College football Week 1 officially kicked off last night, and we have a full Labor Day weekend of games to enjoy before the NFL season gets underway next week. Gather your family and friends, fire up that grill and settle in for the start of the best season of the year.

As we get set for college football, it’s worth taking a brief look ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft. I already released my updated top 50 big board and did a mock draft last week as well, but let’s do this from the college football perspective. After all, these players aren’t in the league yet, and they have at least one more full season with their college teams before the draft process begins.

Some of these teams are chock full of NFL talent, while others only have one or two players on scouts’ radar right now. All of them, though, are playing this weekend. As you watch Week 1’s action, keep these players in mind. Here are the best draft prospects for each of the AP Top 25 college teams:

1 — Ohio State: WR Jeremiah Smith

Big receivers aren’t supposed to move the way Smith does. Despite being listed at 6-3, 223 pounds, Smith runs crisp routes and creates separation against athletic man coverage. He can make anyone miss with the ball in his hands and is as physical as they come at the catch point. You’d be hard-pressed to find an easier projection in a class for a do-everything No. 1 receiver in an NFL offense. 

2 — Oregon: DT A’Mauri Washington

A gifted athlete at 6-3, 330 pounds, Washington’s five best plays can stack up with anyone else in the class. At his best, he creates havoc, bulldozing the offensive line or dancing around them to create instant pressure or a tackle for a loss. Consistency will be key for Washington in 2026 — if he becomes more impactful from snap to snap, he’ll go in the top 10.

3 — Georgia: CB Ellis Robinson IV

A 6-0, 180-pound redshirt sophomore, Robinson has just one season of collegiate experience under his belt. But he put on a show last season, demonstrating impressive fluidity in his coverage reps that allowed him to stay sticky with receivers of all shapes and sizes. With plus length and athleticism for man coverage, Robinson also shows out as a run defender, maintaining his physical, disciplined playstyle in the less glamorous responsibilities of the cornerback position.

4 — Notre Dame: CB Leonard Moore

A 6-2, 197-pound true junior, Moore is the highest-graded cornerback I’ve had coming out of summer scouting since Derek Stingley Jr. (though I did love Will Johnson, too). He’s long, fluid and explosive, setting the tone with physicality while effortlessly mirroring receivers. Moore can play man or zone with equal effectiveness, is scheme-versatile and consistently won his matchups against the best receivers he faced. There’s little to criticize with his game. 

5 — Texas: ED Colin Simmons

A 6-3, 246-pound Texas native, Simmons is the prototypical speed rusher prospect. He wins quickly and cleanly around the edge, flattening back to the quarterback to apply immediate pressure. His hands are always working, staying active to execute his moves and keep tackles guessing. From a pure pass-rushing standpoint, Simmons is the best edge defender prospect in the class. 

6 — Indiana: OT Carter Smith

Smith is a tough player to rank. One of the best offensive linemen in college football at 6-5, 313 pounds, he has several limitations that make him a poor projection to tackle in the NFL. His short arms and lackluster foot speed will be liabilities at the next level — but he could be an exceptional interior offensive lineman. His best fit might be at center, where his power, natural leverage, and cerebral playstyle all come into play.

7 — Miami: QB Darian Mensah

A 6-3, 205-pound Tulane transfer via Duke, Mensah has two years of first-round-caliber tape under his belt. His accuracy and rhythm are what set him apart, and his film is littered with high-level, NFL-caliber throws. He’ll dice up the middle of the field, throwing with anticipation and passing his receivers open. Though he’s not really a runner, Mensah makes plays consistently out of structure, breaking the pocket as needed to buy time and find open receivers. Mensah is my top quarterback in this class coming out of the summer.

8 — Texas A&M: WR Mario Craver

An electric 5-9, 165-pound slot receiver, Craver will have a tough time actually being selected this high due to his size. But you won’t find a better separator in this class. Craver has speed for days and combines that with impressive lateral agility and stop/start athleticism. This skillset allows him to lose defenders in an instant, cutting on a dime and making people miss after the catch. An advanced route runner, Craver is more than just a gadget/designed touches guy. In fact, he did a lot more true receiver work than not last season.

9 — Ole Miss: RB Kewan Lacy

Measuring 5-11, 205 pounds, Lacy is one of the youngest players in the class. He possesses game-breaking, electric speed, routinely beating the defense to the edge or through the hole. Decisive in his cuts and with exceptional wiggle and explosive burst, Lacy can make anyone miss in a phone booth and chains together impressive moves to break tackles in the open field. Though he needs to gain more utility as a third-down back, Lacy has first-round upside.

10 — Oklahoma: DT David Stone

A true junior measuring at 6-3, 312 pounds, Stone figures to see a larger role this season thanks to Gracen Halton departing for the NFL. The flashes Stone showcased last season are promising: he’s a fluid athlete with agile hips, giving him rare bend for a defensive tackle. Combined with his fast first step, it allows him to put interior offensive linemen at a disadvantage, punishing them with counters and cross-face moves. Stone isn’t a notable run defender and he needs to put more on tape, but I like what I’ve seen so far.

11 — LSU: TE Trey’Dez Green

A 6-7, 237-pound converted basketball player, Green played on the hardwood for the Tigers before switching to football full-time. That background shows up in how he plays, as he’s the most dangerous red zone threat in this class regardless of position. With long arms and light feet, Green specializes in making tough catches over defenders, but he’s blazingly fast in space, too. He produces consistently down after down, making catches up the seams and threatening the defense both vertically and after the catch.

12 — Texas Tech: TE Terrance Carter Jr.

A 6-2, 245-pound receiving tight end, Carter is plenty experienced both in the slot and in-line. But don’t ask him to stay on the line of scrimmage and block — that’s not his strength. A mismatch weapon against linebackers and safeties, Carter threatens the defense vertically on every snap, with solid route-running chops and good hands.

13 — Alabama: WR Ryan Coleman-Williams

It’s been a tale of two seasons for Coleman-Williams, at least so far. One of the youngest players in the class and measuring 6-0, 182 pounds, he had a breakout true freshman season at just 17 years old. Blazingly fast and making play after play, Coleman-Williams took college football by storm. As a sophomore, though, he struggled with drops and was phased out of the offense down the stretch. He has some physical development to undergo, but if he can get back to the player he was in 2024 with a stronger frame, this will be a low ranking for him.

14 — USC: QB Jayden Maiava

Now entering his third season at USC after transferring from UNLV, the 6-4, 230-pound Maiava will start for the Trojans for the second consecutive year. The best touch passer in the class, he showcases a veteran’s bag of tricks — throwing off-platform, on the move and with varying arm angles — and he can drop it in the bucket as easily as he can laser a pass between two converging defenders. With his big frame, Maiava stands tall in the pocket and delivers passes through contact, and he can scramble a bit too, particularly in the red zone.

15 — BYU: S Faletau Satuala

Standing at 6-4, 215 pounds, Satuala was a big-time recruit who’s draft-eligible for the first time. An imposing physical presence in the secondary, he’s at home in zone coverage, reading the field well with strong ball production in each of his first two seasons. With good burst to close on the ball from off coverage, Satuala is a good two-high safety with even higher upside, but his bigger frame makes it harder for him to run with receivers in man coverage.

16 — Michigan: ED John Henry Daley

A 6-4, 255-pound Utah transfer, Daley ruptured his Achilles tendon late last season. He was trending towards being a top-50 draft pick and had double-digit sacks before the injury, so Michigan is getting one of college football’s best. Daley’s recovery, while ahead of schedule, is still ongoing — but when he’s healthy, he’s an exceptionally skilled and dynamic pass rusher. From a purely technical standpoint, there’s a strong argument he’s the best in the class.

17 — Washington: OT Drew Azzopardi

A 6-7, 322-pound rising senior, Azzopardi looks like an NFL offensive tackle when he steps off the bus. That matters to a lot of scouts. He possesses impressive strength in both his arms and his lower half, stalling power rushes with impunity. At times, speedier rushers can cross his face, but Azzopardi has the length to mitigate a lot of that and he uses it well. If he gets more comfortable as a run blocker, he could steadily rise up boards.

18 — Penn State: S Marcus Neal Jr.

A standout at Iowa State who followed his coach to Penn State this offseason, Neal stands at 6-1, 216 pounds. He’s an impressive athlete, with serious pop against the run and a finisher’s mentality when tackling. Frequently, he’ll fly down from the second or third level to make a play in the backfield. I also like his zone coverage tape — despite his relative lack of experience, he reads his assignments well, even baiting quarterbacks into throws he knows he can make a play on.

19 — SMU: OT PJ Williams

One of the most experienced and battle-tested tackles in college football, Williams is a 6-5, 313-pound redshirt senior. Athletic and with a high motor, he showed out well against the best pass rushers in the ACC last year, holding up against multiple first-round picks and high-level NFL talent. That’s no small feat, and his versatility as a run blocker adds to his value. Williams often gets projected to move to the inside, but his tape at tackle is too good for that in my opinion.

20 — Tennessee: WR Braylon Staley

A breakout 6-0, 190-pound redshirt sophomore, Staley boasts elite speed and separation ability. He really stresses the defense on every snap, drawing extra attention from safeties and linebackers to help out the corner covering him. His ability to snap off his routes in an instant creates immediate throwing windows for his quarterback, and he’s a real weapon after the catch.

21 — Utah: S Jackson Bennee

A 6-2, 190-pound junior, Bennee is a former walk-on who turned himself into a legitimate NFL prospect. Ostensibly a safety, he frequently operates from the slot, with a lot of man coverage reps on his tape. Though he’s undersized and lacks the physical pop you’d like to see from nickel defenders in the league, his coverage tape is quite impressive. It’s rare to see a safety with his combination of agility and speed in one-on-one coverage.

22 — Iowa: OT Trevor Lauck

A 6-5, 314-pound Indianapolis native, there’s plenty of debate over whether Lauck’s best home in the NFL is ultimately at tackle or guard. Like we’ve all come to expect for Hawkeyes offensive linemen, Lauck plays with overwhelming physicality, showcasing true grown-man strength that allows him to just move people off the line. I’ll add this: I think he can stick at tackle based on his 2025 tape. He’s quick enough on the edge to hold his own against speed rushers.

23 — Houston: CB Jalen Mayo

A former Division II star and Stephen F. Austin transfer, Mayo measures at 6-1, 190 pounds. Impressively physical throughout receivers’ routes without drawing penalties, he has the length to be a nuisance in press coverage and at the catch point. Mayo is disciplined in his technique and combines that with good instincts in zone. The only lingering question with him is his level of athleticism.

24 — Louisville: ED Clev Lubin

A gifted pass rusher at 6-3, 260 pounds, Lubin is a dominant force off the edge. He wins decisively off the snap, with a high pass-rush win rate thanks to his exceptional quickness off the ball and good hands. An experienced player, he’s seen a lot and knows how to exploit his matchups to stack wins. Bendy, explosive and refined are great traits for a pass rusher to have.

25 — Missouri: OT Cayden Green

Despite moving from guard to tackle just two weeks before the start of the 2025 season, Green put together some phenomenal tape for the Tigers. At 6-5, 324 pounds, he looks and plays like an All-Pro guard — but he also grew into the tackle position throughout last season. An ascending player with dominant anchor strength and drive-blocking power, I was impressed with Green’s hand usage and recovery speed on the outside. Another year of development at tackle could see Green’s stock soar.