I am constantly tinkering with my draft rankings throughout the season \u2014 not overreacting to a single game or performance (good or bad) but moving players around after they have enough of a sample size.<\/p>\n
Are prospects playing up to expectations? Are they still struggling in certain areas? In some cases, players didn\u2019t do anything wrong to \u201cfall,\u201d but another player at their position simply has played at a higher level (and, sometimes, comes out of nowhere to do so).<\/p>\n
Rankings will continue to fluctuate, but as we\u2019re almost midway through the college football season, this is a good chance to reset the positional rankings before my updated top 50 in a few weeks.<\/p>\n
Quarterback<\/strong>1. Dante Moore, Oregon My evaluations of Sellers and Mendoza haven\u2019t changed much since the summer. Sellers\u2019 numbers aren\u2019t eye-popping, but he makes plays on each tape that remind you how different he is. One more season in college for the 20-year-old QB\u2019s continued development would be ideal, but he still belongs near the top of this year\u2019s rankings.<\/p>\n After transferring from Cal to Indiana, Mendoza was a top-20 prospect on my summer board<\/a>, and he hasn\u2019t disappointed. His physical traits aren\u2019t remarkable, but his accuracy and football IQ are evident every time I study his game.<\/p>\n The newcomer here is at No. 1, despite having a smaller sample size. Based on his five starts in 2025, Moore is on a first-round trajectory with a 14-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and numerous plays on tape that scream \u201cNFL quarterback.\u201d There were several times against Penn State when it fell to Moore to rescue his offense, either with his arm or legs.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not bailing on LSU\u2019s Garrett Nussmeier, but his eval is currently in limbo because of his injuries. Alabama\u2019s Ty Simpson has only five career starts, but he might finish among the top three quarterbacks based on how he has played so far. And I didn\u2019t grade Penn State\u2019s Drew Allar or Clemson\u2019s Cade Klubnik as first-rounders entering the season, so it should be no surprise neither was in consideration here.<\/p>\n Arch Manning should be viewed as a 2027 (or 2028) prospect<\/a> at this point.<\/p>\n Running Back1. Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame Not much has changed at running back \u2014 there is a clear No. 1, then a handful of backs fighting for a spot in tier two.<\/p>\n In the eyes of scouts, both Haynes and Coleman have helped themselves over the first month of the season. They are built well for the position and rely on vision, balance and pad level to maximize each carry. It also helps that they don\u2019t fumble and are reliable on passing downs, which matters a great deal when stacking the position.<\/p>\n Dude just always runs hard \ud83d\ude24<\/p>\n Look at @UW_Football<\/a>‘s Jonah Coleman here \ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcfa: BTN pic.twitter.com\/Tkv4VmpVjv<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 7, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Wide Receiver1. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State I was somewhat underwhelmed by the draft-eligible wide receivers over the summer, but the position deserves a much more optimistic outlook six weeks into the season.<\/p>\n Tyson was the clear WR1 in the preseason and looks even better now as he continues to develop. His ability to create his own spacing and be a threat after the catch makes him such a weapon.<\/p>\n Lemon ranked in my preseason top 50, but he also has taken a noticeable jump in his development. He might be the Emeka Egbuka of this draft \u2014 an average size\/speed profile but knows how to play the position at a high level. My favorite part of Lemon\u2019s tape is all the hidden yards he accumulates, because he is rarely tackled where he makes the catch.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been high on Louisville\u2019s Chris Bell since the summer, and I really like Alabama\u2019s Germie Bernard, Tennessee\u2019s Chris Brazzell and a few others. But the third spot has to belong to Tate, who currently leads the FBS with six catches of 40-plus yards. His long strides make him dangerous on one-cut routes or double moves, and his hand strength has been a discernible positive for him in 2025.<\/p>\n Tight End1. Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon Like at running back, there is a clear No. 1 at tight end, then a group of promising prospects competing for the next tier. Right now, I\u2019ll give Royer and Trigg the edge after Sadiq, but this group is fluid. NC State\u2019s Justin Joly, Texas\u2019 Jack Endries and Ohio State\u2019s Max Klare all have the talent to be in the tier below Sadiq.