The 2026 college football season begins in three months. While the top players in the nation are focused on a run at the national championship, they’re also looking to make a strong impression on NFL general managers. The 2027 NFL Draft is expected to be a class filled with elite talent. Which college football teams are the top ones to watch for elite prospects? A handful of programs should be well represented in the first round next April.
2027 NFL Draft: Top College Football Teams to Watch
Oregon Ducks
Oregon has gotten closer and closer to that elusive national title. The Ducks should be in the mix again in 2026, with multiple crucial pieces returning. Dante Moore likely would have been the second-overall pick had he declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. Moore opted to return to Eugene for another season and is an early front-runner to be the top selection in 2027. He is far from the only premier prospect on Oregon’s roster.
Its defensive line is stacked, with Matayo Uiagalelei, A’Mauri Washington, and Bear Alexander all being players to watch. The Ducks also have another notable tight end prospect, with Jamari Johnson looking to follow in Kenyon Sadiq’s footsteps and be a first-round pick. Oregon has arguably the most future NFL talent among all college football teams in 2026.
Texas Longhorns
After entering 2025 as the top-ranked team in the country, Texas struggled with inconsistency and finished 10-3, missing the College Football Playoff. The Longhorns look to bounce back in year two with Arch Manning under center. Manning, alongside Moore, is a prime candidate to be the first-overall pick in 2027. Although Manning headlines Texas’s talented roster, there are plenty of other key players worth following.
Colin Simmons broke out as an elite edge rusher as a sophomore, racking up 12 sacks over 13 games. Trevor Goosby has a case as the best offensive tackle in this upcoming class. Wide receivers Ryan Wingo and incoming transfer Cam Coleman are both premier players at the position. There aren’t many college football teams with higher expectations in 2026 than Texas, but it has the personnel to live up to the hype.
Miami Hurricanes
Miami snuck into the College Football Playoff last season, going on a run all the way to the national championship. Few college football teams have had as much success replenishing the quarterback position through the transfer portal as the Hurricanes. Cam Ward and Carson Beck each performed well after heading down to Coral Gables. Darian Mensah is the next top signal-caller heading to Miami. Mensah threw for 3,973 yards, 34 touchdowns, and just six interceptions at Duke in 2025.
While the Hurricanes lost several major contributors, in particular on the defensive line, they are still strong in that area. Ahmad Moten Sr. returns, and Miami added another big-time transfer in Damon Wilson II. Mark Fletcher Jr. is also one of the best running backs in the nation, as he looks to build on his impressive 2025 campaign. Miami should be one of the best college football teams in the country again in 2026, and it should be well represented in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Out of all the college football teams with a chip on their shoulder, none have one as big as Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish were left out of last year’s College Football Playoff, and they look to respond strongly in 2026. While Notre Dame lost two first-round running backs in Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, it still has plenty of talent across the roster.
CJ Carr returns under center and projects as one of the top quarterbacks in what should be a loaded 2027 class. Leonard Moore is the early consensus CB1 in college football, and has a strong chance of being a top-five pick. Moore isn’t the only highly-touted prospect on the Fighting Irish’s defense. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Tae Johnson, and Boubacar Traore are also players worth watching on defense this season.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State had the most players drafted in 2026 among all college football teams with 11. The Buckeyes also led the country with 14 players picked in the 2025 NFL Draft. Despite losing so much talent every year, they always find a way to reload. Jeremiah Smith is a generational wide receiver prospect and probably the best player in this class. Julian Sayin finished fourth in Heisman voting in his first season as a starter. He returns to Columbus and can develop into a blue-chip quarterback prospect. Offensive tackle Austin Siereveld is a potential first-round pick, and Kenyatta Jackson Jr. is a skilled player at edge rusher.
Main Photo: [Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch] – Imagn Images
