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In July, EA Sports released the 2027 version of its popular College Football video game. Staying true to the company’s longtime mission of incorporating real details, this year’s installment allows (forces?) users to negotiate NIL contracts with recruits. If you run a franchise on default settings, you’ll lose more than a dozen of your best players to the transfer portal annually, no matter what you do.
College football no longer has a “new” reality. This is how it works now. Once an off-ramp for those players in need of a second chance, the transfer portal is now an opportunity for high-earning talents to take in even more.
The 2026 season will be no exception, as NFL Draft prospects were all over this year’s portal. Here’s our look, by position, at the top 2027 NFL Draft prospects who’ll be playing in new uniforms this year.
College QB Tiers: Which quarterback has the highest ceiling?
Antonio Morales and Sam Khan Jr.
Quarterback
Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
Sam Leavitt, LSU
A big, confident passer with above-average pocket awareness for his age and enough athleticism to be dangerous on the run, Mestemaker followed Eric Morris from North Texas to Oklahoma State after a record-setting year. We still have to see more, but this isn’t just a system prospect with gaudy numbers built on playing in an Air Raid offense. Mestemaker has all the physical tools to be a first-round prospect — and plenty of time to get there.
Leavitt, a fourth-year junior, is in a terrific spot to restart a promising career after being limited to seven games last year at Arizona State. The 6-foot-1, 213-pounder is an outstanding athlete with effortless arm talent. Leavitt is a perfect fit for Lane Kiffin’s offense. He has first-round talent — even if he’s on the smaller side — and is back in prove-it mode. If Kiffin can get Leavitt to trim down the unnecessary risks and play faster in the pocket, the QB could soar up draft boards.
Running back
Justice Haynes, Georgia Tech
Hollywood Smothers, Texas
Haynes, then at Michigan, was college football’s best home run hitter during the first half of last season, but he eventually had to shut it down after seven games due to foot surgery. His vision, especially between the tackles, was outstanding — Haynes (5-10, 208) was the first player in Michigan history to begin his Wolverines career with four straight 100-yard games. He had two 75-yard touchdown runs and another of 56 yards. He’s an extremely efficient runner with an NFL future, if he can stay healthy.
An explosive 195-pounder with speed to burn, Smothers heads to Texas from NC State and brings big-play ability as a three-down prospect. A bit smaller than some scouts might like for a first-down runner, Smothers makes up for it with a thick lower half and tremendous burst out of his cuts. He also put up nearly 40 catches last season and has a chance to be tremendous inside Steve Sarkisian’s high-octane offense.
Wide receiver
Cam Coleman, Texas
Nick Marsh, Indiana
Cooper Barkate, Miami
In any other year, Coleman would be a pretty easy WR1 in the draft class. Jeremiah Smith exists, though, so Coleman may have to settle for WR2. He could still wind up a top-10 pick, though, as the 6-3, 210-pounder blends elite speed with the type of in-air body control usually reserved for NBA players. Coleman was the best player in the transfer portal last offseason; Texas’ accountant probably agrees.
Marsh (6-3, 213), a Michigan State transfer, is another physically impressive target who can remind you a bit of George Pickens given how much power he generates via explosion. Smaller corners generally have long afternoons opposite Marsh, in both coverage and run support, as he’s not afraid to block. He’s shifty in space and a potential perfect fit opposite Charlie Becker for the Hoosiers.
Barkate caught a combined 185 passes for 2,832 yards and 21 touchdowns in four seasons (three at Harvard, one at Duke) before landing at Miami. A 6-foot, 195-pounder with outstanding body control, short-area quicks and ball-tracking ability, Barkate could be another Xavier Restrepo-type producer for Miami.
Tight end
Luke Reynolds, Virginia Tech
Benjamin Brahmer, Penn State
Reynolds (6-4, 246) followed former Penn State coach James Franklin to Virginia Tech after starting part-time last year as a sophomore. He is very explosive and will flirt with the 4.5-second range whenever he runs his 40-yard dash. Quick in tight space with enough power to be a factor as an inline or space blocker, Reynolds has the potential to blossom into a versatile three-down NFL tight end. A former five-star recruit, he has added nearly 30 pounds to his frame in three years.
Brahmer followed Matt Campbell to Penn State from Iowa State — he racked up nearly 1,000 receiving yards (including 446 last season) over three years with the Cyclones. The 6-6, 252-pounder is enormous, with terrific length and the speed of a smaller man. Brahmer weighed around 210 pounds when he got to Iowa State and is now a jumbo TE prospect who also can be a big slot/X or an H-back.
Offensive line
Jordan Seaton, OT, LSU
Jacarrius Peak, OT, South Carolina
Lance Heard, OT, Kentucky
Xavier Chaplin, OT, Florida State
Coleton Price, C, Kentucky
The 6-5, 305-pound Seaton was one of the top names in the 2026 transfer portal. He’s a former five-star recruit who started out with Deion Sanders at Colorado. Seaton improved his pass protection considerably last year as a sophomore but was limited to just nine appearances. He has first-round potential, even if it might take a minute.
