The Carolina Panthers didn’t completely pass up on the 2026 draft’s quarterback class.
Following this year’s selection process, the Panthers reportedly signed Georgia Tech’s Haynes King as an undrafted free agent. King will join a group that already features starter and 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, 2021 first-rounder Kenny Pickett and 2019 third-rounder Will Grier.
But even as the final addition to a somewhat crowded room, King has been named as the team’s top undrafted free agent to watch in 2026. Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic wrote the following about the dual-threat passer:
A six-year college player, King started his last three seasons at Georgia Tech — and turned into one of college football’s most productive dual-threat players in the process. He ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash (with a 4.17 short shuttle and a 6.89 three cone) at the combine. He’s almost the same size (and nearly as old) as Taysom Hill was when he entered the league.
King (6-foot-3, 216 pounds) put in three years at Texas A&M to begin his college career, but only saw work as a backup. That changed when he transferred to Georgia Tech, where he started 36 games from 2023 to 2025.
All together, King put up 9,486 passing yards, 65 touchdowns, 34 interceptions and a 142.7 QB rating.
King also posted nearly 2,500 yards and scored an impressive 37 touchdowns as a rusher—making him a legitimate two-way threat at the position.
The 2025 ACC Player of the Year, however, went undrafted for a reason—and you don’t need to look any further than his interception total to see why. But his athletic ability could give him a relatively long leash under head coach Dave Canales, who is hoping to develop a young quarterback.
All King has to do is not fall out of the boat during the preseason—and he should at least be able to compete for the No. 2 spot behind Young at some point down the line.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: QB Haynes King is Panthers’ top undrafted free agent to watch