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December 06, 2025: Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza 15 holds up MVP trophy after NCAA, College League, USA football game action between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. /CSM Indianapolis United States of America – ZUMAc04_ 20251206_zma_c04_704 Copyright: xJohnxMersitsx

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December 06, 2025: Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza 15 holds up MVP trophy after NCAA, College League, USA football game action between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. /CSM Indianapolis United States of America – ZUMAc04_ 20251206_zma_c04_704 Copyright: xJohnxMersitsx
The NFL has released its full list of 319 players who will be attending the 2026 NFL Combine in Indianapolis later this month. The combine is one of the biggest weeks on the calendar, as pretty much all of the top draft prospects will get a chance to show off in front of all 32 NFL teams.
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The list is comprised of some of the biggest stars in college football, including Fernando Mendoza, Rueben Bain, Jordyn Tyson, Jeremiyah Love, and plenty of others. We’ve already highlighted some of the biggest combine snubs, so now we’re going to highlight 30 of the best players who were invited to Indianapolis.
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Fernando Mendoza won’t be throwing at the combine, but he will be in attendance to meet with teams. He is very clearly the No. 1 quarterback in the class after leading Indiana to the national championship and winning the Heisman Trophy. He’s a generic pocket passer, who’s great before the snap and is deadly accurate, but he’s not afraid to get out and use his legs when the pocket breaks down. The Las Vegas Raiders could find their franchise quarterback if they select him first overall.
Best Landing Spot: Las Vegas Raiders
Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama

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NCAA, College League, USA Football: South Florida at Alabama Sep 7, 2024 Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson 15 warms up before a game against the South Florida Bulls at Bryant-Denny Stadium. , EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xGaryxCosbyxJr.x 20240907_gma_usa_0037
Ty Simpson turned down $6+ million to return to college and instead decided to enter the NFL Draft. He was a one-year starter and had a lot of ups and downs throughout the season, but in a weak QB class, he could be the second on off the board. He has an average arm, but is very intelligent and doesn’t make a lot of bad decisions. Would like to see a bit more from him as a runner, but if he’s put in the right situation where he could sit for a year, he could be a solid starter.
Best Landing Spot: Los Angeles Rams
Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
Garrett Nussmeier was one of the top QB prospects in this class entering the year, but after a poor 2025 season where he was plagued by injuries, his draft stock has plummeted. He did himself some favors by winning the Senior Bowl MVP, but unless he blows teams away at his pro day and the NFL Combine, he’s likely going to be a mid-round pick. He’s a fearless passer, but his arm isn’t as big as he thinks it is, and he can be prone to mistakes. Still, his ceiling is pretty high if he lands in a good spot.
Best Landing Spot: New York Jets
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Jeremiah Love is an explosive athlete, who some are saying is a better prospect that Ashton Jeanty. He ran for over 1,300 yards behind a near-7.0 average in 2025, but he also showed he can catch passes out of the backfield with 27 receptions for 280 yards. He can fit into pretty much any offense and be successful.
Best Landing Spot: Kansas City Chiefs
Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame
You know it’s a weak running back class when the RB2 is teammates with the RB1. But that doesn’t mean Jadarian Price is a bad running back. He’s smaller than Love, but he has elite vision and is a very smooth runner. Price is just not quite as explosive as his teammate. He’s probably not an RB1 in the NFL, but with split backfields taking over the league, he could be a strong part of a 1-2 punch.
Best Landing Spot: Houston Texans
Emmett Johnson, RB, Wisconsin
Emmett Johnson is considered the RB3 in this draft class after rushing for 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025. He doesn’t have breakaway speed, but he’s a patient runner who waits for his offensive line to open up holes, but he’s athletic enough to create something on his own if needed. Like Price, he’s not a true RB1, but could produce in a split backfield.
Best Landing Spot: New York Jets
Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
Carnell Tate is one of three elite receivers in this draft class. Of the three, Tate is the biggest, coming in at 6-foot-3, but he’s also very fast for his size. He’s a great intermediate to deep threat that’s going to help out whichever quarterback he ends up with. You know you’re good when you can stand out next to phenom Jeremiah Smith.
Best Landing Spot: New York Giants
Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
Jordyn Tyson would probably be the runaway favorite to be the first receiver taken off the board if it weren’t for his injury history. He’s missed a good amount of time throughout his career, but he’s an elite route runner who can line up all over the field. He doesn’t have elite speed, but he’s fast enough, and he makes up for it in every other area. He’s an elite talent, but you have to take his injury history into account.
Best Landing Spot: Kansas City Chiefs
Makai Lemon, WR, USC

