Underclassmen have until Jan. 14 (or Jan. 23, if they’re playing in the national championship) to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, but prospects could start announcing their intentions to turn pro as early as this week. It won’t be long before there is some clarity on what the upcoming draft class will actually look like.

Several ’26 (or ’27) prospects made statements on the final weekend of college football’s regular season, led by a quarterback who’s bound to be an early pick whenever he heads to the next level.

1. We’ve come full circle on our draft recaps: Let’s talk about Arch Manning. If Texas sneaks into the College Football Playoff and Manning excels, is he back on the 2026 radar? If not, has he done enough to (re)establish himself as a top-10 prospect for ’27?

Dane Brugler: If Manning goes pro after this season, he will be a first-round lock. He has too much promise, and there are too many QB-needy teams, for him not to go that high.

However, all signs point to him returning, which is the no-brainer decision. His toughness and mobility were differentiating factors that fueled the Longhorns’ upset of Texas A&M, but Manning’s inexperience also was evident in his field vision and ball placement. Based on conversations with NFL teams about the potential of the 2027 quarterback class, Manning is expected to be a contender for the No. 1 pick.

Most of this season, especially in Texas’ losses, its offense struggled to run the ball or pass protect with any consistency. But it buttoned up both areas against Texas A&M, and the result was more efficient quarterback play. First on the priority list this offseason for Texas is to make sure left tackle Trevor Goosby, running back Tre Wisner and a few other core members of the offense pass on the NFL and return to help Manning take another jump in his development.

Nick Baumgardner: At the risk of angering all the haters, Manning is, has been and will continue to be one of the most physically gifted passers in America. That was true in the season-opening loss against Ohio State, just as it was during the upset win over Texas A&M. No one was making that up. If he declared for the 2026 draft, it seems highly unlikely he’d fall outside the first round. There’s almost no way he’d drop beyond the top 50.

I still think he’s a 2027 prospect, though. This has been a frustrating year for Texas, no question, but it’s also been a productive one for Manning in that he’s had to push through it. We need to see more consistency from him in the pocket, both in his processing and in general. It’s not unlike the Ty Simpson discussion: We’re talking about a guy who’s started only one year of college ball.

Manning also entered the weekend as the second-highest-pressured Power 4 starter. That’s not because Manning has blindly been running into sacks himself, either, but that he’s just been under constant duress because of a shaky O-line. One assumes that’ll improve next year, too.

2. Ty Simpson threw for only 122 yards at Auburn, but he had three TDs, including the game winner on fourth down (after a gutsy fourth-down scramble earlier in the drive). Has he done enough to feel confident about his place in the 2026 draft class?

Baumgardner: I suppose it depends on what we determine “his place” to be. If Simpson declares, it’s hard not to see him being one of the top three quarterbacks off the board. Even in a game in which he didn’t exactly light up the stat sheet, he still made plays at crucial times. And that, to me, is Simpson’s biggest selling point — he’s at his best when his best is required, more often than not.

Assuming Alabama gets into the Playoff, it’ll be a massive opportunity for Simpson. The biggest ding on him right now is his lack of experience, but it’s a similar discussion for most of the top QB prospects. If Simpson shows up and plays consistently during a big Playoff run, it could push him into the QB1 spot.

That said, I don’t hate the idea of him going back to school. Ryan Williams will be back in Tuscaloosa next season, the Tide should be able to protect Simpson up front, and he’d obviously be paid well. This could be an interesting decision.

DOES IT AGAIN! 😤@isaiahhorton14

📺: ABC pic.twitter.com/iTnqz6Q0WM

— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) November 30, 2025

Brugler: It was an uneven night for the entire Alabama offense, including zero targets for Williams and shaky pass protection. But each of Simpson’s three touchdown passes was an example of what he can do when he’s on. His ability to read out the field, buy time with instinctive movements and deliver with touch are among his best qualities, and the Tide wouldn’t have won Saturday without Simpson playing at his best in those crucial moments.

What does his performance in the Iron Bowl mean for his NFL prospects? It won’t convince a team that he should be the No. 1 pick, but it will give them optimism that he can be a productive starting NFL quarterback. If Dante Moore returns to Oregon, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza would be the expected QB1 for most teams, followed by Simpson.

But the more intriguing question will be: How early will teams feel comfortable drafting the Alabama product? The answer will be a little different from team to team.

3. Rueben Bain Jr. made a big impact early Saturday, as Miami pulled away from Pitt. Does he have a case to be the first non-quarterback drafted in April?

Brugler: If Saturday was the final time for him in a Hurricanes jersey, Bain went out strong — exactly what we have come to expect from the future first-rounder.

The first non-quarterback drafted? I guess it is possible. But Ohio State’s Arvell Reese is a better prospect, and there are several contenders on offense, as well. Scouts really like Bain’s power and his impact against both the pass and run, but they also bring up his short-armed frame and average athletic profile. Some teams even grade him as a better fit at three-technique for their schemes.

