2026 NCAA Season And 2027 Draft Prospect Superthread

[beachcomber]

I am in love with Charlie Becker. He is going to be a nice WR in the pros.

not surprised…. think you oft fall for a skill position guy on the regular…. will be good to see if Becker can stack another season after his last go ‘round,

[Fleet 1]

not surprised…. think you oft fall for a skill position guy on the regular…. will be good to see if Becker can stack another season after his last go ‘round,

Haha i usually have love affairs with trench guys as well. Im well rounded. Im not suggesting we draft the guy.

[Boltjolt]

Michigan wore all yellows today. Don't think I've ever seen them do that. They should of lost that game but were given 1 second after a failed hail Mary and they got a TD on the 2nd hail Mary 😄

[beachcomber]

Demeal Leigh — OT, Youngstown State

Entering 2026 Leigh was already one of my most intriguing under-the-radar offensive tackles in the FCS. The physical profile is impossible to ignore at 6-foot-7 and 325 pounds, but what makes him interesting is how quickly he has developed.

Leigh played only one season of high school football. Yet, he has nevertheless become a three-year starter, starting 38 consecutive games for Youngstown State. Last season, Leigh earned second-team All-MVFC and third-team All-American honors putting him on the map, even at a small school.

Leigh’s Week 0 opportunity wasn’t the traditional Power Four showcase, but he performed really well. With that being said, the goal remains the same. Can he continue turning his rare physical profile into consistent tackle play? He’s coming off a season in which he allowed only one sack on more than 420 pass-blocking snaps, while also posting the best run-blocking grade of his career. His combination of size, experience, developmental trajectory, and production makes him one of the most fascinating players at the FCS level. I’m actually rather surprised he didn’t transfer up to the FBS level this past spring. Nonetheless, we will get to see him against FBS level pass rushers in their next match up when Youngstown State takes on Kentucky Saturday on September 5.

Leigh is exactly the type of player this exercise is designed to identify. He isn’t going to be jumping rounds with each passing weekend and this doesn’t catapult him up my rankings. What it does do, however, is take a day-three prospect that I liked coming into the year and provide me more evidence that his production is sustainable. With sustained production across an entire season including FBS level talent, he could easily find himself in my day-two conversations when the draft rolls around.At least that’s where the trajectory points right now. Leigh is a stock up, and firmly on my 2027 watch list.

Melkart Abou Jaoude — EDGE, North Carolina

Melkart Abou Jaoude entered 2026 earning a lot of my intrigue. After his first two years at Delaware, he transferred to UNC last season and broke out finishing second in the ACC with 10.5 sacks. That was above Rueben Bain Jr. and trailing only Akheem Mesidor, both of which went in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft and were forces in Miami. He also finished with 12 tackles for loss in route to earning second-team All-ACC honors. In Week 0 Abou Jaoude picked up right where he left off.

The question entering this season was whether he could sustain that success with increased emphasis in pass protections and the early returns clearly indicate that he can. Abou Jaoude immediately made an impact against TCU finishing with four tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble as North Carolina’s defense completely took over the game. Abou Jaoude is a legitimate edge prospect in the class and is firmly in the late day-two, early day-three mix.

[beachcomber]

Waymond Jordan

Waymond Jordan is a physical back who has some jets on him every now and then. He is a back who can punish defenses for 3 straight downs. He is the old-school type of back, and there is a real reason to compare him to Ashton Jeanty. If he was healthy last season, I think he would have gone to the draft. Even with the shared workload this year, I think he will be productive. I see him at best being a 3rd-round draft pick. Him not having a lot of tread on his tires could bode well for him. Especially if he finishes this season healthy.

Elijah Paige

He has the size and makeup to be an NFL team's franchise left tackle. Paige is one of the most important players on the Trojans' offense. When healthy, he is a difference-maker. He is a good athlete, and he keeps Maiava upright consistently. With all his intangibles, he can be a 1st-round pick with a great season this year. As things stand right now, I see him right in that early Day 2 spot.

Alex VanSumeren

The Michigan State Spartan transfer Alex VanSumeren is currently slated as more of a draft sleeper than a player who is a guarantee to hear his name called. If he can get more production as a pass rusher, he has real day 2 upside. If he continues to be a force stopping the run and gets around 2 sacks, his value will slide from the 5th-7th round. VanSumeren could be a really big steal for a well-run organization. He will need to get things going and be dominant these next few weeks if he wants to change his fortune. If the draft was tomorrow, he would be getting looked at in the 7th round.

[beachcomber]

Waymond Jordan Scouting Report

Jordan's contact numbers are the reason for the board spot. A 184.2 elusive rating and 5.2 yards after contact per attempt show a runner creating his own offense, while 6.5 yards per carry kept the overall output efficient.

