Arch Manning and the NFL Draft prospects who won teams over on Saturday

Saturday was a big day in the college football world. Specifically, the day represented a potential change in who's viewed as the favorites this season as Ohio State blew a big lead against Texas while Oregon lost to an unranked team.

We also learned a lot about a couple of 2027 NFL Draft prospects in those two games, as both winning quarterbacks now have their stocks looking up. They aren't the only players who are rising up draft boards after Week 2 of the college football season.

QB Arch Manning, Texas

I'm not saying that Arch Manning cemented his role as the No. 1 overall pick on Saturday. Anything can still happen, and he could easily fall apart and see his draft stock drop. But if he does eventually go No. 1, this is probably the game you can point to in a "I told you so" way.

Texas was dead. The Longhorns had zero chance to win, trailing 23-3 heading into the fourth quarter. They were down to fourth down in bad spots multiple times. But the Longhorns never gave up, and Manning managed to lead three touchdown drives in that way stretch.

Manning's individual numbers for this game — 23-for-37 for 195 yards with a touchdown and a pick — don't pop, but the poise to lead a comeback win against arguably the best team in college football counts for a lot here. Manning shrugged off a disappointing three quarters and willed his team to the victory. That's what elite quarterbacks do.

QB Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State

Drew Mestemaker's Oklahoma State debut was a disaster that introduced major doubt into his draft viability, as he led a Cowboys loss to Tulsa and just never really looked like the guy he was at North Texas. One week later, that narrative has been flipped on its head.

The Cowboys were supposed to get destroyed by Oregon. This was a Ducks team with immense amounts of talent on both sides of the football, and with a quarterback who entered the week in contention with Manning to go No. 1 overall next spring. Mestemaker, though, thoroughly outplayed Dante Moore.

Yes, Mestemaker threw a pair of interceptions, but that was about the only flaws on his day. He pushed the ball down the field well and was also a threat with his legs, rushing for over 1,000 yards. We learned a lot about his mental game as well on Saturday, as he didn't wilt against the pressure of facing a top-10 team. This kid is a first-rounder.

WR KJ Duff, Rutgers

I'll admit this: I haven't dug into KJ Duff much. Watching Rutgers football isn't something on my usual to-do list and I haven't really looked past the top tier of wide receivers in the 2027 class yet. But, uhh...yeah, I'm going to go take a closer look at Duff after Friday.

Yes, the Scarlet Knights lost to Boston College, largely because Rutgers quarterback AJ Surace tossed four interceptions. When he was completing passes to his own side, though, the bulk were going to Duff, who caught eight passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns.

After finally watching what Duff did on Friday, I just have this to say: WOW. On a better team, we'd be talking about this guy constantly. He's huge, but he runs routes so fluidly despite that. He excels coming across the middle of the field, and can make things happen in space. He's going to wind up going in the first round.

TE Hunter Tipton, Memphis

This year's tight end class is headlined by Oregon's Jamari Johnson and LSU's Trey'Dez Green, but the No. 3 spot seems fairly wide open. On Saturday, Memphis tight end Hunter Tipton made a strong argument for himself in that spot.

The well-traveled tight end — this is his third team in three years — was on fire, catching nine passes for 229 yards and a touchdown. 87 of those came on one play:

Obviously some busted coverage there, but there were multiple Boise State defenders with a chance to go out there and stop him after the catch. Tipton just kept chugging along, displaying some really intriguing speed for a player of his size. And he did make some more impressive catches as well, including a one-hander along the sideline just before the half that showed off her verticality.

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