We have officially made it to the point in the year where dynasty, devy, and C2C drafts are in full swing. Jim (@jim_DFF) and I (@Evan_Kerr_) have been hard at work adjusting and tinkering with our devy rankings to make them a near-perfect product for all to utilize. Grinding film and digging into analytics has helped us to painstakingly rank over 300 players on their ability to make the jump to the next level.
The process has made us question ourselves in a number of ways, and even now that the rankings are updated, we find ourselves questioning where different players landed on the big board.
In this four-article series, we’ve decided to peel back the proverbial curtain and reveal some of what goes on within the mind of a devy ranker. Isolating one position for each article, we were each asked a series of five questions that forced us to decide which players we think are too high, which players we think are too low, a player that we just can’t seem to quit, a player we have completely given up on, and a deep sleeper we think more people need to be talking about.
In the first edition of the Devy Rankings Q&A, we focused on the quarterbacks.
Q: What player do you feel is ranked too highly and could have drafters regretting their choice in the future?
Evan: Julian Sayin. As a Buckeye fan through and through, this one is really hard to say, but this is about ranking players in regard to future fantasy success at the NFL level. Sayin ranks as my 11th overall quarterback, but most of that has to do with perceived value. His arm velocity is poor, and he struggles to push the ball downfield. He also offers (at least to this point) no real rushing ability. He is largely a pocket passer that distributes the ball well, but I really worry that his arm strength and lack of rushing upside cap his fantasy ceiling. The masses still talk highly of Sayin, though, which makes him an excellent trade piece for an established NFL player or more stable devy asset.
Jim: Bryce Underwood. And listen, before you guys come at me on X, let me just say he is still a Top 10 devy quarterback for me, and just outside my Top 25 overall players. I’m just not willing to call him a lock for superstardom, given how his freshman season and the subsequent spring game went.
To say Underwood’s true freshman campaign was underwhelming would be an understatement. He posted just 11 passing touchdowns in 13 games, throwing for under 150 yards in five of those contests. Underwood’s underlying metrics were fairly weak, and while I understand he was just one year removed from high school, he’ll have to take a colossal step forward in 2026 to even hold his current devy value. The ceiling is still there, given his Konami Code playstyle, but I’m passing on his current price.
Q: What player do you feel is ranked too low that could see their value substantially rise this season?
Evan: Drew Mestemaker. Maybe I am buying into him a little too much, but I watch the film for Mestemaker and come away thinking that he might be the best pocket passer in the 2027 class. Even more interesting is that his athletic measurables make him compare favorably to players like Lamar Jackson and Justin Fields. In no way am I saying he will be either of those players, but it’s never a bad thing for a fantasy player to have that type of athleticism built into the profile. Sure, he was playing against lesser competition at North Texas last season, but NFL-caliber quarterbacks come from all over the place. Just look at Cam Ward, who worked his way up from Incarnate Word to be the starting quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. Mestemaker will need to make the jump to Big 12 competition at Oklahoma State this year, but he brought both Wyatt Young and Caleb Hawkins with him, which should make the transition easier. He had two games last season against ranked opponents, and while he threw for a combined 600+ yards and 4 touchdowns in those games, he also totaled 6 interceptions. It’s easy to see how this gamble could go either way, but my gut is saying that he is a player more drafters are going to wish they had bought into earlier.
Jim: Josh Hoover. Coming over from TCU to play for the reigning champs and HC Curt Cignetti, the sky could be the limit with Hoover in 2026. In my opinion, he’s an above-average processor with good awareness in the pocket, and throws one of the prettiest balls in college football today. The red flags are that he’s been known to play hero ball, leading to a high turnover rate during his time with the Horned Frogs. Some of this can be attributed to a poor run game and a pass-heavy scheme, allowing defenses to play for the pass. He also provides little to no rushing upside, capping his fantasy ceiling to an extent. With all that in mind, I do think Hoover today is every bit as good a prospect as Fernando Mendoza was this time last year, and Mendoza was drafted first overall and is going at the 1.05 or earlier in Superflex Rookie drafts. Mendoza wasn’t considered a top devy prospect by anyone last year, so would we really be surprised if Hoover has the same rise in stock? In Cignetti we trust. (That’s tough for me to say, being a Boilermaker fan.)
Q: Who is one player that, despite what anyone else says, you just can’t seem to quit?
Evan: Conner Weigman. The fall from grace was real for Weigman. It was only two seasons ago that I was putting him in the top 5 for my college quarterback rankings. Things looked a little bit too fast for him during his time at Texas A&M, and it turned him into a conservative player who took the easy options far too often and looked overwhelmed. The move to Houston changed everything for him, and we are witnessing a real-time stock revival for Weigman. He threw for 2,500+ yards and rushed for an additional 700+ while also sporting the third-highest 4th-quarter passing grade in all of the FBS last year (behind only Gunner Stockton and Trinidad Chambliss). Weigman is a former five-star player with a live arm and sneaky athleticism, and now that his value finds him ranked down at QB31 in my devy rankings, I like the idea of throwing a dart at him in hopes of him getting into day 2 NFL draft discussions.
