This will be my first and only mock draft of the summer. It combines some of my personal evaluations on prospects with predictive elements. That means the draft capital used on some of these prospects doesn’t reflect my personal opinion on them. You can learn more about my prospect rankings later this week when I drop a final summer big board.

I used the draft order listed on Tankathon for this first round mock. Don’t blame me for where your favorite team falls. I haven’t looked at any mock drafts recently, so I have no idea how I compare to the consensus.

The mock draft reflects one (potentially bold/bad) take I have on the 2027 NFL Draft. Very few top quarterback prospects will declare. Too many lack polish and are better served returning to school for 2027. I think CJ Carr (Notre Dame), Drake Lindsey (Minnesota), Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State), Julian Sayin (Ohio State), and LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina) all forgo declaring for the NFL.

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Announcement: I am joining Cory Kinnan’s Monday Morning Hangover series on the Daft on Draft podcast as a recurring guest for a segment highlighting one of the top trench prospects after each week. This week, we covered North Carolina’s Melkart Abou-Jaoude. You can find the Week 0 episode here.

1. Arizona Cardinals: Dante Moore, QB Oregon

It’s a battle of ceiling vs. floor between Manning and Moore. The Oregon product is more likely to get an NFL team on base but will likely never challenge the ranks of the league’s elite passers. On the other hand, Manning has the tools to ascend several levels in the quarterback hierarchy, but it’s still hard to tell what he’ll look like in a given week.

2. Miami Dolphins: Arch Manning, QB Texas

The Dolphins recently traded a quarterback to the Jaguars, traded for a quarterback from the Packers, and signed a quarterback waived by the Jets. That’s fun. This roster isn’t going to give Malik Willis a fair chance to succeed, but life isn’t fair buddy. It’s Arch time.

3. New York Jets: Jeremiah Smith, WR Ohio State

This is a really interesting scenario for the Jets. Do they offer Miami all three of their 2027 first round picks in a two-quarterback draft class? Would Miami take those picks knowing their supporting cast isn’t ready for a young quarterback and that there are a lot of good redshirt sophomores and juniors in the college ranks?

The answer is almost certainly no because if the Dolphins give the Jets a quarterback who turns out to be great, it will create a wave of generational trauma for the fandom.

4. Cleveland Browns: Leonard Moore, CB Notre Dame

The Browns are another team with multiple first round picks in 2027 that needs a quarterback, but there isn’t one here. Without the guarantee of landing a starting quarterback, Cleveland should look to draft the best player available at a position that will be a need two or three years down the line.

5. Tennessee Titans: Trevor Goosby, OT Texas

Rejoice Titans fans, for I bring you the gift of Dan Moore’s replacement. Goosby hasn’t quite hit the level of your usual top 10 offensive tackle selection, but last season was just his first as a starter. He has the tools to develop into a prospect worthy of this selection.

6. Las Vegas Raiders: Cam Coleman, WR Texas

Right tackle is a need, but Las Vegas’ wide receiver room might be the worst in the NFL. The Raiders have too many problems to fix in one draft. Coleman currently sits in the blue chip prospect tier, which makes him a great option to pair with Brock Bowers.

7. Atlanta Falcons: Jordan Seaton, OT LSU

I salute Jake Matthews for his years of uninterrupted starts at left tackle, but his age is starting to show up in significant ways. Jawaan Taylor at right tackle isn’t much of a calming presence either. The Falcons need offensive tackle help. They also need Jalon Walker to return to full health and for Michael Penix Jr. to be the answer at quarterback. Seems like a tricky parlay to hit.

8. New Orleans Saints: Dylan Stewart, Edge South Carolina

Stewart is one of the easiest top five grades I’ve ever given out. The refinement isn’t there yet, but you’re fooling yourself if you can’t see the athletic upside to be a Pro Bowl-caliber pass rusher. Unfortunately, the back injury he suffered last season looms as a potential guillotine for his draft stock. That’s why he fell to eight. It’s a minuscule drop compared to what he might face if the medicals come back poorly.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers: Charlie Becker, WR Indiana

The Steelers have a very odd wide receiver room. Germie Bernard might pop as a rookie and allow Pittsburgh to look at other positions in the draft, but questionable returns from their WR3 this year should push the Steelers to grab one of the five best pass catchers in this class. It’s also worth wondering how much juice Michael Pittman Jr. (two-year contract) has left in the tank.

10. Carolina Panthers: Nick Marsh, WR Indiana

The Panthers actually have a really strong roster on paper. Or at least they did before Nic Scourton tore his ACL and Taylor Moton developed blood clots. There are a lot of reasons to be hopeful for 2027. The only issue is that one of the biggest question marks on Carolina’s roster is the 5’10 1/8” fourth-year quarterback. Adding Marsh to the wide receiver room alongside Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan at least adds more fangs to the offense.

11. New York Giants: Melvin Siani, OT Texas

This is a very high landing spot for a player like Siani. He’s still more potential than polish, but no other pure offensive tackle comes close to the trio of Goosby, Seaton, and Siani in this class. It’s a war of scarcity. This pick allows the Giants to keep Francis Mauigoa at right guard and might finally fix their offensive line (it only took a decade).

Wide receiver should also be a priority for the Giants. We’re going to learn a lot about Malik Nabers’ condition over the next month. New York’s inability to land a promising pass catcher to pair with Nabers is a head-scratcher. Better correct that mistake while Jaxson Dart is still early in his career.

12. Washington Commanders: Colin Simmons, Edge Texas

The Commanders have proven veterans in K’Lavon Chaisson and Odafe Oweh, who are both coming off playing some of the best football of their careers in 2024 and 2025. Simmons’ ceiling is just higher. There’s a good argument for this being an interior player instead of an edge. Either way, this is an ideal spot to land a defensive lineman.

13. New York Jets (Via Colts): David Stone, IDL Oklahoma

Quinnen Williams goes out, David Stone comes in. Stone isn’t a one-for-one replacement for Williams, who is an All-Pro-caliber player at his best. However, pairing Stone with T’Vondre Sweat gives the Jets size and violence along their defensive interior. It also frees up David Bailey and Will McDonald IV, neither of whom are great run defenders, to pin their ears back in the pass rush.

14. Minnesota Vikings: Zach Lutmer, NB Iowa

This is a very high spot for a player like Lutmer. Given his play style and versatile impact, I think we can pencil him in for a second round selection at worst. I’m just intrigued by the thought of him in a Brian Flores defense.

15. Jacksonville Jaguars: Will Echoles, IDL Ole Miss

This pick makes third round rookie Albert Regis redundant, but Echoles is the superior player in that general archetype. He’s not going to be a high-impact run defender, but he gives the Jaguars juice on the interior. His disruptive pass rushing ability should create opportunities for Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.

16. New York Jets (Via Cowboys): Ellis Robinson IV, CB Georgia

As much as I liked Azareye’h Thomas as a prospect, the Jets need at least one new starter in their cornerback room. It would be great if Thomas takes his game to a new level in 2026, but the Jets still likely go pass catcher, defensive back, and pass rusher (in some order) with their first round picks.

17. Cincinnati Bengals: OJ Frederique Jr., CB Miami

Frederique needs to get healthy because he has the smooth hips and movement skills to smother routes in man coverage. I expect the Bengals will try to retain DJ Turner II this coming offseason, but Frederique is a strong fallback if the former second round pick hits free agency.

18. Dallas Cowboys (Via Packers): Ashton Hampton, CB Clemson

I’m notably lower on Hampton than the consensus, but I could see the Cowboys falling in love with his traits. He has the combination of size, speed, and fluidity to warrant a first round selection, but the mental aspect of the game is still a work in progress. Cobie Durant is a free agent after this coming season, and there’s a strong chance he commands a significant pay raise on the open market.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jamari Johnson, TE Oregon

The Buccaneers are a difficult team to draft for. Their roster looks sturdy on paper, but a few positions are one injury away from being in chaos. Wide receiver and cornerback depth needs addressing. However, among the remaining prospects, Johnson might provide the most immediate upgrade over an incumbent Buccaneers starter.

20. Chicago Bears: Yhonzae Pierre, Edge Alabama

The Montez Sweat contract expires after 2027. He has been a solid but disappointing starter, considering some of the potential he flashed early in his career with Washington. Austin Booker on the other side of the line made strides in 2025 but is still a work in progress. Pierre gives Chicago a three-man rotation for 2027 with complementary strengths.

21. Denver Broncos: Brauntae Johnson, S Notre Dame

The Broncos need to contend with their aging offensive line and shedding some of their defensive back depth in free agency simultaneously. It’s not an enviable position, but Johnson gives them a nice out. He’s the best safety in the class and might even be a top 15 prospect. Positional value contributes to him getting this far down the board.

22. New England Patriots: Greg Johnson, G Minnesota

Mike Onwenu is a pending free agent, and Alijah Vera-Tucker has only played more than 10 games twice in a five-year career. Johnson is the top true guard in the 2027 class.

23. Los Angeles Chargers: Ryan Wingo, WR Texas

Wingo is a chaotic but gifted wide receiver with elite physical tools. The combo makes him a perfect fit for the Chargers and their already difficult-to-understand swings in performance. They should run the pick in if Greg Johnson makes it this far because their starting guard play this year is…going to be something else.

24. San Francisco 49ers: Bryant Wesco Jr., WR Clemson

The 49ers need more youth in their wide receiver room. Assuming Mike Evans still has some ability to stretch the field in 2027, Wesco is an ideal option for intermediate targets. He’s a surprisingly loose athlete capable of generating natural separation.

25. Houston Texans: Anto Saka, Edge Texas A&M

This is another roster with few holes on paper. The only outright area of concern is the offensive line, but the Texans just used two draft picks to address that issue this past spring. There isn’t a lineman on the board that is an enticing enough prospect to abandon the current plan. Saka is in a make-or-break year with Texas A&M. He’s either going to be a top 40 player or fall to the middle of Day 3.

26. Detroit Lions: Trevor Lauck, OT/G Iowa

The Lions are giving some of their young, project offensive linemen too much credit. This team was one of the best in the NFL for a multi-year stretch because of the play calling and a dominant front five. It’s time to get serious about a long-term future up front. Lauck slots in at left guard in this scenario.

27. Kansas City Chiefs: Andrew Rappleyea, TE Penn State

Rappleyea still has a lot to prove, but his athletic traits are excellent. He might not get the same target share Tyler Warren did several years ago, but Rappleyea is due for a breakout season. No one will ever replace what Travis Kelce meant to the Chiefs offense, but this pick addresses the issue.

28. Seattle Seahawks: Taylor Wein, Edge Oklahoma

Seattle bled a lot of depth on its defense after winning the Super Bowl. The cornerback, safety, and edge rusher rooms took the hardest hits. Of those positions, cornerback is the only one without a clear option at this pick. Edge requires a bit of a stretch, but Wein is one of several prospects with the potential to jump from Day 2 to Day 1 status with a strong final season.

29. Philadelphia Eagles: Anthonie Knapp, G Notre Dame

Landon Dickerson’s injury history could result in him retiring early, and Tyler Steen is a replacement-level player. The best teams stay good in the trenches by finding solutions to problems that haven’t arisen yet.

30. Baltimore Ravens: A’Mauri Washington, IDL Oregon

Calais Campbell and Broderick Washington are free agents next spring. A’Mauri Washington doesn’t offer much as a pass rusher, but he’s explosive enough to contribute some pressure while causing chaos in the run game. This is a low-value grab, but it keeps the Ravens from reaching for a receiver. Ideally, there’s a good cornerback prospect here for Baltimore in the actual draft.

31. Buffalo Bills: KJ Bolden, S Georgia

Elements of Buffalo’s roster feel like they’ve been stuck in stasis for three or four years. The front office recently made some moves to add new faces to the secondary, but the needle remains unmoved. This pick becomes unnecessary if Jalon Kilgore finds a way to contribute as a rookie.

32. Cleveland Browns (Via Rams): Justin Scott, IDL Miami

This is a fairly anticlimactic selection for the Browns. With the top tier of prospects off the board, Cleveland will probably attack whatever position caused the most pain in 2026. That could be wide receiver, guard, the defensive interior, etc. With Teven Jenkins hitting free agency, it might be worth looking into Cayden Green, Jacarrius Peak, or Evan Tengesdahl.

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Projected Return to School Quarterbacks

CJ Carr, QB Notre Dame

Drake Lindsey, QB Minnesota

Drew Mestemaker, QB Oklahoma State

Julian Sayin, QB Ohio State

LaNorris Sellers, QB South Carolina

Honorable Mentions: Offense

Brendan Sorsby, QB Texas Tech

Jayden Maiava, QB USC

Darian Mensah, QB Miami

Jadan Baugh, RB Florida

Nate Frazier, RB Georgia

Ahmad Hardy, RB Missouri

Kewan Lacy, RB Ole Miss

Mario Craver, WR Texas A&M

Mike Matthews, WR Tennessee

Omarion Miller, WR Arizona State

Junior Sherrill, WR Vanderbilt

Benjamin Brahmer, TE Penn State

Trey’Dez Green, TE LSU

Anthony Donkoh, G Penn State

Cayden Green, OT/G Missouri

Jacarrius Peak, OT/G South Carolina

Evan Tengesdahl, G Cincinnati

Kade Pieper, C Iowa

Honorable Mentions: Defense

Bear Alexander, IDL Oregon

Tavion Gadson, IDL Kentucky

DJ Hicks, IDL Texas A&M

Ahmad Moten Sr., IDL Miami

Clev Lubin, Edge Louisville

Quincy Rhodes Jr., Edge Arkansas

Jordan Ross, Edge LSU

Boubacar Traore, Edge Notre Dame

Sammy Brown, LB Clemson

Chris Cole, LB Georgia

Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, LB Notre Dame

Zeke Berry, CB Michigan

Zabien Brown, CB Alabama

Kelley Jones, CB Mississippi State

Kayin Lee, CB Tennessee

Brice Pollock, CB Texas Tech

Jontez Williams, CB USC

Jaylen McClain, S Ohio State

Jelani McDonald, S Texas

Marcus Neal Jr., S Penn State

Dashawn Spears, S LSU

There are some rules for Stock Up. I try to avoid tune-up and non-competitive games when picking players for this series. For instance, I’m not scouting Georgia vs. Tennessee State in Week 1 to write up Bulldogs. There’s no draft value in that tape for Georgia.

How does Stock Up play into my larger scouting process? I don’t shift my grades on players week-to-week. The early portions of the season can be very deceiving. However, Stock Up helps me keep up with prospects across the course of the year and assists with updating my summer grades after roughly the first month of games.

The content plan for the rest of this week includes a first round mock draft, a final summer top 200 big board, and a handful of scouting reports on some of my favorite 2027 NFL Draft prospects.

Week 0 only provided a few useful matchups, but five players stood out on tape as worthy of being included in Stock Up. We’ll get things started with a duo of North Carolina Tar Heels.

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Follow @Sam_Teets33 on Twitter for the latest updates on content and additional football analysis.

Stock Up: Melkart Abou-Jaoude, Edge North Carolina

Abou-Jaoude produced 10.5 sacks last season, but many of his splash plays came on stunts or long dropbacks where quarterbacks refused to throw the ball away despite the play breaking down. His stat totals ended up inflated as a result. That might not be the case this season.

Abou-Jaoude recorded a strip-sack and a quarterback hit as part of a three-pressure game against TCU that saw him post multiple wins against left tackle Ben Taylor-Whitfield. He also contributed a run stop and a stop on a wide receiver screen. All of that came after he took an early trip to the locker room for an apparent injury.

Abou-Jaoude used a cross-chop with a rip finish to get a clean win on Taylor-Whitfield for the strip-sack. He lacks elite bend but showed enough to finish around the corner in this instance. He can flatten his rush angle when he has a step on the offensive tackle but is too stiff to access tighter angles against more athletic linemen.

On his quarterback hit, Abou-Jaoude used a euro step to set up a rip through the B-gap. The pressure contributed to an off-target pass by Jaden Craig that otherwise would’ve resulted in a nice gain for TCU and helped sustain a drive during a crucial period of the game.

Abou-Jaoude is a densely built lineman with impressive arm length. He delivers powerful extensions to separate from offensive linemen and plays with a high motor pursuing the football. He has a developed bag of pass rush moves, including long-arms, swims, rips, spins, and cross-chops and is precise with his hand usage to remove the offensive tackle’s hands or prevent them from making contact in the first place.

Abou-Jaoude is strong enough to push the pocket with a bull rush and deploys an inside swim counter off his two-armed bull rush. However, his power profile as a rusher is inconsistent, and most of his high-impact plays come on finesse moves or because of hustle. His pass rush plan is still a work in progress as he often fails to deploy counters or get to a secondary rush move after his primary attack stalls.

Abou-Jaoude flashed some nice burst near the top of his rush against TCU, but his first step off the line of scrimmage fails to provide a consistent challenge for offensive tackles. His overall athletic ability, including his change of direction and bend, creates some limitations.

North Carolina primarily used Abou-Jaoude in wide alignments last year, which limited his impact in the run game. He’s already playing a significantly higher percentage of his snaps tighter to the offensive tackle, which is reflected by some of the run lanes he assisted with muddying over the weekend.

Abou-Jaoude has the size and length to lock out linemen and set the edge, but he generally doesn’t reset the line of scrimmage or compress run lanes at a high level.

Stock Up: Jelani Thurman, TE North Carolina

Thurman’s Tar Heels debut went about as well as possible. He caught four of eight targets for 94 yards, including receptions for 20 and 35 yards on the first possession of the game (which resulted in a field goal) and a 25-yard reception heading into the final two-minute warning that gave North Carolina a fresh set of downs and a path to run out the clock.

Obviously, there was a wide stretch in the middle of the game where Thurman didn’t make much of an impact as a pass catcher. However, neither team moved the ball well in the second and third quarters. For a college tight end, a 90+ yard performance is fantastic. It’s even better for Thurman, considering his previous single-season career-high for receiving yards was 84 (2025).

At roughly 6’6”, 245 or 250 lbs., Thurman is lean in his lower half but is still an impact in-line blocker. That’s primarily how he got on the field during his first three seasons at Ohio State. It’s surprising the Buckeyes couldn’t find more ways to get him involved because he has the speed to stretch the field or create on schemed touches.

Thurman is an explosive mover with good acceleration and the lateral agility to set up and cut off blocks in space. He’s fast enough to stress the pursuit angles of second level defenders. Thurman changes directions well for a player his size, which suggests he’ll be able to fill out his route tree as he gains more experience.

Stock Up: Noah Josey, G Virginia

Josey’s fourth year as Virginia’s starting left guard got off to a hot start. Virginia rolled through North Carolina State’s defensive front with Josey leading the way. Josey isn’t going to jump off the tape for his athleticism, but his size and power profile make him a consistent, steadfast anchor along the line.

You can see a full All-22 reel of Josey’s highlights here.

Josey is 6’5”, 315 lbs. with a square upper frame and broad shoulders. As a sixth-year college player, his frame is well-developed and stout, allowing him to instantly arrest many 3-techs in pass protection. Even when his pad level drifts upward, giving bull rushers a leverage advantage, Josey is strong enough in his lower half to re-anchor and maintain pocket integrity.

Josey relies a lot on his natural size and power, which serve him well against opponents like the Wolfpack. When not covered up, he delivers harsh rib shots to 5- and 0-techs. Josey’s hands pack enough power to forcibly re-route interior rushers. His pad level sometimes results in him getting pulled forward and off balance, but he recovers enough from push-pulls to buy his quarterback time to get the ball away.

