2025 NFL Draft: Mel Kiper makes big changes to Top 10 QB rankings after Carson Beck enters transfer portal

The decision by Georgia quarterback Carson Beck to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal sent shockwaves across the college football world Thursday. It also caught some in the NFL by surprise after the two-time national champion QB previously announced his intention to enter the 2025 NFL Draft just two weeks ago.

Beck further cemented his decision to sit out the 2025 NFL Draft when he committed to transfer to Miami less than 24 hours later Friday afternoon. Given this turn of events, ESPN icon and draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. wasted no time axing Beck’s name from his list to Top 10 quarterbacks in April’s upcoming NFL Draft.

Kiper’s top QBs held firm, with Colorado‘s Shedeur Sanders and Miami‘s Cam Ward taking the top two spots, followed closely by Ole Miss all-time passing leader Jaxson Dart and Alabama‘s dual-threat Jalen Milroe rounding out the Top 4.

Check out Kiper’s overhauled list of the Top 10 draft-eligible quarterbacks from his latest Big Board update below:

1. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

Kiper remains high on the much-ballyhooed son of NFL icon and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, keeping him at No. 1 despite some criticisms coming from NFL circles. Nevertheless, Shedeur Sanders more than proved his merit after leading the FBS with a 74.0 completion percentage this season, finishing 2024 just behind Ward in production with 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdowns on the year.

Kiper: “You won’t find a tougher or more resilient quarterback prospect than Sanders, who took 99 sacks over the past two seasons but still put up really strong numbers. I’m always impressed watching him throw on the move, rolling either left or right. He is very accurate in those spots and has the arm to drive the ball.”

2. Cam Ward, Miami

NFL teams are enamored with the Heisman Trophy finalist after leading the Hurricanes’ No. 1-ranked offense in the FBS this season, throwing a NCAA-best 39 passing touchdowns and ranking second with 4,313 yards on 67.2-percent passing in 2024.

Kiper: “Ward has an unorthodox delivery, but he throws with accuracy and velocity from different arm angles. He displays solid game management traits, and … when things break down around him, Ward can extend plays with his legs, either throwing on the move or picking up first downs as a runner.”

3. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss

Following his big jump up Kiper’s QB ranking the week prior, Dart stands firm as the best of rest behind the Top 2 sure-fire Top 10 picks, and could continue his climb up draft boards with a strong performance in the NFL Combine.

Dart boasts an impressive body of work after setting the Ole Miss career passing (10,617 yards) and total offense (12,117 yards) records following school record-breaking 2024 with an SEC-leading 4,279 passing yards and 29 touchdowns this season.

4. Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Milroe declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Jan. 2, ending all speculation the uber-athletic Tide quarterback could return to college following a rollercoaster 2024 season in Tuscaloosa. Milroe combined for 36 total touchdowns and 3,570 total yards this season, completing 64.3-percent of his passes for 2,844 yards and 16 scores with 11 interceptions.

Kiper remains high on Milroe’s potential at the next level, though he’ll have plenty to prove to NFL evaluators during the pre-draft process if he’s to work his way into a Day 1 or early Day 2 selection. Given his dual-threat ability, Milroe has drawn comparison’s to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

5. Quinn Ewers, Texas (+1)

The Longhorns junior hasn’t officially announced his intentions to enter the NFL Draft, and likely won’t make any decisions before Texas’ season is finished. But should Ewers ultimately declare, he could find himself in the mix as a coveted Day 2 option, especially if the ‘Horns stay alive in the College Football Playoff.

Ewers takes Beck’s spot in Kiper’s Top 10 after setting a career-high with 29 touchdown passes while throwing for 3,189 yards and 11 interceptions on 66.5-percent passing, which ranked second in the SEC this season behind only Dart.

6. Will Howard, Ohio State (+1)

Howard is another beneficiary of Beck’s transfer to Miami, sliding up a spot amidst the best season of his collegiate career after transferring from Kansas State last offseason.

Prior to Thursday night’s Cotton Bowl vs. Texas, Howard has accounted for a Big Ten-leading 39 total touchdowns this season, including 32 passing scores, while ranking second in the conference with 3,498 passing yards. Should the Buckeyes advance to the CFP National Championship Game against Notre Dame, Howard’s play could go along way to boosting his draft stock moving forward.

7. Kurtis Rourke, Indiana (+2)

The Hoosiers signal-caller has been the model of consistency in his first and only season in Bloomington, ranking fourth in the Big Ten with a 69.4 completion percentage, despite quietly playing with a partially torn ACL for much of the season.

Nevertheless, Rourke finished 2024 with 3,042 yards and 29 touchdowns to just five interceptions while guiding Indiana to its first-ever College Football Playoffs. Kiper certainly took notice of Rourke’s season, and he received the biggest bump following Beck’s move to Miami, leapfrogging Slough in the process.

8. Tyler Shough, Louisville

The Louisville quarterback set career-highs in both passing yards (3,149) and touchdowns (23) during his first and only season with the Cardinals after transferring in from Texas Tech.

The 25-year-old Shough brings plenty of experience into the NFL after participating in six seasons at the college level, including two with the Oregon Ducks.

9. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (NR)

Gabriel is another experienced and well-traveled quarterback that should draw plenty of interest simply based on his collegiate production. Over six seasons, Gabriel has thrown for 18,722 yards and 72 touchdowns between Oregon, Oklahoma and UCF.

Gabriel capped his extensive collegiate career with his best statistical season to date, leading the Big Ten with 3,857 yards and 30 touchdowns on 72.9-percent passing, which ranked second nationally behind only Shedeur Sanders.

10. Riley Leonard, Notre Dame

Leonard has turned plenty of heads this season, his first in South Bend, with his toughness and natural leadership skills, using both his arm and legs to guide the Fighting Irish to its first national championship game since 2012.

It’s his dual-threat potential, as well as the natural comparisons to Bills quarterback Josh Allen, that could have Leonard climbing draft boards over the next few months. Especially after combining for 3,472 total yards and 35 total touchdowns this season, including 866 yards and 16 scores on the ground.