Senior Bowl 2026 – Defensive Battle Decides Outcome

Frank Coyle & Staff @ draftinsiders.com

The Senior Bowl 2026 was a defensive battle with the American Team defeating the National Team, 17-9 on Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.

The defense shined on both teams with three takeaways at the 77th annual all-star contest instrumental in the outcome. The game featured 130+ top prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft, though many opt outs which effected the continuity of especially the offensive play.

QB Garrett Nussmeier of LSU earned game MVP honors, leading touchdown drives on the American team’s first two possessions while connecting on 5 of 8 passes for 57 yards. He had a rushing TD and a two-point-conversion throw to Notre Dame WR Malachi Fields. Nussmeier was limited by a few key drops by Stanford’s Sam Roush and Wyoming’s John Michael Gyllenborg for first downs. He did answer many questions related to his current health with good movement in the pocket, accuracy throwing and sound decision making.

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The running back group shined with several backs performing well. Indiana’s Kaelon Black had an impressive showing with a game-high 45 yards on eight carries. He delivered a few hard runs between the tackles and caught two passes for nine yards.

Oklahoma’s Jaydn Ott performed well in a critical opportunity after little playing time in 2025 for the Sooners last season. He ran for 42 yards and a TD on eight carries. He played fast in practices showing quickness to the hole plus the power to break tackles. Arkansas’ Mike Washington Jr. also stood out, running for 26 yards on five carries plus 1 reception.

The offensive lines also had a few standouts, including Arizona State OT Max Iheanachor, Georgia Tech OG Keylan Rutledge and Florida C Jake Slaughter. All improved his status significantly.

Defensive edge Nadame Tucker had a strong performance with 5 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 TFL and 1 FF. He raised his stock vs top competition and is a player to watch during the workout phase of the evaluation. LB Bryice Boettcher was outstanding combining keen instincts, strong tackling and excellent range. He totaled 10 tackles displaying the ability to fill the hole and the range to make stops outside the hashes.

NFL Salary Cap Increases Over 300M

Staff @ draftinsiders.com

The NFL salary cap 2026 has been raised once again with the league projecting a range of over 301 – 305 million.  The league informed clubs this week it is projecting a salary cap in the range of $301.2 million to $305.7 million for the upcoming 2026 season, reports at NFL Network.

This increase would represent a boost of more than $20 million from the 2025 mark of $279.2 million and reach nearly $100 million in additional space since the $208.2 million cap set for the 2022 season.

The projection follows the same pattern exhibited in recent increases. The cap jumped by $23.8 million from 2024 to 2025, creating excesses of space that exceeded $70 million for some teams. It increased some teams even more and the eventual 2025 AFC champion New England Patriots who were very active in the free agent market.

Over recent history, the salary cap continues to produce greater cap limits in future years. The projected number for 2026 more than doubles annual salary caps from mid 2015 seasons. It has been instrumental in the incredible growth and prosperity for the league. The TV market also reflects the amazing annual growth of the NFL industry.

East-West Shrine Bowl -West Rallies for Win
Mark Gronowski Shines On All-Star Stage

Frisco, Texas — The West team rallied to beat the East for a 21-17 win in the 101st edition of the Shrine Bowl.  Iowa QB Mark Gronowski was named the game’s Offensive MVP after throwing for 86 yards and rushing for another 28. Wisconsin edge defender Mason Reiger who a strong performance with four tackles and three sacks which earned him Defensive MVP honors.

Gronowski is extremely interesting prospect who transferred to Iowa for his final season. At 6-2, 235, he has good athleticism and an ability to do damage as a scrambler. He has a strong arm and the ability to scramble and move the chains in key situations. He is a very good athlete and an intriguing prospect, who will be watched closely at the NFL Combine next month.

We will have an extensive review of the East-West week in our February Newsletter.  Free for Full subscribers.

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2026 Senior Bowl Week Opens

Mobile, Al
Frank Coyle / Head scout

Senior Bowl Schedule

Jan. 26- Jan. 31
Weigh-in – Monday Jan 26
Practices – Tuesday, Jan. 27-29

Mardi Gras Parade & Concert (Jan. 30)

Senior Bowl All-Star Game – Jan. 31 – Saturday

The 2026 Senior Bowl week opened with the official weigh-in of over  12- athletes. Full measurements will be revealed later this week. The game takes place on Saturday, January 31st. The game will kick off at 1:30 pm (CST) from Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. It will be broadcast live on NFL Network.

