play0:44Dan Lanning calls Dante Moore the ‘best quarterback in college football’Dan Lanning has high praise for Dante Moore after Oregon’s double-overtime win against Penn State.
play0:21John Mateer plows into the end zone for a big-time OU TDJohn Mateer breaks the plane to give the Sooners a lead late in the fourth quarter.
play0:28Justice Haynes breaks off for 75-yd rushing TDJustice Haynes takes it 75 yards to the house to put Michigan back in front vs. Nebraska.
play0:34John Mateer takes it 51 yards to the house for OUJohn Mateer takes it 51 yards to the end zone for the Sooners vs. the Owls.
play0:31John Mateer scores his 2nd rushing TD vs. MichiganJohn Mateer gets great blocking and keeps it to give Oklahoma a 21-7 lead.
play0:25Cade Klubnik airs it out for 26-yard touchdown passCade Klubnik connects for 26-yard TD pass
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Washington Huskies: Full Highlights (1:17)Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Washington Huskies: Full Highlights (1:17)
Dan Lanning calls Dante Moore the ‘best quarterback in college football’Dan Lanning has high praise for Dante Moore after Oregon’s double-overtime win against Penn State.
John Mateer plows into the end zone for a big-time OU TDJohn Mateer breaks the plane to give the Sooners a lead late in the fourth quarter.
Justice Haynes breaks off for 75-yd rushing TDJustice Haynes takes it 75 yards to the house to put Michigan back in front vs. Nebraska.
John Mateer takes it 51 yards to the house for OUJohn Mateer takes it 51 yards to the end zone for the Sooners vs. the Owls.
John Mateer scores his 2nd rushing TD vs. MichiganJohn Mateer gets great blocking and keeps it to give Oklahoma a 21-7 lead.
play0:13Carson Beck to Joshua Moore for an 8-yard TDCarson Beck to Joshua Moore for an 8-yard TD
We’re through Week 5 of the 2025 college football season, and this past slate of games saw some wild outcomes. The No. 3, No. 4, No. 5 and No. 8 teams in the country all lost, though No. 3 Penn State fell at the hands of No. 6-ranked Oregon. The Ducks outlasted the Nittany Lions in double-overtime.
The 2026 NFL draft is still roughly half a year away. But our NFL draft analysts are always looking down the road, taking early notes on top prospects and starting to stack their rankings for an exciting class.
With that in mind, Mel Kiper Jr., Matt Miller and Jordan Reid will size up CFB action through a draft-centric lens on Sunday mornings all season long. (Save this link!) They will answer lingering questions on the best 2026 prospects, share insights from scouts, pick out risers to watch and pull back the curtain on their evaluation process. Here is what they’ve seen and heard through Week 5.
“He’s still way too panicked in the pocket. Keep it clean and simple, and he’ll carve you up, but any pressure, and his eyes go to the rush,” is how one NFC East area scout put it.
Despite Allar’s 43 starts in college so far, an AFC West area scout said, “To me, he looks like a player that needs upper-level quarterback development still. Not mechanically or athletically, but from a processing standpoint, he’s not seeing it fast enough.”
Name recognition, program legacy and his great physical tools will keep Allar in early-round conversations, but his tape isn’t consistent enough to earn him a starting QB label from NFL teams. I polled six scouts Saturday night, and all of them see him as a likely Round 3 option.
Reid: An impressive victory against Washington showed just how much depth the Buckeyes have this season. I count five Buckeyes with top-50 grades for 2026: safety Caleb Downs, linebacker Arvell Reese, wide receiver Carnell Tate, linebacker Sonny Styles and tight end Max Klare.
Dan Lanning calls Dante Moore the ‘best quarterback in college football’
Dan Lanning has high praise for Dante Moore after Oregon’s double-overtime win against Penn State.
Now, missing a month could keep Mateer outside the top 50 picks. Returning for a late-season stretch of games against ranked opponents — including Alabama, Missouri and LSU — could help him salvage his Round 1 potential. Evaluators are taking a wait-and-see approach following his injury. It should be noted that Mateer also has the option to return to school because he has another year of eligibility.
John Mateer plows into the end zone for a big-time OU TD
John Mateer breaks the plane to give the Sooners a lead late in the fourth quarter.
At 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, he plays with an aggressive mentality and fearlessness. He operates well inside the pocket, isn’t afraid of testing tight windows and throws with anticipation in the Sooners’ up-tempo offense. Mateer was off to a fast start this season with 1,215 passing yards and six TD passes — and the underrated runner added another 190 rushing yards and five more scores on the ground through four games.
