On Tuesday, The Athletic published our ranking of the 138 projected starting quarterbacks for the 2026 season. There were plenty of familiar names near the top of the list, such as Trinidad Chambliss (No. 1), CJ Carr (No. 3) and Arch Manning (No. 7).Two of those players, Chambliss and Carr, were relative unknowns at this point last year. Sure, Carr was a former top-100 national recruit who played for Notre Dame, but he had yet to attempt a pass in college and wasn’t even the sure-fire starter. Chambliss, meanwhile, was a projected backup who transferred from a Division II school.So, which players are among the next wave of future stars? I scoured our ranking and identified 10 players who have a chance to thrive in 2026.To qualify for the list, a QB could not be in the first three tiers of our ranking (up through No. 30) and could have no more than two years of experience in college. He also could not have been on last year’s list.College QB Tiers: Which quarterback has the highest ceiling?Antonio Morales and Sam Khan Jr.1. Kamario Taylor, Mississippi StateThe Athletic QB Tiers ranking: No. 32, Tier 4Jeff Lebby is 7-18 overall and has won only one SEC game in two seasons at Mississippi State. But if you’re searching for a reason why things could improve very soon, look no further than his 6-foot-4, 230-pound dual-threat quarterback.Taylor, a Mississippi native, was used primarily as a runner during his freshman season as a backup and change-of-pace option to Blake Shapen. He ran for 458 yards and eight touchdowns on 82 carries and made his first start in the Egg Bowl at the end of the regular season, when he ran for 173 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-19 loss. Taylor then closed out the season by completing 13 of 22 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown in a 43-29 Duke Mayo’s Bowl loss to Wake Forest.Lebby’s up-tempo offense and quarterback-run packages should create plenty of opportunities for Taylor to put up huge numbers as the full-time starter.2. Will Hammond, Texas TechThe Athletic QB Tiers ranking: No. 35, Tier 4Brendan Sorsby’s exit opened the door for Hammond — last season’s backup to Behren Morton — to play a prominent role for the defending Big 12 champions. The redshirt sophomore played in eight games last season and made two starts for the injured Morton, but he tore the ACL in his right knee in late October. He might not be ready for the opener, but the Red Raiders expect him back at some point early in the season.In Mack Leftwich’s offense, Hammond’s scrambling ability will give the Red Raiders an added dimension Morton didn’t really provide. The closest comparison is another quarterback Leftwich coached: Lindsey Scott, who won the Walter Payton Award (given to the top offensive player in the FCS) at Incarnate Word in 2022 and is now Texas Tech’s assistant quarterbacks coach.3. Cutter Boley, Arizona StateThe Athletic QB Tiers ranking: No. 40, Tier 4Boley is the most experienced quarterback on this list, having appeared in 15 games (11 starts) in two seasons at Kentucky.