The Senior Bowl has been the premier All-Star game for several decades and is considered the unofficial “Start of the Draft”. Frank Coyle has been a scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl for over 20 years. He and his  staff have attended the Senior Bowl for over 30 years. We will have several scouts at this year’s week long event.

Below, we will list every player’s measurements slated to play in the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl.

Updated new players will be posted when measurements become available.

2026 Senior Bowl Official Measurements

Position/ Name /School/ Height /Weight / Hand Arm Wing

CB Julian Neal Arkansas 6014 202
CB Hezekiah Masses Cal 6005 180
CB Chandler Rivers Duke 5093 185
CB Daylen Everette Georgia 6007 193
CB TJ Hall Iowa 6004 188
CB Thaddeus Dixon North Carolina 6004 194
CB Fred Davis II Northwestern 6000 197
CB Davison Igbinosun Ohio State 6020 192
CB Chris Johnson San Diego State 6002 190
CB Jalon Kilgore South Carolina 6007 211
CB Collin Wright Stanford 6000 186
CB Charles Demmings Stephen F. Austin 6010 191
CB Colton Hood Tennessee 5116 188
CB Jalen McMurray Tennessee 5105 179
CB Malik Muhammad Texas 5117 183
CB Ephesians Prysock Washington 6027 194

DL Tim Keenan III Alabama 6011 332
DL Cameron Ball Arkansas 6035 313
DL Caleb Banks Florida
DL Rayshaun Benny Michigan 6030 296
DL Deven Eastern Minnesota 6054 301
DL Chris McClellan Missouri 6033 315
DL Gracen Halton Oklahoma 6024 293
DL Zane Durant Penn State 6007 290
DL Jeffrey M’Ba SMU 6054 316
DL Nick Barrett South Carolina 6030 315
DL Bryson Eason Tennessee 6023 316
DL Lee Hunter Texas Tech 6034 320

EDGE LT Overton Alabama 6026 278
EDGE Keyron Crawford Auburn 6037 251
EDGE Quintayvious Hutchins Boston College 6024 229
EDGE T.J. Parker Clemson 6035 263
EDGE Vincent Anthony Jr. Duke 6053 246
EDGE Tyreak Sapp Florida
EDGE Gabe Jacas Illinois 6031 260
EDGE Max Llewellyn Iowa 6052 255
EDGE Derrick Moore Michigan 6034 254
EDGE Zion Young Missouri 6052 262
EDGE Cian Slone NC State 6031 239
EDGE Dani Dennis-Sutton Penn State 6053 268
EDGE Romello Height Texas Tech 6023 234
EDGE Logan Fano Utah 6043 258
EDGE Nadame Tucker Western Michigan
EDGE Nyjalik Kelly UCF

IOL Jake Slaughter Florida 6044 305
IOL Keylan Rutledge Georgia Tech 6033 316
IOL Beau Stephens Iowa 6050 310
IOL Sam Hecht Kansas State 6042 297
IOL Jalen Farmer Kentucky 6046 322
IOL James Brockermeyer Miami (FL) 6031 297

K Will Ferrin BYU 6023 179
K Drew Stephens Iowa 6011 211

LB Keyshaun Elliott Arizona State 6015 233
LB Xavian Sorey Jr. Arkansas 6017 220
LB Jack Kelly BYU 6011 246
LB Owen Heinecke Oklahoma 6011 224
LB Bryce Boettcher Oregon 6007 227
LB Kyle Louis Pittsburgh 5116 224
LB Namdi Obiazor TCU 6023 224
LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr TCU 6015 233
LB Scooby Williams Texas A&M 6021 217
LB Jacob Rodriguez Texas Tech 6011 233

LS Beau Gardner Georgia 6046 251
LS Luke Basso Oregon 6031 236

OT Max Iheanachor Arizona State 6055 325
OT Fernando Carmona Arkansas 6044 318
OT Jeremiah Wright Auburn 6050 340
OT Kage Casey Boise State 6052 309
OT Jude Bowry Boston College 6047 314
OT Logan Taylor Boston College 6063 305
OT Delby Lemieux Dartmouth 6050 305
OT Austin Barber Florida 6065 318
OT JC Davis Illinois 6042 335
OT Gennings Dunker Iowa 6047 320
OT Alan Herron Maryland 6046 321
OT Markel Bell Miami (FL)
OT Ethan Onianwa Ohio State 6062 332
OT Dametrious Crownover Texas A&M 6067 331
OT Trey Zuhn III Texas A&M 6063 309
OT Carver Willis Washington 6045 305

