Six College Football QBs to Earn More in 2026 than NFL Rookies Carson Beck and Drew Allar Combined

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The college football landscape has changed forever, and this off-season, we’re finally seeing the full fruits of the NIL era. For more than a century, the NFL was sold as the only destination for quarterbacks to build generational wealth, but college football is officially catching up, at least when it comes to rookie salaries. Even though Carson Beck and Drew Allar just got drafted in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft earlier today, they are among six QBs in college football who are said to make double the dough in the 2026 season.

Before we get to them, let’s start with the rookies. To put this into perspective, both were big-time college stars. Carson Beck got snatched up by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round, at the 65th overall pick. And Drew Allar is headed to the Pittsburgh Steelers after they picked him at 79th overall. Even though they’ve officially reached the “League,” their combined rookie year take-home is roughly $2.5 million. According to Spotrac, Beck will make about $1.35 million, and Allar around $1.15 million in their first year.

NFL rookie deals are rigidly capped by the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Meanwhile, college football operates in a completely free market. Wealthy booster collectives can offer whatever it takes to land a star, creating a financial reality where college sophomores easily out-earn professional draft picks.

Arch Manning (Texas Longhorns) – $5.4 million

Arch Manning is basically the ‘Harry Potter’ or even ‘JFK Junior’ of the college football world. Manning’s valuation sits between $5.4 million and $6.8 million. That’s more than double what Beck and Allar are bringing home combined. The former five-star already has a big-cash tech NIL deal with Google’s AI. He also has other brands like Red Bull and EA Sports. However, most critics believe more than 80% of his NIL comes because of his surname. Not sure how that’s his problem.

Sam Leavitt (LSU) – $4M

Sam Leavitt is the guy who broke the transfer portal this year. After leading Arizona State to back-to-back 9+ win seasons and a playoff appearance, he became the most wanted man in all of America in January. While his official value is pinned at $4 million, word on the street is that LSU had to shell out closer to $6 million to win the bidding war against schools like Tennessee. Lane Kiffin literally flew to Nashville to convince him right after his Tennessee visit. He’ll be the most anticipated gunslinger to watch next season.

Brendan Sorsby (Texas Tech) — $3.1M

Brendan Sorsby’s move to Texas Tech is one of the wildest “get rich” stories in the game. There are only like 2 or 3 QBs who had more total numbers and touchdowns than Sorsby last season for the Bearcats. Cincy actually tried to sue him for $1 million for leaving. Texas Tech actually celebrated his signing with a Times Square billboard in New York after outbidding several highly desperate quarterback programs.

His market value might be 3.1 million according to On3; the actual numbers would be anywhere in the vicinity of $5 million. There are even rumors that his deal includes royalties from local oil and gas businesses in Lubbock. His 2026 earnings are higher than the average annual salary of about 15 different first-round NFL draft picks from the previous year.

Bryce Underwood (Michigan) – $3.1M

The former number 1 player in America, the Michigan native, initially looked like a lock for LSU. But Michigan secured him with a multi-year package reportedly north of $10 million total, giving him an immediate yearly payout of $3.1 million. It is pretty wild considering he’s only a sophomore and playing mediocre football.

Even though he sold Wolverines a couple of games last season, Michigan fans are obsessed with him because they know he’s got the highest ceiling of anyone on this list once he fully puts it together. If he corrects his footwork and mechanism, doubles or triples his touchdowns, he might be $6 million next year.

Dante Moore (Oregon) – $3M

Dante Moore did something that rarely happens: he looked at an NFL contract worth $50 million and said, “Nah, I’m good.” He was projected to be a top pick in the 2026 Draft, but he decided to return to Oregon to chase a national championship instead.

His NIL value is at $3 million, which is basically “pocket change” compared to what he’d make in the pros if he had enrolled in the draft. But Oregon’s Nike-backed collective makes sure he’s living very comfortably. He’s a super-smooth surgical passer who rarely makes mistakes. By staying in school, he’s betting on himself to be the No. 1 overall pick in 2027, and quite honestly, there aren’t any QBs who come to mind who could topple him for the No. 1 pick in the next year’s draft class. Moore has deals with eBay, Beats by Dre, and Nike.

Darian Mensah (Miami) – $3M

Darian Mensah’s offseason was the biggest transfer portal legal drama. He turned Duke into a winner, but when the big money from Miami started calling, he tried to jump ship. Duke wasn’t having it and actually sued him to keep him from leaving because he was already in the middle of Duke’s deal. They eventually settled, and now he’s down in South Beach with a valuation around $3 million.

His NIL includes country club housing, a scholarship for his sister, who plays soccer, and ad campaigns. Needless to say, he’s got one of the strongest arms in college football and isn’t afraid to take colossal risks. The Hurricanes have a pretty good chance of winning the Natty this year.

An honorable mention would be LaNorris Sellers, who has become a symbol of loyalty. He reportedly turned down an $8 million NIL offer from another school to stay at South Carolina. Sellers has a valuation of $2.7 million, and he has deals with T-Mobile, Raising Cane’s, and his own custom action figure. Even though he had a pretty down year compared to this group, his head coach, Shane Beamer, believes 2026 is the comeback for the junior QB. Only time will tell. Regardless, for these players on this list, college is a profitable business.

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