming off a huge season at North Texas where he threw for 4,379 yards, 34 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. With Mestemaker and coach Eric Morris, who also moved to Oklahoma State during the offseason, the Mean Green won 12 games for the first time in the history of the program.
Going from an American Conference schedule to a Big 12 schedule is going to be quite an adjustment. Mestemaker is going to have to make a big step up if he wants to avoid the overrated label and earn the $7 million in NIL money he’s been promised.
Arch Manning
MORE: Scouts already believe they know where Arch Manning will land in 2027 NFL Draft
The other big name on the list is no surprise because everyone has a strong opinion on Arch Manning. One anonymous NFL evaluator told CBS Sports that Manning wasn’t a top 10 quarterback, let alone a top 10 player. Pressed to name 10 better, he could not.
Manning’s mechanics and sporadic play were the main reasons he was considered overrated. He put up good numbers overall with 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but some of his performances were unimpressive. His four-touchdown performance in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan, combined with his name makes him an obvious target. The truth is that it will be tough for him to not be considered overrated without an absolutely massive season that ends with a Heisman. That may not be fair, but it is reality for the next Manning up.
Overrated non-quarterbacks
Unsurprisingly, quarterbacks got most of the overrated votes with Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss Oregon’s Dante Moore also receiving votes.
It says a lot about a guy playing a skill position to be considered overrated the way that Miami’s Malachi Toney and Ole Miss’ Kewan Lacy are by some talent evaluators.
Toney had over 1,200 yards last season, including 112 yards and a touchdown in the CFP championship loss to Indiana. Lacy had over 1,500 yards rushing and scored 24 touchdowns as Ole Miss made it all the way to the CFP semifinal against Miami.
Then there’s Jordan Seaton. The LSU offensive tackle spent the first two years of his college career in Colorado playing for Deion Sanders. He was a freshman All-American and then second team All-Big 12 as a sophomore. If LSU can’t keep Sam Leavitt upright this season, Seaton will be one of the people taking the blame.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —