NOON PM ET:
#1 Ohio State (5-0) at #17 Illinois (5-1); FOX: This is something of an interesting challenge for the defending national champion and top-ranked Buckeyes as it is their only road game this year against a ranked opponent. Certainly, Ohio State, which has had had at least one player selected in the first round the past ten years, has the talent to meet the challenge. Indeed, the Buckeyes’ will almost certainly continue that streak this coming April, especially if FS Caleb Downs (#2, 6-0, 205), who is generally considered to be one of the top 2-3 non-QB prospects in college football, opts to turn pro this winter. In fact, there’s a better than even chance that the Buckeyes will have at least one #1 pick this year even if Downs chooses to stick around for his final year of eligibility as WR Carnell Tate (#17, 6-2, 195) and CB Jermaine Matthews (#7, 5-11, 190) each have late first potential, while TE Max Klare (#86, 6-4, 245), LBs Sonny Styles (#0, 6-4, 245) and Arvell Reese (#8, 6-3, 245), and rising DE Caden Curry (#92, 6-3, 260) are second-day candidates. Of course, it also doesn’t hurt that sophomore WR Jeremiah Smith (#4, 6-2, 225) is arguably the best player in college football period and already a top prospect for the 2027 draft.
Speaking of rising, the Illini appear to have something of a rising program led by a rising QB prospect in Luke Altmyer (#9, 6-2, 225) who has started to generate a little second-day buzz as he’s completed 74% of his passes to date while throwing 12 TD passes without a single pick. The Illini also feature an intriguing ER with at least second-day potential in Gabe Jacas (#17, 6-3, 270), while CB Xavier Scott (#14, 5-11, 195) and LT JC Davis (6-5, 335) also both fit nicely into that rising category.
#8 Alabama (4-1) at #14 Missouri (5-0); ABC: If nothing else, college football people could get some answers when Alabama faces a ranked opponent on the road in still unbeaten Missouri. In particular, is Alabama, which does already have a loss, still a legit national championship contender and is Missouri for in fact real. Whether the Tide is in fact a title contender. they appear to be in decent shape to extend their current record streak of 16 years in a row with at least one first-round pick at the upcoming draft. LT Kadyn Proctor (#74, 6-6, 365), for example, is currently considered to be a top-10-15 prospect, while DE LT Overton (#22, 6-5, 280), a prototype 3-4 DE, LB Deontae Lawson (#0, 6-1, 230) and NT Tim Keenan (#96, 6-2, 320) are each among the top 2-3 candidates and have at least some later first-round potential. Same for veteran WR Germi Bernard (#5, 6-1, 205), while the Tide also feature a number of veterans with second-day potential including C Parker Brailsford (#72, 6-2, 295), OG Jaeden Roberts (#77, 6-4, 330), and S Keon Sabb (#3, 6-1, 205), although of note, Roberts has not played much to date this fall after suffering a concussion in training camp.
Missouri would certainly get a boost in trying to prove that they are for real is star LT Cayden Green (#70, 6-5, 325) is able to suit up against the Tide. He’s currently listed as questionable with an undisclosed foot injury that has kept him on the sidelines the past several weeks after he underwent what was described as minor surgery last month. If healthy, though, is a proven road-grader who is considered to be the top OG prospect for the upcoming draft as he likely lacks the length to stay outside at the next level. Green, though, is probably the Tigers only real prospect for the upcoming draft, although fellow OT Keagen Trost (#79, 6-3, 320), a much-travelled 7-year veteran who has made stops at Morgan State, Indiana State and Wake Forest, could also get some looks, while S Jalen Catalon (#6, 5-10, 200) is another productive veteran who has been around including last year at UNLV when he posted 96 stops and 5 picks.
