Nation’s No. 1 QB Prospect Heavily Linked to Four Major College Football Programs

With spring visits on deck and recruiting momentum accelerating, the race for the newly minted No. 1 signal-caller Will Mencl is beginning to take shape.

Chandler Wolves quarterback Will Mencl sits with his teammates during the high school football Championships Media Day at the Arizona Interscholastic Association office in Phoenix. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Will Mencl is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound quarterback from Chandler, Arizona, who rocketed up national recruiting boards after a breakout junior season.

He completed 70.3% of his passes in 2025 for 3,815 yards, 33 touchdowns and just five interceptions, adding 741 rushing yards and 17 more scores on the ground while leading Chandler High School to a 10-3 record and a berth in the Arizona Open Division championship game.

Following that surge, Rivals updated its Rivals300, elevating Mencl to five-star status and naming him the No. 1 quarterback in the 2027 class.

Mencl now holds more than two dozen scholarship offers from major programs across the SEC, ACC and Big Ten.

On Wednesday, national recruiting director Steve Wiltfong told Rivals that four programs have separated themselves in Mencl’s early recruitment.

“There’s four programs he has a keen eye on right now,” Wiltfong said. “The Oregon Ducks, Auburn Tigers, Miami Hurricanes and Penn State Nittany Lions. Looking to make a visit to all of them this spring and then making a decision sooner rather than later.”

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning on the field prior to the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Oregon enters 2026 with stability at quarterback, as Dante Moore is penciled in as the starter while former five-star and high-profile transfer Dylan Raiola represents the program’s long-term upside. While an immediate starting opportunity may not be guaranteed, a proven quarterback development structure under Dan Lanning remains a strong selling point for any QB prospect.

Auburn addressed its short-term need by landing USF transfer Byrum Brown, the projected 2026 starter. But with roster turnover always looming in the portal era, Alex Golesh’s staff is expected to pursue a 2027 signal-caller aggressively to secure long-term depth and elite ceiling at the position.

Chandler quarterback Will Mencl (7) throws against Basha during the Open state championship at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Miami has leaned heavily into the transfer market to maintain NFL-caliber quarterback play, with Carson Beck playing a central role in the Hurricanes’ recent postseason surge. Fresh off the program’s first national championship appearance in more than two decades, Mario Cristobal can now sell championship momentum, a pro-style system, and a national platform.

With Drew Allar expected to leave for the NFL, Penn State’s quarterback outlook now centers on Iowa State transfer Rocco Becht. Becht enters his senior season and could pursue an additional year of eligibility, but that uncertainty, coupled with no clear successor in the 2026 or 2027 classes, creates a potential fast track to the starting job.

Wherever he commits, Mencl’s decision will immediately shape each program’s roster strategy for the years ahead.