Miller: Mendoza turned in the single best performance of any player in the country this week. Facing the No. 9-ranked Fighting Illini — a team that had allowed just 22 points all season — Mendoza was nearly flawless. He completed 21 of 23 passes for 267 yards and five touchdown throws. His command from the pocket stood out consistently throughout the game, as he was comfortable and confident standing tall and throwing darts downfield.
There is no set-in-stone QB1 for next year, and Mendoza’s play is putting him into that conversation. The success of on-target passers like Jared Goff — whom Mendoza reminds me of — will only help to boost his stock if his strong play continues.
Kiper: Michigan running back Justice Haynes is making a case to be a third- or fourth-round pick next April. He’s the son of Verron Haynes, a former Georgia running back who I scouted before he went in the fifth round of the 2002 draft to the Steelers. The younger Haynes was great Saturday against Nebraska, carrying the ball 17 times for 149 yards and a score.
Justice Haynes takes it 75 yards to the house to put Michigan back in front vs. Nebraska.
Miller: One of the best matchups of the day was the Texas Tech pass-rush duo of David Bailey and Romello Height against Utah offensive tackles Caleb Lomu and Spencer Fano. This was a résumé game with best-versus-best attributes, and Bailey walked away from the field the clear winner of the four prospects.
Young, meanwhile, is more versatile in that he can put his length to use as both a run defender and pass rusher. He had two tackles for loss and a sack Saturday. With an explosive first step and the hand power to match, Young is viewed as a top-50 prospect.
Miller: Arkansas’ close loss to Memphis perfectly summarized the Taylen Green experience. The Razorback quarterback is a playmaker with a big arm and the running ability to go through or around defenders. Each week he’s putting the team on his back and carrying the offense. But on Saturday, a late interception in the fourth quarter cost the team, before a fumble by running back Mike Washington Jr. while driving for a go-ahead field goal ultimately kept Arkansas from winning.
Tomczak is a nuanced route runner, and he recognizes different coverages well. He adjusts on the ball in the air and then has the hands to secure it. And I see the versatility to play outside or inside — and return punts. I’m hoping to see him at an all-star event against better competition after the season, but he’s the type of player who will fight his way onto an NFL roster.
Reid: Coming into last season, Beck was viewed as a potential first overall pick for 2025 — but an inconsistent final year at Georgia created questions. He didn’t declare for the draft, instead transferring to Miami, where he aimed to reestablish and revive his draft stock.
Carson Beck to Joshua Moore for an 8-yard TDCarson Beck to Joshua Moore for an 8-yard TD
Well, Beck has 812 passing yards, seven touchdown passes and two interceptions through three games, and his 89.9 QBR is fourth in the nation. He threw for 340 yards in Miami’s win against South Florida on Saturday. Beck (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) looks comfortable in the team’s adjusted offense (Miami ran more up-tempo, Air Raid-style last season) and has routinely stayed on-schedule and in rhythm — sneaky good traits in his skill set.
He entered the season with primarily Day 3 grades from scouts, and they are taking notice of his early-season play. He is certainly trending up. But evaluators aren’t ready to put Beck back into that first-round conversation just yet. Most still consider him for the middle rounds.
Miller: Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson is still the front-runner. He’s averaging 104.7 receiving yards per game this season (tied for 10th in the FBS) and has four TD catches, including one Saturday against Texas State. Tyson (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) had drop issues last year, but he has emerged as a more polished pass catcher (just one drop on 37 targets though three games). His deep-route-running ability and how well he separates over the top still has him as the top receiver in the class.
John Mateer takes it 51 yards to the end zone for the Sooners vs. the Owls.
Miller: Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik had summer hype as a first-rounder, but NFL scouts are backpedaling faster than the cornerbacks he faces. One AFC East scout said: “I think he’s a Day 3 guy, and you saw why today. When his weapons were missing [including Antonio Williams], he looked average. OK arm, OK processing speed. Way too overhyped.”
Reid: After missing the first two games of the season with a foot injury, Florida interior defender Caleb Banks made his season debut against LSU. But in the third quarter, Banks reaggravated the injury and was later seen on crutches and with a walking boot. The 6-foot-6, 330-pounder had significant buzz from NFL scouts over the summer, and some believed he had top-15 potential. His injury recovery is something to monitor moving forward.
Miller: The Michigan defense was supposed to be the star of the show, but I couldn’t help but zero in on Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer. The Washington State transfer put the Sooners on his back with his strong right arm and mobility both inside and outside the pocket. Mateer rushed for 74 yards and a score, and he threw for another touchdown with 270 yards passing against a talented defense that features one of the country’s best D-lines.