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NCAA, College League, USA Football 2025: Iowa Vs USC NOV 15 November 15, 2025 Los Angeles, CA.USC Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon 6 faces the USC fans after he catches the pass in the endzone for the touchdown in action in the third quarter during the NCAA Football game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the USC Trojans at the Coliseum in Los Angeles, California..Mandatory Photo Credit: Louis Lopez/Cal Media Credit Image: Louis Lopez/Cal Sport Media Los Angeles Ca United States of America EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx ZUMA-20251115_zma_c04_1317.jpg LouisxLopezx csmphotothree444230
Makai Lemon seems to be the consensus No. 3 guy, but he’s still a top-15 prospect. He’s knocked because he’s mainly a slot guy, but he’s a great route runner and is incredibly quick. There’s a lot of room to grow after the catch, but he’s only 21 years old, and in the right system, he could play the Amon-Ra St. Brown role.
Best Landing Spot: New Orleans Saints
Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
Kenyon Sadiq is getting overshadowed by the other pass catchers in this draft class, but he’s going to be an elite tight end in the NFL. He’s big, but still very athletic, and is an incredible route runner for the tight end position. If this were a weaker receiver class, he’d probably be considered a lock to go in the top 15, maybe even 10 picks. Someone’s getting a superstar.
Best Landing Spot: Los Angeles Rams
Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt
If it weren’t for Sadiq being an elite tight end prospect, Eli Stowers would be TE1 in this draft class. The Vanderbilt product isn’t as put-together as Sadiq, but he’s still a great pass catcher who can also help you out in the run game. I’m excited to see where he ends up.
Best Landing Spot: Kansas City Chiefs
Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
This year’s OT class isn’t as strong as last year’s, but Spencer Fano is one of the top guys available. He was a stud at Utah. In 2025, he didn’t give up a single sack all season and was a force in the run game. Tackle is a premium position, so he’s going to come off the board early, and someone’s getting their tackle of the future.
Best Landing Spot: Arizona Cardinals
Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
Francis Mauigoa might be even better than Fano. He was battle-tested at Miami, going through an ACC schedule and playing in the College Football Playoff, where he played very well. He’s a little undersized for a tackle, but he can move extremely well and has produced as a tackle all throughout college. His versatility might make him even more desirable to some teams.
Best Landing Spot: Cincinnati Bengals
Olaivavega Ioane, OG, Penn State
Offensive guard isn’t a premium position, but if you don’t have a good one, your line is going to struggle. Olaivavega Ioane is one of the good ones. He’s an excellent run blocker and is athletic enough to get downfield and block at the second level, and he’s also really good in pass protection. He’s the best of both worlds at the guard position.
Best Landing Spot: Los Angeles Chargers
Emmanuel Pregnon, OG, Oregon
Emmanuel Pregnon has the ideal size you want in an offensive lineman. He’s great in the run and pass game, but he’s not the most athletic guy in the world at the guard position. He’s a very solid prospect who doesn’t need a ton of work once he gets into the league.
Best Landing Spot: New England Patriots
Rueben Bain, DE, Miami

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NCAA, College League, USA Football: Louisville at Miami Oct 17, 2025 Miami Gardens, Florida, USA Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. 4 plays his position against the Louisville Cardinals during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Miami Gardens Hard Rock Stadium Florida USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xSamxNavarrox 20251017_SNV_na2_00188
Rueben Bain is a relentless pass rusher who could end up being a top-five pick by the time the draft rolls around. He is incredibly talented, there’s no doubt about it, but his arm length is a concern. They’re much shorter than your prototypical defensive end, and after what we saw with Will Campbell in the postseason (I know he plays a different position, but it still doesn’t help Bain’s case) it will be interesting to see how teams feel about him.
Best Landing Spot: Washington Commanders
David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech
David Bailey has all the tools to be a great NFL pass rusher. He’s big, strong, fast, and more importantly, his arms are long! To add to that, he was the most productive defensive end in college football on one of the best defenses in America. You can’t ask for much more.
Best Landing Spot: Tennessee Titans
Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
Caleb Banks is a massive body at the defensive tackle position and could end up as the top interior defensive lineman in this class. He’s a solid pass rusher and run defender, but he only played three games for Florida this season because of a broken foot. A lot of his draft stock will depend on how he performs at the combine and pro day.
Best Landing Spot: Chicago Bears
Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
Peter Woods is much smaller than Banks, but that makes him much more athletic. His strength is rushing the passer, but after a pretty disappointing season with Clemson, his stock has dropped quite a bit over the course of the season. He could still be the first DT off the board because of his upside, though.
Best Landing Spot: Washington Commanders
Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech
Lee Hunter isn’t as good a pass rusher as the two above him, but he prides himself on being an excellent run defender. He’s 6-foot-3, but has a much broader wingspan and can easily take on double teams. He only logged 25 pressures last year, but finished with an 82.7 run defense grade on PFF. There’s some work to be done, but he’s got the size and strength to make a difference right away.
Best Landing Spot: Buffalo Bills
Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State
Arvell Reese might be my favorite player in this draft class. He can do it all defensively. Need him to cover a tight end? He can do it. Need him to defend the run? He can do that as well. Want him to rush the passer? He finished last season with 6.5 sacks on 104 pass rush attempts. He’s going to be one of the highest drafted off-ball linebackers ever.
Best Landing Spot: New York Jets
CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
CJ Allen has been mentioned as a late first-round pick, but EssentiallySports NFL Draft Expert Tony Pauline believes he could come off the board much earlier than that. He’s such a smart player and wore the green dot in college, signifying he’s the main communicator on defense. He can come downhill and defend the run, but can also drop back and cover a tight end in space. He’s not much of a pass rusher, but it’s not hard to work around that.
Best Landing Spot: San Francisco 49ers
Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