Josey landed a few nice blocks on gap runs against North Carolina State. He isn’t an explosive mover but arrives with good timing and force to immediately frame and contain defenders when pulling. In Week 0, Virginia asked him to climb to second level defenders more often than I remember in past seasons. He handled the added challenge very well, often getting solid contact and rarely overshooting his intended target.

Josey runs his feet through contact to walk defenders off the line or wash them away on down blocks. He takes good angles going into contact and adjusts his body’s angle to lock defenders out of run lanes. He channels impressive power through his hands to steer or torque defenders out of gaps and is a willing mauler.

Josey is a smart, assignment-sound, and physically developed college veteran. He lacks the athletic traits (foot speed, agility, flexibility, burst) to warrant consideration for a top 100 selection. However, we know this type of player can outperform their draft status and stick around for a while in the NFL.

Stock Up: Nathan Hayes, QB North Dakota State

Saturday marked Hayes’ first official start with North Dakota State. To put into context his lack of experience, the redshirt senior entered the weekend with 63 career pass attempts. He added 22 attempts against Jacksonville State, completing 14 for 160 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. He also had one carry of 10+ yards.

You can see a full All-22 reel of Hayes’ highlights here.

Hayes made a couple of decisions that reflect his lack of time on task. He tried to force a tight window throw to a deep curl while under pressure and gifted Jacksonville State the ball and a short field (the ball was spotted at NDSU’s 21-yard line). He also had a wide open receiver for an easy touchdown on a stutter-go late in the first quarter but was late on the throw and led his intended target out of bounds.

Mistakes aside, the performance was an excellent foundation for Hayes’ season. He showed some nice pocket control by climbing to avoid outside pressure and stepping around defenders pushing through the interior. I had some questions about Hayes’ arm strength and velocity over the summer, but he made it look easy to push the ball 45+ yards downfield and flashed some B+ to A caliber velocity on far hash throws.

Of course, there’s also the hole shot everyone is raving about. The ball placement on this throw is perfect. Any deeper, and the safety probably gets it. The velocity on this throw is also great. It takes a lot of zip to beat the safety on that far hash throw.

I was also impressed by the touch on the short touchdown pass to tight end Reis Kessel. Hayes hits Kessel right on the facemask while scraping the ball over the leaping cornerback. One of my favorite throws actually went incomplete. Hayes got to a deep backside dig and put the ball right on the money. The cornerback just had really good coverage and was able to knock the ball out.

Hayes also showed some good flexibility and off-platform creativity on roll outs. He is fast enough to pick up chunk gains with his legs and challenge some linebackers’ pursuit angles, but he really focused on staying alive as a passer and not tucking the ball to run too early or often.

Going forward, Hayes needs to improve his comfort getting through his reads with better timing. Sometimes, he gets stuck on and stares down his primary. Learning to manipulate defenders with his eyes should be on his to-do list. Hayes’ accuracy broke down a bit when working deeper into his progressions. That might be his mental clock causing him to get a little jittery.

Hayes generally did well sensing and adjusting for pressure, but there were a few moments when he was caught off guard. He also had a few throws going outside the numbers at the short to intermediate levels that seemed to die on him. That’s not a velocity issue, just something he needs to clean up.

Stock Up: Jimarion McCrimon, LT North Carolina State

Last summer, I thought McCrimon was on the path to eventually become the next transfer tackle addition at a premier program like Oregon. Unfortunately, his 2025 season fell short of expectations, but he still made the jump from East Carolina to a Power Four conference. The arrow is pointing up one week into his redshirt junior season.

You can see a full All-22 reel of McCrimon’s highlights here.

McCrimon’s frame looks more filled out, which is reflected in his improved play strength. He generated more movement in the run game during Week 0 than at ECU and gave up less ground when challenged by a pass rusher attempting to win through his frame. In past years, defenders torqued or twisted him out of their way. That doesn’t look like it will be an issue in 2026.

Despite adding mass, McCrimon retained his explosive footwork that helps him cover space quickly to mirror pass rushers. He doesn’t run into issues sticking with wide-alignment rushers and shows the foot speed and bounce to adjust his tempo to match the defender’s and protect his outside shoulder.

McCrimon flashes phone booth explosiveness when he closes space to the defender, taking the air out of the pass rush.

McCrimon already had decent hands as a first-year starter in 2024. He still needs to incorporate more independent hand usage but has sudden hands to arrest or frame rushers. Defenders struggle to break his grip. When they do, McCrimon quickly replaces his hands.

McCrimon doesn’t have traditional arm length for an offensive tackle, and his frame is high-cut. That combination leads to him naturally getting overextended when trying to initiate contact. He needs to show more patience to avoid launching himself into compromised positions. McCrimon also has the bad habit of stopping or slowing his feet to extend and punch, which makes his outside shoulder vulnerable.

Unfortunately, McCrimon exited Week 0 just 33 snaps into the game after suffering what appeared to be a left lower body injury. The injury occurred with roughly 10:23 left in the third quarter. North Carolina State hasn’t released anything about the injury yet.

Hopefully it isn’t a long-term issue because the 2027 offensive tackle class can’t afford to lose any potential top 120 selections. Also, I really enjoy watching McCrimon play and would feel terrible if he got bit by the injury bug.

Additional Names to Know

Brandyn Hillman, S Virginia

Reis Kessel, TE North Dakota State

Jeremy Payne, RB TCU

Ka’Morreun Pimpton, TE TCU

Prospect Notes from the Weekend

-Even before Saturday, North Carolina State QB CJ Bailey was viewed as being a year away from being a year away. His turnover-heavy performance and missed throws confirmed that evaluation.

-It was a rough start to the season for TCU LT Ben Taylor-Whitfield. Once a promising prospect, he seems to be headed to UDFA territory.

-FSU’s Quintrevion Wisner is leading the “worst transfer portal decision” race after he landed as RB3 on their Week 0 depth chart. A nagging injury and tough camp may have already derailed his season.

-History tells us none of NDSU’s running backs will make an impact in the NFL, but they sure are fun to watch.

Like the past few summers, I assembled four Preseason All-America Teams from my summer scouting process and evaluations for the Preseason All-Conference Teams (linked below). This year’s selections confirmed a trend most of us already understood. Talent is becoming more concentrated among top Power Four programs, almost entirely freezing out Group of Six schools from these teams.

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Oregon (7), Texas (7), Georgia (6), Miami (6), Indiana (5), Notre Dame (5), Ohio State (5), and Texas Tech (5) were the schools with at least five players selected across the four squads.

*Indicates 2026 transfer

^Indicates medical concern

First Team Offense

Quarterback: Dante Moore, Oregon

Running Back: Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss

Running Back: Jadan Baugh, Florida

Wide Receiver: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

Wide Receiver: Cam Coleman, Texas*

Wide Receiver: Charlie Becker, Indiana

Tight End: Jamari Johnson, Oregon

All-Purpose: Malachi Toney, (WR) Miami

Offensive Tackle: Trevor Goosby, Texas^

Offensive Tackle: Jordan Seaton, LSU*

Guard: Greg Johnson, Minnesota

Guard: Anthonie Knapp, Notre Dame

Center: Kade Pieper, Iowa

First Team Defense

Defensive End/Edge: Colin Simmons, Texas

Defensive End/Edge: Clev Lubin, Louisville

Defensive Tackle: Will Echoles, Ole Miss

Defensive Tackle: David Stone, Oklahoma

Linebacker: Sammy Brown, Clemson

Linebacker: Cade Uluave, BYU*

Linebacker: Xavier Atkins, Auburn

Cornerback: Leonard Moore, Notre Dame

Cornerback: Brandon Finney Jr., Oregon

Safety: Brauntae Johnson, Notre Dame

Safety: Zach Lutmer, (NB) Iowa

Second Team Offense

Quarterback: Darian Mensah, Miami*

Running Back: LJ Martin, BYU

Running Back: Bo Jackson, Ohio State

Wide Receiver: Cooper Barkate, Miami*

Wide Receiver: Nick Marsh, Indiana*

Wide Receiver: Mario Craver, Texas A&M

Tight End: Andrew Rappleyea, Penn State

All-Purpose: Raleek Brown, (RB) Texas*

Offensive Tackle: Carter Smith, Indiana

Offensive Tackle: Trevor Lauck, Iowa

Guard: Evan Tengesdahl, Cincinnati

Guard: Austin Siereveld, Ohio State

Center: Iapani Laloulu, Oregon

Second Team Defense

Defensive End/Edge: Marco Jones, Texas A&M

Defensive End/Edge: Dylan Stewart, South Carolina^

Defensive Tackle: Ahmad Moten Sr., Miami

Defensive Tackle: A’Mauri Washington, Oregon

Linebacker: Chris Cole, Georgia

Linebacker: Ben Roberts, Texas Tech

Linebacker: Isaiah Jones, Indiana

Cornerback: Ellis Robinson IV, Georgia

Cornerback: Ty Redmond, Tennessee

Safety: KJ Bolden, Georgia

Safety: Jelani McDonald, Texas

Third Team Offense

Quarterback: Arch Manning, Texas

Running Back: Antwan Raymond, Rutgers

Running Back: Mark Fletcher Jr., Miami

Wide Receiver: KJ Duff, Rutgers

Wide Receiver: Bryant Wesco Jr., Clemson

Wide Receiver: Mike Matthews, Tennessee

Tight End: Theo Melin Ohrstrom, SMU*

All-Purpose: Wayne Knight, (RB) UCLA*

Offensive Tackle: Melvin Siani, Texas*

Offensive Tackle: Cayden Green, Missouri

Guard: Shadre Hurst, Houston*

Guard: Dontrell Glover, Georgia

Center: Drew Bobo, Georgia

Third Team Defense

Defensive End/Edge: Yhonzae Pierre, Alabama

Defensive End/Edge: Teitum Tuioti, Oregon

Defensive Tackle: A.J. Holmes, Texas Tech

Defensive Tackle: Justin Scott, Miami

Linebacker: Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Notre Dame^

Linebacker: Myles Graham, Florida

Linebacker: Austin Romaine, Texas Tech*

Cornerback: Brice Pollock, Texas Tech

Cornerback: OJ Frederique Jr., Miami

Safety: Marcus Neal Jr., Penn State*

Safety: Dashawn Spears, LSU

Fourth Team Offense

Quarterback: Josh Hoover, Indiana*

Running Back: Nate Frazier, Georgia

Running Back: Ahmad Hardy, Missouri^

Wide Receiver: Ryan Wingo, Texas

Wide Receiver: Omarion Miller, Arizona State*

Wide Receiver: Tanook Hines, USC

Tight End: Trey’Dez Green, LSU

All-Purpose: Cam Cook, (RB) West Virginia*

Offensive Tackle: Jacarrius Peak, South Carolina*^

Offensive Tackle: Drew Azzopardi, Washington

Guard: Ezomo Oratokhai, Northwestern

Guard: Eryx Daugherty, Louisville*

Center: Sheridan Wilson, Texas Tech

Fourth Team Defense

Defensive End/Edge: Jordan Ross, LSU*

Defensive End/Edge: Boubacar Traore, Notre Dame

Defensive Tackle: Bear Alexander, Oregon

Defensive Tackle: Tavion Gadson, Kentucky

Linebacker: Daymion Sanford, Texas A&M

Linebacker: Christian Alliegro, Ohio State*

Linebacker: Ray Coney, Texas A&M*

Cornerback: Zeke Berry, Michigan

Cornerback: Jontez Williams, USC*

Safety: Jaylen McClain, Ohio State

Safety: Xavier Scott, (NB) Illinois

20 Players on the Cusp

1. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, QB Cal

2. Julian Sayin, QB Ohio State

3. Zabien Brown, CB Alabama

4. Duce Robinson, WR Florida State

5. Ashton Hampton, CB Clemson

6. Jordan Marshall, RB Michigan

7. Kayin Lee, CB Tennessee*

8. Koi Perich, S Oregon*

9. Dakorien Moore, WR Oregon

10. Andrew Marsh, WR Michigan

11. Anto Saka, Edge Texas A&M*

12. Amare Ferrell, S Indiana

13. Trinidad Chambliss, QB Ole Miss

14. Terrance Carter, TE Texas Tech

15. Benjamin Brahmer, TE Penn State

16. Earl Little Jr., S Ohio State*

17. Justice Haynes, RB Georgia Tech*

18. Rasheem Biles, LB Texas*

19. Isaac Brown, RB Louisville

20. DJ Pickett, CB LSU

Preseason National Awards

Coach of the Year: Dan Lanning, Oregon

Maxwell Award: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

The Maxwell Award is presented to the best player in college football.

Davey O’Brien Award: Dante Moore, Oregon

The Davey O’Brien Award is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback.

Biletnikoff Award: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

The Biletnikoff Award Trophy is presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding college football receiver.

Doak Walker Award: Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss

The prestigious Doak Walker Award was created in 1989 to honor the nation’s most outstanding collegiate running back.

John Mackey Award: Jamari Johnson, Oregon

The John Mackey Award annually honors the nation’s most outstanding tight end.

Joe Moore Award: Texas Longhorns

The Joe Moore Award recognizes the Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit in College Football.

Rimington Trophy: Kade Pieper, Iowa

The Dave Rimington Trophy annually honors the nation’s most outstanding center.

Outland Trophy: Will Echoles, Ole Miss

The Outland Trophy honors the best interior lineman in college football (offensive tackles are eligible).

Chuck Bednarik Award: Leonard Moore, Notre Dame

The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented to the best defensive player in college football.

Bronko Nagurski Trophy: Colin Simmons, Texas

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is presented annually to the top defensive player in college football.

Lombardi Award: Greg Johnson, Minnesota

This prestigious accolade continues to honor the Outstanding College Football Lineman, whether on offense or defense, who displays exceptional performance and ability and embodies the character and discipline that Vince Lombardi championed throughout his life.

Ted Hendricks Award: Colin Simmons, Texas

The Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award goes to the nation’s top defensive end.

Butkus Award: Cade Uluave, BYU*

The Butkus Award is one of the elite individual honors, given each year to the most impactful linebacker in the game.

Jim Thorpe Award: Leonard Moore, Notre Dame

The Jim Thorpe Award is given annually to the best defensive back in college football based on performance on the field, athletic ability, and character.

Paul Hornung Award: Malachi Toney, Miami

The Paul Hornung Award is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football.

Honorable Mentions: Offense

Quarterback: CJ Carr, Notre Dame

Quarterback: Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss

Quarterback: Noah Fifita, Arizona

Quarterback: Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Cal

Quarterback: Drake Lindsey, Minnesota

Quarterback: Jayden Maiava, USC

Quarterback: John Mateer, Oklahoma

Quarterback: Julian Sayin, Ohio State

Quarterback: LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina

Quarterback: Malik Washington, Maryland

Running Back: Isaac Brown, Louisville

Running Back: Jordon Davison, Oregon

Running Back: Cameron Dickey, Texas Tech

Running Back: Joe Jackson, Kansas State

Running Back: Caleb Hawkins, Oklahoma State*

Running Back: Justice Haynes, Georgia Tech*

Running Back: Jordan Marshall, Michigan

Running Back: Wayshawn Parker, Utah

Running Back: Nate Sheppard, Duke

Wide Receiver: Kenny Johnson, Texas Tech*

Wide Receiver: Andrew Marsh, Michigan

Wide Receiver: Dakorien Moore, Oregon

Wide Receiver: Duce Robinson, Florida State

Wide Receiver: Isaiah Sategna, Oklahoma

Wide Receiver: Junior Sherrill, Vanderbilt

Wide Receiver: Beau Sparks, Texas State

Wide Receiver: Amare Thomas, Houston

Wide Receiver: Griffin Wilde, Northwestern

Wide Receiver: Wyatt Young, Oklahoma State*

Tight End: Benjamin Brahmer, Penn State

Tight End: Terrance Carter, Texas Tech

Tight End: Garrett Oakley, Kansas State

Tight End: Luke Reynolds, Virginia Tech*

Tight End: DJ Vonnahme, Iowa

Offensive Tackle: Will Black, Notre Dame

Offensive Tackle: McKale Boley, Virginia

Offensive Tackle: Wilkin Formby, Texas A&M*

Offensive Tackle: PJ Williams, SMU

Guard: Michael Carroll, Alabama

Guard: Noah Josey, Virginia

Center: Braelin Moore, LSU

Center: Lance Robinson, Louisville

Honorable Mentions: Defense

Defensive End/Edge: John Henry Daley, Michigan*

Defensive End/Edge: Will Heldt, Clemson

Defensive End/Edge: Kris Jones, Boston College*

Defensive End/Edge: Yvan Kemajou, Penn State

Defensive End/Edge: Michael Kilbane, Northwestern

Defensive End/Edge: Marquise Lightfoot, Miami

Defensive End/Edge: Anto Saka, Texas A&M*

Defensive End/Edge: Sidney Stewart, Maryland

Defensive End/Edge: Taylor Wein, Oklahoma

Defensive End/Edge: Damon Wilson II, Miami*

Defensive Tackle: Markis Deal, TCU

Defensive Tackle: C.J. Fite, Arizona State

Defensive Tackle: Keanu Tanuvasa, BYU

Linebacker: Maverick Baranowski, Minnesota

Linebacker: Rasheem Biles, Texas*

Linebacker: Arion Carter, Tennessee

Linebacker: Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss

Linebacker: Tony Rojas, Penn State

Linebacker: Whit Weeks, LSU

Cornerback: Zabien Brown, Alabama

Cornerback: Ashton Hampton, Clemson

Cornerback: Jyaire Hill, Michigan

Cornerback: Evan Johnson, BYU

Cornerback: Kelley Jones, Mississippi State

Cornerback: Kayin Lee, Tennessee*

Cornerback: Jalen Mayo, Houston*

Cornerback: DJ Pickett, LSU

Safety: Amare Ferrell, Indiana

Safety: Bryce Fitzgerald, Miami

Safety: Bray Hubbard, Alabama

Safety: Earl Little Jr., Ohio State*

Safety: Koi Perich, Oregon*

Safety: Zechariah Poyser, Miami

Safety: Adon Shuler, Notre Dame

There are other talented programs and athletes in the Big 12. BYU notably might have both the Big 12 Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year for 2026. TCU, with Harvard transfer Jaden Craig at the helm, is a mystery box. Arizona, Arizona State, and Kansas State look depleted on paper compared to a few years ago, but all are capable of putting up big numbers.

Preseason All-SEC l Preseason All-Big Ten l Preseason All-ACC

Announcement: I will be joining Cory Kinnan’s Monday Morning Hangover series on the Daft on Draft podcast as a recurring guest for a segment highlighting one of the top trench prospects after each week.

*Indicates 2026 transfer

^Indicates true freshman

Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year: LJ Martin, RB BYU

Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year: Cade Uluave, LB BYU*

Big 12 Newcomer of the Year: Jaden Craig, QB TCU*

Big 12 Coach of the Year: Collin Klein, Kansas State

First Team Offense

Quarterback: Noah Fifita, Arizona

Running Back: LJ Martin, BYU

Running Back: Cameron Dickey, Texas Tech

Wide Receiver: Omarion Miller, Arizona State*

Wide Receiver: Amare Thomas, Houston

Wide Receiver: Wyatt Young, Oklahoma State*

Tight End: Terrance Carter, Texas Tech

All-Purpose: Cam Cook, (RB) West Virginia*

Offensive Tackle: Ben Taylor-Whitfield, TCU

Offensive Tackle: Joe Cotton, Cincinnati

Guard: Evan Tengesdahl, Cincinnati

Guard: Shadre Hurst, Houston*

Center: Sheridan Wilson, Texas Tech

First Team Defense

Defensive End/Edge: Adam Trick, Texas Tech*

Defensive End/Edge: Wendell Gregory, Kansas State*

Defensive Tackle: Markis Deal, TCU

Defensive Tackle: A.J. Holmes, Texas Tech

Linebacker: Cade Uluave, BYU*

Linebacker: Austin Romaine, Texas Tech*

Linebacker: Ben Roberts, Texas Tech

Cornerback: Brice Pollock, Texas Tech

Cornerback: Jalen Mayo, Houston*

Safety: Jamel Johnson, TCU

Safety: Faletau Satuala, BYU

Texas Tech asserts its dominance early with eight Preseason First Team All-Big 12 selections. Among the players not included were wide receiver Kenny Johnson and offensive tackle Howard Sampson, who could bump into First Team consideration if the offense maintains its momentum from last year despite the quarterback change.