P Brett Thorson Georgia 6012 240
P Ryan Eckley Michigan State 6005 199

QB Taylen Green Arkansas 6060 229
QB Sawyer Robertson Baylor 6035 221
QB Luke Altmyer Illinois 6012 210
QB Garrett Nussmeier LSU 6010 202
QB Cole Payton North Dakota State 6023 229
QB Diego Pavia Vanderbilt 5097 198

RB Mike Washington Arkansas 6004 228
RB Adam Randall Clemson 6025 233
RB Kejon Owens FIU
RB Kaelon Black Indiana 5096 208
RB Seth McGowan Kentucky 5115 215
RB Jaydn Ott Oklahoma 5107 202
RB Kaytron Allen Penn State 5111 220
RB Nick Singleton Penn State 6000 221
RB Rahsul Faison South Carolina
RB Le’Veon Moss Texas A&M
RB J’Mari Taylor Virginia 5091 205

S VJ Payne Kansas State 6031 210
S Wydett Williams Mississippi
S DeShon Singleton Nebraska 6024 212
S Jalen Stroman Notre Dame 6003 198
S Zakee Wheatley Penn State 6026 201
S Kamari Ramsey Southern Cal 5117 199
S Bud Clark TCU 6010 185
S Michael Taaffe Texas 5115 193
S Skyler Thomas Oregon State

TE Josh Cuevas Alabama 6030 252
TE Tanner Koziol Houston 6064 245
TE Justin Joly NC State 6030 251
TE Will Kacmarek Ohio State 6050 262
TE Matthew Hibner SMU
TE Sam Roush Stanford 6055 259
TE Dan Villari Syracuse 6040 243
TE DJ Rogers TCU 6030 242
TE Nate Boerkircher Texas A&M
TE John Michael Gyllenborg Wyoming 6053 251

WR Josh Cameron Baylor 6012 223
WR Lewis Bond Boston College 5110 197
WR Cyrus Allen Cincinnati 5111 180
WR Ted Hurst Georgia State 6032 207
WR Ty Montgomery John Carroll 5113 190
WR Caulin Lacy Louisville 5083 189
WR Aaron Anderson LSU 5075 177
WR Barion Brown LSU 5107 176
WR Harrison Wallace III Mississippi 5115 194
WR Kevin Coleman Missouri 5110 174
WR Malachi Fields Notre Dame 6040 218
WR Jordan Hudson SMU 6007 198
WR Romello Brinson SMU
WR Devin Voison South Alabama 5097 182
WR Ja’Kobi Lane Southern Cal 6041 196
WR Caleb Douglas Texas Tech 6032 198
WR Reggie Virgil Texas Tech 6023 188
WR Vinnie Anthony II Wisconsin 5116 185

Seattle vs New England in Super Bowl LX Hold Final Selections

NFL Draft 2026 – ‘The Raiders are ‘On the Clock’!
 Jets, Cardinals, Titans & Giants, Hold Top 5 Selections

 2026 NFL Draft Selection Order

The NFL Conference championship games have finalized the top 30 selections in the frist round of the NFL Draft 2026. It will be Seattle vs New England in Super Bowl LX after winning confereence titles.  Neither team even made the playoffs after the 2024 season.

With the closure of the regular season schedule and the early playoff games, the NFL Draft order has been established for the top 30 non-playoff teams. Four teams hold a 3-14 record with the Raiders landing the 1st overall selection on the weaker strength of schedule.  The Jets, Cardinals and Titans hold the next three selections with each club at 3-14. These clubs started multiple QBs in 2025 after several injuries and poor performances forced weekly changes at the position. Of the top five teams, only the Giants with rookie Jaxson Dart and Titans with rookie QB Cam Ward have bona fide starters set for the coming years.

The Giants are next at the 5th pick at 4-13 and within reach of trading up for an earlier selection. It is the usual suspects in the top ten with several pretenders like the Chiefs and Bengals both falling below the .500 mark with weak 2025 performances.