USC now has to show how that style holds with more work. If Jordan handles volume and earns trust in protection, he can move beyond an early-down role.

• He can turn a modestly blocked run into an efficient result without abandoning the track.
• Protection recognition will determine whether he earns full drives.
• He needs receiving evidence that forces defenses to respect him on passing downs.

Waymond Jordan is currently No. 142 on the 2027 NFL Draft Big Board, with a Round 5 range and a Lead-back candidate. The 2026 tape can still move both the range and the role.

Can he make the run-game value travel when the crease is smaller and the workload is heavier against the hardest part of the USC schedule?

[beachcomber]

Mark Fletcher Jr. will be the highest drafted Miami running back since Willis McGahee.

McGahee went 23rd in 2003. Fletcher likely won't go that high -- I have a second-round grade on him -- but he should get picked earlier than the likes of Frank Gore (No. 65, 2005), Lamar Miller (No. 97, 2012) and Duke Johnson (No. 77, 2015).

Fletcher ran for 1,192 yards and 12 touchdowns last season (with another 140 yards and two scores as a pass catcher), but a lot of that came over four College Football Playoff games. He had 507 yards in the four contests, and he ran for two scores in the title game. His yards per carry jumped from 5.1 during the regular season to 6.8 in the CFP.

I expect Fletcher to pick up where he left off. At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, he can dish out punishment on contact. But he's also agile for his size and has the explosion to break off big runs. He went for 10-plus yards 36 times last season, tied for 11th in the country. Fletcher will run you over, but he also has the change-of-direction skills to find open lanes.

[beachcomber]

• Desmeal Leigh, OT, Youngstown State: Including last Thursday's game against Mercyhurst, Leigh has 39 career starts -- all at left tackle. He's 6-foot-7 and 325 pounds, but I see good movement for his size. He keeps getting better, and my early projection would be the fourth or fifth round.
• Ty Pennington, QB, Northern Arizona:We haven't heard a Northern Arizona player called on draft weekend since kicker Paul Ernster in 2005, but Pennington has a chance as a late-rounder. He transferred from Pittsburg State in 2024 and has looked great for the Lumberjacks in two seasons. Pennington is accurate and makes good decisions; he refuses to throw interceptions, with just seven over 25 games with the team (including one in Northern Arizona's opener against Eastern Washington on Saturday). And at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, he can beat you with his legs, too.

[DerwinBosa]

I watched Alabama-East Carolina, Ohio State-Ball State, and LSU-Clemson, all of them until about the end of the third quarter, when the games were all completely out of hand. I also watched all of Oregon-Boise State, which was a good game. And I watched Miami-Stanford last night.

Although it's early, I have to say I'm more impressed with Darian Mensah and Sam Leavitt than I am with Dante Moore so far. We'll see if that continues. I didn't watch Arch Manning at all today.

East Carolina got its ass kicked today, but I was impressed with wide receiver Jeremiah Melvin. He caught four passes for 60 yards and a touchdown against the Crimson Tide's defense. He's listed at 6-4, 205 pounds, and is in his third year of college football. He spent the previous two seasons at Wake Forest, where he had limited production. My guess is he will stick around for his senior season in 2027. He's someone to keep an eye on, though. He could be a steal in the mid-rounds.

Alabama linebacker Yhonzae Pierre had a sack and a pick-six today. He was one of the most impressive players I watched this afternoon.

Alabama running back E.J. Crowell, a freshman, is someone to keep an eye for down the road. He had seven carries for 37 yards and a touchdown today. Philip Rivers, coaching high school football, said Crowell is the best running back he has ever seen at that level. Of course, the best in high school doesn't necessarily equate to future superstardom, but Crowell is intriguing, nonetheless.

Jeremiah Smith looked pretty much as you'd expect against Ball State. He caught eight passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. I wasn't overly impressed with Buckeyes running back Bo Jackson, though. He had nine carries for 83 yards and a touchdown, but 65 of those yards came on one run. The rest of the time he had 18 yards on eight carries. Other than that, there really wasn't much to learn in a 56-3 blowout.

I like the two Oregon edge rushers, Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti. They each had a sack, and so did defensive tackle Bear Alexander. I didn't see much out of Amauri Washington, other than jumping offside at an inopportune time on one play that kept a Boise State drive alive. Brandon Finney, Jr. looks like an impressive cornerback, but he's not eligible for the draft until 2028. He's someone to keep an eye on, though. I wasn't impressed with Dante Moore, yet he finished the day 28-37 for 378 yards and three touchdowns. I don't know; he just seemed shook up today.