BYU (three), Houston (three), TCU (three), and Cincinnati (two) were the only other programs with at least two First Team selections. The Cougars have a very intriguing roster. They aren’t built to contend for a national championship, but LJ Martin and Cade Uluave could easily earn Big 12 OPOY and DPOY honors, considering the conference lacks elite quarterbacks and pass rushers.

It’ll be interesting to see how the small school transfers handle the jump in competition. Cam Cook (Jacksonville State), Jalen Mayo (Stephen F. Austin), Adam Trick (Miami OH), and Wyatt Young (North Texas) are all going to be facing NFL-caliber opponents on a week-to-week basis for the first time.

Second Team Offense

Quarterback: Jaden Craig, TCU*

Running Back: Joe Jackson, Kansas State

Running Back: Wayshawn Parker, Utah

Wide Receiver: Kenny Johnson, Texas Tech*

Wide Receiver: Jordan Dwyer, TCU

Wide Receiver: DeAndre Moore Jr., Colorado*

Tight End: Garrett Oakley, Kansas State

All-Purpose: J’Koby Williams, (RB) Texas Tech

Offensive Tackle: Howard Sampson, Texas Tech

Offensive Tackle: Champ Westbrooks, Arizona State

Guard: Alexander Doost, Arizona

Guard: Jacob Sexton, Oklahoma State*

Center: Bruce Mitchell, BYU

Second Team Defense

Defensive End/Edge: Leroy Harris III, Kansas

Defensive End/Edge: Jaleel Johnson, Oklahoma State

Defensive Tackle: C.J. Fite, Arizona State

Defensive Tackle: Keanu Tanuvasa, BYU

Linebacker: Lewis Carter, UCF

Linebacker: John Curry, Texas Tech

Linebacker: Owen Long, Arizona State*

Cornerback: Evan Johnson, BYU

Cornerback: Will James, Houston

Safety: Boo Carter, Colorado*

Safety: Brenden Jordan, Texas Tech

Texas Tech’s five selections led the Second Team, followed by Arizona State and BYU at three apiece. Colorado, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and TCU all had two players earn Second Team honors.

Champ Westbrooks is my biggest personal swing on this squad. His anchor is still a work in progress, but very few offensive tackles have his level of explosiveness. These picks also bake in more opportunities for Kenny Johnson, DeAndre Moore Jr., and Jacob Sexton at their new homes.

The interior defensive line duo of C.J. Fite and Keanu Tanuvasa aren’t that far behind the First Team duo of Markis Deal and A.J. Holmes.

Third Team Offense

Quarterback: Avery Johnson, Kansas State

Running Back: Caleb Hawkins, Oklahoma State*

Running Back: Makhi Hughes, Houston*

Wide Receiver: Jaron Tibbs, Kansas State

Wide Receiver: Trent Walker, Houston*

Wide Receiver: Raiden Vines-Bright, Arizona State*

Tight End: Dylan Wade, UCF

All-Purpose: Dylan Edwards, (RB) Kansas*

Offensive Tackle: Tristan Bounds, Arizona

Offensive Tackle: Calvin Clements, Kansas

Guard: Nick Krahe, West Virginia

Guard: Hunter Zambrano, Texas Tech

Center: Wes King, West Virginia*

Third Team Defense

Defensive End/Edge: Trey White, Texas Tech*

Defensive End/Edge: Paul Oyewale, TCU

Defensive Tackle: Santana Hopper, Colorado*

Defensive Tackle: Mateen Ibirogba, Texas Tech*

Linebacker: Travion Barnes, Baylor

Linebacker: Isaiah Glasker, BYU

Linebacker: Trey Lathan, Kansas

Cornerback: Jayden Bellamy, UCF

Cornerback: LeVar Thornton Jr., Baylor

Safety: Kamari Wilson, West Virginia*

Safety: Jackson Bennee, Utah

Kansas, Texas Tech, and West Virginia tied with three selections each on the Third Team. Baylor, Houston, Kansas State, and UCF all had two. The picks saved Baylor from getting shutout in this exercise.

Trey White was a menace at San Diego State, amassing 93 pressures with 19.5 sacks over the past two seasons. However, his tape against the best offensive tackles he faced fell far below what you would expect for a player with his production.

Makhi Hughes is an interesting storyline. Many viewed him as a third or fourth round selection heading into 2025 at Oregon after posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at Tulane. He never cracked the rotation and ended up playing no role on a team that utilized three other running backs heavily.

Caleb Hawkins is also an interesting evaluation. He stuffed the stat sheet at North Texas and became known for breaking long runs after battling through contact with his impressive balance. However, he doesn’t appear to have high-level explosiveness and is stiffer than most top players at his position.

Recap

Texas Tech ran away with this exercise with 16 players earning Preseason All-Big 12 honors. BYU came in a distant second place with seven selections, followed by Houston and TCU with six apiece. Arizona State and Kansas State both placed five players onto the teams.

Kansas, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia all had four selections, while Arizona, Colorado, and UCF had three. Baylor, Cincinnati, and Utah were the only other programs with multiple selections.

Ten Additional Names to Know

1. Drew Mestemaker, QB Oklahoma State*

2. Jacob Ponton, OT Texas Tech

3. Jay’Vion Cole, CB Arizona

4. Reed Harris, WR Arizona State*

5. Will Hammond, QB Texas Tech

6. Horace Lockett, IDL UCF

7. LaDainian Fields, CB Oklahoma State

8. Jordan Mack, Edge Baylor*

9. Cole Rusk, TE Arizona*

10. Balansama Kamara, Edge Colorado*

Honorable Mentions: Offense

Bear Bachmeier, QB BYU

Alonza Barnett III, QB UCF*

Thomas Castellanos, QB Texas Tech*

Devon Dampier, QB Utah

Will Hammond, QB Texas Tech

DJ Lagway, QB Baylor*

Drew Mestemaker, QB Oklahoma State*

Conner Weigman, QB Houston

Quinten Joyner, RB Texas Tech

Ismail Mahdi, RB Arizona

Jeremy Payne, RB TCU

Dawson Pendergrass, RB Baylor

Tyler Fortenberry, TE Iowa State*

Walker Lyons, TE BYU*

Patrick Overmyer, TE Houston*

Cole Rusk, TE Arizona*

Chris Barnes, WR Oklahoma State*

Coy Eakin, WR Texas Tech

DJ Epps, WR West Virginia*

Javonnie Gibson, WR Cincinnati*

Reed Harris, WR Arizona State*

Nik McMillan, WR Kansas*

Dre’lon Miller, WR Baylor*

Braden Pegan, WR Utah*

Jeremy Scott, WR TCU*

Danny Scudero, WR Colorado*

Kyri Shoels, WR Utah*

Ed Small, WR TCU

Andrew Gentry, OT BYU

Braydon Nelson, OT Oklahoma State*

John Pastore, OT Kansas State (injured)

Jacob Ponton, OT Texas Tech

Drew Terrill, OT Houston*

McKenzie Agnello, G Houston

Cade Bennett, G TCU

Johnny Dickson III, G Oklahoma State*

Amare Grayson, G West Virginia*

Amir Herring, G Kansas

Noah McKinney, G TCU*

Taran Tyo, G Cincinnati

Anthony Boswell, C Houston*

Cooper Powers, C TCU

Honorable Mentions: Defense

Bryce Butler, IDL Texas Tech*

Blake Herold, IDL Kansas

Horace Lockett, IDL UCF

Jordan Allen, Edge Kansas State

Caden Crawford, Edge Iowa State*

Ethan Day, Edge Utah*

Zeke Durham-Campbell, Edge West Virginia*

Harper Holloman, Edge West Virginia*

Lance Holtzclaw, Edge Utah

Thomas Johnson, Edge Cincinnati*

Balansama Kamara, Edge Colorado*

Chase Kennedy, Edge Arizona

Jordan Mack, Edge Baylor*

Brandon Mack II, Edge Houston

Marquaze Parker, Edge Cincinnati

Garrick Ponder, Edge Baylor*

Ashton Porter, Edge Houston*

Tre Smith, Edge Arizona

Vili Taufatofua, Edge Colorado*

Isaac Terrell, Edge Iowa State*

Jalen Thompson, Edge Arizona State*

James Williams, Edge Oklahoma State*

Taye Brown, LB Arizona

Tackett Curtis, LB UCF*

Johnathan Hall, LB Utah

Cole Kozlowski, LB UCF

Gideon Lampron, LB Colorado*

Liona Lefau, LB Colorado*

Mekhi Mason, LB Kansas State*

Jonathan Thompson, LB Cincinnati

Ethan Wesloski, LB Oklahoma State*

Therrian Alexander III, CB BYU

Amier Boyd, CB Texas Tech

Jay’Vion Cole, CB Arizona

Justin Eaglin, CB Colorado*

LaDainian Fields, CB Oklahoma State

Ashton Stamps, CB Arizona State*

Jasper Beeler, S Cincinnati*

MJ Cannon, DB Cincinnati*

Randon Fontenette, S Colorado*

Micah Harper, S Iowa State*

Jacob Redding, S Baylor

Adrian Wilson, S Arizona State

I will post my Preseason All-Big 12 Teams either later today or tomorrow morning, followed by my Preseason All-America Teams. The content plan for early next week includes a 2027 NFL Draft top 200 big board update, a first round mock draft, and the return of Stock Up to look at the best performances from Week 0.

Preseason All-SEC l Preseason All-Big Ten

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Announcement: I will be joining Cory Kinnan’s Monday Morning Hangover series on the Daft on Draft podcast as a recurring guest for a segment highlighting one of the top trench prospects after each week.

*Indicates 2026 transfer

^Indicates true freshman

ACC Offensive Player of the Year: Darian Mensah, QB Miami*

ACC Defensive Player of the Year: Clev Lubin, Louisville

ACC Newcomer of the Year: Darian Mensah, QB Miami*

ACC Coach of the Year: Tosh Lupoi, Cal

First Team Offense

Quarterback: Darian Mensah, Miami*

Running Back: Justice Haynes, Georgia Tech*

Running Back: Mark Fletcher Jr., Miami

Wide Receiver: Cooper Barkate, Miami*

Wide Receiver: Duce Robinson, Florida State

Wide Receiver: Bryant Wesco Jr., Clemson

Tight End: Theo Melin Ohrstrom, SMU*

All-Purpose: Malachi Toney, Miami (WR)

Offensive Tackle: PJ Williams, SMU

Offensive Tackle: McKale Boley, Virginia

Guard: Eryx Daugherty, Louisville*

Guard: Noah Josey, Virginia

Center: Lance Robinson, Louisville

First Team Defense

Defensive End/Edge: Clev Lubin, Louisville

Defensive End/Edge: Will Heldt, Clemson

Defensive Tackle: Justin Scott, Miami

Defensive Tackle: Ahmad Moten Sr., Miami

Linebacker: Sammy Brown, Clemson

Linebacker: Matt Rose, Stanford

Linebacker: Stanquan Clark, Louisville

Cornerback: OJ Frederique Jr., Miami

Cornerback: Ashton Hampton, Clemson

Safety: Bryce Fitzgerald, Miami

Safety: Zechariah Poyser, Miami

Miami had a whopping nine First Team selections, which far outpaced second place Clemon and Louisville (four). SMU and Virginia (two each) were the only other programs with multiple selections. The distribution illustrates how top-heavy the ACC has become.

Miami reloaded on offense by adding a pair of key Duke transfers, including quarterback Darian Mensah. Mensah is neither significantly better or worse than Carson Beck, but he probably will suffer from fewer late-game meltdowns than his predecessor. His chemistry with Cooper Barkate immediately gives Miami one of the best QB-WR combos in the conference.

The Hurricanes are bringing back a star-studded defensive unit. Even after losing Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, Miami is poised to have one of the most talented defenses in the country. The program’s defensive tackle and safety duos are excellent. A healthy OJ Frederique Jr. has the potential to be the best player on the team.

Ashton Hampton has the height, weight, speed, and fluidity combination to be a high draft pick, but he needs to erase some of the mental mistakes that plagued him in 2025. Hopefully, another offseason of physical and mental growth and development will elevate his play.

Second Team Offense

Quarterback: Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Cal

Running Back: Isaac Brown, Louisville

Running Back: Nate Sheppard, Duke

Wide Receiver: Jordan Shipp, North Carolina

Wide Receiver: Tre Richardson, Louisville*

Wide Receiver: Ian Strong, Cal*

Tight End: Luke Reynolds, Virginia Tech*

All-Purpose: Micahi Danzy, Florida State (WR)

Offensive Tackle: Xavier Chaplin, Florida State*

Offensive Tackle: Ryan Baer, Pittsburgh

Guard: Addison Nichols, SMU

Guard: Samson Okunlola, Miami

Center: Josh Bates, SMU

Second Team Defense

Defensive End/Edge: Damon Wilson II, Miami*

Defensive End/Edge: Kris Jones, Boston College*

Defensive Tackle: Kemari Copeland, Virginia Tech

Defensive Tackle: Sean FitzSimmons, Pittsburgh

Linebacker: Kam Robinson, Virginia

Linebacker: Braylan Lovelace, Pittsburgh

Linebacker: Antonio Watts, Louisville

Cornerback: Tayon Holloway, Louisville

Cornerback: Ja’Bril Rawls, Florida State

Safety: KP Price, Boston College

Safety: Ashlynd Barker, Florida State

Florida State and Louisville both had four players earn Second Team honors. Pittsburgh was the only program with three selections. Boston College, Cal, Miami, SMU, and Virginia Tech were the only other programs with multiple selections.

Damon Wilson II is getting a lot of hype as he steps into the shoes of two recent first round draft picks. Wilson is a very gifted athlete, but his profile remains more potential than production at this point. He’s not a top ten edge rusher in the country but should benefit from Miami’s defensive interior causing chaos and creating sack opportunities.

Kris Jones saw limited snaps at Georgia last year. Transferring to Boston College is certainly an odd choice, but it gives Jones the chance to become a program-defining player for the 2026 season.

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has the potential to be one of the nation’s top quarterbacks. Cal adding Ian Strong was a big step in the right direction this offseason, but the overall supporting cast remains mid-level for an ACC program. That might be optimistic, especially considering the offensive line’s performance in recent years.

If Luke Reynolds stays healthy, he has a chance to be a focal point of Virginia Tech’s offense. We’ve seen tight ends thrive under James Franklin before. Reynolds isn’t as impactful as an in-line blocker as past Nittany Lion products, but he’s an explosive three-level threat.

Third Team Offense

Quarterback: Kevin Jennings, SMU

Running Back: Keyjuan Brown, Louisville

Running Back: Marcellous Hawkins, Virginia Tech

Wide Receiver: T.J. Moore, Clemson

Wide Receiver: Jalen Cooper, SMU

Wide Receiver: Jack Foley, Wake Forest

Tight End: Jeremiah Hasley, Duke

All-Purpose: Ja’Kyrian Turner, Pittsburgh (RB)

Offensive Tackle: Jimarion McCrimon, North Carolina State*

Offensive Tackle: Niki Prongos, Stanford

Guard: BJ Williams, Pittsburgh

Guard: Malachi Carney, Georgia Tech

Center: Harris Sewell, Clemson

Third Team Defense

Defensive End/Edge: Marquise Lightfoot, Miami

Defensive End/Edge: Rylan Kennedy, Florida State*

Defensive Tackle: Daniel Lyons, Florida State

Defensive Tackle: Dallas Afalava, Wake Forest

Linebacker: Mohamed Toure, Miami

Linebacker: Kyle Efford, Georgia Tech

Linebacker: Chris Jones, Florida State*

Cornerback: Isaiah Brown-Murray, Virginia Tech

Cornerback: Demetres Samuel Jr., Syracuse

Safety: Corey Myrick, Clemson*

Safety: Davaughn Patterson, Wake Forest

Clemson, Florida State, and Wake Forest all tied for the lead with three players on the Third Team. Georgia Tech, Miami, Pittsburgh, SMU, and Virginia Tech all had two players earn Third Team honors.

Among the players listed here, Niki Prongos and T.J. Moore are receiving the most significant draft hype. However, Prongos struggled against non-NFL-caliber edge rushers throughout 2025, and Moore isn’t a consistent separator or ball-winner at the catch point despite being a prototypical X receiver.

Jimarion McCrimon flashed immense potential at ECU in 2024 but struggled in 2025. He has NFL potential but needs to rebound from a sloppy campaign.

Rylan Kennedy struggled to crack Texas A&M’s rotation last year. He’s not a fully-rounded player but provides a big play hunting speed option off the edge. Marquise Lightfoot flashed late in the 2025 season. His frame is way too lean for an edge, but he could take a significant step forward if he stacks weight consistently.

Jack Foley might not get on the field a lot for Wake Forest this year, which would be a shame. He’s far more talented than the other guys they keep trotting out there.

Recap

There’s a clear upper class in the ACC, which almost assures we won’t see a repeat of last year’s ACC Championship Game, which featured Duke and Virginia. Miami is in a tier of its own with 13 preseason All-ACC selections, while Louisville (nine), Florida State (eight), Clemson (seven), and SMU (six) round out the remaining field of competitors.

Clemson is extremely reliant on top-tier talent. Four of their seven selections were on the First Team. Unfortunately, the Tigers likely don’t have the quality quarterback play to capitalize on that talent.

Pittsburgh (five) and Virginia Tech (four) have enough talent to cause a few scares. The Hokies under new head coach James Franklin likely need another year to build their program but shouldn’t be overlooked in week-to-week matchups. Georgia Tech, Virginia, and Wake Forest all have three selections.

Boston College, Cal, Duke, and Stanford all had two selections. Every ACC team had at least one player earn a selection in this exercise.