3:30 PM ET
#7 Indiana (5-0) at Oregon (5-0); CBS … This is the game of the week as it will feature a match-up between arguably the two hottest QBs in the country in Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza (#15, 6-4, 225) and Dante Moore (#5, 6-2, 210) of Oregon, both of whom have been mentioned in recent days as the potential #1 pick overall at the 2026. For the record, to date Mendoza is a 73% passer with a 16-1 TD-to-pick ratio, while Moore’s figures are 75%-14-1. And whether Moore, who has let it be known that he’s not in any rush to leave the program anytime soon, the Ducks still could be major players at the 2026 draft as they feature two of the most intriguing, high-ceiling prospects in this year’s draft class in DE Matayo Uiagalelei (#10, 6-4, 270) and LT Isaiah World (#76, 6-7, 320). Uiagalelei, the brother former Clemson/Florida State QB DJ Uiagalelei, is a full-sized ER who emerged last fall when he posted 10.5 sacks and has picked up where he lost this season with 4 in the Ducks first 5 games. For his part, World is a rangy LT candidate with a basketball background with as much upside as any player in this draft, although he is still a little rough around the edges. Indeed, World has been outplayed so far this fall by RT Alex Harvey (#71, 6-5, 330), while C Poncho Laloulu (#72, 6-2, 320) may actually be the team’s best OL prospect, but he’s a junior expected to stick with school thru the 2026 campaign. In fact, the Ducks have what may be the best OL in the country with Emmanuel Pregnon (#75, 6-4, 320), one of the top 2-3 prospects at the position for the upcoming draft, and rising junior Dave Iuli (#74, 6-3, 325) at the OGs. The Ducks also have a rising junior at TE in Kenyon Sadiq (#18, 6-3, 245) who also figures to be one of the top prospects at the position if he enters the upcoming draft. Meanwhile, other players to watch on the Ducks defence include S Dillon Thieneman (#31, 6-0, 205), MLB Bryce Boettcher (#28, 6-2, 235) and DT Bear Alexander (#1, 6-2, 305) each of whom has at least some top 100 potential.
Depending on how things play out over the course of the back half of the season, Mendoza likely will be the Hoosiers only first round lock, if he should decide to enter the draft, but they also have a number of other very good prospects with at least some second-day potential including veteran WR Elijah Sarratt (#13, 6-2, 215), who is working on a 43-game streak with at least one reception, DE Mikhail Kamara (#6, 6-1, 265), 2024 AA MLB Aiden Fisher (#4, 6-1, 235) who led the B10 with 118 tackles last fall, CB D’Angelo Ponds (#5, 5-9, 195), another 2024 AA who is arguably the top slot cover guy in the country, and C Pat Coogan (#78, 6-4, 315) a Notre Dame transfer who anchored the Irish’s OL on their run to the national championship game last fall.
Florida (2-3) at #5 Texas A&M (5-0); ESPN: The Aggies have been quietly chugging along this fall and have worked their way up to #5 and have a number of top prospects including RB Le’Veon Moss (#8, 5-10, 210), one of the top 2-3 guys at the position, as are LB Taurean York (#21, 6-2, 250) and OG Ar’maj Reed-Adams (#55, 6-4, 325); all three should get at least some late opening round consideration, while LT Trey Zuhn (#60, 6-5, 320), WR KC Concepcion (#7, 5-10, 190), and DE Cashius Howell (#9, 6-2, 250) each have mid-to-later round potential.
I don’t think anyone would hold it against Florida if they wanted a word with the guy who put together their schedule as the Gators are in the midst of a streak in which they play 4 straight Top 10 teams and then finish the season with 4 more games against ranked opponents. Bottom line, the Gators aren’t likely going anywhere in the 2025 post-season, but they their share of intriguing prospects C Jake Slaughter (#66, 6-4, 305), the consensus top IOL prospect this year, along with LT Austin Barber (#58, 6-6, 315) and DE Tyreak Sapp (#94, 6-2, 275). Unfortunately, the Gator we really wanted to see – DT Caleb Banks – is out for the long-term after undergoing foot surgery for an issue that’s been affecting him since late last season.
Texas (3-2) vs #6 Oklahoma (5-0); ABC: Just about everybody in college football had this year’s Red River Shootout red-circled as a must-see game, although it lost much of its lustre after the Longhorns crashed out of the Top 25 altogether after last week’s disappointing loss at 1-3 Florida. It also wasn’t that long ago that this game looked to be a match-up of top QBs in the Longhorns’ Arch Manning (#16, 6-3, 220), the presumptive #1 pick overall pick at the start of the season, and OU gunslinger John Mateer (# ). However, Manning’s struggles this fall have been well documented, while Mateer is listed as questionable for the game as he recovers from a broken bone in his hand. However, there are still some very good players to watch in this game including Texas stars MLB Anthony Hill (#0, 6-2, 240), the consensus top LB in this year’s draft who has some top 10-20 potential and OG DJ Campbell (#52, 6-2, 325), one of the top interior OL prospects in the country, while CB Malik Muhammad (#5, 6-0, 190), OLB Trey Moore (#8, 6-3, 250) and S Michael Taafe (#16, 6-0, 190) are second-day candidates. Meanwhile, OU features former Purdue WR Deion Burks (#4, 5-9, 190), while the Sooners could also field one of the most dynamic pass rushes in college with a group of edge rushers led by R Mason Thomas (#32, 6-2, 250)
7:30 PM ET
#10 Georgia (4-1) at Auburn (3-2); ABC: This is another one of those game’s in which the most intriguing prospects actually play for the less-prominent team. Indeed, the players we’re most interested in this game are Auburn DE Keldric Faulk (#15, 6-5, 285) and OT Xavier Chaplin (#65, 6-6, 345), along with the Tigers’ other DE Keyron Crawford (#24, 6-4, 255). Faulk is a prototype 5T DE with the size to kick inside on passing downs, while the more athletic Crawford actually leads the team with 4 sacks to date. For his part, the hulking Chaplin is a very talented RT prospect, although the team has recently been made aware of the fact that he has something of a hearing problem that gets magnified by crowd noise.