The bottom 12 playoff positions will be decided by playoffs results. The Super Bowl teams will hold the 31st and 32nd positions.  The strength of schedule % will determine the final positions of all tied teams. The SOS is based on all of each team’s opponents record. Each succeeding round, the tied teams will rotate up within their tied bracket.

First Round Draft Order

#           Team                                     W-L record          

1           Las Vegas                             3-14

2           NY Jets                                  3-14

3           Arizona                                  3-14

4           Tennessee                            3-14

5           NY Giants                              4-13

6           Cleveland                             5-12

7           Washington                          5-12

8           New Orleans                         6-11

9           Kansas City                           6-11

10           Cincinnati                              6-11

11           Miami                                     7-10

12           Dallas                                    7-9-1

13           LA Rams (Atlanta)               8-9

14           Baltimore                              8-9

15           Tampa Bay                           8-9

16           NY Jets (Indianapolis)        8-9

17           Detroit                                    9-8

18           Minnesota                             9-8

19           Carolina                                8-10

20           Dallas (Green Bay)              9-8-1

          Playoff Teams

21           Pittsburgh                              10-7

22           LA Chargers                         11-6

23           Philadelphia                         11-6

24           San Francisco                      12-5

25           Chicago                                 12-6

26           Houston                                 12-5

27           Cleveland (Jacksonville)    13-5

28           Buffalo                                   13-5

29           LA Rams                               13-5

30           Denver                                   14-3

  Super Bowl Opponents

31           New England                        14-3

32           Seattle                                   14-3

All ties in record are broken by current strength of schedule.  Then head to head determines order.
Atlanta, Green Bay, Jacksonville and Indianapolis all currently do not have 1st-round selections from prior deals.

March 11, 2026
The 2026 League Year and Free agency signing period begins at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Trading period for 2026 begins at 4:00 p.m. ET, after expiration of all 2025 contracts

Playoffs – Divisional, Conference & Super Bowl games determine final 8 positions

A teams’ opponent’s W-L record will determine all tie situations. Teams that are still tied will flip though none necessary this year. Playoff teams will shuffle according to their postseason results to determine the final top 32 selections. Super Bowl game will determine final two positions.

 Team tie-breaking procedure for the NFL Draft
If two or more clubs are tied in the selection order, the strength-of-schedule tie breaker is applied, subject to the following exceptions for playoff clubs: The Super Bowl winner is last and the Super Bowl loser next-to-last. Any non-Super Bowl playoff club involved in a tie shall be assigned priority within its segment below that of non-playoff clubs and in the order that the playoff clubs exited from the playoffs. Within a tied segment a playoff club that loses in the Wild-Card game will have priority over a playoff club that loses in the Divisional playoff game that in turn will have priority over a club that loses in the Conference Championship game. If two tied clubs exited the playoffs in the same round, the tie is broken by strength of schedule. If any ties cannot be broken by strength of schedule, the divisional or conference tie breakers, when applicable, are applied. Any ties that still exist are broken by a coin flip.

NFL Draft 2026 – First Round Mock Draft 2.0

      Frank Coyle / Head scout

     Team                  Rec           Player                       Pos        School 

First Round

1         Las Vegas        3-14      Fernando Mendoza        QB         Indiana

2         NY Jets            3-14      Arvell Reese                  LB          Ohio St

3         Arizona             3-14      Francis Mauigoa            OT        Miami (Fl)

4         Tennessee        3-14      Rueben Bain                  Edge      Miami (Fl)

5         NY Giants         4-13      Spencer Fano               OT         Utah

6         Cleveland          5-12      Caleb Downs                 S            Ohio St

7         Washington       5-12      Jordyn Tyson                 WR       Arizona St

8         New Orleans     6-11      Carnell Tate                  WR        Ohio State

9         Kansas City      6-11      Keldric Faulk                 Edge     Auburn

10         Cincinnati          6-11      Caleb Lomu                   OT         Utah

11         Miami               7-10      Mansoor Delane            CB         LSU

12         Dallas               7-9-1     David Bailey                  Edge    Texas Tech

13         LA Rams (Atl)   8-9        Kadyn Proctor                OT        Alabama

14         Baltimore          8-9        T.J. Parker                    Edge      Clemson

15         Tampa Bay       8-9        Peter Woods                 DL         Clemson

16         NY Jets (Indy)   8-9        Ty Simpson                   QB        Alabama

Draft Insiders’ Pro Prospect Positional Rankings – Top 300 Players for the NFL Draft 2026 – available now
Special Deluxe Package available – January Newsletter – Underclassmen, Three Round MD – Top 150 Player Rankings

