We enter the final five weeks of the 2026 college football regular season with as many questions as answers surrounding many of the top prospects in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The sport’s top conferences have produced frequent upsets this season, and thus, it can be difficult to separate the performances of individual draft prospects from their teams. PFF assigns grades to each player on each play of each game to help provide a clearer picture of which prospects are performing best and boost their draft stock in the process.
In the business of evaluating prospects, however, not everything can be determined by how well a player performs on Saturday. A college quarterback who proves he can make an NFL-caliber throw but follows it up with a boneheaded interception will likely still attract more attention from NFL evaluators than a passer who plays it safe and does little to lift his team.
The emphasis on projectable and coachable traits over raw production is something we should keep in mind as these players enter their final months of college football.
It’s not the most exciting slate in college football this Saturday, with only two teams ranked in the AP poll’s top 15 favored by 10 points or less. However, evaluators will have plenty of draft prospects to feast their eyes on.
Can QB Jayden Maiava enter the first conversation?
USC fell in the rankings last week after a road loss at Wisconsin in which its offense allowed just seven points and quarterback Jayden Maiava posted a passer rating of 61.7. The stat sheet may not be fair to Maiava, who had more turnovers than turnover-worthy plays.
Despite this blip, Maiava is enjoying an extraordinary season. His 90.3 overall PFF grade is the second highest among the top 10 quarterbacks on the PFF big board. This week may present his toughest test to date. Ohio State’s defense is allowing just 13.4 points per game, and the Buckeyes are riding a five-game winning streak.
Ohio State draft prospects like edge defender Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and safety Jaylen McClain have boosted their stock over the past few months. McClain hasn’t gotten off to a fast start, but he’s gotten more comfortable in his deep-roaming free safety role. He earned an 85.2 PFF grade over his past four games.
This will be an interesting challenge for the Buckeyes defense, considering it hasn’t faced a legitimate 2027 quarterback prospect since losing it to Arch Manning’s Texas team.
CB Kelley Jones squares off with WR Cam Coleman
Mississippi State’s trip to Austin to face the Texas Longhorns doesn’t look nearly as enticing as it did a month ago. The loss of starting quarterback Kamario Taylor is a major blow to the Bulldogs’ 2026 aspirations.
In a great example of separating great players from struggling units, Mississippi State cornerback Kelley Jones is still considered one of the best defensive backs in the 2027 draft class, despite his defense ranking 129th in the FBS in passing yards allowed.
This could be one of the last chances for a get-right game for Texas quarterback Arch Manning. He’ll have to do it without left tackle Trevor Goosby — the No. 1 offensive lineman on PFF’s big board is out for the season with a knee injury. Texas has been banged up elsewhere, too, with premier pass rusher Collin Simmons listed as questionable and wide receiver Cam Coleman listed as probable.
Coleman needs his own performance. He’s coming off his lowest scoring game in more than a year against Ole Miss last week, when he was held to just 12 receiving yards and dropped a potential 59-yard touchdown pass from Manning.
Kelley Jones will be a tight matchup despite the large talent gap between the two teams. He is nearly the only cornerback on Coleman’s schedule with a size advantage over the 6-foot-3 wide receiver, as Jones is listed at 6-foot-4.
Top-tier run game matchup in Atlanta
Saturday’s neutral-site rivalry game between Florida and Georgia showcases talent all over the field, but especially when Florida runs the ball. Running back Jadan Baugh is off to an incredible start this season, establishing himself as the RB1 of the upcoming draft in the eyes of many.
He has cooled off to an extent in recent weeks. His past three games have resulted in his three lowest overall PFF grades of the season. He hasn’t averaged more than four yards per carry in a game since Florida upset Ole Miss more than a month ago.
Baugh is still a quality back who can offer NFL teams every-down rushing ability and versatility in the passing game. This week will present his greatest challenge. He must contend with Georgia linebacker Chris Cole, a potential top-10 draft pick. The top-ranked linebacker on PFF’s big board earned an 88.0 PFF run-defense grade — the highest of any starting linebacker in the SEC.
Cole draws comparisons to former Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith. He is a sensational athlete who can run sideline to sideline and shut down runs out of the zone while shutting down passing lanes to the flat. NFL scouts are impressed with his range and the attitude he brings to his defense.
After allowing Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown to rush for more than 100 yards, mostly on designed runs, Georgia’s defense returns from a much-needed bye week with a point to prove in a big rivalry game.
Which Arizona State receiver will shine against BYU?
Rest is short for BYU. After its emotional high loss against Notre Dame, followed by a low overtime loss at UCF, the Cougars must now contend with an Arizona State offense ready to push the ball downfield to its talented pair of wide receivers.
Wide receivers Reed Harris and Omarion Miller are both in the top 100 of PFF’s 2027 big board, but they’ve been trending in different directions throughout the season. Miller was once viewed as a candidate to go in the late first round, but he was completely outplayed by teammate Reed Harris until this year.
Harris’ 3.16 yards per route run is double Miller’s mark. Last week was his fourth game of the season with more than 125 receiving yards. BYU allowed 125 receiving yards to Notre Dame’s Jaden Greathouse and 137 to UCF’s Tyren Hornes in back-to-back weeks. This is a great opportunity for any receiver to make a statement against a top 10 team.