Indiana shocked me and a lot of the college football world over the weekend, taking down then No. 3 Oregon on the road. QB Fernando Mendoza has now positioned himself in the upper echelon of this year’s QB class after outdueling fellow NFL Draft hopeful Dante Moore. The Hoosiers return home as the current No. 3-ranked team in the country to host Michigan State and yet another QB Aidan Chiles with 2026 NFL Draft aspirations (although I think he’s a 2027 lock).
Many more high-end NFL Draft prospects will be prevalent across top 25 matchups this week, so I’m quickly going to give you the matchups to watch, the players you should be watching, and my current draft grades on some of the top prospects playing in those matchups.
The SuperContest selections are going to be on these 6 games + a bonus game (OU at SC) and will be discussed tomorrow LIVE on Football With Chaw YouTube.
No. 2 Miami vs Louisville
Miami EDGE Reuben Bain Jr. – currently my #1 overall player in the class. A true dominant edge rusher with size, speed and motor to dominate at the NFL level. My NFL player comparison: Chris Long. Louisville RB Isaac Brown – The Cardinals’ offensive line will probably struggle against the dominant Hurricanes’ front, but Brown is in the conversation for RB1 in the 2027 class.
No. 10 LSU vs No. 17 Vanderbilt
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier – I still currently have him as my #2 QB for the 2026 class, mainly because of how he plays the position. I don’t have a first round grade on any QB in this class right now. There will be first round QBs taken, but right now none are standing out above the rest in my opinion. LSU CB Mansoor Delane – A player that has been flying up draft boards. He’s been playing at a high level, posting an 89.9 PFF coverage grade which ranks 3rd in the country. He wasn’t on my summer scouting radar, so I haven’t given him a grade yet. But he’s a guy to watch. Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers – This is a player that I really really love, but I don’t know what role he will play in the NFL. He’s a pass catching weapon that doesn’t block overly well. My grade: Round 2-3
No. 9 Georgia vs No. 5 Ole Miss
Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss – Another QB flying up boards. He took the job from Austin Simmons and hasn’t looked back. No grade on him yet, but the Ferris State transfer has my attention.
Georgia LB CJ Allen – Allen is a potential first rounder with exceptional skills at the age of 20. He’s explosive off the edge, up the middle, and in coverage. My grade: Round 2
No. 6 Alabama vs No. 11 Tennessee
Alabama QB Ty Simpson – The QBs are coming out of seemingly nowhere in the 2026 NFL Draft class. Simpson has been rising with his recent play. Huge test against the Tennessee defense. No grade yet.
Alabama WR Germie Bernard – Outside of the top three WRs (Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, Carnell Tate) Bernard is one of my favorites. He reminds me of Emeka Egbuka. My grade: Early Day 2
Tennessee EDGE Joshua Josephs – Tennessee is churning out prototypical edge rushers at a high rate. Josephs has some Bruce Irvin to him. My grade: Late Round 1-Early Round 2
Tennessee WR Chris Brazzell II – While three WRs have separated themselves from the pack, Brazzell is in the next tier of WRs with Bernard. He’s tied for 2nd in the country with 7 TDs. My grade: Day 2
Tennessee CB Colton Hood – Unlike his counterpart CB Jermod McCoy, who is out recovering from a 2024 knee injury, Hood wasn’t on the summer scouting radar. No grade yet, but he’s trending up.
No. 13 Notre Dame vs No. 20 USC
Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love – Simply put, he’s one of the best RB prospects in the class. He’s my RB1 despite his early struggles. My grade: Round 1
USC WR Makai Lemon – He’s top 10 in the nation in receiving yards (682), receptions (44) and TDs (6). Floor/ceiling comps: Willie Snead/Amon-Ra St. Brown. My grade: Early-Mid Round 1
No. 15 BYU vs No. 23 BYU
BYU WR Chase Roberts – One of the best blocking WRs in this class, Roberts possesses a 6’4 frame which makes him an ideal red zone target. My grade: Day 2
Utah LB Lander Barton – Probably a top 75 pick, maybe top 50 when it’s all said and done. I haven’t graded him yet, but he’s the brother of Titans LB Cody Barton and he also plays TE for the Utes.
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The SuperContest Picks & Why:(Miami -13.5 vs Louisville) I’m running out of time, so these are going to be quick. I like Miami’s defense to shut down Louisville. (Oklahoma -5.5 at South Carolina)LaNorris Sellers can get caught in the backfield taking sacks. Few teams sack the QB better than OU.(LSU +2 at Vanderbilt)I’m not sure what it is exactly, but I’m leaning the Tigers here even on the road. (Ole Miss +7.5 at Georgia)Ole Miss has talent and Georgia’s talent is less than years past. Close game in Athens. (BYU +3.5 at Utah)The battle for Mormon supremacy is taking place in Provo, and I like freshman QB Bear Bachmeier. (USC +9.5 at Notre Dame)Matchup of the weekend between Makai Lemon and Leonard Moore. (Tennessee +8 at Alabama) The Vols get after the QB, and Alabama’s tackles have been inconsistent in 2025.
vs Tulsa
at Minnesota
vs San Jose State
vs North Carolina
vs Buffalo
vs Coastal Carolina
at UCF
vs Eastern Michigan
vs Florida Atlantic
at Ohio
vs Old Dominion
at Charlotte
at Georgia Southern
at Toledo
vs UCONN
vs SMU
at Duke
at Indiana
vs Texas State
at UL Monroe
at Syracuse
vs Akron
vs Central Michigan
vs Purdue
at Colorado State
at Boise State
vs Nevada
at UCLA
vs Washington
at Florida
vs UTSA
vs Missouri
vs Arizona
at TCU
vs Southern Miss
vs Army
at Arkansas
at Iowa
vs Cincinnati
at Wisconsin
vs Memphis
vs Wyoming
vs Texas Tech
vs Texas
vs Washington State
at Rutgers
*
vs Florida State
I’ll use this blog to keep track of my 2025 picks except for week 1 since I did not know this existed at the time.
For the college SuperContest, you pick any 7 games you want. Extremely simple. Purely for my own entertainment, I’m going to pick every single game on the card with a heavy emphasis on tracking my Big 12 picks since I’ve established myself as a Big 12 guy.
I will be posting my NFL picks prior to the TNF game each week, and the college picks will come out on Fridays unless there’s a Thursday game on the card and sometimes I’ll just skip Thursday honestly.
Another reminder, these are not bets I will be placing myself. I do this purely for fun.