5 college stars who improved their NFL Draft stock the most in Week 5

Week 5 of the college football season is behind us now, and it was a WILD one. Four teams ranked in the AP top 10 lost this weekend, with three of those — Penn State, LSU and Georgia — sitting in the top five. It was just a weekend filled with chaos and big performances all around the country.

How do those performances impact the NFL landscape? Well, the 2026 NFL Draft is still a long way's away, and the draft board is far from settled. But some players had standout performances this weekend that could really go a long way toward improving their chances of being drafted highly (and landing in the right spot when their NFL careers begin).

Here are five college stars whose Week 5 performances have their NFL Draft stock needles pointing up.

Dante Moore, QB, Oregon

The Oregon quarterback factory just won't stop, y'all.

The week's biggest matchup saw No. 6 Oregon go on the road to take on No. 3 Penn State. It was a game that lived up to the billing, with the two teams going to double overtime before the Ducks emerged with the 30-24 victory.

Moore completed 74.4 percent of his pass attempts against the Nittany Lions, throwing for 248 yards and three touchdowns while also adding 35 yards on the ground. Moore's done well enough on the ground this year to answer some questions that arose in his time at UCLA, where it seemed like he was just a sitting duck in the pocket. His ability to avoid turnovers this season has also been crucial for an Oregon team that has title aspirations. Moore probably won't play his way into being the No. 1 quarterback drafted next year, but he's making a strong case to be a top -15 pick.

Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

No, this wasn't the best game we've seen from Mendoza, but it was our first chance this year to see how he handles the pressure of a close contest. Indiana's blowout win over Illinois last week showed that Mendoza could be an elite passer when everything goes right, but this week's game against Iowa showed that he can rise above in a slugfest and deliver the winning play.

After allowing a touchdown less than two minutes into the game, the Iowa defense clamped down, mostly holding Mendoza in check until the fourth quarter, when he broke a 13-13 tie with a 49-yard strike to Elijah Sarratt.

Sure, Sarratt does a lot of the work there, outrunning the defense for the score, but I loved the decision-making from Mendoza, who got the ball out quickly and accurately to Sarratt in the middle of the field. This is where we really learn what a quarterback is capable of — on the road, in a tie game, against a really strong defense. Mendoza passed this test.

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

The debate over who's the best running back in college football may have been decided this week after Jeremiyah Love just absolutely obliterated Arkansas, scoring four total touchdowns.

It wasn't that the Razorbacks couldn't slow him down on the ground. Love's 57 rushing yards didn't even lead the team. What was impressive here, and what I think NFL scouts will love, is what he did in the passing game, catching five balls for 70 yards and two scores. Love is showcasing that he's an every-down back who can make plays in both phases of the game. After a 2025 draft class that was incredibly deep at running back, Love stands alone as the top back in 2026 and keeps pulling farther and farther away from the pack.

Caden Curry, DE, Ohio State

Coming into this season, there wasn't a ton of draft hype around Ohio State defensive end Caden Curry. He'd spent most of his time with the Buckeyes as a reserve, and it was unclear how well he'd adapt to a full-time starting role.

But Curry has played well all season and had what might have been his true breakout showing against Washington on Saturday. He tied the school record for tackles for a loss in a game with five, and ended up sacking Washington quarterback Demond Williams three times.

Curry has looked explosive off the line of scrimmage all season and has the moves to get past any blocker at the college level. While it'd be nice to see a longer track record of production, Curry's got to be jumping up draft boards right now.

Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

I just think we need to acknowledge the coolest play we saw on Saturday: Star left tackle Kadyn Proctor splitting out wide and almost taking a screen pass to the end zone.

Obviously, a team that drafts Proctor isn't drafting him to play wide receiver, but that play displayed two things that make him such an intriguing prospect. First, just the pure strength he has; he just straight-up bulldozes through the defense on this play, moving forward and almost getting into the end zone. Second, it showcases his athleticism: You want your starting left tackle to be big, strong and fast, and this play showcases that Proctor is all of the above.

Proctor's draft stock had taken a hit in the early stages of this season, but he played well on Saturday against Georgia, even aside from the screen catch. Maybe this was the confidence boost he needed to get things back on track in his quest to wind up as a top-10 pick in the NFL Draft.