Manning Passing Academy spotlights 2027 Draft’s “best of the rest” at quarterback

The Manning Passing Academy in late spring has long acted as a kind of quarterback audition for what comes next in college football, and potentially for the 2027 NFL Draft. This year, along with high-profile names, the event also produced a clearer sense of where lesser-known prospects might rise as the season approaches.

A to Z Sports reported that one of the biggest “best of the rest” standouts was Arizona’s quarterback, Jayden Fifita. The report said Fifita displayed “special arm talent” and what looked like natural quarterback mechanics during the event, and it connected that performance to the broader recruiting outlook by noting he has been named to the preseason All Big-12 team.

The same report also emphasized the projection dilemma that follows every evaluation. Fifita’s primary concern, according to the account, is size. The write-up framed the limitation in terms of how height and frame can affect translating certain throws and matchups to the NFL, contrasting the need for Fifita to be nearly flawless to overcome those concerns with more obviously sized, speed-ready prospects.

The Manning Passing Academy’s other spotlight in the report centered on USC quarterback Miller Moss Maiava. A to Z Sports described Maiava as having “caught the eye” after a disruptive contact play on the ground, and characterized him as one of the more complete passers at the event in the eyes of a source at the site. The report also pointed to arm talent and athleticism as traits that showed up in the work.

Maiava’s development path is part of the intrigue. The account tied his next jump to Lincoln Riley’s coaching again in 2026, suggesting the question for evaluators will be how quickly his skill set becomes a repeatable, system-ready foundation rather than isolated flashes.

Overall, the Manning Passing Academy continues to matter because it compresses a lot of quarterback evaluation into one setting. It provides scouts and media a common reference point for timing, anticipation, touch, and decision-making under uniform conditions, while still leaving the larger picture to the fall season. That is why events like this can make certain players look “under the radar” early, then pull them into the conversation once September and October give them game reps that match the skills shown in shorts.

Still, the leap from camp-to-draft narrative is never automatic. The report itself framed Fifita’s rise as conditional on overcoming size questions, and it framed Maiava’s next step as tied to a major offensive system adjustment under Riley. The most useful takeaway for fans and evaluators is not that these quarterbacks are guaranteed future lottery tickets, but that there is at least a path for them to move up draft boards if they pair summer mechanics with consistent production in the fall.

For what to watch next, the key will be whether the “best of the rest” story survives contact with real defenses. If Fifita’s throwing quality stays consistent and USC’s quarterback development looks like it is producing steady progress on schedule, these names could become more familiar long before the 2027 pre-draft process begins.