Week 8 in the college football calendar presents an incredibly appetizing slate of matchups. There are various must-watch contests on the schedule, including LSU-Vanderbilt, South Carolina-Oklahoma, Ole Miss-Georgia, Tennessee-Alabama, and USC-Notre Dame. With NFL scouts in attendance around the nation, this will be a decisive weekend in the 2026 NFL Draft process.

Our Draft Network 100 rankings received a timely update last week. Several prospects possess opportunities for “resume games” against legitimate opposition in Week 8. With an eye pointed toward the action, we’ve identified five prospects who can raise their draft stock this weekend.

Chris Bell, WR, Louisville

Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell made his first appearance in our first-round NFL mock draft. The big-bodied senior wideout has been on an absolute tear in recent weeks. In thrilling contests with Pittsburgh and Virginia (the previous two games), Bell’s combined stat line reads 22 receptions for 305 yards and three touchdowns.

The Cardinals are multi-score underdogs versus the No. 2-ranked Miami Hurricanes this Friday. Jeff Brohm’s offense will likely be chasing the game against an undefeated Miami team. Bell should receive plenty of opportunities to stack another eye-popping showing against legitimate competition.

John Mateer (QB, Oklahoma) and LaNorris Sellers (QB, South Carolina)

The best quarterback matchup of the week for scouting purposes takes place between Oklahoma and South Carolina. Both John Mateer and LaNorris Sellers need bounce-back performances. Mateer may have returned prematurely from an injury, throwing three interceptions in last weekend’s loss to Texas. Meanwhile, Sellers hasn’t thrown a touchdown in back-to-back weeks and looked especially pedestrian against LSU.

Sellers dropped to No. 38 (QB6) in our latest Draft Network 100 prospect rankings. Both quarterbacks badly need to course-correct. NFL scouts will be watching Mateer and Sellers in their head-to-head matchup this weekend.

Joshua Josephs, EDGE, Tennessee

Tennessee EDGE Joshua Josephs was a big-time climber in our 2026 NFL Draft big board update. The athletic Josephs has been productive this season. The Marietta, Georgia native has 4.0 sacks, including ones against Georgia and Mississippi State.

Josephs will arguably play in the biggest spotlight of his career to date versus Alabama this weekend. The No. 6-ranked Crimson Tide is rolling, with quarterback Ty Simpson playing his way into the first-round conversation. Josephs’ pre-draft stock would continue soaring with a good showing against Alabama.

Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame

There will be a ton of wide receiver talent on the field between USC and Notre Dame. The Trojans’ duo of Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon is the best one-two punch in the nation. Notre Dame’s Malachi Fields will possess an opportunity in the national limelight to shift the conversation.

Fields profiles as a big-bodied “X” receiver in an NFL offense. With the Fighting Irish offense struggling this year, he’s only scored two touchdowns and has yet to record 100 yards in any single-game showing. Fields would love to prove he’s a Lane-Lemon caliber of prospect.

Zion Young, EDGE, Missouri

Missouri EDGE Zion Young was another climber in our Draft Network 100 update. The No. 46-ranked prospect (10th-best EDGE) has three sacks this year, including takedowns in recent standout showings against South Carolina and Alabama.

Young displays terrific power and strength as a pass rusher. The Tigers are slight favorites in an exciting matchup with Auburn this weekend. Young’s pre-draft stock could continue trending in the appropriate direction with another stellar performance.