- Jayden Maiava faces a major test: The USC quarterback enters his matchup against Ohio State with a 90.3 PFF overall grade, the second-highest among the top 10 quarterbacks on PFF's 2027 NFL Draft big board.
- Kelley Jones and Cam Coleman headline a key matchup: The Mississippi State cornerback will face the Texas wide receiver, who is looking to rebound after being held to 12 receiving yards against Ole Miss.
- Jadan Baugh meets an elite run defender: The Florida running back faces Georgia linebacker Chris Cole, whose 88.0 PFF run-defense grade leads all starting SEC linebackers.
We enter the final five weeks of the 2026 college football regular season with just as many questions as answers surrounding many of the top prospects in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The sport's top conferences have produced frequent upsets this season, and with that, it can become difficult to separate the performances of individual draft prospects from those of their teams. PFF grades every player on every play of every game to help provide a clearer picture of which prospects are performing best and boosting their draft stock in the process.
In the business of evaluating prospects, though, not everything can be determined by how well a player performs on Saturdays. A college quarterback who proves he can make an NFL-caliber throw but follows it up with a boneheaded interception is still likely to attract more attention from NFL evaluators than a passer who plays it safe and does little to elevate his team.
This emphasis on projectable, coachable traits over raw production is something we must keep in mind as these players enter their final month of college football.
It's not the most exciting slate of college football this Saturday, with only two teams ranked inside the top 15 of the AP poll favored by 10 points or fewer. Still, evaluators will have plenty of draft prospects to feast their eyes on.
Can QB Jayden Maiava enter the first-round conversation?
USC fell out of the rankings last week after a road loss to Wisconsin in which its offense managed just seven points and quarterback Jayden Maiava recorded a passer rating of 61.7. The stat sheet may have been unfair to Maiava, who had more turnovers than turnover-worthy plays.
Despite this blip, Maiava is enjoying an otherwise stellar season. His 90.3 overall PFF grade is the second-highest among the top 10 quarterbacks on PFF's big board. This week may present his toughest test to date. Ohio State‘s defense is allowing just 13.4 points per game, and the Buckeyes are riding a five-game winning streak.
Ohio State draft prospects such as edge defender Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and safety Jaylen McClain have boosted their stock over the past couple of months. McClain didn't get off to a flying start, but he's grown more comfortable in his deep-roaming free safety role. He has earned an 85.2 PFF grade over his past four games.
This will be an interesting challenge for the Buckeyes‘ defense, considering it hasn't faced a legitimate 2027 quarterback prospect since its loss to Arch Manning‘s Texas team.
CB Kelley Jones squares off with WR Cam Coleman
Mississippi State‘s trip to Austin to face the Texas Longhorns doesn't look nearly as enticing as it did a month ago. The loss of starting quarterback Kamario Taylor has been a huge blow to the Bulldogs' 2026 aspirations.
In a good example of separating talented players from struggling units, Mississippi State cornerback Kelley Jones is still considered one of the best defensive backs in the 2027 draft class, despite his defense ranking 129th in the FBS in passing yards allowed.
This could be one of the last opportunities for a get-right game for Texas quarterback Arch Manning. He'll have to do it without left tackle Trevor Goosby — the No. 1 offensive lineman on PFF's big board is out for the season with a knee injury. Texas is banged up elsewhere, too, with premier pass rusher Collin Simmons listed as questionable and wide receiver Cam Coleman listed as probable.
Coleman needs a bounce-back performance of his own. He's coming off his lowest-graded game in more than a year against Ole Miss last week, when he was held to just 12 receiving yards and dropped a potential 59-yard touchdown pass from Manning.
Kelley Jones will be a tough matchup despite the significant talent gap between the two teams. He's practically the only cornerback on Coleman's schedule with a size advantage over the 6-foot-3 wide receiver, as Jones is listed at 6-foot-4.
Top-tier run game matchup in Atlanta
The neutral-site rivalry game between Florida and Georgia on Saturday showcases talent all over the field, but particularly when Florida is running the ball. Running back Jadan Baugh got off to an incredible start this season, establishing himself as the upcoming draft‘s RB1 in the eyes of many.
He has cooled off to an extent in recent weeks. His past three games have resulted in his three lowest overall PFF grades of the season. He hasn't averaged more than four yards per carry in a game since Florida upset Ole Miss more than a month ago.
Baugh is still a high-quality back who can offer NFL teams every-down rushing ability and versatility in the passing game. This week will present his sternest challenge yet. He must ply his trade against Georgia linebacker Chris Cole, a potential top-10 draft pick. The top-ranked linebacker on PFF's big board has earned an 88.0 PFF run-defense grade — the highest of any starting linebacker in the SEC.
Cole draws comparisons to former Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith. He is a sensational athlete who can run sideline to sideline and shut down outside-zone runs while closing down passing lanes to the flat. NFL scouts are enamored with his range and the attitude he brings to his defense.
After allowing Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown to rush for more than 100 yards, primarily on designed runs, Georgia‘s defense returns from a much-needed bye week with a point to prove in a huge rivalry game.
Which Arizona State receiver will shine vs. BYU?
Respite is few and far between for BYU. After the emotional high of its upset win over Notre Dame, followed by the low of an overtime loss to UCF, the Cougars must now contend with an Arizona State offense willing to push the ball downfield to its talented pair of wide receivers.
Wide receivers Reed Harris and Omarion Miller are both inside the top 100 of PFF's 2027 big board, but they have been trending in opposite directions all season. Miller was once viewed as a candidate to sneak into the end of the first round, but he has been thoroughly outperformed by teammate Reed Harris so far this year.
Harris' 3.16 yards per route run is double Miller's mark. Last week was his fourth game of the season with more than 125 receiving yards. BYU allowed 125 receiving yards to Notre Dame‘s Jaden Greathouse and 137 to UCF‘s Tyren Hornes in back-to-back weeks. This is a great opportunity for either receiver to make a statement against a top-10 team.
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