Clayton Thorson’s NFL stock is on the rise. At least according to ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper, Jr.

Recently, Kiper released his way-too-early draft rankings for the top prospects of the 2018 class. And the draft guru listed Thorson as a top-five underclaasman quarterback. The Northwestern signal-caller is the only B1G representative on the list.

These rankings – much like the preseason college football rankings – don’t really mean too much right now. With a full season ahead, it’s hard to put much stock into this type of analysis. But it is a good sign that folks are taking notice to Thorson’s continued development in Evanston.

In his freshman season, Thorson’s numbers left something to be desired, throwing for just 1,522 and seven touchdowns while completing just 51 percent of his passes and tossing nine interceptions. His sophomore season was much different.

Last fall, Thorson had 3,182 yards through the air with 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also completed passes at a 58.6 percent clip.

Another big year in 2017, and Thorson could move up even further on Kiper’s draft board.