Nine NFL Draft Prospects To Watch During College Football Championship Week
It's a big week for those with an eye on the 2026 NFL Draft
The 2026 NFL Draft is slated to begin on April 23, 2026.
It’s been too long since we discussed prospects, however, so let’s take a look at some of the most intriguing names who will take part in conference championship games this weekend across the country — including some that will have major implications on the 2026 College Football Playoff.
I’ve missed you guys…
Santana Hopper (#29), DL, Tulane
American Championship: vs. North Texas (Friday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC)
Santana Hopper isn’t the love child of the world’s greatest guitarist and the police chief of a fictional small town, rather one of this class’ most difficult prospects to get a read on…
Hopper was the highest graded (82.7) defensive lineman in the entire Sun Belt in 2024, according to PFF — which was enough to facilitate his transfer from Appalachian State to Tulane. The Green Wave have since watched him become an extremely disruptive force along their defensive front, where he has racked up 2.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss.
It’s incredibly clear that he can play, but he’s undersized for an interior defensive lineman (6-foot-2, 265 pounds) and has slowed down as the season has progressed.
The North Texas Green Machine are exactly that — a machine — ranking first in points (46.8) and yards (511.8) per game in 2025. Hopper will need to have his best game of the season is his club had any chance of slowing them down.
Jayden Virgin-Morgan (#5), EDGE, Boise State
Mountain West Championship: vs. UNLV (Friday at 8 p.m. ET on FOX)
Jayden Virgin-Morgan is one of the best defensive linemen in all of college football when it comes to stopping the run, racking up 24.5 tackles for loss and 90 total tackles across the last two seasons.
New England Patriots linebacker Anfernee Jennings, Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu and Houston Texans linebacker Will Anderson Jr. are similarly talented against the run, though all have extremely different levels of effectiveness in the passing game — and can be looked at as worst-case, most-likely and best-case scenarios for Virgin-Morgan.
It’s strong, but the kid is that talented.
Virgin-Morgan could elect to return to school, but something tells us teams will fall in love with his talent and try to convince the do-it-all edge rusher to elect for this draft — perhaps following a successful performance in the Mountain West Championship against UNLV.
David Bailey (#31), EDGE, Texas Tech
Big 12 Championship: vs. BYU (12 p.m. ET on ABC)
If you’re looking for game-changing talent on the defensive side of the football, perhaps keep an eye on Texas Tech linebacker David Bailey.
The Red Raiders spent roughly $28 million on its roster this season, which included a full makeover along the defensive front — bringing in Bailey from Stanford, Romello Height from Georgia Tech and Lee Hunter from UCF.
Bailey will be a first-round pick, and will have an opportunity to build on his impressive resume (12.5 sacks, 16.0 tackles for loss) with another matchup against BYU.
Kadyn Proctor (#74), OR, Alabama
SEC Championship: vs. Georgia (4 p.m. ET on ABC)
Alabama has a shaky track record with transitioning offensive linemen from the SEC to the NFL, with recent failures including the likes of Alex Leatherwood, JC Latham and Evan Neal, while boasting some decent success stories like Tyler Steen, Tyler Booker and Landon Dickerson.
Kadyn Proctor feels like he can land on either list…
It’s an indisputable fact that he looks the part, standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing in at 370 pounds, but he has been one of the primary issues with his club’s extremely underwhelming rushing attack. ESPN’s Jordan Reid reported that “scouts are all over the place” with his grades, meaning people will be paying extra close attention to him this weekend.
Georgia’s defensive front isn’t what it has been in recent seasons, but still gave him trouble in an earlier matchup this season. Can he get back on the right track?
Zachariah Branch (#1), WR, Georgia
SEC Championship: vs. Alabama (4 p.m. ET on ABC)
Georgia just hasn’t been able to keep up with the speed and explosiveness of Alabama across their last three matchups — all losses.
Zachariah Branch should be able to help even the playing field.
Branch was banged up prior to the previous matchup between these two teams, which led to a season-low three catches. The Bulldogs have since made him a feature player in their offense, allowing him to play more of a traditional slot receiver role that has kept their mediocre offense ahead of the chains and in a position to compete on a weekly basis.
Branch is closer to Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney than Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, but there’s value in players like that…
Fernando Mendoza (#15), QB, Indiana
Big 10 Championship: vs. Ohio State (8 p.m. ET on FOX)
Fernando Mendoza can lock up his place as the future the No. 1 overall pick on Saturday.
Mendoza has always been on the league’s radar, but exploded into the first-round conversation with an incredible season that has him sitting at 12-0 with 2,758 passing yards, 32 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
Ohio State and Indiana will battle in a matchup between No. 1 and No. 2, where the veteran quarterback has an opportunity to showcase his value against future first-round picks across all three levels — defensive lineman Kayden McDonald, linebacker Arvell Reese and safety Caleb Downs.
Good luck!
Carnell Tate (#17), WR, Ohio State
Big 10 Championship: vs. Indiana (8 p.m. ET on FOX)
Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith, who have a strong care for being the two best players in college football, won’t be eligible until 2027, so teams will have to settle for Carnell Tate.
Tate is some consolation prize, however, as he appears primed to become just the latest superstar wide receiver in a long line of them to recently come out of Ohio State — Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Chris Olave, Emeka Egbuka, etc.
Tate is the best deep threat in this class, making him the perfect fit for teams that have missing that kind of explosiveness like the Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans or Buffalo Bills.
Omar Cooper Jr. (#3), WR, Indiana
Big 10 Championship: vs. Ohio State (8 p.m. ET on FOX)
Mendoza has several decent options to throw to, some of which will play at the next level, but the most intriguing is Omar Cooper Jr.
Cooper is the guy who made that unbelievable catch against Penn State, but has also undergone a transformation this season that turned him from a field-stretching deep option to one of the best possession receivers in college football. The Hoosiers have relied on him in their biggest moments, and he has shown up every single time.
If you’re in the market for a wide receiver in the middle rounds, this might be the safest bet.
Brian Parker II (#53), IOL, Duke
ACC Championship: vs. Virginia (8 p.m. ET on ABC)
Brian Parker II is an offensive lineman with experience playing in multiple spots and in multiple different systems. Who wouldn’t want that guy?
Duke is the worst team with a chance at the 2026 College Football Playoff, which is definitely an insult to many players on their overrated roster, but not for Parker.
I’d imagine he has tons of fans across the NFL.