Ten Additional Names to Know

1. CJ Bailey, QB North Carolina State

2. Langston Hardy, Edge Wake Forest

3. Adonijah Green, Edge Louisville

4. Steve Angeli, QB Syracuse

5. Brandyn Hillman, S Virginia*

6. Elija Lofton, TE Miami

7. Chris Peal, CB Syracuse

8. Trevion Mack, OT Syracuse

9. Kyle Altuner, C Virginia Tech

10. Quintrevion Wisner, RB Florida State*

Honorable Mentions: Offense

Steve Angeli, QB Syracuse

CJ Bailey, QB North Carolina State

Ashton Daniels, QB Florida State*

Billy Edwards Jr., QB North Carolina*

Walker Eget, QB Duke*

Lincoln Kienholz, QB Louisville*

Beau Pribula, QB Virginia*

Gideon Davidson, RB Clemson

Evan Dickens, RB Boston College*

Micah Ford, RB Stanford*

Davion Gause, RB North Carolina State*

Demon June, RB North Carolina

Ahmad Miller, RB Syracuse*

Adam Mohammed, RB Cal*

Kendrick Raphael, RB SMU*

Duke Scott, RB North Carolina State

Quintrevion Wisner, RB Florida State*

Benj Blackburn, TE Stanford

Brody Foley, TE Louisville*

Gavin Harris, TE Georgia Tech*

Kamrean Johnson, TE Wake Forest

Elija Lofton, TE Miami

Desirrio Riles, TE Florida State*

Yannick Smith, WR SMU*

Dorian Thomas, TE Cal*

Nico Brown, WR Stanford*

Que’Sean Brown, WR Virginia Tech*

Isaiah Fuhrmann, WR Georgia Tech*

Chase Hendricks, WR Cal*

Carlos Hernandez, WR Wake Forest

DaShawn Martin, WR Virginia*

Jared Richardson, WR Duke*

Teague Andersen, OT North Carolina State

Jackson Cantwell, OT Miami^

Nick Del Grande, OT Duke*

Veguer Jean-Jumeau, OT Boston College*

Trevion Mack, OT Syracuse

Ethan Mackenny, OT Georgia Tech

Monroe Mills, OT Virginia

Jameson Riggs, OT Georgia Tech

Josh Williams, G Stanford

Kyle Altuner, C Virginia Tech

Matt Craycraft, C Duke

Drake Metcalf, C Virginia

Honorable Mentions: Defense

Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder, IDL SMU*

Vic Burley, IDL Clemson

Isaiah Johnson, IDL North Carolina

Tunmise Adeleye, Edge Syracuse*

Demetrius Ballard, Edge Boston College*

Fisher Camac, Edge Virginia

Zach Crothers, Edge Pittsburgh

Darryll Desir, Edge Florida State

Mandrell Desir, Edge Florida State

Matthew Fobbs-White, Edge Virginia*

Adonijah Green, Edge Louisville

Langston Hardy, Edge Wake Forest

Donovan Hoilette Jr., Edge North Carolina*

Melkart Abou Jaoude, Edge North Carolina

Keyshawn Johnson, Edge Syracuse*

Jahiem Lawson, Edge Clemson

Isaiah Neal, Edge Pittsburgh

Jimmy Scott, Edge Pittsburgh

Ira Singleton IV, Edge SMU*

Tevarua Tafiti, Edge Stanford

Tyler Thompson, Edge Louisville*

Jordan Walker, Edge Georgia Tech*

Popo Aguirre, LB North Carolina State*

Brandon Booker, LB SMU

Noah Chambers, LB Virginia Tech

Antoine Deslauriers, LB Syracuse

Aiden Hall, LB Wake Forest

Alex Kilgore, LB SMU

E.J. Lightsey, LB Georgia Tech

Luke Mergott, LB Duke

Kaleb Spencer, LB Virginia Tech

Deuce Blades II, CB Wake Forest*

Jay Green, NB Stanford

Chris Peal, CB Syracuse

Raion Strader, CB Pittsburgh*

Elliot Washington II, CB Clemson*

Jaquez White, CB Virginia Tech*

Cruce Brookins, S Pittsburgh

Carter Davis, S Boston College

Brandyn Hillman, S Virginia*

King Mack, S North Carolina State*

Tyren Polley Jr., S SMU

CJ Richard Jr., S Florida State*

I plan to post the Preseason All-ACC and All-Big 12 selections later today and the Preseason All-America Teams tomorrow before Week 0 officially gets underway. A Stock Up segment is scheduled for Monday, with a first round 2027 NFL Draft mock set for Tuesday. In the middle of all that, a new top 200 big board should drop.

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Announcement: I will be joining Cory Kinnan’s Monday Morning Hangover series on the Daft on Draft podcast as a recurring guest for a segment highlighting one of the top trench prospects after each week.

*Indicates 2026 transfer

^Indicates true freshman

Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year: Dante Moore, Oregon

Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year: Zach Lutmer, Iowa

Big Ten Newcomer of the Year: Josh Hoover, Indiana

Big Ten Coach of the Year: Dan Lanning, Oregon

First Team Offense

Quarterback: Dante Moore, Oregon

Running Back: Bo Jackson, Ohio State

Running Back: Antwan Raymond, Rutgers

Wide Receiver: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

Wide Receiver: Charlie Becker, Indiana

Wide Receiver: Tanook Hines, USC

Tight End: Jamari Johnson, Oregon

All-Purpose: Wayne Knight, (RB) UCLA*

Offensive Tackle: Carter Smith, Indiana

Offensive Tackle: Trevor Lauck, Iowa

Guard: Greg Johnson, Minnesota

Guard: Ezomo Oratokhai, Northwestern

Center: Kade Pieper, Iowa

First Team Defense

Defensive End/Edge: Teitum Tuioti, Oregon

Defensive End/Edge: Michael Kilbane, Northwestern

Defensive Tackle: A’Mauri Washington, Oregon

Defensive Tackle: Bear Alexander, Oregon

Linebacker: Tony Rojas, Penn State

Linebacker: Christian Alliegro, Ohio State*

Linebacker: Isaiah Jones, Indiana

Cornerback: Brandon Finney Jr., Oregon

Cornerback: Zeke Berry, Michigan

Safety: Zach Lutmer, (NB) Iowa

Safety: Marcus Neal Jr., Penn State*

Oregon established an early lead in this exercise with three First Team selections. Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio State were the next-closest programs with three each, followed by Northwestern and Penn State at two. Illinois, Maryland, Michigan State, Nebraska, Purdue, Washington, and Wisconsin were not represented on the First Team.

The Big Ten quarterback conversation is completely up in the air. Dante Moore is the most talented established quarterback in the conference, but Julian Sayin was a Heisman Trophy finalist last year. There’s an argument that Sayin has the better combination of supporting cast and offensive coaching too, which created the environment he thrived in last year.

There’s also Josh Hoover, who averaged 3,710 passing yards and 28 passing touchdowns over his past two seasons at TCU. He joins the reigning national champions, who boast two potential first round wide receivers.

Veterans Rocco Becht, who passed for more than 3,500 yards at Iowa State in 2024, and Jayden Maiava, who led the Big Ten with 3,711 passing yards last year, are also key players in the conversation.

The Big Ten’s long list of young, up-and-coming quarterbacks ultimately gives it the best quarterback depth among all conferences. Drake Lindsey, Bryce Underwood, Malik Washington, and Demond Williams Jr. were all first-time full-time starters in 2025. There’s also the chance Nico Iamaleava develops with UCLA’s retooled roster.

The Big Ten usually has a few dominant edge rushers. That’s really not the case this year, which made it difficult to choose a conference Defensive Player of the Year. It feels more likely that one of the Big Ten’s sophomore edge rushers will ascend to win the award. Otherwise players like Brandon Finney Jr., Zach Lutmer, and A’Mauri Washington will lead the conversation.

Second Team Offense

Quarterback: Josh Hoover, Indiana*

Running Back: Jordan Marshall, Michigan

Running Back: Jordon Davison, Oregon

Wide Receiver: Nick Marsh, Indiana*

Wide Receiver: KJ Duff, Rutgers

Wide Receiver: Griffin Wilde, Northwestern

Tight End: Andrew Rappleyea, Penn State

All-Purpose: Dierre Hill Jr., (RB) Oregon

Offensive Tackle: Drew Azzopardi, Washington

Offensive Tackle: Ian Moore, Ohio State

Guard: Austin Siereveld, Ohio State

Guard: Leighton Jones, Iowa

Center: Iapani Laloulu, Oregon

Second Team Defense

Defensive End/Edge: Yvan Kemajou, Penn State

Defensive End/Edge: Sidney Stewart, Maryland

Defensive Tackle: Tyrique Tucker, Indiana

Defensive Tackle: Mario Landino, Indiana

Linebacker: Maverick Baranowski, Minnesota

Linebacker: Jerry Mixon, Oregon

Linebacker: Rolijah Hardy, Indiana

Cornerback: Jontez Williams, USC*

Cornerback: Jyaire Hill, Michigan

Safety: Jaylen McClain, Ohio State

Safety: Xavier Scott, (NB) Illinois

Indiana led the Second Team with five selections, followed closely by Oregon’s four. Ohio State (three), Michigan (two), and Penn State (two) were the only other programs with multiple players on the Second Team.

I’m buying in on sophomore edge rushers Yvan Kemajou and Sidney Stewart taking a massive step forward this season. Both are incredibly talented and could end up contending for top 50 selections in the NFL Draft if we build out a multi-year runway. Zahir Mathis would also be in this conversation if not for a season-ending injury.

Andrew Rappleyea is one of the most physically gifted players on the Second Team, but he’s sharing Penn State’s tight end room with two other draft-able talents in Benjamin Brahmer and Gabe Burkle. If Brahmer and Rappleyea weren’t eating each other’s target share, they could’ve both contended for the First Team.

Nick Marsh and Jaylen McClain are First Team talents, but they happen to play at positions that are very strong this year. It seems unlikely that both Indiana wide receivers make the First Team. If they do, it probably means Josh Hoover passed for around 4,000 yards.

Third Team Offense

Quarterback: Julian Sayin, Ohio State

Running Back: Turbo Richard, Indiana*

Running Back: Waymond Jordan, USC

Wide Receiver: Andrew Marsh, Michigan

Wide Receiver: Dakorien Moore, Oregon

Wide Receiver: Terrell Anderson, USC*

Tight End: DJ Vonnahme, Iowa

All-Purpose: DeJuan Williams, (RB) Maryland

Offensive Tackle: Andrew Sprague, Michigan

Offensive Tackle: Anthony Donkoh, Penn State

Guard: Dave Luli, Oregon

Guard: John Mills, Washington

Center: Austin Kawecki, Wisconsin*

Third Team Defense

Defensive End/Edge: Tobi Osunsanmi, Indiana*

Defensive End/Edge: John Henry Daley, Michigan*

Defensive Tackle: Bryce Hawthorne, Iowa

Defensive Tackle: James Smith, Ohio State*

Linebacker: Devon Jackson, Oregon

Linebacker: Owen Chambliss, Nebraska*

Linebacker: Ty Morris, Rutgers*

Cornerback: Jamari Sharpe, Indiana

Cornerback: John Nestor, Minnesota

Safety: Koi Perich, Oregon*

Safety: Amare Ferrell, Indiana

Indiana and Oregon tied with four Third Team selections. Michigan (three), Iowa (two), Ohio State (two), and USC (two) also had multiple players make the team.

Several players on the Third Team have the talent to contend for much greater honors, especially Andrew Marsh and Dakorien Moore. Koi Perich is also extremely physically gifted, but he’s coming off a disappointing season. It’s a bit of a gamble to include him over players like Earl Little Jr. James Smith is another talented player looking to rebound from a down year.

John Henry Daley would be a First Team inclusion, but he’s still working back from a significant injury suffered late last season. His timeline to return to play still hasn’t been clearly established. Tobi Osunsanmi is also returning from injury and should be one of the conference’s most productive pure pass rushers.

Recap

Oregon led all teams in preseason All-Big Ten selections with 14, but they weren’t the only program to hit double digits. Indiana reached 12 thanks to their transfer portal additions. Ohio State fell to third with only eight selections, illustrating the talent drain the team has faced since winning the national championship.

Iowa (six), Penn State (five), and USC (four) led the rest of the pack. Minnesota, Northwestern, and Rutgers each had three selections, while Maryland and Washington both had two. Michigan State and Purdue failed to have a player make any of the three teams.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the offensive tackle selections were a little shuffled. USC’s Elijah Paige and Minnesota’s Nathan Roy are both developing players with NFL potential. Ohio State’s Phillip Daniels might also enter the conversation.

Ten Additional Offensive Names to Know

1. Malik Washington, QB Maryland

2. Drake Lindsey, QB Minnesota

3. Jayden Maiava, QB USC

4. Benjamin Brahmer, TE Penn State*

5. King Miller, RB USC

6. Elijah Paige, OT USC

7. Nathan Roy, OT Minnesota

8. Jeremiah McClellan, WR Oregon

9. Brock Riker, C Penn State*

10. Emerson Mandell, G Wisconsin

Ten Additional Defensive Names to Know

1. Matayo Uiagalelei, Edge Oregon

2. Daryus Dixson, CB Penn State

3. Earl Little Jr., S Ohio State*

4. Jeremiah Cooper, S Penn State*

5. Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Edge Ohio State

6. Anthony Smith, DL Minnesota

7. John Walker, IDL Ohio State*

8. Qua Russaw, Edge Ohio State*

9. Nasir Wyatt, Edge Oregon

10. Williams Nwaneri, Edge Nebraska

Honorable Mentions: Offense

Rocco Becht, QB Penn State*

Aidan Chiles, QB Northwestern*

Anthony Colandrea, QB Nebraska*

Katin Houser, QB Illinois*

Nico Iamaleava, QB UCLA

Drake Lindsey, QB Minnesota

Jayden Maiava, QB USC

Bryce Underwood, QB Michigan

Malik Washington, QB Maryland

Demond Williams Jr., QB Washington

Cam Edwards, RB Michigan State

Carson Hansen, RB Penn State*

Caleb Komolafe, RB Northwestern

King Miller, RB USC

Kamari Moulton, RB Iowa

Abu Sama III, RB Wisconsin*

Darius Taylor, RB Minnesota

Benjamin Brahmer, TE Penn State*

Gabe Burkle, TE Penn State*

Decker DeGraaf, TE Washington

Dorian Fleming, TE Maryland

Jacob Harris, TE Wisconsin*

Luke Lindenmeyer, TE Nebraska

Zack Marshall, TE Michigan

Thomas Meyer, TE Iowa

Tony Diaz, WR Iowa*

Collin Dixon, WR Illinois

Landon Ellis, WR UCLA*

Chris Henry Jr., WR Ohio State^

Nyziah Hunter, WR Nebraska

Jeremiah McClellan, WR Oregon

Devin McCuin, WR Ohio State*

Christian Moss, WR Washington*

Bisi Owens, WR Purdue*

Jayshon Platt, WR Illinois*

Dezmen Roebuck, WR Washington

Chase Sowell, WR Penn State*

Evan Stewart, WR Oregon

Michael Bennett III, OT Oregon*

Phillip Daniels, OT Ohio State

Blake Frazier, OT Michigan

Moshood Giwa, OT Rutgers

Christian Martin, OT Illinois*

Ben Murawski, OT Michigan State

Elijah Paige, OT USC

Rahtrel Perry, OT Maryland

Nathan Roy, OT Minnesota

Kwabena Asamoah, G Rutgers

Joe Brunner, G/OT Indiana*

Drew Evans, G Indiana

Brandon Henderson, G Illinois

Evan Link, G Michigan

Tellek Lockette, G Maryland*

Emerson Mandell, G Wisconsin (Injured)

Luke Montgomery, G Ohio State

Conner Moore, G Michigan State

Alani Noa, G USC

Trent Wilson, G Iowa*

Ashton Beers, C Minnesota

Jackson Carsello, C Northwestern

Justin Evans, C Nebraska

Jake Guarnera, C Michigan

Michael Hershey, C Maryland

Carson Hinzman, C Ohio State

Jake Renfro, C Illinois*

Brock Riker, C Penn State*

Honorable Mentions: Defense

Eli Coenen, IDL Michigan State

Enow Etta, IDL Michigan

Pat Farrell, IDL Illinois

Eddrick Houston, IDL Ohio State

Jonah Lea’ea, IDL Michigan*

Curt Neal, IDL Purdue*

Trey Pierce, IDL Michigan

Will Smith Jr., IDL Ohio State

Jahkeem Stewart, IDL USC

Alex VanSumeren, IDL USC*

John Walker, IDL Ohio State*

Joseph Anderson, Edge Iowa

Beau Atkinson, Edge Ohio State

Joe Barna, Edge Illinois

Cameron Brandt, Edge Michigan

Josh Burnham, Edge Indiana*

TJ Bush Jr., Edge Minnesota*

Nicolas Clayton, Edge Wisconsin

Kameryn Crawford, Edge USC

Malachi Davis, Edge Rutgers*

Ikenna Ezeogu, Edge Penn State*

Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Edge Ohio State

Jacob Lane, Edge Washington

Zahir Mathis, Edge Maryland (Injured)

Ryan McCulloch, Edge UCLA*

Karter Menz, Edge Minnesota

Williams Nwaneri, Edge Nebraska

Chiddi Obiazor, Edge Indiana*

Qua Russaw, Edge Ohio State*

Braylan Shelby, Edge USC

Anthony Smith, DL Minnesota

Matayo Uiagalelei, Edge Oregon

Isaiah Ward, Edge Washington

Sahir West, Edge UCLA*

Nasir Wyatt, Edge Oregon

Sean Allison, LB Rutgers*

Braydon Brus, LB Northwestern

Kooper Ebel, LB Penn State*

Jordan Hall, LB Michigan State

Kobie McKinzie, LB Northwestern*

Sammy Omosigho, LB UCLA*

Payton Pierce, LB Ohio State

Mason Posa, LB Wisconsin

Desman Stephens II, LB USC

Daniel Wingate, LB Maryland

Daryus Dixson, CB Penn State

A.J. Harris, CB Indiana*

Jahmir Joseph, CB Penn State

Deshaun Lee, CB Iowa

Jermaine Mathews Jr., CB Ohio State

Mikey Munn, CB Rutgers*

Ify Obidegwu, CB Oregon

Devin Sanchez, CB Ohio State

Derrick Barksdale, NB UCLA*

Dontay Joyner, NB Maryland

Smith Snowden, NB Michigan*

Zion Tracy, NB Penn State

Braden Turner, NB Northwestern

Matthew Bailey, S Illinois

Kerry Brown, S Minnesota

Jeremiah Cooper, S Penn State*

Robert Fitzgerald, S Northwestern

Aidan Gousby, S Minnesota

Tao Johnson, S UCLA*

Earl Little Jr., S Ohio State*

Dwayne McDougle III, S Nebraska*

Alex McLaughlin, S Washington

Rod Moore, S Michigan

Terry Moore, S Ohio State*

Lavain Scruggs, S Maryland

Mekhai Smith, S Minnesota*

Devin Vaught, S Michigan State

Damon Walters, S Northwestern

Preston Zachman, S Indiana*

This dive back into regularly produced content begins with a breakdown of the SEC’s best programs as I name my preseason squads and award winners for the conference.

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Announcement: I will be joining Cory Kinnan’s Monday Morning Hangover series on the Daft on Draft podcast as a recurring guest for a segment highlighting one of the top trench prospects after each week.

*Indicates 2026 transfer

^Indicates true freshman

SEC Offensive Player of the Year: Arch Manning, Texas

SEC Defensive Player of the Year: Colin Simmons, Texas

SEC Newcomer of the Year: Cam Coleman, Texas

SEC Coach of the Year: Kirby Smart, Georgia

First Team Offense

Quarterback: Arch Manning, Texas

Running Back: Ahmad Hardy, Missouri

Running Back: Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss

Wide Receiver: Cam Coleman, Texas*

Wide Receiver: Mike Matthews, Tennessee

Wide Receiver: Mario Craver, Texas A&M

Tight End: Trey’Dez Green, LSU

All-Purpose: Raleek Brown, (RB) Texas*

Offensive Tackle: Trevor Goosby, Texas

Offensive Tackle: Jordan Seaton, LSU*

Guard: Dontrell Glover, Georgia

Guard: Knijeah Harris, Florida

Center: Braelin Moore, LSU

First Team Defense

Defensive End/Edge: Colin Simmons, Texas

Defensive End/Edge: Marco Jones, Texas A&M

Defensive Tackle: David Stone, Oklahoma

Defensive Tackle: Will Echoles, Ole Miss

Linebacker: Xavier Atkins, Auburn

Linebacker: Chris Cole, Georgia

Linebacker: Daymion Sanford, Texas A&M

Cornerback: Ellis Robinson IV, Georgia

Cornerback: Ty Redmond, Tennessee

Safety: Jelani McDonald, Texas

Safety: KJ Bolden, Georgia

Texas and Georgia dominate the First Team. Six Longhorns made the squad, while four Bulldogs earned the honor. Texas missing the College Football Playoff last year was a surprising outcome that had a lot to do with Arch Manning falling short of expectations in his first year as a starter.