Peak (6-4, 300) moves like a sawed-off tight end, with very good length (despite limited height) and terrific athletic potential. He has played both tackle spots and is athletic enough to play inside, as well.
Chaplin (6-6, 344) remains one of the most physically impressive players in this class, as he has outstanding length and the ability to block out the sun. He often creates wins simply by existing. He had some trouble with SEC speed last year at Auburn, though.
Kentucky coach Will Stein added two quality starters up front in Heard (a transfer from Tennessee) and Price (Baylor).
Edge
Damon Wilson, Miami
Princewill Umanmielen, Ole MIss
John Henry Daley, Michigan
Wilson spent last year at Missouri after starting out at Georgia. He’ll now be tasked with helping replace Miami’s huge Reuben Bain Jr./Akheem Mesidor-sized defensive holes. Wilson (6-4, 245) is a bit light, but he plays with much more power than this frame suggests. He’s quick enough to be a hybrid linebacker and strong enough to hold his own on early downs.
Umanmielen, younger brother of former Ole Miss (and current Carolina Panthers) edge Princely Umanmielen, followed Kiffin from Oxford to LSU after a breakout junior campaign (51 pressures and 11 sacks as a rotational rusher). Much like his older brother, Princewill Umanmielen has hybrid traits and could wear multiple hats defensively.
The son of a former BYU linebacker and a nephew of several other former BYU football standouts (including Taysom Hill), Daley (6-4, 255) followed Kyle Whittingham from Utah and will immediately give Michigan a three-down anchor with rush ability from multiple gaps. He is an active, physical pass rusher with good short-area quicks and a relentless motor. If you squint, you can see a bit of George Karlaftis in his game.
Defensive tackle
Devan Thompkins, Alabama
Francis Brewu, Notre Dame
A big-time prep basketball player who didn’t play football from sixth grade until his senior year of high school, Thompkins (6-5, 290) added roughly 70 pounds to his frame during four years at USC, the last two of which he spent as a starting interior pocket pusher. Thompkins can still be a bit light against the run and needs more refinement as a rusher, but his athletic potential could create serious versatility down the line.
A true junior, Brewu was a 6-1, 285-pound ball of muscle for Pitt the past two seasons, picking up a combined 31 pressures as a three-tech with some nose capability. Very strong and quick enough to find the ball out of his area, Brewu might remind some Notre Dame fans of former Irish standout Howard Cross III.
Linebacker
Rasheem Biles, Texas
Cade Uluave, BYU
Biles (6-1, 225) was a stack missile alongside former Pitt star Kyle Louis last season. And though Louis played with a better gas pedal, Biles had a team-high 101 tackles (17 for a loss) with 4.5 sacks and two picks. Biles is small and could be faster, but he’s incredibly hard to fool.
Uluave (6-1, 231) is a highly active and experienced stack linebacker who heads to BYU after three seasons as a starter at Cal. The Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2023, Uluave has a combined 237 tackles (21.5 for a loss), six sacks and 13 pass breakups for his career, playing as a true three-down interior defender.
Cornerback
Smith Snowden, Michigan
Jontez Williams, USC
Snowden forced 18 incompletions and broke up 11 passes (per PFF) over the past two years at Utah and will take his blend of speed and tenacity to Michigan. Snowden (5-9, 184) has been a slot-heavy player for Whittingham but is physical enough to hold up outside, if need be. He also saw time on offense for the Utes last season, making 13 catches and scoring a rushing touchdown.
Williams, a 5-10, 202-pound hammer, had a breakout year at Iowa State in 2024 before tearing his ACL five games into 2025. He’s a physical outside corner with very good ball skills (five picks, six pass breakups over the past year-plus) and a willingness to support the run. He’s big enough to hang around the box, too, adding some hybrid potential.
Safety
Ty Benefield, LSU
Koi Perich, Oregon
Terry Moore, Ohio State
If your NFL team missed out on the previous two high-quality safety classes, you’re in luck.
Benefield (6-2, 208) was a linebacker in the body of a safety at BYU. He played all over the place — both safety spots, the slot, the box and even some off the edge. He has sub-4.5 speed and made a combined 189 tackles, four picks and 10 pass breakups over the past two seasons.
Perich (6-0, 200) was an absolute dynamo over two seasons at Minnesota, picking off five passes as a true freshman before recording 82 tackles, an interception, seven catches and more than 600 return yards as a sophomore. There’s some Jabrill Peppers to him.
Ohio State, meanwhile, found a good one to help fill the void left by Caleb Downs. Moore (6-0, 200) was everywhere for Duke’s defense last season, splitting time between both safety spots, slot corner, box linebacker and even some outside corner. Another physical defender with a nose for the ball, Moore had four picks and five pass breakups in 2025. He began his Duke career as a running back before moving to the secondary in 2023.
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