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The pollen is back, the weather is unbearable and the leaves are threatening to do something. Football’s almost here.
With that in mind, and college football’s Week 0 now roughly a week away, let’s take an early look at my top 50 prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft. As always in the NIL era, it’s impossible to predict which underclassmen will declare, but we can get a sense for where they rank among their peers heading into the season.
1. Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
The top mutant in a class that could be filled with them, Smith has been college football’s best player for at least the last two years and enters the season atop of one of the most talented wide receiver prospect groups we’ve seen in a minute.
Smith (6 feet 3 inches tall and 225 pounds) is gigantic, jumps nearly 40 inches, has topped 23 mph on the GPS and has the agility of a man 40 pounds lighter. Nobody’s perfect, but give Smith some time — he’s still only 20 years old.
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2. Leonard Moore, CB, Notre Dame
An outstanding blend of size and athleticism at 6-2, 197, Moore’s on-field movement can remind one of Denver Broncos star Pat Surtain II. That’s not all, though, as his football IQ in space is also top-notch. Moore forced 10 incompletions, had seven pass breakups and five picks as a sophomore last year, while emerging as one of the most complete defenders in America.
3. Dylan Stewart, edge, South Carolina
Stewart (6-5, 245) moves like a big wide receiver. A complete athlete with length and massive hands, he can line up pretty much anywhere along the defensive front and has enough quicks to stand up and move in the box. Still just 20, Stewart has electric potential and has yet to scratch the surface as a pass rusher.
4. Cam Coleman, WR, Texas
In any other year, Coleman would be getting the Jeremiah Smith treatment. No one is as refined as the Ohio State star, but Coleman’s potential as a 6-foot-3, 210-pound, do-everything game-wrecker is tantalizing.
As he moves from Auburn to Texas, where he’ll play alongside a more talented quarterback (and supporting cast), expectations are rightly sky high.
5. Colin Simmons, edge, Texas
Simmons doesn’t have Stewart’s measurables, but he more than makes up for it with pass-rush savvy. The 6-3, 255-pound junior is already closing in on Will Anderson Jr.’s SEC career sacks record (34.5; Simmons is 14 away). He has answers for every punch a tackle throws at him, and he’s only getting stronger.
6. Sammy Brown, LB, Clemson
Some linebackers call themselves “sideline-to-sideline players,” but Brown lives it. With 4.41-second speed in the 40-yard dash and a 38-inch vertical, Brown (6-2, 235) — a former high school running back (and an accomplished prep wrestler) — is a true three-down linebacker. He has the ability to run with just about anyone on the field.
He’s a legit front-seven X-factor.
7. Charlie Becker, WR, Indiana
The most unheralded member of Indiana’s 2025 national championship offense, Becker made only 34 catches last year, but his performance throughout the College Football Playoff opened eyes. At 6-3, 207, Becker has tremendous top-end speed and body control. He’s a versatile receiver who can work from anywhere — and has zero career drops entering his junior year.
8. Trevor Goosby, OT, Texas
Goosby (6-7, 315) might be a frustrating evaluation for some, as his pass sets and footwork can be inconsistent. But his blend of size and athleticism — he weighed 280 pounds in high school and moves like he still does — is tantalizing. Goosby is still a young player, but he has the potential of an NFL starter at left or right tackle.
Something to watch: Goosby reportedly could miss the start of the season because of a bone bruise in his knee.
9. Nick Marsh, WR, Indiana
Marsh (6-3, 213) is another big-bodied target with speed and freaky athleticism. An X receiver who possesses enough quicks to work from anywhere, Marsh forced 28 missed tackles last year while playing at Michigan State. He can really separate in the open field.
Like Coleman, a move to a better offense could bring on a breakout year.
10. Arch Manning, QB, Texas
As with every prospect, you have to watch a player’s growth throughout the course of a season. Manning (6-4, 230) had a shaky first half of 2025 but was a different player down the stretch, and he remains a tremendous young prospect. His blend of arm talent, athleticism and size remains unmatched in this class.
Just like the next guy on our list, another quarterback, he’d have been a first-rounder had he declared for the 2026 draft.
11. Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
Moore’s mind was his greatest asset last season, from his ability to stay calm in pressure situations on the road to the maturity shown by deciding to stay in school.
Indiana wasn’t the only team to expose some of Moore’s hiccups late last season, but like Manning, one more year of time on task should iron out the little things. Both of these QBs should be in the top-five discussion throughout the year.
12. Kewan Lacy, RB, Ole Miss
An explosive athlete who is lethal in space, Lacy forced 85 missed tackles as a sophomore last season. The 5-11, 210-pounder is a sudden cutter who runs with power and twitch, attacking space like a great punt returner. A three-down prospect with soft hands and good vision between the tackles, Lacy could be a household name this year.
13. Trey’Dez Green, TE, LSU
With a massive 6-6, 238-pound frame, Green runs routes like a giant receiver who can sink, bend and adjust to off-target throws mid-stride. A very fluid athlete, he made 12 contested catches last year and was dangerous after the catch. He has to get stronger, but his ceiling is very high.
14. Tae Johnson, S, Notre Dame
A big-bodied safety with long arms and serious range, Johnson (6-2, 197) can get to footballs most players his size have no chance on — he had four picks and three pass breakups as a sophomore last year. Though he could be a more consistent run defender, he has serious hybrid potential as a deep safety.
15. Kade Pieper, iOL, Iowa
A two-time winner of the Solon (Iowa) Beef Days Hay Bale Toss, Pieper, who will move from guard to center this season, is Iowa’s most athletically impressive run blocker since Tyler Linderbaum. This ranking might be a touch high to start out for Pieper, who has plenty to prove when facing power over the ball. But he could be Iowa’s next star lineman.
16. KJ Bolden, S, Georgia
Whenever a true freshman safety earns a start for Kirby Smart, people take note. Bolden pulled that off in 2024 and hasn’t looked back. The 6-foot, 190-pounder doesn’t have Johnson’s size, but there isn’t a smarter safety in this class. A terrific run fitter with length and the “clutch” gene, Bolden is a high-floor prospect.
17. Ryan Coleman-Williams, WR, Alabama
An acrobat in the air, Coleman-Williams (6-0, 175) is built like former Alabama star and 2020 Heisman winner DeVonta Smith. His adjustments to off-target throws as a long receiver can be spectacular. He’s skinny and drops too many easy ones, but his playmaking ability is too good to ignore.
18. Trevor Lauck, OT, Iowa
Lauck (6-5, 314) allowed just six pressures (and zero sacks) as a sophomore left tackle last year. A terrific athlete at his size, he can pull, screen block and bend with smaller edge rushers. Not unlike Goosby, however, he’s still working out some youth-related hiccups.
19. Will Echoles, DT, Ole Miss
A versatile interior force, Echoles (6-2, 309) can play any gap between the tackles and is quick enough to be a heavy end in an odd scheme. He’s a terrific run defender who finds the ball out of his area. Echoles (30 run stops last year) plays with tremendous effort and contact balance inside.
20. Jelani McDonald, S, Texas
Another mutant of a safety, McDonald (6-2, 194) is a big, long, fast former high school quarterback/receiver with great hybrid potential, on the front or back end. He needs to be better with his run angles and route identification, but his athletic ceiling is very high.
21. Yhonzae Pierre, edge, Alabama
Pierre (6-3, 248) shows terrific burst and flexibility off the edge. But his effort is the real X-factor, as Pierre’s relentless approach to every rep can be difficult for offensive linemen to endure over the course of a game. If he shows more of a pass-rush plan in 2026, he’ll shoot up draft boards.
22. Jadan Baugh, RB, Florida
Built like an old-school running back, Baugh (6-foot, 228) attacks defenses much more like his modern contemporaries — right down to the ability to hurdle guys mid-stride. A patient runner who is extremely hard to tackle, Baugh has burst and balance that make up for his lack of elite speed.
23. CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame
An effortlessly smooth athlete with intriguing arm talent, Carr is a relentless competitor who has great playmaking instincts and a high ceiling. Athletically, he’s like a stronger version of former Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy — a quick mover in the pocket who can rip the ball from a number of arm slots.
Nearly everything about his game needs more refinement, but Carr has first-round traits.
24. Ashton Hampton, CB, Clemson
A huge cornerback prospect, Hampton (6-3, 204) was extremely disruptive as a sophomore last year, forcing eight incompletions and breaking up six more passes. He reminds me a bit of former Penn State corner Joey Porter Jr., with his physicality on the outside. We do need to see more production here, though.
25. Drew Mestemaker, QB, Oklahoma State
With ideal size and terrific arm talent, Mestemaker (6-4, 211) as a sophomore last year at North Texas was one of college football’s most confident passers. A very good athlete with a calm throwing motion and great feet for his age, Mestemaker displayed a fearlessness over the middle in Eric Morris’ offense that led to a record-breaking year. If he backs it up at Oklahoma State, he’ll soar up draft boards.
26. Bryant Wesco, WR, Clemson
27. A’Mauri Washington, DT, Oregon
28. Will Heldt, edge, Clemson
29. Kenyatta Jackson Jr., edge, Ohio State
30. Kelley Jones, CB, Mississippi State
31. Ellis Robinson IV, CB, Georgia
32. Greg Johnson, OL, Minnesota
33. KJ Duff, WR, Rutgers
34. Zeke Berry, CB, Michigan
35. Jamari Johnson, TE, Oregon
36. Ahmad Hardy, RB, Missouri
37. David Stone, DT, Oklahoma
38. Jacarrius Peak, OT, South Carolina
39. Benjamin Brahmer, TE, Penn State
40. Jordan Seaton, OT, LSU
41. Clev Lubin, edge, Louisville
42. Ahmad Moten, DT, Miami
43. Ty Benefield, S, LSU
44. Sam Leavitt, QB, LSU
A tantalizing athlete with great arm talent and smooth feet, Leavitt (6-2, 216) boasts first-round traits across the board. That said, he’s also a raw player who needs more time to develop. If Lane Kiffin can jump start him, the Arizona State transfer will be a name to remember.
45. Anthonie Knapp, OL, Notre Dame
46. Vicari Swain, CB, South Carolina
47. Zach Lutmer, S, Iowa
48. Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State
Sayin’s size (6-1, 208) and consistency with his throwing mechanics are the two biggest areas of concern here. But the young QB’s processing is as good as it gets for a player his age. He’ll always have limited arm strength, but if he can show more accuracy, a Bo Nix comp could be realistic.
49. Tavion Gadson, DL, Kentucky
50. Drake Lindsey, QB, Minnesota
A huge quarterback prospect, Lindsey (6-5, 230) plays tall in the pocket with very smooth footwork and arm confidence. He shows a good feel for anticipatory throws, too, and is pretty fearless over the middle. However, he’s not a great athlete, and his process has to stay near-perfect. When it does, Lindsey can look outstanding.
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