The 2026 Senior Bowl features six quarterbacks hoping to boost their NFL Draft stock in Mobile, Alabama, this week. The game kicks off Saturday, January 31, at 2:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network.
The American team features LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Arkansas’ Taylen Green and Illinois’ Luke Altmyer, while the National team includes Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia, North Dakota State’s Cole Payton and Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson.
Through the first two days of practice, North Dakota State’s Cole Payton has emerged as the surprise standout among the signal-callers, ESPN reported. Heisman Trophy runner-up Diego Pavia has also made waves with his trademark confidence despite measuring in well below his listed height.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt (National Team)
The Heisman Trophy runner-up is the most recognizable name in the quarterback room. After transferring from New Mexico State, Diego Pavia, 23, transformed Vanderbilt from an SEC bottom-dweller into a contender, leading the Commodores to a program-best 10-3 record in 2025. He completed 70.6% of his passes for 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns while adding 862 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground.
Pavia’s height has been the biggest talking point this week. He measured at 5-foot-9 7/8 and 198 pounds at the Senior Bowl—well below Vanderbilt’s listed measurements of 6-foot, 207 pounds, according to Yahoo Sports.
“I just want to show it don’t matter what size you are,” Pavia told ESPN’s Pete Thamel. “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight. It’s the size of the fight in the dog.”
When asked if he believes he’ll be drafted, Pavia didn’t hesitate.
“A hundred-percent,” he told ESPN. “When has the last SEC player of the year not been drafted? The tape speaks for itself. I feel like I’m the best player in the country, and I still believe that.”
Pavia said he’s working with quarterback trainer Darrell Colbert for the first time in his career. He’s projected as a Day 3 pick, according t
2. Cole Payton, North Dakota State (National Team)
The biggest riser through two days of Senior Bowl practices has been Cole Payton, the left-handed quarterback from FCS powerhouse North Dakota State. ESPN’s Jordan Reid called Payton the best quarterback on Day 1, and he followed up with another strong performance on Day 2.
Payton, 6-foot-2, 229 pounds, spent five seasons with the Bison and helped the program win national championships in 2021 and 2024. In his lone season as the starter in 2025, he threw for 2,719 yards and 16 touchdowns with just 4 interceptions while completing 72.0% of his passes. He also rushed for 894 yards and 4 touchdowns, according to Yahoo Sports.
“Payton can throw the ball. He is an excellent runner and showed quite a bit today, as the pocket collapsed numerous times,” one scout at the Senior Bowl wrote for Dawgs By Nature. “Very accurate with great mobility. Maybe he will crawl into the second round after this week.”
Senior Bowl Executive Director Drew Fabianich highlighted Payton before the week began.
“He threw for 21 TDs and ran for 31 more despite starting only one season for the Bison,” Fabianich told NFL.com.
ESPN’s Matt Miller noted that despite Payton’s “looping, left-handed throwing motion,” he was the most consistently accurate quarterback through two days of practice. Payton suffered a broken thumb on his throwing hand during NDSU’s FCS playoff loss but showed no signs of the injury in Mobile.
3. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor (National Team)
Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson arrived in Mobile hoping to quiet concerns about his decision-making after a 2025 season that saw him throw a career-high 12 interceptions. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound quarterback led the Big 12 in completions (504), passing yards (3,681) and passing touchdowns (31) last season, but the Bears finished 5-7.
Robertson began his collegiate career at Mississippi State in 2022 before transferring to Baylor. His father, Stan Robertson, was a first-round MLB Draft pick in 1990, Sports Illustrated reported.
“For being a big man, he’s got escapability and runnability,” Senior Bowl Executive Director Drew Fabianich said. “He’s got to show people he can throw under pressure. I think this is going to help him throughout the process.”
Fabianich called Robertson “one of the best pure passers in this entire group,” NFL.com reported.
4. Luke Altmyer, Illinois (American Team)
Illinois’ Luke Altmyer may be the most overlooked quarterback in Mobile. The Starkville, Mississippi, native transferred from Ole Miss to Illinois after the 2022 season and became one of the most productive passers in program history, The Dispatch reported.
In 2025, Altmyer threw for a career-high 3,007 yards with 22 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions while completing 67.4% of his passes. He led Illinois to a 9-4 record and a Music City Bowl victory over Tennessee—the program’s first postseason wins since 2011.
Draft analysts at the Senior Bowl have praised Altmyer’s consistency. NFL Draft Countdown’s on-site reporter called him “the best overall QB I saw today” after Day 1 of American Team practice.
“Luke Altmyer may be the most Steady Eddie of the group,” NFL Draft Countdown wrote. “Good size, decent arm, and he could rise with a good week.”
Altmyer, 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, finished his Illinois career as the program’s all-time leader in passer rating and completion percentage, according to The Champaign Room.
5. Taylen Green, Arkansas (American Team)
Arkansas’ Taylen Green is the most physically gifted quarterback at the Senior Bowl. At 6-foot-6, 224 pounds with elite running ability, Green is a raw dual-threat prospect with a high ceiling, according to Bleacher Report.
Green transferred to Arkansas from Boise State before the 2024 season. In 2025, he completed 198 of 326 passes for 2,714 yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while rushing for 777 yards and 8 touchdowns. He rushed for 2,400 yards during his four years as a starter between Boise State and Arkansas.
On Day 2 of practice, Green threw what was described as the play of the week—a deep ball to Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields that resulted in a spectacular diving catch.
“The play of the entire day came when Arkansas QB Taylen Green threw an absolute rope to Notre Dame WR Malachi Fields,” NFL Draft Countdown reported.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid ranks Green as the No. 7 quarterback in the 2026 class and projects him to go early on Day 3.
“Green needs to begin taking what the defense gives him,” Bleacher Report wrote. “He must work to the check downs. Too often, his eyes are dialed in on downfield routes.”
Detroit Lions assistant Marques Tuiasosopo is coaching quarterbacks for the American Team and will get an up-close look at Green, SI.com reported.
6. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU (American Team)
Entering the 2025 season, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier was a potential top-10 pick after throwing for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024. Instead, an abdominal injury suffered in August derailed his season, limiting him to 1,927 passing yards and 12 touchdowns before he missed the final month.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Nussmeier is looking to recapture his early-round buzz. His father, Doug Nussmeier, serves as the New Orleans Saints‘ offensive coordinator and was on hand in Mobile this week.
“I feel good. It’s been a long process trying to get healthy,” the younger Nussmeier said during a Senior Bowl interview. “About a month ago was the first time we were able to figure out what it was. Finally got a good plan to try and get healthy.”
ESPN’s Jordan Reid predicted before the week that Nussmeier would be the most impressive passer in Mobile.
“His anticipation and accuracy will shine in this setting,” Reid wrote. “The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Nussmeier has a daredevil mentality and isn’t shy about throwing into tight windows. In speaking to scouts over the past few weeks, the highest projection I’ve heard is Round 3, but others had Round 5 or 6 grades on him.”
If Nussmeier can show NFL teams he’s healthy, he could work his way back into Day 2 of the draft.
“I think my biggest superpower is my ability to connect with my teammates and lead a locker room,” Nussmeier told The Draft Network. “I go out there willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done for the guys around me.”
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