Jim: Matt Zollers. Barring injury, the former four-star quarterback will have to wait at least one more season before he gets a chance to start. Beau Pribula transferred out, but was replaced by Ole Miss transfer QB Austin Simmons, who is the presumed starter for Missouri in 2026. As a result, Zollers has turned into an afterthought in the devy community. I still have Zollers ranked within my Top 150 total devy prospects because I’m confident the tools are there. He has a thin, wiry frame, but at 6’4”, he’ll have that prototypical NFL quarterback build if he fills out a bit. Zollers is as athletic as they come, with a quick twitch release and a monster arm. This kid can absolutely sling it; his combination of accuracy and velocity in high school was truly impressive. He’s not a dual-threat guy by nature, but has plenty of mobility to evade pressure, and can make off-platform throws on the run with ease. Though he was inconsistent in limited action as a true freshman, I think if he can just get the reps under center, he could develop into a legitimate devy asset.
Q: Who is one player that you feel you have seen enough from to cut ties with?
Evan: DJ Lagway. As recently as last offseason, we were talking about Lagway as a cornerstone quarterback, but the 2025 season showed us that quarterback volatility in college makes it difficult to trust anyone’s value. Lagway was billed as a dual-threat quarterback coming into college, but we have yet to see any return on our investments. It’s difficult to tell whether or not the system at Florida failed him, or if he was trying too hard to prove that he could also be a pocket passer. Regardless, he transferred down to Baylor this season, and the lack of weapons there makes me think that it will be extraordinarily difficult to revive his stock.
Jim: Jayden Maiava. Despite being listed as a projected first-rounder on NFL Mock Draft Database, I have Maiava ranked as my devy QB27 and outside my Top 80 overall prospects. I just don’t see anything in his game that suggests he’s anything more than a pretty good college quarterback. He doesn’t appear to have overly impressive arm talent, and his accuracy leaves him under pressure. He’s mobile but not a dual-threat guy, and I don’t trust him to make smart decisions in crunch time. Maiava feels more like a product of Lincoln Riley’s quarterback-friendly system than a guy who will actually translate to the NFL level. If he were any lower in mock draft projections, I would plummet him in my ranks. That’s really the only reason he’s as high as he is for me; I’m open to the possibility that I’m just flat out wrong here.
Q: Who is a deep sleeper that you think more people need to be talking about as a true devy asset?
Evan: Drake Lindsey. A lack of national attention for the Minnesota Golden Gophers has likely buried Lindsey too much. He has the prototypical frame of an NFL quarterback, and the frame is tied to an elite arm that can make any throw on the field. He can drive the ball into windows that many QBs don’t even consider, and his ability to distribute the ball to the intermediate and deep portions of the field with appropriate timing is impressive. These are the types of things that you just can’t teach. The physical tools make for an intriguing prospect, and I believe that an NFL team will latch on to him, thinking that they can improve his mechanics and pocket awareness. The talent surrounding him in the NFL will also be drastically better than what has been provided to him during his time at Minnesota. Here’s to hoping for a monster 2026 season that continues to show steady improvements for Lindsey.
Bonus answer (Evan): Tait Reynolds. The incoming freshman quarterback for the Clemson Tigers will have a chance to get on the field in year one. I am of the strong belief that Christopher Vizzina is as close to an incompetent quarterback as you can find in all of college football, and after Clemson loses a few games to begin the season, we could see Reynolds take over. There are strong traits present in his profile, and he does have some Konami Code aspects to his game as well. He is a work in progress as a passer, but any time we get to see a QB play snaps during their freshman season, there is a chance for massive value gain.
Jim: Ethan Grunkemeyer. The former Penn State quarterback looked pretty good coming in for an injured Drew Allar to close out the season, giving that offense some much-needed life. He followed James Franklin to Virginia Tech and appears to be the favorite to win QB1 honors over Bryce Baker after a really solid showing in their spring game. He has good size, sufficient athleticism, and looks polished out there for an underclassman. The tools won’t blow you away, but they’re good enough. I wouldn’t be shocked if Grunkemeyer breaks out in 2026 and emerges as a potential top quarterback in the 2028 NFL Draft class.
We hope you have enjoyed reading the first edition of Devy Rankings Q&A. Have more questions that you would like the DFF Devy Rankers to answer? Come join the Discord and ask as many questions as you want. Alternatively, reach out to us on X @Evan_Kerr_ and @jim_DFF #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding
