What Chargers Fans Need to Know About the 2026 QB Class and 3 Prospects to Know

The offseason is here for the Los Angeles Chargers. Free agency is rapidly approaching, and the Chargers have a significant amount of roster holes to fill. The 2026 NFL draft is rapidly approaching with the first round set to kick off on Thursday April 23rd from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Draft coverage will always focus heavily on the flashy playmakers and more specifically, the quarterbacks. Luckily for the Chargers, their franchise quarterback is Justin Herbert. What does the entire class look like? What notes should every Chargers fan know before the draft about the position group?

Quaterbacks

The Chargers do not need a quarterback but one of their division rivals does and they have the number one overall pick. It is generally a forgone conclusion that the Las Vegas Raiders will be selecting Indiana quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Fernando Mendoza with the number one overall pick.

Beyond Mendoza there are no clear first-round quarterbacks. Ty Simpson from Alabama is the consensus number two quarterback but has only started at the college level for one year and may need to sit to develop. There are a handful of other quarterbacks that may be considered in rounds two through three to potentially be developmental starters.

The bottom line is, the top of the quarterback class is very thin. Coming into the 2025 college football season the potential of this quarterback class was through the roof and praised at having a chance to be one of the best classes in recent memory. Unfortunately, that projection was never realized. Players failed to take a step forward, got hurt or both.

For the Chargers, the top of the class unfortunately does matter. A new quarterback will be entering the division. Additionally, the less quarterbacks that go before the Chargers pick at 22, the less top players will that may fall to the Chargers.

The Chargers may not need a starting quarterback, but backup quarterback Trey Lance is a free agent. He could re-sign to return to the Chargers and continue to learn and develop behind Herbert in a new offense.

The Chargers could potentially look to the draft for their backup of the future. This scenario is less likely given the Chargers limited draft capital of only five picks in the upcoming draft but it is worth knowing a few names just in case.

Luke Altmyer, Illinois

Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer — Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer is not the biggest quarterback by any means but he is tough and smart. He measured in at the Senior Bowl, the premier All-Star game of the pre-draft process, at 6'1 1/14" and 210lbs.

Altmyer is a good athlete that can manuever around the pocket and run when the opportunity presents itself. He takes care of the football and finished 2025 with 22 touchdowns to only five interceptions. Most importantly for a potential backup quarterback, he is accurate and has shown the ability to be in command of an offense.

Luke Altmyer showing off his athleticism on this practice rep when the pocket collapsed. #Illini pic.twitter.com/3HX5s6e7PG
— Chicago State of Mind Sports (@ChiStateOfMind_) January 28, 2026

Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers

Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis — Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Scarlett Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis is a very tough and accurate quarterback who has the confidence and poise to rise to up to meet the moment. Standing at 6'2 1/2" and 212lbs, he has decent size for an NFL passer. After his transfer into Rutgers from Minnesota, Kaliakmanis lead the Scarlett Knights through two seasons while posting some of the best individual seasons in program history.

Kaliakmanis has shown steady growth from Minnesota through his senior year and is a seasoned passer. His ability to not get rattled and rise to the occasion is one of his best traits as a potential backup if the time ever came for him to step in and play. He has proven he can be in command of the offense and play within the system and distribute the ball well.

I continue to be so impressed with the growth of Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis. Would not have been drafted in last year’s class. Now I’m not sure there’s a more accurate quarterback in the country. Stock has soared through the first half of this year pic.twitter.com/XVR1MThjlx
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) September 27, 2025

Haynes King, Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King — Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King is a super athletic dual-threat quarterback. King has an occasional breakdown of mechanics that leads to inaccurate throws but his adjusted completion percentage is 79 percent, indicating he is generally on target.

Lost in the madness of Georgia Tech’s win / Miami’s loss is this ~40 yard downfield dime from Haynes King on a dead sprint, dead tired, in this situation. Man, oh man. pic.twitter.com/nZBdJCApM1
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) October 8, 2023

Other Quarterbacks to consider

Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Joey Fagnano, UConn
Cole Payton, NDSU
Mark Gronowski

Summary

The 2026 quarterback class is weak, there is no denying that. However, if the Chargers are looking for a backup of the future there are plenty of options to be found. The lack of quarterbacks at the top of the draft will, unfortunately, reduce the group of players that may fall to the Chargers' first-round selection, which may also reduce the trade value of pick 22 in the event that Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz fields calls to move back.

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