The QB Draft

Summary of The QB Draft

by The Athletic

48m•May 26, 2026
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Overview of The QB Draft by The Athletic

This episode of The Audible mixes college football news with a season-long quarterback fantasy draft. The hosts first react to Steve Sarkisian’s latest barbs at other programs and discuss Ed Orgeron’s return to LSU in a support role under Lane Kiffin’s broader staff-building approach. Then they draft their top five quarterbacks for the season, scoring them by total yards, total TDs minus interceptions, and wins — with all three categories weighted equally and Heisman voting used as a tiebreaker.

News and Notes

Steve Sarkisian’s shot at Texas Tech

  • Sarkisian took a swipe at Texas Tech and the broader “SEC schedule” conversation, implying Texas could beat another in-state program’s schedule with backups.
  • The panel pushed back hard:
    • They argued the comment was unnecessary and factually shaky.
    • They noted Texas Tech outperformed Texas by several opponent-adjusted metrics last year.
  • The discussion broadened into the usual SEC vs. Big Ten debate.
    • The hosts largely dismissed the idea that conference supremacy matters as much as fans think.
    • They also pointed out that the SEC’s recent defensiveness is notable now that the balance of power feels more even.

Ed Orgeron back at LSU

  • The hosts discussed Ed Orgeron returning to LSU in a staff role under Lane Kiffin.
  • Key themes behind the move:
    • Recruiting and evaluation
    • Energy and intensity
    • Organizational balance
  • The panel framed it as a smart fit:
    • Orgeron knows Lane Kiffin extremely well.
    • He can challenge him without worrying about offense or hierarchy.
    • The move suggests Kiffin wants someone who can help sharpen the program’s edge and structure.

QB Draft Format

Scoring system

Each quarterback is judged in three equally weighted categories:

  • Total yards
  • Total TDs minus interceptions
  • Wins

Extra wrinkle

  • Heisman voting serves as the tiebreaker if needed.
  • Bowl games count, and playoff games can matter too, especially for quarterbacks on deep teams.

Draft Results

Ralph Russo

  1. Trinidad Chambliss — Ole Miss
  2. Byron Brown — Auburn
  3. Arch Manning — Texas
  4. Marcel Reed — Texas A&M
  5. Caden Veltkamp — FAU

Rationale: Ralph leaned into a mix of upside, dual-threat ability, and team quality. His Arch Manning pick was widely seen as a steal.

Bruce Feldman

  1. Drew Mestemaker — Oklahoma State
  2. Darian Mensah — Miami, as referred to in the episode
  3. Dante Moore — Oregon
  4. John Mateer — Oklahoma
  5. CJ Carr — Notre Dame

Rationale: Bruce leaned more toward quarterbacks with high-level talent and strong team contexts, even if some may not pile up huge fantasy-style numbers.

Stuart Mandel

  1. Fernando Mendoza — Indiana
  2. Jaden Maiava — USC
  3. Julian Sayin — Ohio State
  4. Demond Williams Jr. — Washington
  5. JKS / Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele — Cal

Rationale: Stu prioritized systems, projected wins, and dual-threat ability, with a few bets on quarterbacks who could outperform their draft slot.

Best Picks and Biggest Debate Points

Most valued traits in the draft

  • Running ability
  • Offensive system
  • Projected team wins
  • Turnover avoidance

Players the hosts kept circling

  • Sam Leavitt
  • Kevin Jennings
  • Conner Weigman
  • Lenoris Sellers
  • Steve Angeli
  • Keelan Russell
  • Noah Fifita

Notable strategic disagreement

  • Ralph and Stu leaned more toward fantasy-style production and fit.
  • Bruce admitted he was often drawn to the best pure quarterback, even when the format rewarded broader statistical upside.

Who Won the Draft?

The hosts unanimously gave the edge to Ralph Russo.

Why Ralph’s roster stood out

  • Trinidad Chambliss was viewed as a strong first overall type in this format.
  • Arch Manning in the third round was considered a major value pick.
  • Caden Veltkamp fit the “big numbers in a pass-heavy system” profile.

Listener Takeaways

  • This episode is less about traditional quarterback rankings and more about projected production within college football’s modern landscape.
  • The show emphasizes how much NIL, the portal, and system fit now shape quarterback value.
  • The hosts’ draft logic suggests that in college football, the best fantasy-style QB bets are often:
    • high-usage dual threats,
    • quarterbacks in aggressive systems,
    • and passers on teams likely to win a lot of games.

Follow-Up from the Show

  • The next episode will be a mailbag.
  • The hosts asked listeners to send:
    • questions
    • feedback
    • who you think won the draft
    • who they missed

Email: theaudiblepod@gmail.com