Week 5 of the college football season delivered. From Virginia’s upset of Florida State on Friday night to the Oregon-Penn State double-OT thriller to Alabama’s upset win at Georgia and so much more, it was a special weekend.

The action left plenty for NFL scouts to unpack, too, as they kept an eye on the prospects who will make up the 2026 NFL Draft class. Which individual performances will carry weight as we move forward in the draft process? Our experts, Dane Brugler and Nick Baumgardner, break it down.

1. Alabama QB Ty Simpson threw for 276 yards and two TDs in a huge road win over Georgia. He’s playing well as the Crimson Tide starter after waiting his turn. Is he part of the 2026 NFL Draft conversation?

Dane Brugler: If not, he should be. Simpson was even-keeled and focused in a tough environment, and all he did was execute all four quarters. He jumped out to a quick start against Georgia, showing that he can throw to all three levels of the field while utilizing his athleticism to extend plays. He looked like the same player late in the game — the moment was never too big for him.

Simpson is a former five-star recruit but a first-year starter, so we have a small sample size. The early results, however, are very promising.

TY15💪

📺: ABC pic.twitter.com/24xZxRPQBX

— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) September 28, 2025

Nick Baumgardner: Simpson was wobbly in a season-opening loss to Florida State, but that was sort of how that game went for Alabama. He made some stellar throws during a win over Wisconsin two weeks ago and has really delivered an accurate ball over the middle and into tight windows near the sideline these last few games.

Georgia’s defense isn’t the group we’ve gotten used to seeing over the past few years, but Simpson was very good again Saturday night and made it through the month of September without an interception. If he keeps this up into November, he’ll be tough to ignore.

2. Speaking of QBs, Dante Moore and Drew Allar traded shots during Oregon’s thrilling win over Penn State. Did either quarterback help (or hurt) their draft stock on Saturday night?

Baumgardner: This was an extremely impressive performance from Moore. We’ve seen a good number of veteran quarterbacks go into Happy Valley and turn into a puddle, but Moore hung in there throughout a physical first half and made plays — with both his arm and legs — at critical moments in the second half. After a terrific start to the season, this was Oregon’s first serious test, and Moore passed with flying colors.

He’s still very inexperienced, but he plays with terrific poise and confidence in the pocket. The interception he threw on Oregon’s overtime two-point try shows what can happen when he doesn’t read coverage, but he’s going to be very good in time. He’d be a first-round talent in 2027, certainly, and we’ll see about 2026.

Oregon QB Dante Moore is No. 1 in the nation in the eyes of Dan Lanning 🦆 👀 pic.twitter.com/gKSRKjeuhJ

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 28, 2025

As for Allar, this felt like another one of those days we’ve probably seen too many times. His performance in the fourth quarter and overtime was great —  Allar is a tough player, and we know he’s going to compete. But there are going to be days when your run game isn’t there and the quarterback has to take over. Allar didn’t do that Saturday, at least not until late in the game. Then he aimed a ball with bad feet in overtime and threw a game-sealing pick.

We know how talented Allar is, but games like these, against opponents like Oregon, are hard to forget.

Brugler: Moore’s legs were a crucial part of Oregon’s ability to move the chains and put points on the board. Whether it was by design (bootlegs, QB draws) or necessity reacting to the pressure, Moore was up for the challenge. He did a great job changing arm angles and putting the ball in spots for his targets to make plays.

There were a lot of questions about how he would respond in Penn State’s famed “White Out” environment against a defense with NFL-level talent, but Moore looked like the same guy we saw during Oregon’s first four games — efficient, accurate and under control. It wasn’t perfect, but it was impressive. Whether we’re talking about the Heisman or QB1 draft status, Moore’s tape says he belongs near the top.

Allar, meanwhile, came alive in the second half with his legs and also made some really nice throws, including a 35-yard touchdown toss on a slot post. But as with too many of his previous games, the missed plays and mistakes will be the lasting takeaways. Like usual, it wasn’t all on him — the running game, protection and play calling were all sporadic for Penn State. But Allar’s lack of rhythm in his drops affected his ball placement, which sabotaged several drives.

The Allar we saw against Oregon was the same Allar we saw last season against Notre Dame — both the good and bad. And unfortunately, NFL scouts were hoping to see more development from the third-year starter.

3. Dane noted Saturday that Jeremiyah Love is a first-round lock at this point. Can he be an Ashton Jeanty/Bijan Robinson/Jahmyr Gibbs-level prospect?