Meanwhile, Georgia is still Georgia. The Dawgs have had 55 players selected since 2021, the most in the country by far in the period, and they are almost assuredly going to add to that total this coming April, although they don’t necessarily have any first-round locks. LB CJ Allen (#3, 6-1, 235) and DT Christen Miller (#52, 6-3, 310), though, are currently rated among the top 2-3 prospects at their respective positions, but they’re both 3rd year juniors at somewhat lower-value positions. CB Daylen Everette (#6, 6-0, 190) could also get some late first-round consideration, while the Bulldogs boast one of the more interesting WR rooms featuring transfers Zachariah Branch (#1, 5-10, 180), the former USC speedster who doubles as one of the most electric kick returners in the country, and rangy Noah Thomas (#5, 6-5, 205), who comes over from Texas A&M, along with veteran Colbie Young (#8, 6-3, 215). Meanwhile, G/T Earnest Greene (#71, 6-3, 320) and TE Oscar Delp (#4, 6-4, 245) figure to be decent mid-round type candidates.
#15 Michigan (4-1) at Southern California (4-1); NBC: This is a potential classic ‘unstoppable forces v an immovable object’ type game as the Trojans come in with the 2nd ranked offence in the country while Michigan has a top 20 defence. And break it down a little farther this could see a terrific dual between USC’s outstanding WR duo of Makai Lemon (#6, 5-11, 195) and Ja’Kobi Lane (#8, 6-3, 200) against the Wolverines talented CBs pairing of Jyaire Hill (#20, 6-1, 190) and Zeke Berry (#10, 5-11, 200). Lemon, in fact, is the 2nd leading receiver in college football with just under 600 yards, while the angular Lane is the big-play threat who is averaging over 21 yards per catch. We should also mention that USC QB Jayden Maiava (#14, 6-3, 230), who isn’t getting much respect from pro scouts to date, but is in fact the 2nd leading passer in college football with a 67% completion rate and 11 TD passes against 1 pick. For its part, the Michigan defence also features DE Derrick Moore (#8, 6-3, 240), OLB Jaishawn Barham (#1, 6-3, 245), and ILB Ernest Hausman (#15, 6-2, 235). Meanwhile, the Michigan offence is the same old Michigan offence with a big OL clearing the way for RB Justice Hughes (#22, 5-10, 210), a potential top 5 prospect at the position, who is 4th in the country in rushing after he transferred up from Alabama. At the same time, USC defenders to watch include LB Eric Gentry (#18, 6-5, 225), DEs Kamryn Crawford (#1, 6-5, 265) and Anthony Lucas (#6, 6-5, 285) and SS Kamari Ramsey (#7, 6-0, 205)
10:30 PM ET
#21 Arizona State (#21, 4-1) at Utah (4-1); ESPN: For anyone that hasn’t yet seen enough football on Saturday, the evening wraps up with arguably the day’s best game not involving either the SEC or the Big Ten. What makes this one particularly interesting is that each team has at least one first round prospect. The Utes’ RT Spencer Fano (#55, 6-6, 310), for example, was being talked about as a top 10 prospect, but saw his grade slip somewhat after he struggled in Utah’s loss to Texas Tech earlier this season, although he is still very much an opening round candidate. Fano combines with LT Caleb Lomu (#71, 6-6, 310), a second-day candidate, to give the Utes one of the better sets of bookend tackles in the game. The Sun Devils also feature a rising candidate on the offensive line in hulking LT Max Iheanachor (#58, 6-6, 330), although ASU’s top prospect is WR Jordan Tyson, the consensus top WR for the upcoming draft, while QB Sam Leavitt (#10, 6-2, 205) is also a good one, although as a 3rd year junior he isn’t likely to enter the draft.
