5-Star QB Soars 24 Spots to Become Nation's New No. 1 Quarterback

The 2027 recruiting class has seen a massive QB shake-up. Heading into the release of the current Rivals300, the QB outlook was less than stellar. No prep QBs were ranked as five-star recruits, and in fact, the top passer in the class was ranked No. 42 in the Rivals rankings of all players in the class.

But Monday's release of an updated Rivals300 has seen a massive change. A prep QB who was previously the No. 25 QB in the class made the massive leap to No. 1. There's a new five-star QB in town and he was unranked until Monday morning.

The New No. 1

Arizona prep QB Will Mencl made the massive rise to the top QB in the class, the lone five-star QB in the 2027 class, and the No. 4 overall player in the nation. A 6'3" prospect who recently impressed in the Navy All-American Bowl, Mencl passed for 3,815 yards and 33 touchdowns in his junior season at Chandler High in 2025.

Mencl's main recruiting suitor per On3 is Oregon, with the vast majority of their experts making projections for the Ducks. 247sports notes warm interest from Oregon, but also from Auburn and North Carolina.

Charles Power of Rivals has noted that Mencl's rankings has jumped based on his "quality arm" and his status as "a plus athlete and a run threat as well."

247 is impressed with Mencl's put not to the point of ranking him as the No. 4 player in the nation. According to 247's most recent rankings, Mencl is the No. 247 players in the class and the No. 15 quarterback prospect.

The Battle Over No. 1

247sports also has a single five-star QB ranked, but that's Louisiana prospect Elijah Haven, who that service considers the nation's No. 2 prospect. Haven has long been considered an Alabama lean, but his recruitment is ongoing. Rivals ranks Haven as the No. 7 QB prospect in the class and the No. 96 player in the nation.

The other rising QB star of the RIvals300 is No. 2 QB prospect Jake Nawrot. Nawrot was the No. 26 ranked QB, but now jumps to the No. 32 player in the entire nation. The Illinois prospect is often connected with Iowa, but his recruitment figures to pick up some intensity with the move up the national rankings.

Of course, there's still a lot way to go ahead of Early Signing Day in November when 2027 prospects will first be able to sign with their new schools. But suddenly, Will Mencl has become a player everyone will know.

Dan Lanning and Oregon have a perceived early lead for QB Will Mencl. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images