Texas, Clemson among eight college football teams entering upcoming season boasting most 2026 NFL Draft talent
With the 2025 NFL Draft in the books, the football world turns the page to the 2026 cycle. College programs bid goodbye to their former stars as their dreams were realized over the weekend, and NFL franchises have begun evaluating and ranking the next draft class. That coincides with the media revealing its first round of 2026 mock drafts, offering a unique lens on the college football landscape heading into the fall.
It's important to note that these way-too-early mock drafts are far from perfect. Even a good one will hit on around half of the first round picks. Still, a projected first-round talent has a high likelyhood of contributing in a big way to a team over the next year. So college squads with multiple early-round picks in 2026 drafts should feel confident they're entering the 2025 season with several soon-to-be pros at the top of the depth chart.
Using initial 2026 NFL mock drafts from CBS Sports draft experts Ryan Wilson and Josh Edwards, along with others across the industry, we compiled a list of top prospects as college football season inches closer. Sorting this group by school further reveals expectations for 2025.
2026 NFL mock draft: Arch Manning among five QBs taken in first round and other way-too-early picks
The list includes many of the familiar programs known for recruiting and developing NFL talent - and heavily overlaps with teams expected to contend for conference titles and College Football Playoff berths. We begin with a program that just set a school record for NFL Draft picks in back-to-back years, yet remains loaded at the top with what could be the first quarterback off the board in 2026.
Notable prospects: QB Arch Manning, LB Anthony Hill, CB Malik Muhammed, RB CJ Baxter
Arch Manning may decide to return for a fourth year of college football instead of entering the NFL Draft as soon as he's eligible -- 2025 will be his first full season as a starting quarterback since high school. But if he comes anywhere close to expectations, he'll have the option to be a first-round pick in 2026.
The former five-star prospect has flashed his athleticism in limited opportunities, making a couple of starts due to injuries to Quinn Ewers and appearing in select packages as a backup. He's already garnering near-unanimous projections as the No. 1 overall pick in many mock drafts, and every 2026 NFL Draft conversation will begin with Arch.
College football conversations will start there too, as he's surrounded by multiple potential first-rounders -- with even more talent in the pipeline for the 2027 draft cycle. Steve Sarkisian's talent upgrade at Texas is perhaps most evident in the program's recent draft success: the Longhorns set a school record with 11 players selected in 2024, broke that mark with 12 in 2025 and are on pace for another impressive group in 2026.
Notable prospects: DE T.J. Parker, DT Peter Woods, CB Avieon Terrell, QB Cade Klubnik, WR Antonio Williams
Clemson had just three players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft -- a step down from the six picks in each of the previous two years -- but the Tigers could have as many four players off the board in the first round alone in 2026.
The key is quarterback Cade Klubnik, who has a chance to play his way into surefire first-round status. After a rough opener against Georgia, he finished last season as one of the most productive quarterbacks in the country.
Defensively, Clemson will look for a boost under new coordinator Tom Allen, who was brought in to help an objectively talented group -- including players like Peter Woods, T.J. Parker and Shelton Lewis Terrell -- produce better results.
Notable prospects: QB Drew Allar, EDGE Dani Dennis-Sutton, CB A.J. Harris, CB Elliott Washington, RB Nick Singleton, RB Kaytron Allen
Quarterback Drew Allar is close to a consensus first-round pick in mock drafts as he looks to build on two successful seasons as a starter -- highlighted by a runner-up finish in the Big Ten and a trip to the CFP semifinals last season.
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound signal-caller improved both his production and efficiency in 2024, and he leads an offense bolstered by one of the best one-two running back punches in the country with Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen.
Neither running back appeared in the mock drafts surveyed for this exercise, but both had the option to go pro after last season and chose to return.
Outside of Allar, most of the mock draft buzz for Penn State came from the defensive side of the ball, where Dani Dennis-Sutton will look to carry on the program's legacy of first-round defenders -- a tradition that includes 2024 No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter.
Notable prospects: EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei, WR Evan Stewart, DB Dillon Thieneman, TE Kenyon Sadiq
As Dan Lanning celebrated his program's 2025 NFL Draft class -- highlighted by multiple first-round picks and a program-record 10 selections -- he noted that the Ducks' draft total has increased each year since he arrived in Eugene.
