Interesting week coming up in college football. On the one hand, there is no real can’t miss game of national importance; at the same time, though, there are a number of really good games on this week’s docket. in fact, from a purely draft perspective, its actually going to be something like a bonanza, especially for teams looking at their QB options early in 2027 with more than a half dozen of the top guys at the position on national TV this week.
And it all starts in the Noon ET window when top-ranked Texas and Arch Manning face a big SEC road test when they play at #14 Tennessee on ABC. Across the dial on FOX in the same hour, Illinois will be at Ohio State to face the 6th ranked Buckeyes led by Julian Sayin. Then in the late Saturday afternoon window, Trinidad Chambliss, the early leader for this year’s Heisman, leads #4 Mississippi into Gainesville to play Florida on ABC, while John Mateer of Oklahoma will try and get his game back on the fast track when the Sooners play at #2 Georgia on ESPN. Finally, in the evening slot, there’ll be two more big SEC match-ups with LSU and Sam Leavitt hosting Texas A&M and Marcel Reed on ABC, while LaNorris Sellars will lead South Carolina into Alabama on ESPN.
If there is a big game this week, it may be the PAC-12, er Big 10 West clash between #20 Oregon and #12 USC in LA at 7;30 PM ET Saturday evening on NBC in a game featuring two top QB prospects for the upcoming draft in Dante Moore of the Ducks and the Trojans’ Jayden Maiava. For his part, Moore still appears to be the consensus top prospect at the position for the upcoming draft, but he needs to step it up after an up and down start to the campaign. On the surface, Moore’s numbers are fine: 69% completion rate and 9 TD passes with no picks, but he just hasn’t looked like the gunslinger of old has too often he’s been indecisive or overly cautious. In fact, this game represents a huge test for the entire Ducks’ team which just hasn’t looked like a national championship thru the first three weeks of the schedule which included that completely shocking upset loss to Oklahoma State two weeks ago such that a second loss this early in the season would be devastating to their chances this fall.
However, the Ducks do at least have the talent to turn it with a roster that includes as many potential 2027 draft prospects as any team in the country. Indeed, in addition to QB Moore the Ducks also feature the top defensive line in the country led by edge rushers Matayo Uiagalelei (#10, 6-5, 265) and Teitum Tuioti (#44, 6-3, 265) and DTs A’Mauri Washington (#52, 6-3, 325) and Bear Alexander (#1, 6-2, 325), the first three of whom have opening round potential, while S Koi Perich (#3, 6-1, 205), CB Brandon Finney (#4,6-2, 205), TE Jamari Johnson (#9, 6-5, 255) aren’t that far off. while C Laloulu Iapani (#72, 6-2, 325) and WR Evan Stewart (#7, 6-0, 180), one of the fastest players in the country who was considered a first-round prospect at this time last year, but ultimately didn’t play at all last fall after tearing a tendon in his knee in training camp. On the other hand, undefeated Southern Cal is actually a very young team, but they do have several veterans who are likely to catch the eye of scouts prior to the 2027 draft including LT Elijah Paige (#72, 6-6, 320), RB Waymond Jordan (#2, 5-10, 215), DE Kameryn Crawford (#1, 65, 265) and CB Jontez Williams (#0, 5-10, 195).
The other game we’ll be watching particularly closely this weekend is the SEC dual between the ‘other’ SC, South Carolina and Alabama in a 7:30 game on ESPN. Not so much to see Alabama, who’ll be on most weeks this fall, but the Gamecocks who don’t get on national TV all that often, but may actually have the more intriguing prospects. We mentioned LaNorris Sellars above; at the time last year he was being touted as a possible #1 pick in 2026, but his star has fallen since, such that there even whispers questioning whether he should even stay on as the starter. Thru three games, Sellars is completing just 63% of his attempts for barely 215 yards per game with 3 picks versus 5 TD passes. However, the guy pro scouts really want to see in this one is USC DE Dylan Stewart (#6, 6-5, 260) a dynamic edge rusher who was considered to be one of the 4-5 prospects overall coming into the season, but he has only played 11 snaps to date because of a back issue that’s kept him sidelined since late last season. Same for highly-regarded LT Jaccarius Peak (#65, 6-4, 305), a transfer from NC State who has also just returned from an injury last week.
