The college football season is in full swing, and NFL scouts probably have their heads spinning. Arch Manning looked like he had a first-class ticket to the NFL, and his time at Texas was just a formality. LaNorris Sellers was supposed to be a physical freak that took South Carolina to another level. Cade Klubnik was the next generation of Trevor Lawrence at Clemson. All three of them might have forced them to stay another year in college because their draft stock went from top-three picks to possibly out of the first round. Drew Allar was going to finally break the streak for Penn State, but he just suffered a season-ending injury after playing a part in James Franklin getting fired.
It’s not just quarterbacks. Despite Oregon’s success, safety Dillon Thieneman has seen his draft stock plummet. Dani Dennis-Sutton is falling just like Penn State in the standings. With Klubnik’s struggles, the rest of his offense is dropping, including wide receiver Antonio Williams.
With all these players falling out of the rankings, it provides opportunity for new names to jump up. Already, Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq is rising up draft boards. Oregon’s Dante Moore and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza are fighting for possession of the first-overall pick. They aren’t the only ones who are rising. Let’s take a look at a few more who can work their way into the first round.
10. John Mateer, QB
Oklahoma Sooners
Right before writing this piece, we had Carson Beck in this spot. We understand a lot has happened since Beck decided to transfer from Georgia to Miami to help build his future as a signal caller at the next level. Then, he threw four interceptions against Louisville, securing the upset for the Cardinals and putting Miami’s national championship aspirations in serious doubt.
Meanwhile, John Mateer is suffering his own heartbreak. The Oklahoma Sooners are down after losing to their Red River Rivals Texas last week. They went from 5-0 and looking at a magical season to hoping for a major bounce back.
Oklahoma is taking on Sellers and South Carolina this week, which might be a battle to showcase for NFL squads. Every NFL team who even has a passing need at quarterback will have a scout in the stands for this game, as both QBs are looking to impress. If Mateer responds with an epic performance and wildly outplays Sellers, it sets the table for the second half of this season.
Mateer could also have a rich man’s version of Dillon Gabriel’s season. He won it all for Ohio State after losing to his rival. The 12-team College Football Playoff allows for a mistake or two in the regular season. After facing South Carolina, Mateer plays five-straight ranked opponents, including Alabama and Garrett Nussmeier’s LSU. If Mateer and Oklahoma win all of those games, he’s going in the first round.
9. Keith Abney, CB
Arizona State Sun Devils
Keith Abney II currently has a third-round grade, but that can change in a moment’s notice with a cornerback that has Abney’s speed. He’s legitimately got 4.4 speed at a position where players are desperate to keep up with the insane speed that’s on the outside in the NFL.
More and more and more people are starting to see what he can do at Arizona State. He is a shutdown corner like we rarely see in today's game. This is a prime reason why teams are going to make what was once an underappreciated prospect into a deserving first-round pick.
He’s also a ball hawk. He has five interceptions in his career, and they seem to come at the most opportune times for the Sun Devils. Abney would have more if there wasn’t a scouting report on him. He knows how to get up and make a play on the ball.
His ability to anticipate what the offense is going to do adds to his versatility. Abney gets a jump on routes just like he gets a jump on run plays. He’s not afraid to make a big play on a running back despite the physical mismatch. He’s able to put forth incredible effort on each play. That will be noticed and teams will take that in the first round.
8. Xavier Scott, S
Illinois Fighting Illini
Xavier Scott is starting to open some eyes at Illinois. His versatility is what is going to get a creative team to take him in the first round. Is he a cornerback? Does he play on the outside? Should he move to safety? Usually, when a player doesn’t have a clear position, it’s because he’s probably not good enough at any of them. Here, Scott can legitimately play any position his team needs, even if he’s projected as a safety in the NFL.
There’s one big problem here: Scott is hurt. He’s expected to miss most of this season. If that’s “all” of the season, then this is irrelevant. He can’t do anything to improve his stock without football games, and he might not even enter the draft at all. However, that makes this even more important.
Out of sight out of mind for draft scouts, and Illinois isn’t even good this season. Yet, we see Scott pushing to play. He appears to be that type of player (which helps his stock). If he can play two games to end the year and he plays with reckless abandon to prove his worth, he’ll catch the eyes of scouts.
There are a lot of NFL teams seeking secondary help. They are looking for pure talent to mold into their roster. Where we have Scott going (at the end of the round), those teams are just looking for pieces to fit the puzzle. Scott will make it fit.
7. Trevor Goosby, OT
Texas Longhorns
There are always offensive tackles who marvel and impress scouts late in the draft process. More often than not, that happens at the NFL Combine. Their unique size combined with sneaky speed and athletic traits pushes the foundation of man and what we are capable of. Doing 35 bench presses while still being able to showcase an impressive vertical? That’s going to get you drafted higher than some pancake blocks against Ole Miss.
Texas has had a weird year, especially on offense. Most would think the guy covering the blindside for Arch Manning would be a lock for a high pick in the NFL Draft. Instead, Trevor Goosby is kind of all over the place in the rankings.
Goosby stands at 6-foot-7. He is a massive human being. We don’t even have to tell you he weighs over three bills at that height. His size will make NFL scouts and GMs drool. There’s no way he goes to the combine and doesn’t come out with a first-round grade.
We will admit that some mock drafts already have him in the first round, but he averages a second-round grade overall. We think this fun schedule down the stretch and a likely bounce-back from this offense coming off the Oklahoma win helps Goosby’s draft stock.
6. Max Klare, TE
Ohio State Buckeyes
Max Klare is a player who needs to rebuild his value. Joining Ohio State as a high-priority transfer out of Purdue, Klare was expected to dominate off the bat. He was the Boilermakers’ offense last season. That team had serious issues getting anything going, and teams game planned to stop Klare.