Brugler: The NFL wants weapons that create explosive plays, and Love has as much big-play talent as any running back who’s entered the league in the last few years.

For Love to take that next step as a potential high-level back, though, he needs to be more consistent on a down-to-down basis in a few areas. He describes his run style as “playing free.” And with his darting quickness and elite long speed, that ability to play free makes him a home-run threat on every touch. But instead of always smashing the accelerator, you’d like to see Love add a dash more patience to improve his run tempo and maximize the blocking in front of him. I love his contact balance and the way he finishes runs, too, but improved patience would help minimize the amount of car crashes his body feels each game.

This is all nitpicking. When you are under a first-round microscope and a potential top-15 pick, however, those are the things NFL teams will be talking about. Despite some of the areas in which he can improve, Love might be the best offensive skill player in the entire draft, especially when you factor in his ability as a pass catcher.

Baumgardner: He’s a top-10 player in the class, which is pretty much what we were talking about with those other backs by the end of September during their respective final college seasons. As we said with Jeanty, Robinson and Gibbs, Love is just different relative to the other talent out there. He’s a true three-down weapon who is powerful enough to be a gap hammer, fast and explosive enough to be a stretch player, and athletic enough to be a legitimate option as a receiver. He’s the type of piece around which an NFL offense can build a significant amount.

Love is the top back in the class by a mile — and he might be the top offensive player, period, at this point.

LOVE. THAT.

3️⃣ TOUCHDOWNS FOR @JeremiyahLove @13Cjcarr‘s third passing touchdown on the day 👀#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/M30errBgJf

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 27, 2025

4. USC came up short at Illinois, but Makai Lemon nearly carried the Trojans to a win late. Is he WR2 behind Jordyn Tyson right now?

Brugler: Lemon is certainly in that conversation. Because of his feel for space, he is an outstanding zone route runner, and he plays with admirable toughness at the catch point and as a ball carrier.

The word I just keep coming back to when watching Lemon is “trustworthy.” I’m not sure what his testing will look like, but I do know that good things happen when he is targeted — and that is worth betting on. The 2026 NFL Draft receiver rankings are going to be fluid over the next six months, but Lemon started the season No. 36 on my preseason top 50 and has done nothing so far to hurt that ranking.

Baumgardner: I think it’s fair to say Lemon is WR2 right now. He’s not very big, but on a pound-for-pound basis, he flirts with Tyson as the most complete receiver in the class. He does so much well, including a lot of little stuff, from his ability to get to balls out of his area to his willingness as a blocker. He’s confident, very QB-friendly and plays bigger than his size.

On one of his catches Saturday, Lemon had his helmet got ripped off as he broke a tackle but kept running toward the first-down marker anyway. There were stretches on his 2024 tape that gave me mini-flashbacks to watching former USC star Amon-Ra St. Brown in college. And Lemon has been even better so far in 2025.

MAKAI LEMON IS JUST RIDICULOUS 😱😱

WHAT A CATCH TO PUT @uscfb ON TOP pic.twitter.com/WIsCrtvSmL

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 27, 2025

5. It seems like different Ohio State defenders step up every week. Saturday at Washington, it was Caden Curry and Kayden McDonald. What do you like about those prospects?

Baumgardner: The first thing that stands out with Curry is his effort. He’s not very big (6 feet 2, 255 pounds), but you have to search for plays when he’s not running to the ball or doing all he can to close a pocket. The former basketball player empties his tank on every rep and is a really well-balanced athlete.

McDonald, meantime, can be an absolute house on wheels. He has outstanding balance and feet (at north of 320 pounds), can make plays out of his area and is hard to knock out of his square. You saw the power and general athleticism on his one-armed sack in the fourth quarter Saturday. He’s still pretty young in terms of career snaps, but he’ll be a draft riser if he keeps this up.

Brugler: Ohio State had a specific game plan against Washington — play contain, force QB Demond Williams Jr. to win from the pocket and expect that someone from the Buckeyes’ front four would get home eventually.

To Williams’ credit, he made some nice throws and was up for the challenge, but Ohio State’s plan wore down Washington’s offense. Curry didn’t have many “quick wins,” but he was assignment-sound and his motor directly affected the backfield. Though Curry got the stats in the box score, the Buckeyes’ coverage, including a spy — usually Arvell Reese — deserve just as much credit for limiting Washington’s offense.

(Top photo of Ty Simpson: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)