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NCAA, College League, USA Football: Big Ten Media Days Jul 22, 2025 Las Vegas, NV, USA Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Resort NV USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xLucasxPeltierx 20250722_kdn_kw0_011
Sonny Styles has been an incredibly efficient off-ball linebacker for Ohio State for a couple of years, and now he’s going to reap the rewards and likely be a top-15 pick. Over the past two seasons, Styles has racked up over 180 tackles, 73 run stops, seven sacks and eight pass breakups. He’s not quite as versatile as Reese, but he’s big (6-foot-5, 240 pounds) and can fly around the field. Someone is getting a mini Fred Warner in the first round.
Best Landing Spot: Dallas Cowboys
Anthony Hill, LB, Texas
While the two Ohio State standouts and Allen lead the way, Anthony Hill is a name to watch on day two. He was more efficient as a sophomore, totaling 113 tackles and eight sacks, but he still had a very strong junior campaign with 70 tackles and four sacks. On top of his ability to play the run and rush the passer, he’s been very good in coverage, giving up just one touchdown in his career. He would usually be one of the first LBs off the board, but this class is loaded with off-ball talent.
Best Landing Spot: Denver Broncos
Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
Mansoor Delane is my favorite corner in the draft. He’s 6-foot, but plays much taller, and transferred to LSU to play against the best competition in the world. And he dominated. He was targeted just 35 times all year and gave up 14 receptions (40 percent) for 165 yards and zero touchdowns. He picked off two passes and broke up seven more, meaning he disrupted the pass on almost a third of his targets. He’s a can’t-miss prospect.
Best Landing Spot: Dallas Cowboys
Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
Jermod McCoy had a ton of hype during his first year in Tennessee, but he tore his ACL last January and missed all of the 2025 season. As a sophomore, McCoy allowed a 50 percent completion percentage, 386 yards and two touchdowns, but displayed elite playmaking skills with four picks and six PBUs. He’s very much a work in progress, especially after missing last season, but he has the tools to be great.
Best Landing Spot: Minnesota Vikings
Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
Avieon Terrell was one of the few bright spots on Clemson this season. He gave up a sub-60 percent completion percentage, and while he didn’t have an interception, he broke up three passes and was targeted fewer than five times per game. He’s a great athlete who can keep up with anyone in man coverage. He’s a bit undersized, but he can usually make up for it against bigger receivers. It also helps that his brother was a first-round pick and has carved out a solid career in Atlanta.
Best Landing Spot: Chicago Bears
Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Caleb Downs might end up being the best player in this entire draft class. If he wasn’t a safety, he be in the conversation for a top-three pick. He can do basically everything you want a safety to do. He can cover, but he can also drop down in the box and defend the run or rush the passer. Talents like him don’t come around every year.
Best Landing Spot: New York Giants
AJ Haulcy, S, LSU
AJ Haulcy was a star at Houston, but wanted to test himself in the SEC before heading to the league, and he held up. He allowed a 62 percent completion percentage as the main man in coverage, picked off three passes and broke up four more, but also recorded 20 run stops and a forced fumble. He can line up anywhere on the field and make an impact, even though he’s a bit undersized.
Best Landing Spot: Detroit Lions
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is being touted as the second-best safety in this draft class by some, but after he skipped out on the Senior Bowl because of concerns about his speed, it has put some teams on guard. It will be very interesting to see if he runs the 40 at the combine. He has all the makings of a great safety at the NFL level, but if he doesn’t run fast, it’s going to deter some teams.
Best Landing Spot: Las Vegas Raiders
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