His size and speed made it clear why teams treated him this way. At 6-foot-5 and close to 250 pounds, Klare is not an easy person to take down. Thus why he was averaging more than 13 yards per reception. This season, that’s under nine yards per reception.
Something hasn’t clicked with the Ohio State offense just yet, but give it time. The juice of the Buckeyes schedule is coming, and Klare plays an important role in what they want to do in defending their national championship. Klare has to get the job done, but he will be given the opportunities to do so.
And that’s why we see him joining the first round of the NFL Draft. Nobody cares what you do in September as long as you don’t blow your season ala Penn State. If you coast for two months then dominate down the stretch, that’s going to get you noticed. If Klare helps the Buckeyes finally beat Michigan, the Browns might take him first overall. (Kidding, but they’d probably think about it.)
5. Nyck Harbor, WR
South Carolina Gamecocks
There are always some wild wide receivers who make their way into the first round of the draft. There are usually between four and seven wide receivers taken in the first round. Many of them are immediately impactful. Here’s the interesting thing about receivers: they don’t have to come from the biggest programs. This year, Tetairoa McMillan came out of Arizona. Ricky Pearsal came from a mediocre Florida program in 2024. Quintin Johnson came from TCU and Zay Flowers was crushing it at Boston College before going in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
That can be Nyck Harbor. He’s the number-one guy for LaNorris Sellers, who we talked about earlier as someone who’s dropping down draft boards. If he wants to get back into the top-10 conversation, he has to go crazy down the stretch. He’ll need some help.
Harbor is stupid fast. He was an All-American sprinter. He came into college as a five-star athlete, and he chose the Gamecocks to make the most of his college experience. While it hasn’t turned into the guarantee most thought when he started, he still has a chance to get back into the first round.
Where he stands above the rest is literally standing above the rest. He’s 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds. He just has to be pretty good to get first-round looks. If he plays well down the stretch, he’s almost a guarantee. He’s fallen just like Sellers, but they can both get back into the conversation for first rounders.
4. A.J. Harris, CB
Penn State Nittany Lions
Every single Penn State Nittany Lion is seeing the draft stock plummet. They have little to no expectations after James Franklin was fired. They already lost too many games to get back into national championship contention. Drew Allar is done for the season. There’s so much going against this roster, but we still believe some of the individual talents can make some noise.
A.J. Harris has a lot going for him, and it might stick him with a hard decision at the end of this season. He’s just 19 years old, and he’s already going to have two full years as a starting CB under his belt. NFL teams love getting guys when they are young because they expect to see a longer prime and their fall off in production and value might not come until their third contract is coming due.
This kid was insanely high as a high school recruit. He was the second-ranked corner back of the 2023 class.
Harris plays an aggressive style that translates well to the NFL. He can cover, but he gets right in the face of receivers, which gives him an immediate advantage. Harris needs to do some stock recovery. Many thought he was a lock for the first round, but he’s down to a second-round grade. When the ship rights itself in Happy Valley, Harris will get himself in the first round. Teams will bet on the talent.
3. Derrick Moore, EDGE
Michigan Wolverines
Nobody knows what to do with edge rusher Derrick Moore. We’ve seen rankings in the first round and in the sixth round. He’s all over the map when it comes to his NFL Draft evaluations. It takes one team to fall in love with him, and we see it happening next offseason.
Moore returned to Michigan for his senior year in a somewhat surprising decision. He was on the Wolverines championship team under Jim Harbaugh, so he saw the pinnacle of play. He continues to perform despite Michigan’s struggles last season, and he returned for his swan song.
This is a future NFL captain. This is leadership personified. Moore is a player who teams will instantly fall in love with. Character is his mantra. That matters with a player who is also this good.
Moore isn’t having the best season, but he’s ramping up. He has 2.5 sacks in his last three games, and he has some high-profile teams coming up.
2. Caleb Tiernan, OT
Northwestern Wildcats
This one might seem crazy, but we think offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan goes wild on these draft boards from now until the NFL Draft. He’s a 6-foot-7, 329-pound senior who can grow into one of the premiere tackles in the country. Northwestern is getting more attention after putting a fork into Penn State last week. That’s helpful for Tiernan.
Tiernan could have gone to any Big Ten school. Michigan, Ohio State, and PSU all recruited him out of high school, but he chose to go at Northwestern. And despite their struggles, he chose to stay at Northwestern.
That commitment will actually help him in this process. With so many players looking for any reason to transfer now that the rules are arbitrary, it’s refreshing to hear that a talent of this caliber plays out his career with one school despite the struggles.
Tiernan already had elite performances against Oregon and Penn State. He’s stepping up to be a leader on the offensive line. This has first-round pick written all over it.
1. Jayden Maiava, QB
USC Trojans
With quarterback in such flux right now at the top of the draft, we think there’s an opportunity for a player to work his way into the round ala Jaxson Dart last season. We had Dart on this list last season, and that worked out well! Our top guy this season is USC quarterback Jayden Maiava.
Maiava has grown by leaps and bounds this season, playing with an intelligence that’s necessary to succeed on the next level. He understands the nuances that define USC, which includes a pretty putrid defense, and he’s stepping up to the plate with hope each game.
This season, Maiava has 11 touchdowns against just two interceptions. The meat of his schedule is still coming up, where he can dominate in primetime against Notre Dame, Nebraska, and Oregon. Those games will have a ton of eyes on them, so big performances there will help Maiava’s stock.
Do we think he has a shot at the number-one overall pick? We’d be floored based on where he started and the skills he possesses. However, like all USC QBs, he has prototypical size, and he can showcase his abilities for the rest of the season. If he stays on track and puts together a really good pro day, we see a team talking themselves into a first-round grade.