Manning has the talent to become the conference’s premier quarterback, but I’m a little skeptical that he’ll make the necessary jump. However, it’s hard to predict Cam Coleman, Raleek Brown, and other members of the offense having such prolific seasons without also giving Manning the First Team nod.

LSU and Texas A&M each had three players earn First Team honors. Ole Miss and Tennessee were the only other programs with multiple selections. In a surprising upset, Alabama did not place a player on the First Team. However, there are pretty easy pathways for players like Zabien Brown or Yhonzae Pierre to make the cut if other players stumble or miss time with injuries.

Second Team Offense

Quarterback: Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss

Running Back: Jadan Baugh, Florida

Running Back: Nate Frazier, Georgia

Wide Receiver: Ryan Wingo, Texas

Wide Receiver: Isaiah Sategna, Oklahoma

Wide Receiver: Vernell Brown III, Florida

Tight End: Ethan Davis, Tennessee

All-Purpose: Rueben Owens II, (RB) Texas A&M

Offensive Tackle: Melvin Siani, Texas*

Offensive Tackle: Jacarrius Peak, South Carolina*

Guard: Jesse Perry, Tennessee

Guard: Michael Carroll, Alabama

Center: Drew Bobo, Georgia

Second Team Defense

Defensive End/Edge: Dylan Stewart, South Carolina

Defensive End/Edge: Yhonzae Pierre, Alabama

Defensive Tackle: Tavion Gadson, Kentucky

Defensive Tackle: DJ Hicks, Texas A&M

Linebacker: Myles Graham, Florida

Linebacker: Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss

Linebacker: Ray Coney, Texas A&M*

Cornerback: Zabien Brown, Alabama

Cornerback: Kayin Lee, Tennessee*

Safety: Dashawn Spears, LSU

Safety: Bray Hubbard, Alabama

Alabama led the way with four Second Team selections, followed by a three-way tie between Florida, Tennessee, and Texas A&M at three. Georgia, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Texas were the other programs with multiple Second Team players.

Dylan Stewart is undeniably a First Team All-American talent, but the concerning back injury he suffered in 2025 continues to limit his ability to practice and prepare for the season. It’s unclear when he’ll actually play and how long it will take for him to reach 100%. The same can be said for Jacarrius Peak, who is working back from a spring knee injury.

The Second Team quarterback position could go to several players. Trinidad Chambliss is far from a lock to claim the spot, but his offense seems like the most likely to put up big numbers that win over voters.

Melvin Siani will be one of the most important transfers in the SEC this season. The former Wake Forest Demon Deacon possesses First Round-caliber tools and could give Texas the best offensive tackle duo in the country, depending on how Trevor Goosby looks coming off his injury.

Third Team Offense

Quarterback: John Mateer, Oklahoma

Running Back: DeSean Bishop, Tennessee

Running Back: Hollywood Smothers, Texas*

Wide Receiver: Junior Sherrill, Vanderbilt

Wide Receiver: Jayce Brown, LSU*

Wide Receiver: Donovan Olugbode, Missouri

Tight End: Lawson Luckie, Georgia

All-Purpose: Daniel Hill, (RB) Alabama

Offensive Tackle: Cayden Green, Missouri

Offensive Tackle: Wilkin Formby, Texas A&M*

Guard: Wendell Moe Jr., Tennessee

Guard: Brandon Baker, Texas

Center: Harrison Moore, Florida*

Third Team Defense

Defensive End/Edge: Jordan Ross, LSU*

Defensive End/Edge: Anto Saka, Texas A&M*

Defensive Tackle: London Simmons, Alabama

Defensive Tackle: Elijah Griffin, Georgia

Linebacker: Arion Carter, Tennessee

Linebacker: Rasheem Biles, Texas*

Linebacker: Whit Weeks, LSU

Cornerback: Kelley Jones, Mississippi State

Cornerback: Vicari Swain, South Carolina

Safety: Ty Benefield, LSU*

Safety: Dalton Brooks, Texas A&M

LSU, Tennessee, Texas, and Texas A&M all had three players earn Third Team honors. Alabama, Georgia, and Missouri were the only other programs with multiple selections.

There are plenty of candidates for the Third Team quarterback spot. John Mateer is less talented than several players ranked below him, but he’s in a more stable situation. Awards like this often focus on statistical output, and Mateer is in the right environment to succeed, as long as he stays healthy.

Among the Third Team selections, wide receivers Donovan Olugbode and Junior Sherrill, offensive tackle Cayden Green, and edge rushers Jordan Ross and Anto Saka possess the most potential to shift the season’s outcome. Green and Sherrill are already established pillars of their respective programs, while Olugbode, Ross, and Saka are ascending players with excellent potential to outperform their current rank.

Kelley Jones and Vicari Swain are a pair of cornerbacks the rest of the football community seems higher on than I am.

Recap

Texas was the only SEC program to hit double-digit selections this year with 11 total. Texas A&M (9), Georgia (8), Tennessee (8), LSU (7), and Alabama (6), were the other programs with a significant number of inclusions. The Volunteers have a surprisingly talented roster and have likely flown under the radar this summer because their quarterback situation relies on a true freshman.

Florida (5), Ole Miss (4), Missouri (3), Oklahoma (3), and South Carolina (3) were a part of the second tier of programs. Every other program had only one selection, except for Arkansas, which failed to have a player selected. Although, it wouldn’t be surprising if Quincy Rhodes Jr. found his way onto one of these teams as a representative for the Razorbacks.

Oklahoma had surprisingly few inclusions this year, but the program’s list of legitimate honorable mentions is longer than anyone else’s. Taylor Wein leads the way, followed by players like Eli Bowen, Peyton Bowen, Jayden Jackson, Jacobe Johnson, and a trio of experienced linebackers.

Among the SEC’s elite from 2025, Ole Miss appears poised to take the largest step back. That shouldn’t be shocking considering the changes to the coaching staff and transfer portal losses. Alabama might also decline, mostly because of the change at quarterback.

Ten Additional Offensive Names to Know

1. Lance Heard, OT Kentucky*

2. Deuce Alexander, WR Ole Miss

3. London Humphreys, WR Georgia

4. Jeremiah Cobb, RB Auburn

5. Lotzeir Brooks, WR Alabama

6. Jamal Roberts, RB Missouri

7. Lyndon Cooper, C Vanderbilt*

8. Michael Fasusi, OT Oklahoma

9. Caden Jones, OT Florida

10. Aliou Bah, G LSU*

Ten Additional Defensive Names to Know

1. DJ Pickett, CB LSU

2. Christian Gass, Edge Tennessee

3. Taylor Wein, Edge Oklahoma

4. Quincy Rhodes Jr., Edge Arkansas

5. Peyton Bowen, S Oklahoma

6. Stephiylan Green, IDL LSU*

7. Jayden Jackson, IDL Oklahoma

8. Cole Sullivan, LB Oklahoma*

9. Terrance Green, IDL Alabama

10. Ty Bryant, S Kentucky

Honorable Mentions: Offense

Bryum Brown, QB Auburn*

Sam Leavitt, QB LSU*

LaNorris Sellers, QB South Carolina

Gunner Stockton, QB Georgia

Sedrick Alexander, RB Vanderbilt

Jovantae Barnes, RB Kentucky*

CJ Baxter, RB Kentucky*

Fluff Bothwell, RB Mississippi State

Jeremiah Cobb, RB Auburn

Makhi Frazier, RB Ole Miss

Jamal Roberts, RB Missouri

Braylen Russell, RB Arkansas

Deuce Alexander, WR Ole Miss

Nic Anderson, WR Kentucky*

Lotzeir Brooks, WR Alabama

Ryan Coleman-Williams, WR Alabama

Anthony Evans III, WR Mississippi State

Darrell Gill Jr., WR Ole Miss*

Nyck Harbor, WR South Carolina

Jackson Harris, WR LSU*

Trell Harris, WR Oklahoma*

Isaiah Horton, WR Texas A&M*

London Humphreys, WR Georgia

Jeremiah Koger, WR Auburn*

Cayden Lee, WR Missouri*

Parker Livingstone, WR Oklahoma*

Chris Marshall, WR Arkansas*

Keshaun Singleton, WR Auburn*

Eric Singleton Jr., WR Florida*

Braylon Staley, WR Tennessee

Dallas Wilson, WR Florida

Eugene Wilson III, WR LSU*

Rocky Beers, TE Oklahoma*

Kaleb Edwards, TE Alabama

Jonathan Echols, TE Auburn*

Hayden Hansen, TE Oklahoma*

Luke Harpring, TE Florida*

Luke Kasz, TE Ole Miss

Brett Norfleet, TE Missouri

Jaden Platt, TE Arkansas

Willie Rodriguez, TE Kentucky

Dae’Quan Wright, TE LSU*

Weston Davis, OT LSU

Michael Fasusi, OT Oklahoma

Earnest Greene III, OT Georgia

Lance Heard, OT Kentucky*

Beau Johnson, OT Vanderbilt

Stanton Ramil, OT Auburn*

David Sanders Jr., OT Tennessee

Shed Sarratt Jr., OT South Carolina

Fletcher Westphal, OT Florida

Bryant Williams, OT Arkansas*

Aliou Bah, G LSU*

Kobe Branham, G Arkansas

Coen Echols, G Texas A&M

Patrick Kutas, G Ole Miss

Curtis Peagler, G Missouri

Emmanuel Kojo Poku, G South Carolina

Cole Best, C Auburn*

Canon Boone, C Mississippi State

Kitler Caden, C Arkansas

Lyndon Cooper, C Vanderbilt*

Coleton Price, C Kentucky*

Honorable Mentions: Defense

Talan Carter, IDL Vanderbilt*

Tomiwa Durojaiye, IDL South Carolina

Deuce Geralds, IDL LSU^

Xavier Gilliam, IDL Tennessee

Stephiylan Green, IDL LSU*

Terrance Green, IDL Alabama*

Jordan Hall, IDL Georgia

Zxavian Harris, IDL LSU*

Edric Hill, IDL Alabama

Hero Kanu, IDL Texas

Jayden Jackson, IDL Oklahoma

David Oke, IDL Arkansas

Nathan Robinson, IDL Tennessee

Cody Sigler, IDL Auburn*

Devan Thompkins, IDL Alabama*

Adepoju Adebawore, Edge Oklahoma

Brian Allen Jr., Edge Vanderbilt

Kam Franklin, Edge Ole Miss

Christian Gass, Edge Tennessee

Sam Greene, Edge Kentucky

Gabe Harris Jr., Edge Georgia

Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace, Edge Kentucky

Langden Kitchen, Edge Missouri

Jah-Marien Latham, Edge Alabama

Jordan Norman, Edge Tennessee*

Quincy Rhodes Jr., Edge Arkansas

Jared Smith, Edge Auburn

Steven Soles Jr., Edge Arkansas*

Princewill Umanmielen, Edge LSU*

Taylor Wein, Edge Oklahoma

Tyree Weathersby, Edge Tennessee

Will Whitson, Edge Mississippi State*

Da’Shawn Womack, Edge Auburn*

Jayden Woods, Edge Florida

Amare Campbell, LB Tennessee*

TJ Dottery, LB LSU*

Owen Heinecke, LB Oklahoma

Kip Lewis, LB Oklahoma

Raylen Wilson, LB Georgia

Caleb Woodson, LB Alabama*

Robert Woodyard Jr., LB Missouri*

QB Reese, LB Alabama

Nicholas Rodriguez, LB Missouri

Cole Sullivan, LB Oklahoma*

Keaton Thomas, LB Ole Miss*

Eli Bowen, CB Oklahoma

Judge Collier, CB South Carolina

Martel Hight, CB Vanderbilt

Julio Humphrey, CB Texas A&M

Jacobe Johnson, CB Oklahoma

Joker Johnson, CB Arkansas*

Dijon Johnson, CB Florida

Demello Jones, CB Georgia

Antonio Kite, CB Ole Miss

Dijon Lee Jr., CB Alabama

Shelton Lewis, CB Arkansas*

Cormani McClain, CB Florida

Kade Phillips, CB Texas

DJ Pickett, CB LSU

Rayshawn Pleasant, CB Auburn

Dezz Ricks, CB Texas A&M

Quentin Taylor, CB Mississippi State*

PJ Woodland, CB LSU

Khalil Barnes, NB Georgia*

Peyton Bowen, S Oklahoma

DJ Coleman, S Florida*

Edrees Farooq, S Tennessee

Ricardo Jones, S Vanderbilt*

Edwin Joseph, S Ole Miss*

Graceson Littleton, NB Texas

TJ Metcalf, S Tennessee*

Qua Moss, NB Tennessee*

Marcus Ratcliffe, S Texas A&M

Keon Sabb, S Alabama

Quay’sheed Scott, NB South Carolina*

Isaac Smith, NB Mississippi State

Bryce Thornton, S Florida

Visit my Twitter account @Sam_Teets33 for more opinions on prospects, clips, and the latest football content.

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Bryant Wesco Jr., WR Clemson: 2027 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior wide receiver from Midlothian, Texas

Background: Wesco was a four-star recruit from Midlothian High School in Midlothian, Texas in the class of 2024. He was the No. 48 recruit on the 247Sports composite board and No. 61 for Rivals. ESPN ranked him 28th in the nation with an 88 grade out of 100. In seven games as a high school senior, Wesco totaled 36 receptions for 619 yards and 13 touchdowns. As a junior, he amassed 56 receptions for 1,072 yards and 12 touchdowns. Wesco also starred on the track. He finished fifth in the triple jump at the Texas 5A State Championship as a senior. Wesco was the Texas District 14-5A champion in the long jump and triple jump as a sophomore and also qualified for regionals in the high jump. As a freshman, he finished second in the district in the triple jump. Wesco was born on Sept. 22, 2005. His father and mother, Bryant Wesco Sr. and Tambia Wesco, both competed at Louisiana Tech as DI triple jumpers. His mother earned All-Conference honors in 1999, and his father is a member of the Louisiana Tech Hall of Fame. Bryant’s sister, Bailey, was a soccer player at Oklahoma and North Texas.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed 2024 Wake Forest and Virginia games with an ankle injury, exited 2025 SMU game with a season-ending spinal/neck injury that resulted in surgery in November

Awards: 2024 True Freshman All-American (247Sports, PFF), 2024 First Team Freshman All-American (ESPN, FWAA), Second Team Freshman All-American (The Athletic), 2025 Honorable Mention All-ACC

Pros: Minor experience as a punt returner, ideal height of frame, loose athlete for his size, athletic tools to develop release package, capable of running a full route tree, builds to a viable top speed with long strides to threaten safeties, enough speed to provide vertical presence and threaten to stack press corners, quick to recognize and take advantage of poor CB leverage, forces corners to open their hips before breaking the other way, fluidity and wiggle to sell route fakes, strings together fakes and cuts, works across the corner’s face at top of stem with long stride and lower body sink, explodes out of cuts at top of stem, unique mover at the top of his route, avoids contact well at top of stem, nice deceleration on comebacks and curls, lethal post option vs. open field coverage, relocates for QB when play breaks down, strong hands, plucks the ball outside his frame, tracks ball well downfield, some amazing contested snags on fades, smooth flowing athlete with vision and feel for maximizing blockers, fluidity and explosiveness translate to some elusiveness one-on-one in open field, side steps and jump cuts for YAC, dead leg, spin move, his top speed stresses pursuit angles, willing stalk blocker

Cons: Suffered season-ending spinal/back injury in 2025, slightly high-hipped, questionable arm length, lean frame, release package needs to fill out, burst off the line is average, lacks the elite vertical speed to scare off coverage, inconsistent vertical presence, needs to track the ball better to finish plays, uncomfortable number of concentration drops, sometimes too much dancing post-catch and not enough north-south running, not a reliable tackle breaker

Overview: Wesco’s entire prospect profile rests on how he returns from last year’s season-ending injury, but he has the tools to secure a top 50 selection. He’s tall enough to operate at either X or Z and has the frame to add more mass. Wesco is lean and somewhat high-hipped, but his frame should fill out. His release package is underdeveloped, but he has the loose movement skills to quickly improve with better coaching. Wesco is a three-level threat who’s capable of running a full route tree. He lacks elite burst and vertical speed but is a long-strider who’s fast enough to stack press-man corners and stress safeties. Wesco isn’t a consistent home run threat, but he delivers enough game-changing plays in the deep third to earn the defense’s respect. This big play ability often manifests against open-field coverages that allow Wesco to attack on deep posts. He excels at forcing cornerbacks to adjust their leverage or open their hips before attacking their blind spots. Wesco’s surprisingly loose frame allows him to sell route fakes by combining multiple sharp cuts, jabs, and head or shoulder fakes. It’s rare to find a wide receiver with his combination of size and fluidity. He drops his hips and uses his long strides to win across the corner’s face at the top of the stem. His suddenness and quick change of direction make it difficult for cornerbacks to mirror his movements or get hands on him at the stem’s peak. Wesco creates natural separation with his deceleration when working back down the stem on comebacks and curls. He works overtime to get open and relocate for his quarterback when the play breaks down. Wesco’s ball tracking and performance at the catch point are very hit-or-miss. He made some of the best contested catches in college football over the past two years but also dropped a high number of routine catches in 2025. When Wesco’s ball tracking is on point, there are few cornerbacks equipped to disrupt him. However, he sometimes fails to track the ball properly and doesn’t give himself a chance at the catch point. The junior displays strong hands to pluck the ball outside his frame and finish catches through contact. After the catch, he’s a difficult athlete to pin down. Wesco uses his fluidity, side steps, jump cuts, dead legs, and spins to make the first defender miss. He also has the vision to maximize his blocks and cut to open space and enough speed to stress pursuit angles. Sometimes, he becomes too focused on dancing with defenders instead of just lowering his shoulder and picking up as many yards as possible. Wesco lacks ideal contact balance and often goes down on the first clean hit.

Overall, Wesco’s profile is clouded by the injury he suffered in 2025, but he offers an enticing combination of size, speed, and fluidity. His route running potential hasn’t been fully maximized at Clemson, but he’s capable of accessing the full tree. There aren’t many receiver prospects with Wesco’s size who are capable of matching his separation skills and work after the catch.

Role & Scheme Fit: X or Z receiver in a vertical attacking offense

Round Projection: Early Second Round

Size: 6’2”, 195 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 05-01-26

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Junior Sherrill, WR Vanderbilt: 2027 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Senior wide receiver from Nashville, Tenn.

Background: Sherrill was a three-star recruit from Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tenn. in the class of 2023. He was the No. 1,293 recruit on the 247Sports composite board and No. 958 for Rivals. Sherrill was an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 76 grade out of 100. As a senior, he was named Division II-AA’s Mr. Football in Tennessee and was MaxPreps’ Tennessee Player of the Year. Sherrill led Lipscomb Academy to a 12-0 record and its second straight state championship, amassing 221 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns in the title game on his way to winning MVP honors. He amassed 94 receptions for 1,362 yards and 24 touchdowns during the season. Sherrill also played basketball in high school. He was born on June 14, 2005.