17         Detroit              9-8        Avieon Terrell                CB         Clemson

18         Minnesota         9-8        Sonny Styles                  LB         Ohio State

19         Carolina            8-9        Kenyon Sadiq                TE         Oregon

20         Dallas (GB)       9-7-1     Jermod McCoy              CB         Tennessee

21         Pittsburgh         10-7      Jeremiyah Love             RB         Notre Dame

22         Chicago            11-6      Makai Lemon                 WR        USC

23         LA Chargers      11-6      Olaivavega Ioane          G           Penn St

24         Philadelphia      11-6      Chris Brazzell                WR        Tennessee

25         Buffalo             12-5      Kayden McDonald         DL         Ohio State

26         San Francisco   12-5      Colton Hood                   CB         Tennessee

27         Houston            12-5      C.J. Allen                       LB         Georgia

28         Cleveland (Jax) 13-4      Caleb Banks                  DL         Florida

Remaining Playoff Teams – changes with Conference Championship and Super Bowl games

29         LA Rams           12-5      Garrett Nussmeier         QB         LSU

30         New England    14-3      Denzel Boston               WR        Washington

31         Denver              14-3      Zachariah Branch          WR       Georgia

32         Seattle              14-3      Akheem Mesidor           Edge      Miami (Fl)

Underclassmen Announced by NFL Office
Forty-two players granted special eligibility for 2026 NFL Draft

The NFL announced the names of 42 players who have been granted special eligibility for the 2026 NFL Draft and 21 underclassmen who have fulfilled their degree requirements with college football eligibility remaining and are also eligible for selection in the draft. The 2026 draft is scheduled to be held April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.

Sixteen players applied for special eligibility prior to the newly instituted early “soft” deadline of Jan. 5, which was added to assist players and all-star game organizers in the planning and invitation process. Twenty-six additional players submitted their petitions prior to the traditional deadline of Jan. 14 to apply for special eligibility for the 2026 draft. This list does not include players that are playing in the FBS National Championship Game on Jan. 19. For those players, a “Championship” deadline of Jan. 23 has been added.

Each of the 42 players listed below have met the league’s three-year eligibility rule and have renounced their college football eligibility by submitting written notification to the league office on or before the Jan. 14 deadline. Consequently, they are eligible for selection:

Keith Abney, DB, Arizona State
C.J. Allen, LB, Georgia
Aaron Anderson, WR, LSU
Chase Bisontis, G, Texas A&M
Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia
Arion Carter, LB, Tennessee
Kage Casey, T, Boise State
Brandon Cisse, DB, South Carolina
K.C. Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
Dylan Devezin, RB, Notre Dame
Caleb Downs, DB, Ohio State
Charles Du, DB, Notre Dame
Logan Fano, DE, Utah
Spencer Fano, T, Utah
Jalen Farmer, G, Kentucky
Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn
Monroe Freeling, T, Georgia
Anthony Hill, LB, Texas
Colton Hood, DB, Tennessee
Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State
Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska
Max Klare, TE, Ohio State
Ja’Kobi Lane, WR, USC
Makai Lemon, WR, USC
Caleb Lomu, T, Utah
Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Jermod McCoy, DB, Tennessee
Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
Malik Muhammad, DB, Texas
Kamari Ramsey, DB, USC
Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
Jimmy Rolder, LB, Michigan
Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
Genesis Smith, DB, Arizona
Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
Avieon Terrell, DB, Clemson
Dillon Thieneman, DB, Oregon
Josiah Trotter, LB, Missouri
Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
Taurean York, LB, Texas A&M

The following underclassmen, have in timely fashion under NFL rules, officially notified the league office that they have fulfilled their degree requirements. Consequently, they are eligible for selection:

Jude Bowry, T, Boston College
Parker Brailsford, C, Alabama
Chris Brazzell, WR, Tennessee
Ryan Eckley, P, Michigan State
Jack Endries, TE, Texas
Jalon Kilgore, DB, South Carolina
Marlin Klein, TE, Michigan
Connor Lew, C, Auburn
Christen Miller, DT, Georgia
Brian Parker, T, Duke
T.J. Parker, DE, Clemson
Harold Perkins, LB, LSU
Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame
Kadyn Proctor, T, Alabama
Billy Schrauth, G, Notre Dame
Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
Aamil Wagner, T, Notre Dame
Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson
Wesley Williams, DE, Duke
Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
Collin Wright, DB, Stanford

Giants Signing HC John Harbaugh

The Giants have landed their man with the verbal agreement, signing head coach John Harbaugh. The Giants moved quickly with Harbaugh who was shockingly fired after losing the Ravens’ season finale to the Steelers, eliminating them last week from the postseason. The Giants are finalizing a five-year contract to be announced latter this week.