As he prepares for his fourth year as head coach, another strong group is ready to draw NFL attention -- including some of the first high school recruits Lanning brought into the program. That list includes edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei, who picked the Ducks over USC, Ohio State and others in December 2022.
And since last year's Big Ten championship run featured major contributions from a heavy dose of transfers, there's even more room for homegrown talent to emerge and bolster Oregon's 2026 draft class.
Notable prospects: OT Kadyn Proctor, DL LT Overton, LB Deontae Lawson, DB Domani Jackson, OL Jaeden Roberts, WR Germie Bernard
The good news for Kaelen DeBoer is his depth chart is filled with experience and talent. And while the successor to Jalen Milroe has yet to be determined, whoever wins the QB1 job will be surrounded by NFL-caliber players. That bodes well for Alabama's efforts to return to the CFP.
Offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor is set to finally fulfill the first-round projections many gave him when he arrived in Tuscaloosa, but he's not the only player on or near the line of scrimmage garnering first-round buzz. One of Alabama's most exciting future prospects, wide receiver Ryan Williams, isn't even eligible for the 2026 draft -- but his presence only adds to the team's NFL-level firepower.
With Williams, Proctor, Jaeden Roberts and Germie Bernard all poised for big seasons, whoever wins the quarterback competition could also play his way into first-round consideration.
Notable prospects: LB CJ Allen, CB Daylen Everette, DT Christen Miller, WR Zachariah Branch
In a surprise to no one, Georgia is once again loaded with players the NFL will closely evaluate as top draft prospects. The Bulldogs feature talent in all the usual spots, with added intrigue after a significant exodus to the NFL this past offseason.
Mykel Williams, Jalon Walker, Malachi Starks, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Warren Brinson, Smael Mondon and even undrafted Nazir Stackhouse all played key roles in Georgia's championship-contending seasons under Kirby Smart. But thanks to elite recruiting, it's a "next man up" mentality -- with an expectation of maintaining the program's standard.
Linebacker CJ Allen was highly productive as a sophomore, finishing second only to Starks in total tackles, and his classmate Christen Miller emerged as a regular contributor up front. One X-factor is the arrival of USC transfer Zachariah Branch. He was one of the best freshmen in the country in 2023 and could provide an offensive spark that boosts his first-round draft stock.
Notable prospects: OT Austin Barber, DT Caleb Banks, EDGE Tyreak Sapp, C Jake Slaughter
A pressure-packed season for head coach Billy Napier and quarterback DJ Lagway comes with the benefit of a roster that is particularly strong in one of the most important areas of the field: the lines of scrimmage. The Gators will need multiple NFL Draft picks from their offensive and defensive fronts as they navigate a challenging schedule and look to capitalize on their 2026 NFL Draft talent. A 2027 NFL Draft prospect, Lagway brings high expectations to Gainesville in his first full season as a starter.
Tyreak Sapp was one of the SEC's top pass rushers last season, and Edwards projects Caleb Banks as a top-five pick next spring and the first defensive tackle off the board.
Notable prospects: DB Caleb Downs, WR Carnell Tate, LB Sonny Styles, CB Jermaine Matthews
Ohio State tied its own program record with 14 players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, falling just one pick shy of matching Georgia's modern record of 15 (set in 2022). So how is that same program already among the betting favorites to win the national title again in 2025? Easy -- thanks to Ryan Day's recruiting, another wave of future pros is already filling up 2026 draft boards, starting with a couple of projected first-rounders.
Caleb Downs -- not an Ohio State recruit out of high school but a key component of last year's success -- is a consensus first-round talent who will keep the Buckeyes in the spotlight on draft night. What happens after that depends largely on which players step up to replace the heavy production lost to the NFL.
Wide receiver Carnell Tate doesn't yet carry the name recognition of Jeremiah Smith (who isn't draft-eligible until 2027), but with defenses keying on Smith, Tate should see a larger workload that could elevate his stock to a first-round level. On defense, Sonny Styles looks to build on a strong showing during the title run, while Jermaine Matthews could be poised for a breakout season following major turnover in the secondary.
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