Injuries & Off-Field: Dealt with a minor injury the week of the Virginia Tech game (2025), briefly exited 2025 ReliaQuest Bowl but returned

Awards: N/A

Pros: Kick return experience, explodes off LOS, rapidly builds to top speed, excellent top speed, stacks cornerbacks out of press, fast enough to stretch defenses and create openings underneath for teammates, twitchy release package, wins across the corner’s face early in the release, such a buttery smooth mover, twitchy route fakes shake defenders, master of using hesitations, excels at reading the corner’s leverage and using it to find space, twitchy route runner capable of separating in small spaces, sudden deceleration at top of stem, lightning quick footwork, smooth mover capable of executing sharp fakes and cuts, snappy dig routes, relocates when the play breaks down, makes the extra effort to uncover and show his QB a pair of friendly hands, ball tracking, total body control, adjusts well to off-target throws, plucks ball outside his frame, quick to get upfield after the catch, some KR elusiveness after the catch, jukes and agility to make the first defender miss, capable stalk blocker when dialed in

Cons: Penalized five times in 2025, limited experience in the slot, short frame for a receiver primarily taking snaps outside, high-hipped frame, ground to a halt by early contact, playing through contact at top of stem needs to progress, simplistic route tree, limited contact balance, whiffs on or struggles to maintain stalk blocks

Overview: Sherrill has an immediate path to the field thanks to his experience returning kicks. Despite being on the shorter side, he lines up in every receiver role for Vanderbilt. Sherrill actually spends limited time in the slot compared to Z or X. His usage will need to adjust in the NFL to match his frame. Sherrill’s build is a little high-hipped, but that doesn’t seem to impact his movement skills. He explodes off the line of scrimmage, rapidly building to a top speed that threatens to overtake and stack defensive backs. Sherrill isn’t as much of a vertical threat as former teammate Tre Richardson, but he’s still capable of stretching defenses. Sherrill struggles to play through contact early in the route, but his twitch and developed release package help him avoid jams. He posts some clean wins across the cornerback’s face and is a natural separator. Sherrill uses twitchy route fakes, hesitations, and leverage manipulation to give his quarterback an open target. Combative cornerbacks who favor contact at the top of the stem wash out some of his routes, but most corners fail to match his quick footwork and sudden deceleration. Sherrill is a loose and fluid athlete capable of executing sharp fakes and cuts to shake tight coverage. The Commodores didn’t ask him to run a complex route tree in 2025, but his understanding of leverage and athletic traits make it easier to project success for him in a more pro-style system. Sherrill is a very quarterback-friendly wide receiver who relocates and works back to the ball on broken plays. He bailed Diego Pavia out several times by making good adjustments to off-target throws. The Tennessee native tracks the ball well and displays excellent body control at the catch point. He extends to pluck the ball out of the air. After the catch, Sherrill transforms into a kick returner and quickly looks to gain extra yards. His agility and established arsenal of jukes make him a difficult opponent for defensive backs to bring down one-on-one in space. Sherrill deploys dead legs and jump cuts to make the first defender whiff. His limited contact balance prevents him from being an elite after-the-catch threat. Sherrill put quality stalk blocks on tape in 2025, but he often struggles to land the initial block or arrives with too little aggression to make the desired impact.

Overall, Sherrill’s frame and struggles playing through contact prevent him from projecting as a top option at the next level. However, his budding route running prowess, twitch, speed, and ability to generate yards after the catch give him a high floor as a prospect capable of splitting time between the Z and slot roles. If paired with an established vertical threat, Sherrill should feast at the intermediate level.

Role & Scheme Fit: Z receiver or slot in an 11-personnel heavy scheme

Round Projection: Early Second Round

Size: 5’11”, 200 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 07-01-26

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Julian Sayin, QB Ohio State: 2027 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt sophomore quarterback from Carlsbad, Calif.

Background: Sayin was a five-star recruit from Carlsbad High School in Carlsbad, Calif. in the class of 2024. He was the No. 6 recruit on the 247Sports composite board and No. 8 for Rivals. ESPN ranked him 9th in the nation with a 91 grade out of 100. Sayin originally signed and enrolled with Alabama but transferred to Ohio State in the winter of 2024. According to MaxPreps, he completed 160 of 212 pass attempts for 2,369 yards, 24 touchdowns, and one interception as a high school senior. He also rushed 29 times for 186 yards and four touchdowns. Sayin completed 163 of 245 pass attempts as a junior for 2,708 yards, 27 touchdowns, and four interceptions and added three rushing touchdowns. He completed 181 out of 253 pass attempts during his sophomore campaign for 2,769 yards, 34 touchdowns, and five interceptions to accompany 208 rushing yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns. Sayin was the 2023 California Football Gatorade Player of the Year and earned invitations to the Under Armour All-America Game and the Polynesian Bowl. He was named MVP of the 2023 Elite 11 Finals. Sayin’s older brother, Aiden, played quarterback at the University of Pennsylvania, and his older sister, Bailey, played soccer for the University of Chicago.

Injuries & Off-Field: Rolled left ankle vs. UCLA (2025),

Awards: 2025 Second Team All-Big Ten, 2025 Second Team All-American (AFCA, Walter Camp), 2025 Third Team All-American (AP), 2025 First Team Freshman All-American (The Athletic), 2025 Heisman Trophy Finalist, 2025 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, 2025 Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Year

Pros: Quick and compact throwing motion, shortens throwing motion to hit tight windows, alters arm slots for odd angles, marries lower and upper halves during the throw, good salesmanship on PA, works through reads and down to his checkdown with good timing, pocket navigation, tendency to throw the ball away rather than take a sack, downfield accuracy from a clean pocket, throws with touch to all levels of the field, layers his passes, throws a tight spiral, flashes of anticipation for intermediate windows, reliable ball placement with good leverage at short to intermediate levels, some ridiculously good ball placement into tight windows in the end zone or down the sideline, keeps eyes downfield on roll outs, quality accuracy throwing on the move

Cons: Lacks traditional size and mass, performance dipped when the lights got bright, deep dropbacks put stress on offensive tackles, needs to step up in the pocket more often, pre-snap recognition and post-snap processing need to speed up vs. pressure looks, struggled late in 2025 season against quick pressures, didn’t have any counter for Miami’s ability to generate pressure (2025), punished for spending too much time on primary read vs. Miami (2025), eyes tipped off Indiana defenders several times (2025), arm strength is stressed by 50-yard same hash throws, sometimes unable to create offense when all receivers are covered, lacks escapability/sack avoidance, chased down when attempting to roll out and extend plays

Overview: Sayin is an undersized quarterback with limited mobility and a physically capped arm. He has a quick and compact throwing motion that he speeds up or drops into various arm slots to fit the ball into tight windows. Sayin is a mechanically polished quarterback when kept clean in the pocket. He marries his lower and upper halves throughout the throw, resulting in only a few passes truly getting away from him. Sayin quickly works through his reads to access checkdowns or routes on the back side of the play. He navigates within the pocket to stay within structure and keep himself protected. When pressured on an extended dropback, Sayin would rather throw the ball away than take a sack or force the throw into coverage. There’s room for him to improve his dropback. He gets too deep at times, which puts a lot of stress on his offensive tackles. This was especially clear in the College Football Playoff. Sayin is a little slow to respond to quick pressure and doesn’t consistently climb the pocket to challenge the finishing capability of pass rushers. His performance took a significant dip in the conference championship and College Football Playoff because, for the first time in his career, he faced defenses capable of applying quick pressure and had no response. Sayin must show improved ability to recognize pressure is coming pre-snap and then mentally speed things up during the play. He has no answers for quick pressure right now, and Miami lit him up for not adjusting his mental clock. Sayin took five sacks against Indiana and Miami each. He only took six in the whole regular season. When kept clean, the redshirt sophomore has impressive downfield accuracy and control over his arm. He layers his passes between the defense’s levels and throws with touch to all areas of the field. Sayin is still developing more consistent anticipation, but he flashes the ability to anticipate and lead receivers to intermediate windows. While Sayin’s capped physical ability will likely prevent him from being a top 100 selection, it’s difficult to ignore some of the ridiculously good ball placement he displayed when targeting the end zone or receivers outside the numbers. Generally, he plays his receiver’s leverage well and protects the football with his placement. The Hoosiers exploited Sayin’s eyes to get early jumps on some routes. His arm strength is close to its limit on 50-yard throws to the near hash. Sayin lacks the arm strength and velocity to unlock an offense’s full potential. He is accurate when throwing on the move but lacks the contact balance, elusiveness, and speed to escape the pocket and create off-platform consistently.

Overall, Sayin’s struggles in the postseason against teams capable of generating consistent pressure revealed his shortcomings and limitations. He is a negative size outlier with physical limitations and a multi-year runway to develop the mental processing and answers needed to perform at an NFL level. It’s hard to ignore Sayin’s flashes, but players with his profile rarely find sustained success in the pros.

Role & Scheme Fit: West Coast scheme

Round Projection: Late Third to Early Fourth Round

Size: 6’1”, 214 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 06-28-26

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CJ Carr, QB Notre Dame: 2027 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt sophomore quarterback from Saline, Mich.

Background: Carr was a four-star recruit from Saline High School in Saline, Mich. in the class of 2024. He was the No. 68 recruit on the 247Sports composite board and No. 68 for Rivals. ESPN ranked him 36th in the nation with an 86 grade out of 100. Carr was an All-American Bowl participant and a three-time First Team All-State selection. As a high school senior, he completed 199 of 292 pass attempts for 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions and rushed for nine touchdowns. As a junior, Carr completed 68.1% of his passes for 2,685 yards, 25 touchdowns, and five interceptions while rushing for 221 yards and seven touchdowns. He passed for 2,696 yards, 28 touchdowns, and four interceptions as a sophomore. Carr’s father, Jason, played football at Michigan, where CJ’s grandfather, Lloyd Carr, was the head coach. Carr also played basketball for Saline.

Injuries & Off-Field: Elbow injury suffered in 2024 practice required prolonged period to heal

Awards: 2025 Second Team Freshman All-American (The Athletic)

Pros: Adequate size for the modern position, adjusts well to low snaps, quick throwing motion, resets and throws from a reliable base, mostly clean lower body mechanics when provided a sound pocket, quick game procedure and execution, quickly works to second read with examples of working all the way to checkdowns, developing ability to use eyes to hold or move defensive backs, timing and anticipation working comebacks and curls, usually throws his receivers out of harm’s way at intermediate level, ball pops off his hand with good velocity, velocity allows access to far hash short to intermediate throws, drops the ball in the bucket downfield with nice touch, enough mobility to move the pocket and extend plays

Cons: One-year starter, some over-striding, gets stuck on his second read sometimes, double clutching and second guessing, eye discipline is still a work in progress, field vision has blind spots at the second level, appears to lack the top tier arm strength to consistently unlock 50+ yard throws downfield, receivers need to slow down to catch his fades and posts, disappointing number off-target throws with no chance of being caught (especially on slants and fades), needlessly moves off his spot at times, base really breaks down when he sees pressure coming, mental slips against pressure in his face and in muddy pockets, forces throws (even when under pressure) instead of living to fight another day, several poor interceptions thrown on long extended plays where no one was open, treats running with apprehension, adlibbed and poor footwork throwing on the move takes the velocity out of his throws, off-platform throws often lack accuracy and velocity, not elusive or speedy, offers nothing as runner when faced with defender in space

Overview: Carr offers adequate size for a modern quarterback but is on the shorter side of the spectrum. He dealt with a decent number of low or off-target snaps last season with minimal issues. Carr has a slight loop in his throwing motion, but it doesn’t meaningfully seem to slow down his delivery or cause negative effects. Carr is at home in the pocket, where he throws from a reliable base with consistent lower body mechanics. He suffers from some over-striding, but that’s an easy fix with proper coaching. Carr quickly gets to his second read and has plenty of examples of working to backside curls and digs. However, he sometimes gets mentally stuck on that second read. The one-year starter is still developing his decisiveness. He double-clutches too often, giving defenses time to close on his receivers. His eye discipline and ability to hold or move defenders with his eyes are improving, but he still tips off second level defenders by staring down receivers. There are also gaps in his vision at the second level that create opportunities for interceptions. Carr comes with some physical limitations. His arm is more in the B tier, and he dealt with a noticeable number of underthrows downfield in 2025. There is better velocity than strength in his arm, allowing him to drive the ball into windows on the far hash. When paired with his timing and anticipation, especially on comebacks and curls, Carr’s velocity takes defenders out of the play. His ball placement suffers from wide swings. Carr makes life easy on his receivers with touch and nice placement downfield, and he protects receivers from taking big collisions over the middle of the field. Unfortunately, off-target throws remain a concern for Carr. He should take a natural step in the right direction in this area as a second-year starter. The Michigan native was rarely sacked in 2025, but his response to pressure left a lot to be desired. His footwork, timing, and mental safeguards break down when the pocket gets muddy. Carr tries to force throws in these scenarios. He had several horrible interceptions on extended plays last season where a better answer would’ve been to dirt the ball. He also tries to do too much on the move. Carr is mobile enough to move the pocket but lacks the elusiveness or speed to be a significant threat. His off-platform throws often come out deflated with questionable accuracy and limited velocity. Those throws float and turn into potential interceptions.

Overall, Carr’s tape against North Carolina State was some of the most promising by a quarterback in 2025. None of his other relevant games came close to that level. Carr is a developing prospect who likely needs a multi-year runway to reach his potential in college. Physical limitations could become a more prominent part of the discussion in future seasons.

Role & Scheme Fit: Pocket passer in a West Coast scheme

Round Projection: Late Third to Early Fourth Round

Size: 6’2”, 215 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 06-26-26

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Drake Lindsey, QB Minnesota: 2027 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt sophomore quarterback from Fayetteville, Ark.

Background: Lindsey was a three-star recruit from Fayetteville High School in Fayetteville, Ark. in the class of 2024. He was the No. 878 recruit on the 247Sports composite board and No. 839 for Rivals. Lindsey was an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 76 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, he led Fayetteville to a 13-0 record and a state championship in which he was the MVP. Lindsey completed 264 of 383 passes for 3,941 yards, 54 touchdowns, and four interceptions on his way to being named the 7A Offensive Player of the Year, 2023 Arkansas MaxPreps Player of the Year, Arkansas Football Gatorade Player of the Year, and a First Team All-State selection. As a junior, he completed 260 of 388 passes for 3,620 yards, 37 touchdowns, and four interceptions. Lindsey’s father, John David, uncle, Lyndy Lindsey, and cousin, Jack Lindsey, played college football for Arkansas. Drake’s sister, Loren, played basketball for Arkansas, and his cousin, Link, competed for the Razorbacks in track and field. His grandfather, Jim Lindsey, played college football at Arkansas and spent seven years in the NFL after being selected in the second round by the Minnesota Vikings. His great uncle, Elmer “B” Lindsey, spent six years in the minor leagues for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a torn patella at 14 years old that caused him to miss his freshman season in high school, arrested in spring of 2026 for underage possession of alcohol and possession of fake identification

Awards: N/A

Pros: Prototypical size, quick and compact throwing motion, smooth and quick processing working to second and third reads and beyond, throws ball away to avoid sacks, knows when to dump the ball off, arm strength makes far hash fades look easy, easy power in arm to access throws 50+ yards downfield, elite velocity fits balls into tight windows, launches missiles over MOF, unique combo of velocity and touch in his arsenal, touch to layer throws in congested spaces, applies touch on short passes, natural touch on downfield passes makes life easy on receivers, flashes of elite ball placement beating tight coverages at odd angles, puts ball where only his man can get it on seam routes, drops ball in the bucket on fades, throws his receivers open with good anticipation, efficiency at short and intermediate levels to slowly carve up defenses, nice salesmanship on PA, rarely fumbled

Cons: One season of mediocre production, drops head and creates some phantom pressures, some mental panic when he sees pressure up the middle, throws fading away under pressure leading to significant drop in accuracy, lacks mobility to escape collapsing pockets, big arm results in some overthrows/ball sailing, needs to reel in the arm strength a bit to avoid overthrows, needs to iron out some inconsistencies in ball placement, drops head when he goes to scramble, danger to make mistakes when outside the pocket and off-platform, not an off-platform creator, not a threat to run and gash defense

Overview: Lindsey possesses prototypical size for the position and is a throwback to the pocket passers who were more abundant in the early 2000s. He delivers throws with a quick and compact motion. Lindsey is still developing a feel for pressure, but when allowed to keep his focus downfield, he quickly works through his reads with limited snags. He knows when to throw the ball away or hit his checkdown to avoid sacks. Lindsey plays the game with warranted arm arrogance. His strength makes it easy to access far hash fades, and his velocity pops even more. Lindsey’s passes arrive on frozen ropes, allowing him to zip throws past the linebacker’s ear hole over the middle of the field. Unlike many quarterbacks with strong arms, the Arkansas native has a developed sense of touch to layer throws between defensive levels and make life easier on his receivers. That big arm still causes the ball to sail on him at times, but the natural next step in his progression is to eliminate those moments and become more consistent at controlling his passes. Despite being a one-year starter, Lindsey has already flashed the ball placement to fit or drop throws into tight windows and favor his target’s leverage against smothering coverage. This placement usually pops the most on fades and seams. He also recognizes holes in the defense and hits receivers in stride by throwing with anticipation. There’s still room to clean up some of his ball placement and eliminate poor reps that show up every now and then. Lindsey’s physical tools make him effective creating chunk plays downfield, but he’s also efficient nickel and diming defenses for slow, methodical drives. The redshirt sophomore’s biggest area of concern is how he handles pressure. Lindsey lacks the mobility to escape the pocket and create second chance offense. He really is a throwback in that regard. Because he has less room for error than most quarterbacks, Lindsey sometimes creates phantom pressures while trying to anticipate the rush. He struggles to counter interior pressure and often throws while fading away when there’s a defender in his face. In the rare instances that Lindsey finds himself outside the pocket, he drops his head too early and is more likely to make a poor decision than successfully generate a big play off-platform.

Overall, Lindsey’s lack of mobility places limitations on his performance against top-ranked pass rushes, but his combination of anticipation, arm strength, velocity, and touch is rare for an underclassman, let alone a one-year starter. If Lindsey develops a better feel for recognizing and responding to pressure, he could become a future first round pick, although that’s likely a timeline that extends to 2028 or 2029.

Role & Scheme Fit: Pocket passer in a West Coast offense

Round Projection: Late First Round

Size: 6’5”, 230 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 06-24-26

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CJ Bailey, QB North Carolina State: 2027 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior quarterback from Miami, Fla.

Background: Bailey was a three-star recruit from Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School in Hollywood, Fla. in the class of 2024. He was the No. 434 recruit (four-star) on the 247Sports composite board and No. 438 (three-star) for Rivals. Bailey was an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 79 grade out of 100. In high school, he was a team captain, earned 2M-1M Florida Offensive Player of the Year honors twice, and received First Team All-State honors three times. As a senior, he and Chaminade-Madonna Prep won their third consecutive state title. Bailey completed 215 of 301 pass attempts for 3,125 yards, 47 touchdowns, and six interceptions that season while also rushing for 253 yards and a pair of scores. As a junior, he completed 203 of 289 passes for 3,355 yards, 45 touchdowns, and five interceptions and ran for 215 yards and two touchdowns as Chaminade-Madonna Prep went undefeated in the regular season and claimed a state championship in Florida’s new 1M classification. As a sophomore, Bailey took over the starting role and led his team to a Florida 3A state title. He passed for 2,061 yards, 19 touchdowns, and six interceptions that season. MaxPreps and 247Sports list different passing totals for Bailey. These numbers align with what is listed on North Carolina State’s website.