Harbaugh holds a 180-113 regular-season record, the winningest coach in Ravens history by 100 victories. Under Harbaugh, the Ravens went to the playoffs in 12 of his 18 years, won six AFC North titles and won Super Bowl XLVII.

Rarely a coach of this caliber becomes available on the open market. The Giants were his first interview and they sold him on the top organization, young roster at key positions and the early open market on a coaching staff. Harbaugh is 63 years old after two decades in Baltimore. He commands the locker room and has coached every position on a team. There are expected to be many coaching changes on the Giants staff. Harbaugh is expected to bring OC Todd Monken along to help in the development of rookie QB Jaxson Dart. Monken set new records in 2024 when he led the Ravens to the #1 ranking in scoring in both passing and running along with producing 4000 yards passing and 3000 yards rushing. Monken has worked under Harbaugh for the last three seasons of his 11-year NFL career.

Declared Underclassmen for NFL Draft

January 15, 2026 – updated

Draft Insiders’ NFL Draft Prospects
Declaration Day – January 14th

QB Dante Moore Returns to Oregon
LB Sonny Styles Joins Buckeye’s  Underclassmen

Highly regarded Oregon QB Dante Moore gave up a chance to be a top pick in the 2026 NFL draft. He projected among the top 2-4 prospects in the NFL Draft 2026. He comes off a terrible performance vs #1 Indiana in the CFP Semi-finals which probably influenced his decision. He projects near the top of a very talented QB class for 2027.

By going back to Oregon, Moore, 20, gave up a chance to make nearly $50 million in guaranteed money. Last year’s #2 pick, Travis Hunter, made $46.65 million fully guaranteed, and that number projects to go up this year.  Moore, in his first season as a full-time starter, led Oregon to the CFP semifinals. He has started only 20 games as a college quarterback which is marginal experience for a young NFL starter.

In 2025, Moore threw for 3,565 yards and 30 TD for the Ducks. He completed 71.8% of his passes and threw 10 interceptions. He led the Ducks to the national semi-finals vs Indiana. He completed his off the worst performance of his short career vs undefeated #1 Indiana. He threw an interception on the first play of the game and had two fumbles in the Hoosiers blowout win, 56-22. Moore carries a blue chip grade and with additional vital experience at the position, he will compete for the top overall selection in the NFL Draft 2027 with Texas QB Arch Manning.

LB Sonny Styles joins a talented group of Ohio State underclassmen with many #1 picks especially on the defensive side of the ball. Styles carries a first round grade and a high level of development.  He figures in the late part of the first round currently. He is expected to play in the Senior Bowl and participate in the NFL Combine next month.

Oregon Safety Dillon Thieneman Declares for Draft
Tight Ends Kenyon Sadiq and  Max Klare Enter NFL Draft

Ohio State’s DT Kayden McDonald Joins LB Arvell Reese, Safety Caleb Downs and WR Carnell Tate 
Alabama QB Ty Simpson Officially Declares for NFL Draft

Updated Jan. 15
Frank Coyle

Today is Declaration day for Underclassmen for the NFL Draft 2026 with the exception of players in CFP natioinal title game on Jan. 19th. They will have until Jan 23rd to decide to stay in school or declare for the NFL Draft. Tight ends, Kenyon Sadiq and Max Klare entered yesterday to elevate the TE class significantly.

Ohio State’s DT Kayden McDonald and LB Arvell Reese joined safety Caleb Downs and wideout Carnell Tate as the next blue chip prospects to enter the NFL Draft. Reese and Downs carry top 3-5 grades at this point after outstanding careers in a number of roles in the Buckeyes heralded defense. Wideout Carnell Tate looks to become the next Buckeye receiver to be drafted in the first round. The Georgia Bulldogs lost linebacker CJ Allen and wideout Zachariah Branch after impressive 2025 performances. OT Spencer Fano of Utah sat out his team’s bowl game after an excellent 2025 performance and declared for the draft shortly afterwards. He ranks in the top ten selections currently in our new Top 150 pro prospect rankings in DraftInsiders.com current updated Newsletter.

