Which Senior Bowl quarterbacks performed best during Day 3 practices in Mobile? Thursday saw Garrett Nussmeier and Luke Altmyer emerge as equally cerebral passers. Here’s a look at where each QB stands after three days of action.
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
The best Nussmeier could do at the Senior Bowl was leave evaluators with the impression that he looks like a potential starter, and not a likely backup. At the very least, that’s what he accomplished on the final day of practice.
Nussmeier has always been known for his leadership, toughness, and ability to command an offense, and that was prevalent during the American Team’s two-minute drill toward the end of practice.
Nussmeier dialed in for the clutch downs. As the clock wound down, he got the ball out quickly, anticipating short route breaks, and he also showed off the ability to evade pressure, roll out into the flats, and dish ropes off-platform outside the numbers, all while dictating the offense’s pace and urgency in the hurry-up.
There was an unflinching situational awareness and respect for the value of time that we hadn’t seen much at the Senior Bowl this week. Nussmeier processed the field quickly pre- and post-snap, stepped up into the pocket when given space, and made quick decisions, while also displaying more creation and velocity than he’s sometimes billed as having.
Nussmeier himself has said that his 2025 oblique injury eroded his throwing mechanics. Now healthy, he’s getting more consistent rotation both in-structure and off-platform, and the difference in pace and confidence is clear. This strong finish, combined with pro days, could vault Nussmeier back into the Day 2 and QB3 conversation.
Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
Diego Pavia had his moments of situational awareness over the course of the week, but for a polarizing quarterback who suffered from costly lapses in ball security across the first two days, Day 3 wasn’t good enough, and it was in some ways a step back.
Pavia did show off his athleticism a few times, most notably on a designed run that resulted in a chunk play. But as a quarterback, he was nearly a liability. His poor arm strength remains clear, both in sheer velocity and his need to over-rotate, and he was woefully inaccurate when attempting to push the ball in team drills.
Beyond pure inaccuracy, there were also reps where Pavia simply held onto the ball too long, or failed to see the field quickly enough, and let the rush close in.
RELATED: Senior Bowl Hub — Complete Roster and Player Information for Participants
At the very least, this can be said about Pavia: He galvanizes his teammates. Teammates were visibly fond of him as early as Day 2, and before Day 3 practice, Pavia was chosen to rally his squad during stretches.
His leadership, toughness, and athleticism will earn him a summer roster spot, but his ceiling at QB is clearly capped by a lack of arm strength, field vision, and mechanical consistency. A positional shift could be possible down the line.
Taylen Green, Arkansas
Taylen Green had a chance to stack good days and build real momentum after a flashy Day 2 that saw him generate chunk plays both through the air and on the ground. However, the 6’6″, 229-pound passer stalled out on Day 3 and left the Senior Bowl with his outlook unchanged.
Of the six QBs at the Senior Bowl, Green threw the ball the least amount of times on Thursday, and when he did throw the ball, he was generally inaccurate or late to trigger.
Green was able to create with his athleticism at times when things went off-script, but it’s a well-known part of his game. The key for him, if he aims to grow into a starter, is to build off of that raw talent and not rely on it to a fault.
As of now, Green remains a tools-rich prospect with less refinement than desired for his experience level. Where that kind of prospect goes remains to be seen in the 2026 NFL Draft. He could contend for Top 100 capital, but he needs time to sit in the right environment before his starter-level ceiling can be reached.
Luke Altmyer, Illinois
Luke Altmyer flashed in the early days of the week with his baseline processing ability and willingness to step up in the pocket, but he ultimately saved his best for last, shining during Thursday’s red-zone session.
Altmyer threw two touchdown passes in the final stretch of Thursday’s practice, both to Syracuse tight end Dan Villari. On one play, Altmyer got the ball out quickly and with accuracy, and in the second, Altmyer found Villari in the back of the end zone while standing tall in the pocket.
READ MORE: Senior Bowl Day 2 QB Practice Observations: Taylen Green Shines, Cole Payton Shows Promise
At times earlier in the week, Altmyer’s accuracy proved inconsistent. Thus, it was encouraging to see him tighten down his mechanics and throw with situational precision. A leader with a bounty of experience, Altmyer’s Senior Bowl performance should solidify his standing as a mid-round backup option.
Cole Payton, North Dakota State
Cole Payton came off a strong Day 2 and delivered a more lukewarm Day 3 showing to close out his week, but there’s still plenty to like from what Payton showed in Mobile.
In team drills, Payton’s internal clock was consistently a tick slow. A late, behind-the-throw boundary comeback resulted in an interception for Thaddeus Dixon, and on multiple occasions, he held the ball and was swallowed up in the pocket.
That said, Payton bounced back in red zone drills. He delivered a high-point laser to Tanner Koziol in the back of the end zone, and also drew defensive attention on a read option, using his athleticism to induce a gravitational pull before selflessly tossing the ball to his back.
Payton is explosive and agile. He has a live left arm with easy velocity and angle freedom. And he had clear command when under center. There are still things to clean up, and Payton ultimately needs more experience if he wants to see things faster and operate faster. But he accomplished this at the Senior Bowl: NFL teams will now be more intrigued.
Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
Sawyer Robertson ended his week in Mobile on a rough note. The experienced Baylor passer was uneven on Day 3 and threw an early “arm punt” interception in team drills, airmailing above his intended receiver and gifting the safety in the deep third.
Later, in red zone sessions, Robertson’s accuracy scarcely improved, and his mechanics appeared out of sync. He did have one middle-field laser to tight end Matthew Hibner, but that one high-quality throw was sprinkled between several other less inspiring plays.
For Robertson, who doesn’t have elite arm talent, the Senior Bowl was crucial for showing he could operate cleanly and efficiently. He didn’t quite do that consistently and failed to stand out amongst his counterparts.
