Daniel “The Draftnick” – Some of College Football’s best face off this Saturday

By Daniel Rios “Daniel the Draftnick” 

For some NFL fan bases across the country, the season is already over in their minds – it’s time to look forward to the offseason. The first step is getting familiar with the top college football talent who will be on top of draft boards in the draft. For this weekend of college football, if your team needs a quarterback, you’d better be on your coach on Saturday, because some of college football’s best will be facing off against each other.

Indiana vs. Oregon Dante Moore vs. Fernando Mendoza Fernando Mendoza is asserting himself as the top quarterback in the 2026 draft. The two traits getting him there? Ball placement and accuracy. His four-touchdown performance against Illinois skyrocketed his name among draft boards, and a strong performance against Oregon can lock him into top-5 conversations for the rest of the season. Orchestrating the offense, keeping up with Mendoza is Dante Moore, who’s been one of the bigger surprises in college football. Moore played at UCLA for his true freshman season and redshirted last year at Oregon – with Dillon Gabriel going to the NFL, he got his shot to run the Ducks’ offense and hasn’t disappointed. His competitive edge in “gotta have it moments” shone when the Ducks were on the road against Penn State.

LSU vs. South Carolina Garret Nussmeier vs. LaNorris Sellers

Nussmeier was my No. 1-ranked quarterback heading into this season. It hasn’t panned out that way for Nussmeier, who’s been struggling behind a poor LSU offensive line. Despite the struggles, Nussmeier has the tools to negate these issues and perform like a top quarterback in the country. He hasn’t shown the poise and anticipation he did a season ago, but there are still flashes. Sellers was No. 3 for me, and despite missing time against Vanderbilt, he just rises to the occasion. Turn on any South Carolina game from this season, and Sellers is making some sort of magical play with his legs or strong arm in the fourth quarter. He has the clutch gene so many NFL teams look for, and with a little bit more consistency pushing the ball down the field, Sellers can see his name projected in the first round throughout the spring.

Utah vs. Arizona State Caleb Lomu and Spencer Fano vs. Clayton Smith

The Utes possess a luxury this season, having two first-round picks playing tackle for them in Caleb Lomu and Spencer Fano. Fano plays right and Lomu left, respectively. Fano has power but struggles with faster rushers towards the outside. Nonetheless, his ability to change direction at his 6-foot-6, 302-pound size is intriguing, and he’ll certainly draw NFL attention for the remainder of the season. Lomu, on the other hand, is the quicker of the two and has exceptional technique. He’s basically the same size as Fano, standing at 6-foot-6, 304 pounds. His main weakness is sustaining blocks in the running game. For ASU, Clayton Smith will most likely be a later-round pick in the draft, but his athletic profile and build scream NFL pass rusher. He was No. 61 in Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List” before the season for hitting 22.1 mph on the GPS while being 6-foot-4, 252 pounds. He’s a former five-star who began his career at Oklahoma and currently leads the Sun Devils in sacks and pressures with four and 17, respectively. 

Georgia vs. Auburn Christian Miller vs. Keldric Faulk

Faulk likely will be a top 10 pick in April because of his size and versatility. He’s lined up everywhere along the defensive line, using elite hand usage mixed with his long arms to disrupt anything the offense tries to throw at him. Miller is explosive off the line, having a quick first step, giving him the ability to shoot gaps and create penetration fast. He’s a sound run defender and has a high motor all in a 6-foot-4, 310-pound frame.

Ohio State vs. Illinois

Arvell Reese Learn the name now because everyone in a couple of months will be raving about Reese. He’s a 6-foot-4, 243-pound linebacker who has strength, IQ and most importantly, speed. Any defensive coordinator in the NFL would be ecstatic to get him with his versatility to line up anywhere and cause havoc. If you see the No. 8 running around the entirety of the field in this match up, making plays, don’t be surprised, cause that’s normal.