No. 1 College Football QB Recruit Announces Commitment Timeline Ahead of Major Visits

Considered the top quarterback in the 2027 college football recruiting cycle by one national outlet, one of the best high school players in the country is poised to take in what could be some very consequential visits in the near future.

Five-star Chandler (Ariz.) quarterback Will Mencl is getting serious interest from several programs, but four appear to have emerged as genuine contenders, and all are set to make their pitch to the player when he pays them all a visit soon.

Who’s in the lead?

That appears to be Oregon, which is yet to really budge from its position of leadership when it comes to recruiting the quarterback prospect.

Not even the departure of Will Stein has changed that, after the former Ducks offensive coordinator became the head coach at Kentucky this offseason.

Oregon has the 10th best recruiting class in the country, according to the latest industry weighted average for 2027, but is yet to earn a quarterback commitment.

“I know we want to definitely get back up there,” Mencl told Rivals, who noted that he was in Eugene for Junior Day.

Nation's No. 1 college football QB recruit sets commitment timeline — Oregon appears to be the current favorite for Will Mencl, the Chandler (Ariz). quarterback considered one of the best in 2027. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Other schools also in play

One school each from the SEC, the Big Ten, and ACC will have a chance to pull Mencl away from Oregon in the weeks to come.

Auburn is set to meet with the blue chip quarterback during the last week of March, the player revealed of first-year head coach Alex Golesh’s program.

Golesh has two 2027 pledges, with No. 16 defensive lineman Donivan Moore and No. 36 tight end Trae Proctor currently onside.

After that, Mencl will see Penn State up close, another major program with a new head coach after Matt Campbell took over for James Franklin this offseason.

Also in the first week of April, the quarterback will see Miami, whose five-commitment class ranks 7th in the country and boasts two elite wide receivers, the sixth-ranked Nick Lennear and No. 31 wideout Ah’Mari Stevens, but no quarterbacks.

Nation's No. 1 college football QB recruit sets timeline — Miami is in play for the quarterback some analysts consider the best in the 2027 football recruiting cycle. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

But that’s not all

Mencl noted that he’s still very interested to hear whatever offers may arise.

“I’m not 100 percent set on those, so I’m still listening to all outside schools,” he said, adding that those four have developed the best relationships so far.

What is his timeline?

These upcoming four visits could prove vitally important, as the prospect revealed what his current timeline is for an announcement.

“I kind of want to be committed after coming out of these visits,” he said, via Rivals.

Mencl added: “I’d say, like, mid to late April, but obviously if it doesn’t feel right, I don’t want to turn off anyone.”

How he rates as a player

Right now, no other quarterback in the country is considered better.

At least, that’s according to the latest Rivals300 prospect rankings, which places Mencl as the No. 1 quarterback in the country in the 2027 cycle.

Taking an industry average levels his ranking out a little, as Mencl is listed as the No. 4 quarterback in the nation and the No. 50 overall prospect, according to an industry weighted average of all the national recruiting services.

That average considers Mencl to be the top overall high school recruit in Arizona.

What he’s done on the field

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound quarterback is coming off his best varsity season at Chandler.

Last fall, Mencl completed 258 of his 367 passes, an average of 70.3 percent success, while covering 3,815 yards in the air with 33 passing touchdowns and 5 interceptions.

The quarterback posted 2.5 touchdowns per game on average while appearing in 13 games, and was responsible for nearly 294 yards each time out, according to MaxPreps.

The year prior, Mencl covered 1,058 yards passing in eight appearances, hitting on 71.4 percent of his attempts with 11 touchdowns and 3 giveaways.

A noted dual threat, the quarterback has 22 career varsity rushing touchdowns on 147 carries with 906 yards on the ground and an average of 6.2 yards per run over 21 games.

What the experts think

It’s a Big Ten school on the west coast that appears to be running away with the player.

Oregon leads the way by far with a projected 98.9 percent chance to earn Mencl’s commitment, according to the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine.

All other schools have less than 1 percent chance by that metric, but they’ll have a chance to change the narrative as the top quarterback in America hits the road.

(Rivals)