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Big 12 (BYU vs. Texas Tech)
When thinking about Texas Tech, the two names that instantly stand out are edge rushers Romello Height and David Bailey. Both will go in the first round of the NFL draft, and both have been monsters coming off the edge for the Red Raiders. 
Bailey is a little undersized, but he doesn’t play like it, utilizing his speed and finesse to get around the edge. Height is about the same, and both have pass-rush win rates over 20 percent. Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has made statement after statement this season for Texas Tech, and it’s no surprise he’s someone to look out for on Saturday.
Offensive guard Davion Carter looks to be a day 3 pick in April, but he’s a sturdy guard who’s only given up one sack this season. He’s better at a zone-blocking scheme, making him a fit for a plethora of offenses at the NFL level.
BYU has two talented players in receiver Chase Roberts and defensive lineman Keanu Tanuvasa. Roberts is a big receiver at 6-foot-4, making him a significant threat on the outside—a big mismatch for smaller corners.Tanuvasa, if he comes out, is tracking to be a day 3 pick on the interior of the defensive line, but has a good frame for the NFL level. He has a 3.6 percent run-stop rate this season for the Cougars.
SEC (Alabama vs. Georgia)
The SEC championship game always has some quality NFL talent, and this year is no different. Alabama is headlined by quarterback Ty Simpson, who jumped onto the scene in his first year starting for the Crimson Tide. He’s a confident, but at times too confident, quarterback who is eager to push the ball down the field. There are many traits for NFL teams to like about Simpson.
Alongside him on the offensive side of the ball are tackle Kadyn Procter and receiver Germie Bernard. Procter is a big offensive tackle who will likely go in round 1 in April, and Bernard is likely a day 2 pick, but with late-day 1 upside as a receiver.
On the defensive end, Crimson Tide linebacker Deontae Lawson stands out the most to me, tracking to be a day 2 pick. He’s a downhill linebacker who is efficient at stopping the run. With him is edge LT Overton, who jumps out with his big frame and excels at stopping the run with a 9.8 percent run-stop rate.
The Bulldogs don’t have many offensive weapons that stand out in this draft, but offensive tackle Monroe Feeling and tight end Oscar Delp are the two to watch out for from Georgia. Feeling has a massive frame of 6-foot-7, 315 pounds and is another tackle who can go day 2 if he were to declare for the 2026 NFL draft. Delp is likely more of a mid-round right end, but he has good size and reliable hands at the position.
Defensive linemen Christian Miller and linebacker CJ Allen both will look to make some noise against the Alabama offense. Miller has played exceptionally this season and could find himself going in the later picks of round 1 in April. Allen is another off-ball linebacker who will likely go on day 2 of the draft and make an immediate impact the second he gets into the NFL.
Big 10 (Ohio State vs. Indiana)
No. 1 vs. No.2. This game between Ohio State and Indiana will be a treat to watch, and with two talented teams, there is certainly plenty of NFL talent between these two teams.
The Buckeyes have at least four NFL first-rounders on the defensive side of the ball – safety Caleb Downs, linebacker Arvell Reese, linebacker Sonny Styles and defensive tackle Kayden McDonald. Downs and Reese are likely to be top-10 picks in April, thanks to their versatility on the defensive end.
Reese is a true sideline-to-sideline player who can rush, drop in coverage, play man and spy a quarterback all efficiently. Downs is in contention to be the best player in the draft, and he should be. Just an ultra-talented defensive back who is smart, can hit hard and is sticky in coverage. Edge Kenyatta Jackson is likely to be a day 2 pick in the draft and has achieved some finesse over the past couple of weeks for the Buckeyes. He’s 6-foot-6, 265 pounds out on the edge.
Offensively for Ohio State (wish I could list Jeremiah Smith, but we gotta wait one more year), it’s headlined by receiver Carnell Tate. Tate burst onto the scene fully this season and is highlighted by his elite ability to make contested catches. Another player to watch is offensive tackle Austin Siereveld. He hasn’t allowed a sack yet this season at the left tackle position and is another candidate to be a day 2 pick in April if he does come out.
Can’t talk about the Hoosiers without starting with quarterback Fernando Mendoza. He’s in play to be the first pick in April with his elite size and IQ at the quarterback position. His receivers, because of his play, have raised their stock in Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. On the offensive line for the Hoosiers, tackle Carter Smith stands out the most. 6-foot-5, 313 pounds, and has only given up five pressures this season. That’s right. He hasn’t allowed Mendoza to get sacked or hit all season long. It will be fun to see the potential of him and Reese lining up against each other.
The main defensive staple for Indiana is corner D’Angelo Ponds. Ponds is a smaller corner at 5-foot-9, 173 pounds, but man, he doesn’t play like it. He loves to tackle, and he’s so aggressive out on the edge that you ignore his physicals while watching. The matchup of Smith and Tate will be a big test for Ponds, but he’s likely to move into more of a slot role in the NFL.
ACC (Duke vs. Virginia)
The Blue Devils may be 7-5, but after a whole lot of tiebreakers and some help from rivals in the ACC, they made the ACC championship game. Duke has quality NFL talent on its roster, and it all starts with cornerback Chandler Rivers.
Rivers is 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, but man, he doesn’t play like it. His route-combination IQ is the first thing that jumps out when watching him, and his ability to break on those routes is special. He didn’t have quite the 2025 that some expected, but he still showed the same flashes he did in 2024, which put him on people’s radars. Alongside Rivers is edge rusher Vicnent Anthony Jr. He’s a big edge rusher at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds and could fit in a 3-4 scheme at the next level. In 2025, with Duke, he posted an 11.4 percent pass-rush win rate and totaled seven sacks.
Offensively, for Duke, offensive tackle Brian Parker II has stood out so far this season. He’s tracking to be a day 2 pick if he were to come out for the 2026 draft. Parker allowed only three sacks this season and excels at a zone run blocking scheme.
For Virginia, the main guy to look out for is running back J’Mari Taylor. He made a statement this season with a 150-yard, three-touchdown game against NC State and hasn’t looked back since. He forced 52 missed tackles this season and is a one-cut and downhill type of back.