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: N/A

Pros: Room on frame to add significant mass, compact and quick throwing motion, arm strength to access deep far hash fades, ball explodes off his hand with velocity, velocity allows windows outside the numbers to stay open longer, willing to anticipate windows and lead receivers to space, flashes of high level ball placement on outs, fades, and corners, mobility to roll out and extend plays or create with his legs, creates second chance offense, comfortable throwing off platform and on the move, creativity and one-cut ability to elude rushers, rushing threat and weapon on RPOs, long-strider with good speed, change of direction as a runner, cut down on fumbles in 2025

Cons: Extremely lean frame, production aided by plenty of schemed touches for playmakers, conservative offensive approach with low ADOT, holds ball too long when asked to read the field, takes unnecessary sacks instead of throwing ball away, slow through progressions, vision and recognition leave a lot hidden over MOF, inconsistent eye discipline leads to tipping off defenders, poor pocket management and panic under pressure, drops his head when he feels pressure and looks to scramble, panics and makes catastrophic decisions under pressure, retreats instead of stepping up in pocket, retreats and floats ball while pressured, lack of touch at the short level, scattershot accuracy, erratic ball placement, ball placement often behind receivers at short area of the field, frequent throws behind intended targets, limited contact balance, speed isn’t anything special, too quick to drop head and run at times

Overview: Bailey has the potential to develop one of the best quarterback builds in the NFL if his frame fills out. He’s still very lean right now, which could lead to durability concerns over the course of his career. North Carolina State’s offense isn’t built to develop and showcase pro talent at quarterback. It relies heavily on schemed touches and a conservative approach with lots of low depth throws. Under center exchanges are rare, and Bailey fumbled one of the only few he took in 2025. The junior has a compact throwing motion and an impressive combination of arm strength and velocity. While he’s a tier below the best arms eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft, Bailey is more than capable of accessing far hash fades deep downfield and driving the ball into tight windows outside the numbers. His arm talent means windows stay open for him longer than they do for the average quarterback. Bailey is behind the curve in handling pressure and managing the pocket. He holds the ball for too long and refuses to throw it away when the play begins to break down. Part of the larger problem is that it takes him too long to work through his reads, resulting in his protection failing. Bailey panics when pressured and is quick to drop his head and scramble. His decision making collapses, leading to some head-scratching turnover worthy moments. Bailey is guilty of retreating instead of stepping up in the pocket, and he attempts to make throws in the process, leading to his passes floating out there for easy interceptions. The Florida native has shown a willingness to grow and improve his game. He attempts to anticipate windows and lead receivers into space. His ball placement is still developing, but there are some high-level examples of pinpoint placement on corners, fades, and outs. Unfortunately, Bailey’s accuracy and ball placement are erratic more often than not. His throws often end up behind his intended target, especially over the middle of the field. A lack of touch at the short level contributes to this issue. His vision is still cloudy over the middle of the field, which combines with poor eye discipline to lead to potential turnovers. Bailey is a mobile quarterback capable of using one cut to make the first defender miss on RPOs or scrambles. He’s a long strider with limited contact balance but changes directions surprisingly well for such a tall athlete. Bailey creates second chance offense and can pick up yards with his legs when needed, but his speed isn’t going to threaten defenses over long distances.

Overall, Bailey is a gifted but not elite physical talent who is several seasons away from being ready to play an active role in the NFL. He has shown the willingness to push himself and develop the skills he needs for the next level, but his performance is too uneven to provide a path for him to reach his ceiling by the spring of 2027.

Role & Scheme Fit: Developmental quarterback in an RPO-heavy scheme

Round Projection: Sixth Round

Size: 6’6”, 213 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 06-27-26

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Drew Mestemaker, QB Oklahoma State: 2027 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt sophomore quarterback from Austin, Texas

Background: Mestemaker was a zero-star recruit from Vandegrift High School in Austin, Texas in the class of 2024. He transferred from North Texas to Oklahoma State for the 2026 season. Mestemaker was a team captain as a high school senior. He earned Second Team All-District 25-6A honors as a punter and was an honorable mention at safety. Mestemaker started at both positions and was Vandegrift’s backup quarterback. He won a 25-6A district title with the program in 2023.

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2025 First Team All-American Conference, 2025 Freshman All-American Team (FWAA), 2025 American Conference Offensive Player of the Year

Pros: Adequate size for the modern position, quick post-snap processing working through his reads, nice pace working through post-snap reads, rarely gets stuck on the first read, anticipates windows and leads receivers open, flashes of layering the ball well, quick to flip/set base and throw in PA, velocity appears to check the box on short and intermediate opposite hash throws, maneuverability in pocket to step away from interior pressure and extend plays, mobility to extend plays while under pressure, comfortable throwing off-platform and on the move, keeps eyes downfield while scrambling, willing to keep ball on RPOs or use legs to gain tough yards, slides to end runs to protect himself

Cons: One-year starter at lower competition conference, leggy build, needs more body armor, exposes ball to strip-sacks with low carry positioning on dropbacks, looping throwing motion delays release, overly active feet in dropback, lower body mechanics change play-to-play and lack total refinement, lower body mechanics contribute to off-target throws, sometimes retreats instead of climbing in pocket, doesn’t anticipate or see post-snap rotations, stares down intended targets, arm strength isn’t anything special, unwarranted arm arrogance, leaves fades short and inside, challenges windows that aren’t open, velocity is stressed on some far hash intermediate throws, throws behind receivers over MOF, bad misses over MOF put ball in harm’s way, erratic ball placement and occasional scattershot accuracy, miscommunications leading to poor QB-RB exchange fakes on PA, limited speed and not twitchy or elusive as a runner

Overview: Mestemaker is an adequately sized athlete for his position, but he needs to gain some muscle to better protect himself against more competitive pass rushes. Messing with a quarterback’s throwing motion is always risky, but Mestemaker needs to make some adjustments. He carries the ball low and exposed prior to entering his throwing motion, which makes it an easy target for rushers. While it isn’t the most egregious throwing motion, he includes a loop that delays his release. To add to concerns about his mechanics, Mestemaker’s footwork is all over the place. He is very inconsistent play-to-play and seems to enter freelance mode as soon as he completes his full-field read. The inability of his North Texas receivers to separate didn’t help him much, but there were also examples of him needlessly freelancing in the pocket, leading to off-target throws. Mestemaker is a surprisingly quick processor for a first-year quarterback. He works through his reads at an excellent pace and rarely gets jammed up on his initial option. However, he doesn’t recognize and diagnose defensive post-snap rotations. This is something he needs to address, considering how common these rotations are for top defenses. Mestemaker’s pocket control is still developing. He sometimes opts to retreat beyond his offensive tackles’ protection instead of climbing the pocket to let outside pressure pass behind him. Mestemaker’s arm strength and velocity both fall in the B or B+ category. His range’s limit appears to be roughly 55 yards downfield, but he’s liable to leave fades that deep short and inside. The Texas native’s velocity meets necessary thresholds on intermediate throws to the far hash, but some of those attempts appear to stress his arm. Mestemaker is a fun quarterback with a backyard football or gunslinger element to his game. Unfortunately, he lacks the arm strength and velocity to back up his arm arrogance. Part of Mestemaker’s maturation process will be targeting fewer windows that clearly aren’t open. The redshirt sophomore anticipates throwing lanes and leads his receivers to space, which are both unique traits for an inexperienced passer. He also flashes developed touch to layer the ball between defensive levels. Mestemaker needs to clean up his ball placement over the middle of the field. Too many of his throws trail his receivers and lead to tips in crowded spaces. His accuracy and ball placement outside the numbers and downfield go through scattershot stretches. Mestemaker is a creative quarterback who evades interior pressure better than most. He lacks the speed and twitch to elude defenders as a runner but is mobile enough to extend plays and create off-platform. Some of his best work happens after he breaks the pocket.

Overall, Mestemaker is a physically limited quarterback who out-performed expectations in his first significant starting action. He is surprisingly advanced in certain mental aspects of the game but is still developing a feel for his limitations. Mestemaker’s trajectory could still go any direction. He likely needs another two seasons of reps in college before testing the NFL waters.

Role & Scheme Fit: Developmental QB in a spread offense with air raid principles

Round Projection: Fifth Round

Size: 6’3”, 211 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 06-27-26

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Darian Mensah, QB Miami: 2027 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior quarterback from San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Background: Mensah was a three-star recruit from Saint Joseph High School in Santa Maria, Calif. in the class of 2023. He was the No. 2,672 recruit (two-star) on the 247Sports composite board and No. 2,014 (three-star) for Rivals. Mensah was an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 75 grade out of 100. He transferred from Tulane to Duke for the 2025 season before subsequently transferring to Miami for 2026. Mensah was named the Mountain League Player of the Year as a high school senior after passing for 2,256 yards and 25 touchdowns and rushing for eight additional scores. Saint Joseph attained a 10-2 record with a perfect 7-0 mark in the Mountain League. Mensah also played high school basketball.

Injuries & Off-Field: Settled lawsuit with Duke after transferring to Miami (2026)

Awards: 2025 Second Team All-ACC, 2025 ACC Championship Game MVP

Pros: Quick and compact throwing motion, crisp and natural throwing mechanics, marries lower and upper halves during the throw, steps into and drives throws with consistent base, climbs the pocket to avoid outside rush, stays cool under pressure, flashes of using eyes to look off defenders, timing in dropback to match wide receivers, adequate arm strength and velocity to execute at all three levels, nice velocity on throws between the numbers, often hits WRs in stride on fades, drops ball in the bucket on fades, layers throws, leads receivers to space, throws to the receiver’s leverage advantage, wide receiver-friendly ball placement makes catches less contested, mobility to extend plays and create on the move, fluid COD and enough speed to generate second chance offense as a passer, keeps eyes downfield on the move, comfortable throwing on the move

Cons: Lacks traditional size and mass for a pocket passer, lapses in awareness of blindside pressure, 16 fumbles in past two years including nine in 2025, fumble concerns may lead to questions on hand size, invites pressure by holding the ball or trying to create, doesn’t get to his checkdown quickly enough, sticks on his primary read for too long, determined to force some throws leading to turnover worthy plays, doesn’t always look before he leaps, predetermined mindset and lapses in vision have significant consequences, vision misses poaching zone DBs, arm strength and velocity are B-tier, needs to throw with anticipation at the intermediate level more frequently, doesn’t offer much as a true runner, lacks explosiveness, elusiveness, and contact balance as a runner

Overview: Mensah is an undersized quarterback who lacks traditional height and mass for the position. He has a quick and compact throwing motion and some of the best mechanics in the 2027 class. Mensah marries his upper and lower body during the pass and consistently steps into throws with a balanced base. He climbs the pocket to avoid edge rushers, but his awareness of blindside pressure is hit-or-miss and has contributed to his 16 fumbles over the past two seasons. Mensah’s fumbling issues call his hand size into question. The redshirt junior stays calm under pressure, but he invites pressure by holding the ball for too long and trying to extend plays. He paces his dropback well to match his receivers’ rhythm, but there are too many plays when he’s late getting off his primary read or arriving at his checkdown. Despite his past success at Tulane and Duke and polished mechanics, Mensah’s football IQ and processing speed fail to elevate his performance. He forces throws instead of progressing further through his reads and mentally shuts down once he decides where the ball is going. His cone of vision narrows significantly, causing him to fail to spot defenders preparing to jump his throwing lane. Mensah puts flashes of manipulating defenders with his eyes on tape but is still developing his poker face and anticipation. His arm strength and velocity are adequate to access all three levels of the field but don’t classify as strengths for his game. Surprisingly, Mensah attacks defenses with arm arrogance that is usually reserved for more gifted passers. He will need to be more patient and conservative at the next level. The California native makes up for his risk taking with some of the best ball placement in the class. He layers the ball well and consistently leads his receivers to space. Mensah also protects his targets from taking big hits and capitalizes on the receiver’s leverage. His wide receiver-friendly ball placement prevents defenders from contesting catches and helps generate yards after the catch. Despite his average arm, Mensah routinely hits his receivers in stride on deep downfield fades and posts. Among the perceived top quarterbacks in the draft, Mensah appeared to have the fewest underthrown fades/posts in 2025. He isn’t a speedy or elusive runner, but Mensah is fluid and capable of evading the first rusher while breaking the pocket to create new throwing lanes and second chance offense.

Overall, Mensah is a far more chaotic quarterback than his size and production profile suggest. His refined mechanics and ball placement provide a reliable foundation for improvement, but his mental snags, lapses in awareness, and questionable arm arrogance create a boom-or-bust element to his style of play. The rewards have justified the risks up to this point.

Role & Scheme Fit: West Coast scheme

Round Projection: Second Round

Size: 6’3”, 205 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 06-28-26

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Jayden Maiava, QB USC: 2027 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt senior quarterback from Palolo, Hawaii

Background: Maiava was a three-star recruit from Liberty High School in Henderson, Nev. in the class of 2022. He was the No. 855 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 968 for Rivals. Maiava was an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 79 grade out of 100. He transferred from UNLV to USC for the 2024 season. As a senior at Liberty High School, Maiava earned Second Team All-Southern Nevada honors from the Las Vegas Review-Journal and was an All-League First Team selection after he completed 122 of 201 pass attempts for 2,027 yards, 24 touchdowns, and four interceptions in nine games. He bounced around in high school, passing for 3,317 yards and 41 touchdowns at Kaimuki High School in Hawaii as a junior. He played for Sierra Vista High School in Nevada as a freshman. Maiava is the nephew of former USC linebacker Kaluka Maiava. He completed his bachelor’s degree in communication in the spring of 2026.

Injuries & Off-Field: Undisclosed minor knee issue in 2024

Awards: 2023 Second Team All-Mountain West, 2023 Mountain West Freshman of the Year, 2023 College Football Network Freshman Quarterback of the Year, 2025 Third Team All-Big Ten (Coaches)

Pros: Prototypical size for the position, quick throwing motion despite slight loop, speeds up delivery to adjust for windows, warranted arm arrogance, arm strength to stretch defenses in the deep third, ball explodes off his hand, velocity to punch holes in the defense, lethal working deep posts, layers the ball in over linebackers, touch passes drop in where only his men can catch them, uses touch to find his receivers in crowded spaces, creates some second chance offense with his legs, more than willing to throw on the move, keeps eyes downfield when breaking the pocket, mobile enough to run when left alone or handle some designed runs

Cons: Lots of simplified reads, inconsistent lower body mechanics effect accuracy and power causing off-target or floated passes, fades away when he senses pressure, doesn’t move within the pocket to avoid pressure well, forces throws when pressured, terrible decisions under pressure, forces throws while being hit or in the grasp exposing ball to interceptions or fumbles, sometimes makes a bad play worse by trying to extend it, too willing to challenge disadvantageous coverage, prefers to take risks rather than throw ball away, vision obscures lurking third level zone defenders, inconsistent eye discipline tips off single-high safeties and lurking linebackers, awkward finish to throwing motion might contribute to some off-target passes, erratic ball placement doesn’t favor the receiver’s leverage, ball placement sometimes behind targets over MOF, bailed out by contested catch artists, throws with too much velocity and not enough touch, mobility is useful but not going to shake or out-run many defenders one-on-one in space

Overview: Maiava offers prototypical size for the quarterback position. His throwing motion includes a slight loop but is quick enough that it doesn’t jeopardize completing passes. Maiava has warranted arm arrogance stemming from his elite arm strength and velocity. The ball explodes off his hand and maintains a tight trajectory to fit through narrow windows. Maiava is among the three or four quarterbacks in contention for having the strongest arm in this class. His work leading receivers to space on posts makes him capable of unlocking the deep third even when facing two-high coverage shells. Unlike many of the other strong-armed quarterbacks in the 2027 class, Maiava goes through stretches of layering the ball well. His potential to go in the top 100 selections hinges on this combination of excellent arm talent and flashes of touch. Maiava delivers some high-value surgical passes that maximize his receiver’s leverage while ensuring the defender has no chance to make a play on the ball. It’s worth noting that losing Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon to the NFL might impact the success rate of Maiava’s touch passes, especially those that rely on the receiver’s body control at the catch point. USC’s offense relies on a lot of simplified reads that don’t prepare Maiava for the PhD in football that quarterbacks need to succeed in the NFL. He needs to refine his lower body mechanics to step into and drive throws more often. While Maiava is willing to extend plays with his legs, his pocket control and navigation are still developmental. He breaks down under pressure and makes some catastrophic decisions, including forcing throws into crowds or attempting to throw with pass rushers threatening to strip the ball from his grasp. The redshirt senior makes some bad plays worse by refusing to throw the ball away. Maiava deserves opportunities to test coverages because of his arm talent, but he needs to be more discerning about those moments. Whether his risk taking is born of arrogance or mental errors, he needs to rein it in. Maiava’s vision fails to spot safeties shading toward his intended targets, and he stares down too many routes. His flashes of brilliance are often overshadowed by erratic ball placement that requires receivers like Lane and Lemon to bail him out. Similarly, the reps where he fails to apply proper touch outnumber the layered throws that make his profile so appealing. Maiava generates some second chance offense with his legs, but he lacks the mobility and elusiveness to pose a consistent threat when being pursued by the pass rush or closing linebackers. He’s more valuable rolling out and keeping his eyes downfield than attempting to pick up yards himself.

Overall, Maiava is an upside bet with one of the highest ceilings among quarterbacks in the 2027 class, but he’s far behind the preferred developmental curve for a redshirt senior. Maiava’s arm strength and velocity combine with his chaotic, big-play-hunting style to provide the perfect tease for evaluators, but his path to a stable, long-term role in the NFL is thorny.

Role & Scheme Fit: Backup quarterback in a play action-heavy scheme

Round Projection: Late Third Round

Size: 6’4”, 230 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 07-18-26

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Trinidad Chambliss, QB Ole Miss: 2027 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Sixth-year redshirt senior quarterback from Grand Rapids, Mich.

Background: Chambliss was a zero-star recruit from Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Mich. in the class of 2021. He transferred from Ferris State to Ole Miss for the 2025 season. In his high school senior season, Chambliss passed for 1,610 yards and 17 touchdowns in seven games. He received First Team All-Ottawa Kent Conference and MLive Grand Rapids Dream Team honors and earned All-State recognition from the Associated Press for his season. Chambliss also played basketball at a high level, earning All-State honors from the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan and making the Detroit News All-State Hoops Team. He was born on Aug. 24, 2002.