Regardless, Bain has made a strong case to be a top-10 pick.

Baumgardner: He definitely has an argument for the top defender in the class, possibly even deserving of the No. 1 spot. He’s been more than a flash player this season — he’s done a lot to help scouts forget his underwhelming sophomore year. If Miami gets into the Playoff, he could become even more of a household name, very quickly.

I’m still a bit hesitant with him, though. He can be a bit streaky, his move set isn’t very diverse, and he’s not very long. My concern is: What happens to him in the NFL when he doesn’t win with power off the edge? Will he be a one-dimensional rusher or continue to blossom into a powerful terror?

But, again, the College Football Playoff can be a real game-changer for draft prospects. We saw it last year, to a degree, with Abdul Carter. He was a monster during a Penn State run and stamped himself as a top-three pick. Miami getting in could be huge for Bain.

4. Pretty much all of Ohio State’s top draft prospects — Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, Kayden McDonald, Sonny Styles, Carnell Tate, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and others — delivered in a win over Michigan. Which Buckeye got the biggest draft boost Saturday?

Baumgardner: Jackson showed up in every big game Ohio State played this season. Against Texas, Washington, Penn State and Michigan, Jackson finished with a combined 21 pressures and four sacks. At 6 feet 6 and 265 pounds, Jackson has played all over Ohio State’s front this season. Reese and McDonald are more physically imposing, but don’t sleep on Jackson as a prospect who could flirt with the top 100.

I also thought it was a very good day for Styles, who was decisive and physical with interior run fits, over and over. He is no longer a former safety trying to play linebacker. He’s the real deal inside, with elite length and speed at around 240 pounds.

Brugler: It is hard to talk about the Ohio State defensive performance without mentioning double-digit names. But Jackson had one of his best performances at Ohio State, and it was a complete one against both the pass and the run. He undressed the left tackle multiple times as a pass rusher, resulting in a handful of pressures and a sack. And he was just as effective setting the edge and getting off blocks to make stops against the run.

Jackson, a redshirt junior, will have an NFL decision to make after the season. He made my top 50 back in August, but he might return and try to build on his finish to this season.

Reese, Downs, McDonald and Styles all played well and will be first-rounders. But I also wanted to shout out Caden Curry, one of those Ohio State seniors who was trying to beat Michigan for the first time. I could say he had a little extra motivation, but Curry always plays with his hair on fire, and that effort will help him carve out an NFL career. He is a very assignment-sound defender who doesn’t mind doing the dirty work in the trenches.

What does a 1st round NT look like?

Kayden McDonald. pic.twitter.com/SPBaVUrHOP

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) November 30, 2025

5. Which other 2026 prospects caught your attention this week?

Brugler: On last week’s “Building the Beast” podcast, we talked about Arizona nickel Treydan Stukes as a prospect to watch — and he didn’t disappoint. He has been known for his timely interceptions this season, and he collected another one on a slot post route where you saw his “my ball” mentality to attack the catch point stronger than the receiver.

Another of the standout performers for the Longhorns came from senior defensive end Ethan Burke, who made plays on defense and special teams. Though not a high-level athlete, the Austin, Texas, native plays physical at the point of attack and isn’t shy about sticking his nose into the fire. Considered a borderline draft pick entering the season, Burke has built a strong case to hear his name on Day 3, thanks to tapes like the Texas A&M and Vanderbilt games.

A senior riser this season, Auburn edge rusher Keyron Crawford harassed Simpson most of the game, building on his already impressive final year. Though he has some tweener traits, Crawford doesn’t play with an off switch, and scouts always bring up his football character as something that separates him in the building. I like his chances of sneaking into the top 100.

Baumgardner: Saturday was the most productive day of the season, by a wide margin, for uber-talented Clemson edge T.J. Parker (eight pressures and three sacks during a rivalry win over QB LaNorris Sellers and South Carolina). Parker hadn’t recorded a sack since Week 4 against Syracuse and badly needed a strong close to the year. He remains one of the most talented defenders in the class, though. His bend, twitch and explosion off the ball make him a special prospect, and Saturday offered a reminder of that.

Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren had a terrific, diving interception near the sideline in a 21-3 win at Central Michigan, which put the Rockets in the MAC title game for the third time in the last four years. McNeil-Warren is nearly 6-4 and 210 pounds and covers a ton of ground in the back end. He is the best Group of 5 prospect in the class, as far as I’m concerned.

Also, it’s been a rotten year for everyone at Penn State, but it was great to see Kaytron Allen wrap up his regular season with a whopping 226 yards on 22 carries (including a 55-yarder) in a bowl-clinching win over Rutgers. Allen has been viewed by some as the lesser of the two backs at Penn State, at least as a prospect, because teammate Nick Singleton is an elite athlete. However, I’ve long thought Allen was the better running back overall. He has better vision and is better after contact.

Allen finished his senior year with 1,303 yards and 15 touchdowns in the regular season and will leave Happy Valley as the program’s all-time leading rusher.