#6 Oregon (4-0) at #3 Penn State (3-0); 7:30 PM ET; NBC: Needless to say this is a critical early season Big Ten clash between 2 of the top 3 teams in the conference, both of which have rolled thru their non-conference schedules. Oregon, for example, has won its four starts by average of 50-10, although needless to say the Ducks have yet to play anyone of Penn State’s calibre. Which has scouts salivating as the Ducks have 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, who is the brother former Clemson/Florida State QB DJ Uiagalelei, emerged as a top edge-rush prospect last fall when he had 10 sacks and has picked up right where he left off with 3 in the Ducks first 4 games this season; he’s a full-sized ER who could actually play some snaps on offence as he was also a highly regarded prep TE. 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.
The Nittany Lions made last fall’s CFP semi-finals, but will be after bigger things this fall with a very deep roster that starts with QB Drew Allar (#15, 6-4, 235), who likely would have been one of the first 3-4 QBs selected this past April had he turned pro this winter and is certainly back in the mix this year, but he has yet to really take off so far this fall with a pedestrian 65% completion mark with just 4 TD passes in PSU’s three wins to date. That has really mattered a whole lot up to now as Penn State, which returned star RBs Nicolas Singleton (#10, 6-0, 205) and Kaytron Allen (#13, 5-11, 220), both of whom ran for over 1,000 yards last season, has dominated on the ground so far this fall, while WR Kyron Hudson (#1, 6-1, 215), a USC transfer has emerged as a decent go-to receiver. And like Oregon, Penn State has a really good OL anchored by 2nd day prospects LT Drew Shelton (#66, 6-5, 310) along with rising OG Vega Ioane (#71, 6-3, 330), one of this year’s top interior offensive line prospects. And while the Lions lost their top defender in Abdul Carter, the 3rd player selected overall this past April who had 12.5 sacks last season, but they do get back DE Dani Dennis-Sutton (#33, 6-4, 265), who had 8.5 sacks of his own last year and has some late first-round potential, as does CB AJ Harris (#4, 6-0, 190), while DT Zane Durant (#28, 6-1, 290) is a second-day candidate.
#17 Alabama (2-1) at #5 Georgia (4-0); 7:30 PM ET; ABC: This game may not have quite the impact of some recent Bama/UGA march-ups when the two programs pretty much ruled college football – they combined to win 5 of 8 national championships between 2015 and 2022 – but its still Alabama versus Georgia. And there is extra pressure on Alabama because the Tide already have a loss and another one in the their SEC opener could really hurt their CFP prospects. However, whether the Tide ultimately make this year’s playoffs they look 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), who has emerged as a big-play target this year as he’s averaged over 18 yards per catch and a TD per game so far this year. 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). Alabama’s best prospect overall, though, is sophomore WR Ryan Williams (#2, 6-0, 180) who’d be very much mix to be the first player picked this year if he were draft-eligible.
Along with Alabama, Georgia has pretty much dominated the draft so far this decade. Indeed, UGA has had 55 players selected since 2021, compared with 44 for Alabama and 40 for Ohio State. And almost assuredly Georgia is going to add to that total this coming April, although the Bulldogs 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. Whether the Bulldogs can make it back to the CFP playoffs, though, will depend largely on whether QB Gunnar Stockton (#14, 6-0, 215) can replace Carson Beck who moved on to Miami this winter. Stockton, the former walk-on is a character kid with a great story, but the question is whether he has the tools to deal with tough SEC on a weekly basis.
#4 LSU (4-0) at #13 Mississippi (4-0); 3:30 PM; ABC: Of course, any LSU game is another chance to check out QB Garrett Nussmeier (#18, 6-1, 205), one of the top 2-3 passers in this year’s draft class, is very much in the mix to be taken first overall. And Nussmeier, the leading returning passer in college football, is off to solid start with a 69% completion rate and a 6-2 TD-to-IC rate. Its also another chance to see Tigers’ defensive stars OLB Harold Perkins (#7, 6-1, 225), who was considered to be potential top 10 candidates for 2025 before missing most of the season with a torn ACL, MLB Whit Weeks (#40, 6-2, 225), and CB Mansoor Delane (#4, 6-0, 190), who transferred from Virginia Tech after posting 54 tackles and 4 picks in 2024. The player to watch in this game, though, might be Ole Miss DT Zxavian Harris (#51, 6-7, 330), a massive guy with some athleticism, who is starting to get some buzz from NFL personnel people.
Auburn (3-1) at #9 Texas A&M (3-0); 3:30 PM ET; ESPN: The Aggies 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. Again, though, 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.