Injuries & Off-Field: Did not play second season at Ferris State due to a respiratory issue, tonsils removed in 2024 to address chronic issue, briefly exited CFP game against Tulane (2025)

Awards: 2024 First Team All-GLIAC, 2024 First Team All-American (AP, AFCA), 2024 GLIAC Player of the Year, 2024 Harlon Hill Trophy, 2024 NCAA Division II National Championship, 2025 Second Team All-SEC, 2025 SEC Newcomer of the Year, 2026 Sugar Bowl Offensive MVP

Pros: Adjusts well for inaccurate snaps, quick and crisp throwing motion, adjusts arm angles to fit ball around pressure, tough under pressure and willing to take hits to deliver throws, quickly moves through his progressions, works to checkdown or backside routes with good timing, uses eyes when on the move to hold or move defenders, zips ball with nice velocity at short to intermediate levels, adequate striking velocity for far hash throws, surprising ease of arm strength on deep throws for someone his size, drops ball in the bucket on fades, stretches of impeccable downfield ball placement outside the numbers, uses legs to escape crumbling pockets for positive or neutral plays, speed to extend plays and create second chance offense, comfortable throwing on the move/off-platform, nimble footwork and some shiftiness as a runner, uses blockers well in space, limited fumbling concerns

Cons: Size doesn’t meet traditional thresholds, 15 passes batted at LOS in 2025, pocket navigation/control (height impacted), prefers to break the pocket rather than step up in it, often drops head when scrambling within the pocket, inconsistent eye discipline, late to rip it/needs more anticipation, velocity on short throws contribute to some drops, desire to test tight windows leads receivers into heavy contact, leads receivers into big hits, high throws and miscommunications with targets at intermediate level, some underthrown or poorly placed intermediate fades leading to unnecessary contests, underestimates range of rotating safeties when targeting downfield holes in coverage, lacks speed to escape linebackers, lacks the frame for designed QB runs in NFL, limited contact balance, tripped up by smallest contact on QB designed runs

Overview: Chambliss lets the ball fly with a quick and clean throwing motion. He is a creative passer who accesses unique arm slots to fit the ball around defenders and mitigate concerns about his height against the pass rush. Chambliss oozes confidence. He stands strong in the pocket to deliver throws, even when he’s about to take a hit. Chambliss has never seen a throw in his life that he believes he can’t make. He will push the boundaries of his arm and supporting cast, both in and out of structure. Chambliss doesn’t meet traditional size thresholds for a quarterback, and history says that’s a significant red flag. Size concerns show up on his tape too. Chambliss had 15 passes batted at the line in 2025, including three games with three batted passes each. His pocket navigation is poor and reflects his need to stay deep in his drop to see over his offensive linemen. Chambliss prefers to break the pocket and roll out rather than step up when sensing pressure. In the instances he steps up, he often drops his head and goes straight into scramble mode. The redshirt senior moves through his progressions with good pace and hits backside routes or checkdowns in rhythm. His tape shows a mix of his older age profile and limited FBS experience. He uses his eyes to manipulate defenders but is also guilty of staring down routes. Chambliss needs to throw with better anticipation. Too often he waits for the receiver to break open before beginning his throwing motion, which gives the defender time to close and contest the catch. Despite his limited stature, Chambliss doesn’t need to crow hop or put his full body weight into 40-45-yard throws. His size doesn’t appear to inhibit his arm strength or velocity significantly in comparison to quarterbacks with similar physical profiles. His velocity isn’t great on far hash throws, but it’s adequate for a pro quarterback. Chambliss has some of the best ball placement on deep fades in the class. He goes through stretches of near perfection when targeting routes deep outside the numbers. Unfortunately, Chambliss throws hospital balls over the middle of the field that lead his receivers into massive hits. His accuracy and ball placement at the intermediate level are inconsistent. He is late to recognize some post-snap coverage rotations or underestimates the range of safeties, resulting in potential interceptions at the high-intermediate to low-deep ranges. Chambliss is a nimble and creative scrambler with the speed and agility to create second chance offense. He should remain an effective scrambler in the NFL, but his designed run workload won’t translate to the next level.

Overall, Chambliss is an older, undersized quarterback prospect whose eyes for throwing windows write some checks his arm can’t cash. He is a shifty creator with a gamer mentality who’s capable of authoring jaw-dropping plays, but his limited ability to win within the pocket, late adjustments to defensive rotations, and risk-taking all raise questions about his viability as a multi-contract NFL quarterback.

Role & Scheme Fit: Backup quarterback in an RPO-heavy scheme

Round Projection: Fourth Round

Size: 6’0”, 205 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 07-18-26

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Arch Manning, QB Texas: 2027 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior quarterback from New Orleans, La.

Background: Manning was a five-star recruit from Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, La. in the class of 2023. He was the No. 1 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 1 for Rivals, and No. 1 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 5th in the nation with a 93 grade out of 100. Manning was a four-time All-State selection in high school. Across his career, he went 34-9 as a starter while completing 637 of 994 pass attempts for 8,599 yards, 115 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions (numbers reported by Texas don’t align perfectly with MaxPreps records). He also rushed for 1,155 yards and 25 touchdowns on 153 attempts. Manning broke the school’s records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, total yards, and total touchdowns. Per MaxPreps, Manning completed 140 of 229 pass attempts for 2,270 yards, 34 touchdowns, and two interceptions as a senior and was named the Bobby Dodd National Back of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Atlanta. He also received an invitation to participate in the U.S. Army Bowl. As a junior, he completed 149 of 231 pass attempts for 1,841 yards, 26 touchdowns, and four interceptions, earning First Team 2A All-State honors from the Louisiana Football Coaches Association and an honorable mention selection from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Manning also earned First Team 2A All-State honors from the Louisiana Football Coaches Association and honorable mentions from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association as a sophomore and freshman. As a sophomore, he completed 149 of 220 passes for 1,919 yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Manning completed 204 of 316 passes for 2,509 yards, 34 touchdowns, and six interceptions as a freshman, earning First Team Freshman All-American honors from MaxPreps. He also played basketball in high school. Manning is the nephew of NFL legends Eli and Peyton Manning and the grandson of New Orleans Saints Pro Bowl quarterback Archie Manning.

Injuries & Off-Field: Entered concussion protocol in late Oct. 2025, underwent foot surgery in Jan. 2026

Awards: 2025 Citrus Bowl MVP

Pros: Meets modern QB size thresholds, quick and compact throwing motion, speeds up throwing motion under pressure, accesses all sorts of arm angles, poise/presence in the pocket improved, senses outside pressure and climbs, keeps eyes downfield when under pressure or climbing the pocket, climbs and resets base as pressure passes behind him, toughness in the pocket, contact balance to break out of sack attempts or stay upright while in the grasp, gets the ball dumped off even with defenders hanging on him, gets the ball away to avoid sacks, improvements in working to third or fourth read, arm strength to access throws 55+ yards downfield, velocity to fire the ball into tight windows, throws darts over MOF to beat tight coverage, velocity to hit Cover 3 hole shots, nice placement and timing on deep digs, touch on short passes is improving, able to create and ad-lib off-platform, fast enough to erase some pursuit angles, speed to gash defenses up the middle on designed runs or when left alone in space

Cons: One full season as a starter, still lingers on initial read too long at times, a handful of reps ruined when mental processing hits snags, lots of wobbly and poor technique throws, bad habit of drifting or leaning during throw, too willing to throw from an uneven base, eyes tip off defenders at times, underestimates range of defenders leading to potential interceptions, accuracy concerns lead to too many clean whiffs, downfield accuracy often doesn’t give his receivers a chance, accuracy on fades require receivers to make meaningful adjustments, fades oscillate between overthrows and underthrows, inconsistent ball placement sometimes leads his receivers into danger, touch is a work in progress, lack of touch leads to some drops at short level, ball hangs longer than ideal on far hash throws, inaccurate on the move, several throws on the move where ball flutters and dies, fast but lacks twitch and high-level escapability, linear runner with no twitch or elusiveness

Overview: Manning uses a quick and compact throwing motion that he adjusts with various angles and speeds to beat pressure or access warped windows. His control of the pocket is rare for a player with only one season of starting reps. He climbs and resets his base while keeping his eyes downfield when he senses pressure off the edge. Manning isn’t as tall as his uncles, but he’s dense enough to break free from potential sacks in the pocket or remain upright long enough to throw the ball away. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the class at getting the ball away while absorbing contact. Manning’s inexperience still hinders his processing speed. He spends too much time on his initial read and mentally gets stuck on some plays, failing to reach later reads. Fortunately, he improved at accessing third or fourth reads as the 2025 season progressed. Manning has the arm strength to access throws 55+ yards downfield and the velocity to drive the ball into tight windows. He throws frozen ropes over the middle of the field and accesses Cover 3 hole shots. While impressive, his arm strength and velocity rank below several other passers in the 2027 class. Manning suffers from surprisingly inconsistent and undisciplined technique. He willingly throws from an uneven base or drifts away during the throw, which contributes to the high number of off-target and wobbly throws he puts on film. The redshirt junior’s eye discipline is still a work in progress. He gives away too much, too early in plays. Manning’s timing and placement on deep digs stand out, but his accuracy goes through stretches with scattershot misses. He had no consistency on deep fades and throws too many passes that give his receivers no chance to make a play on the ball. Manning’s ball placement results in several hospital balls that lead his receivers into danger. His touch on short passes improved in 2025 but isn’t a strength of his game. He puts too much velocity on short throws, leading to drops. The Louisiana native is a mobile quarterback with the ability to ad-lib and generate second chance offense. However, his throws on the run are often inaccurate. Some even lose velocity and die well before reaching their intended targets. Manning’s speed helps him erase pursuit angles and slice through defenses for chunk gains. He is a legitimate threat to rip off 30+ yard runs. Manning is a linear athlete who lacks twitch, which limits his ability to escape pressure and make defenders miss in space.

Overall, Manning’s performance on the field has yet to match his glowing reviews. Among the perceived top quarterbacks in the 2027 class, Manning has the most misses on open looks. His control of the pocket is excellent, and he possesses all the physical tools to be a first round pick if he corrects some bad habits in his mechanics and gains better control of his arm. His concerns are significant enough that he projects better as a 2028 prospect.

Role & Scheme Fit: Developmental quarterback in a spread offense

Round Grade: Late Second to Early Third Round

Size: 6’4”, 222 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 06-24-26

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Brendan Sorsby, QB Texas Tech: 2027 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt senior quarterback from Denton, Texas

Background: Sorsby was a three-star recruit from Lake Dallas High School in Corinth, Texas in the class of 2022. He was the No. 1,012 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,357 for On3.com. Sorsby was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 79 grade out of 100. He transferred from Indiana to Cincinnati for the 2024 season. As a high school senior, Sorsby completed 78 of 151 pass attempts for 1,271 yards, 14 touchdowns, and three interceptions and ran for 791 yards and 15 touchdowns on more than 100 carries. According to MaxPreps, he completed 58 of 134 passes for 851 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions as a junior and ran 68 times for 240 yards and two touchdowns. Sorsby was the Denton Record-Chronicle 2021 Quarterback of the Year and earned All-District honors. He also earned an All-District selection in baseball.

Injuries & Off-Field: Limited to seven games as a high school senior due to injury, suffered a left thumb injury vs. Texas Tech (2024), gambling addiction and past betting habits will lead to him missing 2026 season

Awards: 2025 Second Team All-Big 12, 2025 PFF Big 12 OPOY

Pros: Modern prototypical size for a QB, minimal fumble concerns, lightning quick throwing motion, smooth but sudden release, uses creative arm slots to hit windows, gets ball out in time to beat the pressure, creates off-platform and generates second chance offense, ball explodes off his hands, extreme velocity to punch holes through coverages even on far hash throws, no issues accessing far hash throws, gets to back side reads with good timing, knows when to throw ball away and live for another day, protects football better than most Power Four QBs, mobile QB with good one-cut ability, presses close to line on RPOs to force defender to commit before pitching to RB, straight line speed to gash defenses

Cons: Age, gambling addiction, potential rust from sitting a year out, bails out of good pockets, too quick to drop head and run into pressure when pocket gets compressed, panic when not presented with an open receiver, casual and inconsistent lower body mechanics, gets a little toesy when he senses pressure, cone of vision narrows on the move leading to some missed defenders, baited into throwing into double coverage, got lucky with several dropped interceptions in 2025, flashes of anticipation but large stretches without it, oddly leaves some downfield throws short on posts or inside on sideline fades, lack of touch and inconsistent placement on short passes, ball placement is frequently high on intermediate routes, velocity causes throws to sideline to sail at times, ball placement doesn’t consistently favor the receiver’s leverage, throws behind receivers over MOF

Overview: Sorsby has ideal size and mass for a modern quarterback. He protects the ball at a high level, only fumbling four times in both 2024 and 2025 and preferring to throw the ball away instead of challenging losing situations. Sorsby’s throwing motion is incredibly quick but also smooth. He accesses creative arm slots to fit the ball around rushers or match tight throwing windows. That arm flexibility and suddenness help him beat close-proximity defensive pressure. Sorsby is a dual-threat quarterback with the creativity to break the pocket and generate second chance offense. However, he has the bad habit of bailing from clean pockets and rolling into pressure. When not presented with an open receiver early in the play, Sorsby displays some panic, and his movements in the pocket become more frenetic. These situations often result in him dropping his head and running (not stepping) forward into interior pressure. The redshirt senior needs to clean up his lower body mechanics. They’re very inconsistent and contribute to off-target throws and his loss of poise in the pocket. Sorsby has one of the best arms in the 2027 class. He has no issues launching the ball downfield, and his velocity is truly special. The ball explodes off his hands on a frozen rope to beat tight coverage, even on far hash throws. Sorsby goes through his reads and reaches back side digs or his checkdown with good timing, but pressure or tight coverage on half-field reads fluster him. His recognition of post-snap rotations sometimes causes him to challenge double coverage. This is also an issue when he rolls out and throws on the move. Sorsby’s ability to throw with anticipation shows up from time-to-time but is hardly consistent. His arm is all gas, no breaks, and that lack of touch causes ball placement issues at the short level and makes passes sail on intermediate routes. Many of his throws over the middle of the field are behind his intended targets, and his placement on fades sometimes brings the cornerback back into the route. Sorsby isn’t a twitchy athlete, but he’s a one-cut runner with the ability to beat the first defender and use his speed to rip off long runs.

Overall, Sorsby might have the best arm in the 2027 NFL Draft, and his game started to smooth out around the edges last season. However, his lower body mechanics, lapses in vision, and inconsistent control of his own arm suggest he will enter the NFL as a multi-year project. Sorsby needed a strong redshirt senior season to elevate from being a developmental quarterback to the ranks of a true first-round-caliber prospect. He won’t get that opportunity. An evaluation of his character and gambling history may decide his fate as a prospect.

Note: Sorsby would not have been a first round pick if he declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. He intended to elevate his stock on a College Football Playoff contender in his final season, but self-destructive tendencies ensured he won’t have that opportunity. Sorsby will be rusty entering the 2027 NFL Draft process, but an All-Star Game invite will be his ticket to building some momentum heading into pro days and private workouts. He will be an interesting case study for the level of risk NFL teams are willing to take in the draft, especially in the top 100.

Role & Scheme Fit: Developmental QB in a spread offense with air raid principles

Round Grade: Third Round

Size: 6’3”, 235 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 07-20-26

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LaNorris Sellers, QB South Carolina: 2027 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior quarterback from Florence, S.C.

Background: Sellers was a four-star recruit from South Florence High School in Florence, S.C. in the class of 2023. He was the No. 256 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 254 for On3.com. Sellers was an unranked four-star recruit for Rivals. ESPN ranked him 293rd in the nation with an 81 grade out of 100. He originally committed to Virginia before flipping to Syracuse and then flipping to South Carolina. As a high school senior, Sellers completed 150 of 258 pass attempts for 2,948 yards, 45 touchdowns, and two interceptions and carried the ball 144 times for 1,338 yards and 17 touchdowns. He and South Florence captured the 4A State Championship behind his outstanding performance, which earned him Florence Morning News Player of the Year honors. Sellers participated in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and earned game MVP honors. He was born on June 23, 2005. His younger brother, Jayden, is a wide receiver who also plays for South Carolina.

Injuries & Off-Field: Junior high school season ended early after he dislocated a bone in his chest, temporarily exited 2024 Kentucky game with a right leg injury, exited 2024 LSU game in the second quarter with an ankle injury and missed the following game against Akron

Awards: 2024 Third Team All-SEC, 2024 Freshman All-SEC, 2024 SEC Freshman of the Year, 2024 Freshman All-America (FWAA), 2024 National Freshman Offensive Player of the Year (FWAA)

Pros: Excellent frame, comfortable creating on the move and off-platform, moves the pocket to create favorable passing angles, contact balance to escape sacks at an elite level, physically no throw he can’t make, rocket arm to easily drive the ball 55+ yards downfield, velocity to fire throws past the linebacker’s ear hole and into tight windows, touch passes on wheel routes, flashes of elite placement on fades and posts, creative and dangerous playmaker with his legs, dual-threat with the awareness and elusiveness to navigate tight spaces and make defenders miss, speed to quickly cover ground and erase DL pursuit angles, elusiveness at his size, loose athlete with shiftiness, dense frame to absorb contact but keep on running, finishes runs falling forward, cut down on fumbles in 2025

Cons: South Carolina offense frequently penalized, processing speed, inconsistent eye discipline, eyes tip off single-high safeties, lingers on first read for too long, gets stuck on reads and forces throws, late to recognize blitzing linebackers, mental clock needs to speed up against impactful pass rushing units, holds the ball for too long instead of checking down, turns too many pressures into sacks, doesn’t know when to just throw the ball away, sometimes uncomfortable stepping up in pocket, lapses of awareness for linebackers and flat defenders dropping into second level throwing lanes, vision sometimes obscures open receivers downfield, missed several open receivers vs. Ole Miss (2025) by wide margins, erratic ball placement, limited touch on throws leads to some intermediate whiffs, appeared to throw with less touch in 2025 than 2024, deep passes sometimes force receivers to make significant adjustments, some chaotic whiffs on deep downfield throws, too quick to duck head and run, 17 fumbles in 2024 and 2025 combined

Overview: Sellers is a dual-threat quarterback with excellent size, mobility, and play strength. He meets the necessary height threshold to win within the pocket and is a densely built, fluid athlete. Sellers makes full use of his physical traits to create second chance offense off-platform on the move. South Carolina has failed to put a quality offensive line in front of him, but Sellers overcomes this program-building issue with insane contact balance that helps him escape sacks and extend plays. This has contributed to him developing some bad habits, like holding the ball for too long while looking for big plays instead of hitting his checkdown. Sellers rarely throws the ball away, which results in him turning some pressures into sacks. There is no throw Sellers can’t make. He possesses the rocket arm to push the ball 55+ yards downfield with ease and applies elite velocity to access far hash throws and tight windows over the middle of the field. The redshirt junior’s accuracy, ball placement, and touch are all works in progress. His touch pops on wheel routes, and his ball placement reaches elite levels on some fades and posts. Unfortunately, these moments are separated by too many missed throws that are not catchable or require receivers to make significant adjustments. This is especially true on downfield throws and intermediate routes that require layered passes. Disturbingly, Sellers’ touch appeared to take a step back in 2025 compared to what he put on tape in 2024. The former four-star recruit must focus on developing the mental aspects of his game. His processing speed and decision making are too slow, which leads to him inviting pressure and failing to adjust his mental clock against strong pass rushing units. Sellers tends to linger on his first read for too long, and his poor eye discipline reveals his plans to defensive backs. When Sellers gets stuck on a read, he tends to force throws into coverage instead of throwing the ball away. He doesn’t identify blitzes at a high level and relies on his legs to roll out rather than stepping up and commanding the pocket. Sellers’ vision suffers lapses that prevent him from seeing open teammates downfield or lead to him playing pitch and catch with defenders dropping into intermediate throwing lanes. He is a creative and dangerous playmaker with impressive awareness and elusiveness. Very few players with his size are capable of making defenders miss in a phone booth like he does. Sellers challenges pursuit angles for first and second level defenders. His shiftiness makes him a mismatch for linemen, and his size makes him a nightmare for defensive backs. Sellers breaks through tackles with his contact balance and finishes runs falling forward. He cut down on his fumbles in 2025 but still has 17 over the past two seasons.

Overall, Sellers is an outstanding physical talent who has been failed by his supporting cast and program. He appears to be more than a year away from developing the processing, recognition, and ball placement to be an NFL contributor. Sellers’ stagnation suggests he may need to return to school for his redshirt senior season and find a better environment in the transfer portal.

Role & Scheme Fit: Quarterback in an RPO-heavy scheme

Round Grade: Third Round

Size: 6’3”, 238 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 07-19-26