LSU totally kicked the shit out of Clemson, which may have a really bad team, so maybe looks can be deceiving for the Bayou Bengals. But I came away very impressed with LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt, running back Dilin Jones, and offensive tackle Jordan Seaton. On defense I was very impressed with edge rushers Jordan Ross and Princewell Umanmielen. Ross had a sack and a pick-six. He's a junior. Umanmielen had 1.5 sacks. I've also stated in the past that LSU linebacker Whit Weeks looked nothing more than a special teams player to me. He's starting to win me over, though, as he looked very quick tonight. It was like I was watching a completely different player. Maybe he was slower in the past because he was playing through injuries. I'll keep an eye on him.

Highly-touted Clemson cornerback Ashton Hampton had an interception, but that was off of a tipped pass. I think his teammate, Elliot Washington II, stood out more with a couple of impressive pass breakups on deep throws by Leavitt. Washington celebrated his accomplishments a couple of times, which I thought was kind of stupid, since Clemson was down 24-3 at that time, but I was impressed with his play.

[Lone Bolt]

To expand on all of DerwinBosa post above, I thought the two big TEs, Oregons Ross, and Green with LSU, looked solid for the plays they were involved. Watching both this year.

[Boltjolt]

I watched Alabama-East Carolina, Ohio State-Ball State, and LSU-Clemson, all of them until about the end of the third quarter, when the games were all completely out of hand. I also watched all of Oregon-Boise State, which was a good game. And I watched Miami-Stanford last night.

Although it's early, I have to say I'm more impressed with Darian Mensah and Sam Leavitt than I am with Dante Moore so far. We'll see if that continues. I didn't watch Arch Manning at all today.

East Carolina got its ass kicked today, but I was impressed with wide receiver Jeremiah Melvin. He caught four passes for 60 yards and a touchdown against the Crimson Tide's defense. He's listed at 6-4, 205 pounds, and is in his third year of college football. He spent the previous two seasons at Wake Forest, where he had limited production. My guess is he will stick around for his senior season in 2027. He's someone to keep an eye on, though. He could be a steal in the mid-rounds.

Alabama linebacker Yhonzae Pierre had a sack and a pick-six today. He was one of the most impressive players I watched this afternoon.

Alabama running back E.J. Crowell, a freshman, is someone to keep an eye for down the road. He had seven carries for 37 yards and a touchdown today. Philip Rivers, coaching high school football, said Crowell is the best running back he has ever seen at that level. Of course, the best in high school doesn't necessarily equate to future superstardom, but Crowell is intriguing, nonetheless.

Jeremiah Smith looked pretty much as you'd expect against Ball State. He caught eight passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. I wasn't overly impressed with Buckeyes running back Bo Jackson, though. He had nine carries for 83 yards and a touchdown, but 65 of those yards came on one run. The rest of the time he had 18 yards on eight carries. Other than that, there really wasn't much to learn in a 56-3 blowout.

I like the two Oregon edge rushers, Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti. They each had a sack, and so did defensive tackle Bear Alexander. I didn't see much out of Amauri Washington, other than jumping offside at an inopportune time on one play that kept a Boise State drive alive. Brandon Finney, Jr. looks like an impressive cornerback, but he's not eligible for the draft until 2028. He's someone to keep an eye on, though. I wasn't impressed with Dante Moore, yet he finished the day 28-37 for 378 yards and three touchdowns. I don't know; he just seemed shook up today.

LSU totally kicked the shit out of Clemson, which may have a really bad team, so maybe looks can be deceiving for the Bayou Bengals. But I came away very impressed with LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt, running back Dilin Jones, and offensive tackle Jordan Seaton. On defense I was very impressed with edge rushers Jordan Ross and Princewell Umanmielen. Ross had a sack and a pick-six. He's a junior. Umanmielen had 1.5 sacks. I've also stated in the past that LSU linebacker Whit Weeks looked nothing more than a special teams player to me. He's starting to win me over, though, as he looked very quick tonight. It was like I was watching a completely different player. Maybe he was slower in the past because he was playing through injuries. I'll keep an eye on him.

Highly-touted Clemson cornerback Ashton Hampton had an interception, but that was off of a tipped pass. I think his teammate, Elliot Washington II, stood out more with a couple of impressive pass breakups on deep throws by Leavitt. Washington celebrated his accomplishments a couple of times, which I thought was kind of stupid, since Clemson was down 24-3 at that time, but I was impressed with his play.

Passing wise Leavitt wasnt that great in a blowout win. It was his running that made the big difference.

[CanadianBoltFan]

To expand on all of DerwinBosa post above, I thought the two big TEs, Oregons Ross, and Green with LSU, looked solid for the plays they were involved. Watching both this year.

Jamari Johnson is the Oregon TE I was impressed with for both receiving and blocking. Johnson and Green are the top seeded TEs going into the season and possible 1st rounders.

From the Oregon game that big TE on Boise St looked pretty good too, Wagner I think .