Ranking Every Quarterback Clemson Will Play in 2026

Georgia Southern and Charleston Southern are the only non-Power Five opponents on Clemson’s 2026 schedule. As it stands, both teams’ 2026 quarterback is TBD, but without the same pull as some of the ACC’s top programs, Georgia Southern and Charleston Southern’s eventual quarterback selections will likely end up in the last two spots regardless. 

No. 10 Dan Mahan, Duke (Week 12, Clemson at Duke)

In the wake of Darian Mensah’s departure, Duke was left to fend for themselves at the quarterback position. A 3-star recruit, Mahan ranks as the No. 56 quarterback in the class of 2025. In his senior season with Williams High School in Burlington, Alabama, Mahan threw for 2,528 yards and 33 touchdowns with 988 rushing yards and nine rush TDs.

No. 9 Ethan Grunkemeyer, Virginia Tech (Week 8, VT at Clemson)

Clemson’s 2025 season was defined by unmet expectations, and Ethan Grunkenmeyer was the nail in the coffin. Formerly with Penn State, Grunkenmeyer beat Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl in the last game of the season, adding insult to injury. Now, with Virginia Tech and familiar head coachJames Franklin, Grunkemeyer is ready to take on the ACC. 

No. 8 Alberto Mendoza, Georgia Tech (Week 11, GT at Clemson)

Brother of 2025 Heisman Fernando Mendoza, Alberto lacks experience and proven production. He played a handful of games with Indiana in 2025, but never as a starter. Compared to Fernando, 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, Alberto lacks Fernando's physical toolset, standing at 6-foot-2, 203 pounds. Taking over for former GT quarterback Haynes King, Mendoza has a lot to live up to, but if his genes are any indication, his ceiling is the Heisman Trophy.

No. 7 Steve Angeli, Syracuse (Week 10, Clemson at Syracuse)

Last season, Angeli suffered a season-ending injury in a 34-21 win against Clemson. Throwing for 245 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Tigers, Angeli’s win in Death Valley put Syracuse at 3-1 through four games. As a senior, Angeli’s job may be subject to some competition. In the portal, Syracuse picked up quarterback Malachi Nelson from UTEP. Nelson, ESPN’s No. 1 overall recruit in the high school class of 2023, played with Southern California and Boise State before his time at UTEP. 

No. 6 Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, California (Week 4, Clemson at Cal)

In 2025, Sagapolutele won the starting job as a true freshman in the opener. A former 5-star recruit, Sagapolutele threw for an average of 265.6 per game in 2025 with an 18-9 touchdown-interception ratio. Sagapolutele is full of potential — he very well could roll into a Week 4 matchup with Clemson with one of the hottest arms in the country. 

No. 5 Billy Edwards Jr., North Carolina (Week 3, UNC at Clemson)

Transferring from Wisconsin, Edwards is entering his fifth season of college football. While he only played in two games with the Badgers last year, his 2024 season with Maryland pushes his resumé to the top of the pile. Edwards played 11 games in 2024, averaging more than 260 passing yards per game with a 15-9 touchdown-interception ratio. Now under Bill Belichick at Chapel Hill, Edwards will be plenty of trouble for Clemson’s secondary. 

No. 4 Ashton Daniels, Florida State (Week 9, Clemson at FSU)

Previously with Auburn , Ashton Daniels is yet another transfer Clemson will be tasked with. He rounded out Auburn’s final four games in 2025. Against No. 16 Vanderbilt, he tallied 353 passing yards and added 89 more on the ground. Then, against No. 10 Alabama, he threw for 259 yards and rushed for another 108. FSU is always a tough team to play, but with the addition of a proven dual-threat quarterback, the Seminoles just got tougher.

No. 3 LaNorris Sellers, (Week 13, South Carolina at Clemson)

Clemson is familiar with Sellers, famously. In 2024, he ran for 166 yards and two rushing touchdowns as South Carolina beat Clemson 17-14. But when they met in 2025, Clemson stifled the dual–threat quarterback. In the most heated game on its schedule, Clemson will need to throw everything but the kitchen sink at Sellers to keep him quiet. 

No. 2 Darian Mensah, Miami (Week 5, Miami at Clemson)

Mensah is the No. 3-ranked transfer quarterbackin the 2026 class, but Clemson already knows he can play. When Duke beat Clemson in Death Valley last season, Mensah posted 361 passing yards and four touchdowns. Led by Mensah, Duke’s 46 points were the most Clemson’s defense had allowed since Ohio State beat Clemson 49–28 in the 2021 Sugar Bowl. Now, Mensah is at the helm of an even stronger unit at Miami. In his second time in Death Valley in his many years, will Mensah make it two-from-two, or will Clemson avenge themselves from one of the ACC’s best?

No. 1 Sam Leavitt, LSU (Week 1, Clemson at LSU)

In the first week of the season, Clemson heads to Baton Rouge to play the No. 2 quarterback prospect in the 2026 transfer class. It’s a tough opener, but it aligns with Dabo Swinney’s philosophy of starting the season against stark competition. In only seven games with Arizona State in 2025, Leavitt averaged 232.6 yards per game and 1.4 passing touchdowns. Then there's his legs. Leavitt averaged 43.7 yards on the ground last season with five rushing touchdowns. Now, under Lane Kiffin, Leavitt will have the reins for a new-look LSU offense. On the bright side, it only gets easier after Week 1 for the Tigers. 

Where would Christopher Vizzina sit on the above list?

With what we have seen from Vizzina, he would slide it at No. 5, just behind FSU’s Ashton Daniels. But with only one real performance to go off of — 317 passing yards and four touchdown passes in a loss against SMU — Vizzina could realistically slot in anywhere between No. 4 and No. 7 on the list. 

It’s going to be an interesting year for Clemson, but Tiger fans should consider themselves lucky — they will see a lot of good quarterback play in 2026. But, take this all with a grain of salt. Last year, Cade Klubnik and Drew Allar were the consensus No. 1 and No. 2 quarterbacks in the country.