<\/p>\n Royer can be a playmaker in the passing game, and his blocking as an inline tight end continues to improve.<\/p>\n A basketball athlete on the football field, Trigg is easy to rank this high based on his speed, body control and ball skills. But the unknown will be whether teams trust his maturity.<\/p>\n Offensive Tackle<\/strong>1. Spencer Fano, Utah Not much change at offensive tackle, although the order is a tad different than it was in the summer. Proctor has been somewhat of an enigma. His Florida State tape was flat-out bad and his performance versus Wisconsin wasn\u2019t much better, but he was outstanding against Georgia and did a nice job versus Vanderbilt, showing better consistency with his landmarks and execution.<\/p>\n Scouts want to see Proctor play with the same type of consistent urgency the rest of the season. We will learn a lot about him throughout October with Missouri (with edge Zion Young), Tennessee (with Joshua Josephs) and South Carolina (with Dylan Stewart) up next on the schedule for the Tide.<\/p>\n Penn State\u2019s Drew Shelton is another confounding tackle prospect. The talent is there, but the consistency hasn\u2019t been. A strong second half would do a lot to help his NFL projection.<\/p>\n Interior Offensive Line<\/strong>1. Connor Lew, Auburn Lew remains at the top of the interior line stack, although he has some work to do to convince NFL teams he is worthy of a top-50 pick.<\/p>\n Ioane has been the one consistent part of the Penn State offense, both as a run blocker and in pass protection, and is my clear No. 1 guard at this point in the process.<\/p>\n Parker lines up at right tackle for Duke, but he will move inside in the NFL, likely to center. He is undersized, and I worry about his lack of mass, but his technical refinement and football intelligence help him compensate for any shortcomings.<\/p>\n Edge Rusher1. Rueben Bain Jr., Miami Anyone who has watched the Hurricanes\u2019 defense this season won\u2019t be surprised to see Bain at the top of the edge rankings. He is an elite run defender and uses his power and bend as a pass rusher to consistently disrupt the quarterback.<\/p>\n The third spot came down to Parker and Texas Tech\u2019s David Bailey, who currently leads the FBS in pressures (31). If you are looking for pass-rush juice, Bailey is your guy. But Parker is the better all-around player, so he gets the edge.<\/p>\n The most impressive defensive prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft that I’ve seen so far this season? <\/p>\n It’s not even close: Rueben Bain Jr. (22 pressures, elite run defender) pic.twitter.com\/Rp8RWx3ErL<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) September 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Defensive Tackle1. Peter Woods, Clemson Though it\u2019s fair to say Woods hasn\u2019t lived up to lofty preseason expectations, he is still the top player at his position and one of the better defensive prospects in the class.<\/p>\n The order after Woods, however, depends on what type of defensive tackle you want. Iowa State\u2019s Domonique Orange has the best nickname in the class (\u201cBig Citrus\u201d), and if a team is looking for a stout nose tackle, then he\u2019s your guy. Georgia\u2019s Christen Miller and Florida State\u2019s Darrell Jackson are putting good things on tape. Ohio State\u2019s Kayden McDonald has been consistently disruptive in his first year as a starter and should only get better as he figures things out.<\/p>\n But right now, I\u2019m going with the upside of Washington and Banks, even though the latter is currently shelved with a left foot injury.<\/p>\n Linebacker<\/strong>1. Arvell Reese, Ohio State Who else did you think I would have at No. 1? With his length, power and loose athleticism, Reese is a freaky talent who can blitz, spy, drop or chase down the run. I love his traits, but he is also a smart football player, which translates to the stat sheet \u2014 he currently leads the Buckeyes in both tackles and pass breakups.<\/p>\n Arvell Reese is a freak \ud83e\udd29@CoachUrbanMeyer<\/a> hits the film room to take a look at one of @OhioStateFB<\/a> LB’s Week 5 highlights \ud83d\udc47 pic.twitter.com\/ZLeXsG0PJs<\/a><\/p>\n
2. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
3. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana<\/p>\n
2. Justice Haynes, Michigan
3. Jonah Coleman, Washington<\/p>\n\n
2. Makai Lemon, USC
3. Carnell Tate, Ohio State<\/p>\n
2. Joe Royer, Cincinnati
3. Michael Trigg, Baylor<\/p>\n
2. Francis Mauigoa, Miami
3. Kadyn Proctor, Alabama<\/p>\n
2. Vega Ioane, Penn State
3. Brian Parker II, Duke<\/p>\n
2. Keldric Faulk, Auburn
3. T.J. Parker, Clemson<\/p>\n\n
2. A\u2019Mauri Washington, Oregon
3. Caleb Banks, Florida<\/p>\n
2. CJ Allen, Georgia
3. Sonny Styles, Ohio State<\/p>\n\n