Underclassmen Dates
With the NFL allowing draft-eligible underclassmen to participate in college all-star games, an early deadline of Jan. 5 gives players an opportunity to submit their petitions for special eligibility to the league sooner.

The traditional deadline for underclassmen to submit a petition to the league is Jan. 14. An extended deadline of Jan. 23 is exclusively for underclassmen on teams participating in the College Football Playoff National Championship game. Players have a three day window to rescind their decision and reenter the college ranks.

The upcoming NFL Draft will attract another strong group of underclassmen. Recently, numbers of underclassmen have fallend with the advent of the NIL and players moving easily in the transfer portal the d number of underclassmen have fallen annually.

Expect many new additions here over the day. This draft class will be a very heavy offensive talent group from both the underclassmen and senior classes.

In addition, to the underclassmen entering the pro ranks, many players opted out of their bowl game to prepare for the demanding NFL Draft postseason preparation. Both the All-star weeks and NFL Combine along with the critical pro day events become lasting impressions for a prospects final draft grade. These players have increased in recent years and this is a recent disturbing development with key players ending their college careers prior to their team’s most important postseason bowl game on the agenda.

With direct payments from schools to players now allowed, plus the NFL still having a rookie wage scale, you could see even more kids elect to return to college football this season.

Here is a school by school breakdown of who is in at this point. We will update this page through the league’s official underclassmen announcement date which will be Jan 23rd.

Declared Underclassmen – Top Pro Prospects

By school / alphabetically
Check Web site – draftinsiders.com for Updated List of Underclassmen thru late January
Players can opt out after declaring within the Declaration dates with a three day period to rescind their decision.

Alabama
Parker Brailsford
OT Kadyn Proctor
QB Ty Simpson

Arizona
S Genesis Smith

Arizona State
CB Keith Abney II
WR Jordyn Tyson

Auburn
Edge Keldric Faulk
OC Connor Lew

Boise State
OT Kage Casey

Boston College
OT Jude Bowry

Buffalo
LB Red Murdock

BYU
LB Isaiah Glasker
DT Keanu Tanuvasa
P Sam Vander Haar

Clemson
Edge T.J. Parker
CB Avieon Terrell
WR Antonio Williams
DT Peter Woods

Duke
OL Brian Parker II
Edge Wesley Williams

Florida
DT Caleb Banks

Florida State
QB Thomas Castillanos
CB Earl Little

Georgia
LB CJ Allen
WR Zachariah Branch
TE Oscar Delp
OT Monroe Freeling
DT Chrisitan Miller
P Brett Thorson

LSU
WR Aaron Anderson II

Michigan
TE Marlin Klein

Michigan State
P Ryan Eckley

Missouri
LB Josiah Trotter

Nebraska
RB Emmett Johnson

Northwestern
Edge Anto Saka

Notre Dame
RB Jeremiyah Love
RB Jadarian Price
OL Billy Schrauth
OL Aamil Wagner

Ohio State
S Caleb Downs
TE Max Klare
DT Kayden McDonald
LB Arvell Reese
LB Sonny Styles
WR Carnell Tate

Oklahoma
LB Owen Heinecke

Oregon
TE Kenyon Sadiq
S Dillon Thieneman

Penn State
OL Olaivavega Ioane

Pittsburgh
LB Kyle Louis

South Carolina
CB Brandon Cisse
RB Rahsul Faison
S Jalon Kilgore

Stanford
CB Collin Wright

Tennessee
WR Chris Brazzell II
LB Arion Carter
CB Colton Hood
CB Jermod McCoy

Texas
TE Jack Endries
LB Anthony Hill Jr.
CB Malik Muhammed

Texas A&M
OG Chase Bisontis
WR KC Concepcion
LB Taurean York

USC
WR Ja’Kobi Lane
WR Makai Lemon
S Kamari Ramsey

Utah
OT Spencer Fano
Edge Logan Fano
OT Caleb Lomu

Washington
WR Denzel Boston
RB Jonah Coleman