Dynasty Nerds 
Draft Nerds 
NerdHerd 
We made it to College football Week 1, giving dynasty fantasy football managers their first extended look at the 2027 NFL Draft class. Jeremiah Smith, Arch Manning, Dante Moore and several other highly regarded prospects have intriguing matchups this weekend. Here are 10 draft-eligible players to watch, what they’re facing and what we want to see from each prospect.
Not every week will feature the same group of players. As the season moves along, certain players will fall out of the top 10 while others work their way into the conversation. These players are in no particular order. This is simply a look at 10 of the top draft-eligible prospects to watch for the 2027 rookie class, not the top 10 overall players in college football.
Jeremiah Smith | WR | Ohio State
Last season stats: 87 Recs, 1243 Yds & 12 Tds
Week 1 | Ball State @ 12:30p Day (Saturday, Sept. 5th)
Everyone’s top receiver heading into the 2026 college football season is Jeremiah Smith, who should provide yet another elite college season. Smith should have a strong outing against a questionable Ball State secondary that seems to be going through a rebuild on defense.
Smith has averaged 5 receptions for 99 yards and almost a touchdown per game in 6 career non-conference games. Expect one of the top players in college football to get off to a strong start against Ball State in Week 1.
Arch Manning | QB | Texas
Last season stats: 61.4 Comp%, 3163 Yds, 26 TDs, 7 INT
Week 1 | Texas State @ 3:30p Day (Saturday, Sept. 5)
Everyone knows a Manning, and Arch Manning is now heading into his second season as the full-time starter for Texas. He plays Texas State, which is a bit of an up-and-coming team as it moves into the Pac-12 this year. Texas will be at home for this game, but Manning was a bit inconsistent in home games and non-conference games last season.
There will be a lot of eyes on Manning this year, with him potentially coming out for the 2027 NFL Draft. We need to see him make the easy throws in this matchup, which at times has been inconsistent. Manning needs to start strong in Week 1 to make any doubters disappear early on.
Cam Coleman | WR | Texas
Last season stats: 56 Recs, 708 Yds & 5 Tds
Week 1 | Texas State @ 3:30p Day (Saturday, Sept. 5)
Manning’s new weapon, Cam Coleman, will make his Longhorn debut against Texas State. Coleman comes with the size and speed to give Manning that downfield threat in the passing game. Texas State struggled with its secondary last year but has made some improvements, including the return of senior Trez Moore.
We want to see Coleman show better route-running and be more physical, rather than just trying to blow past everyone. Without an elite season under his belt, Coleman needs to show off in Week 1 and prove he can be a top receiver in this offense.
Dante Moore | QB | Oregon
Last season stats: 71.8 Comp%, 3565 Yds, 30 TDs, 10 INT
Week 1 | Boise State @ 3:00p Day (Saturday, Sept. 5)
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore’s decision to return to school was big since he was likely going to be a top-five pick in the NFL Draft. This should be a good overall matchup between Oregon and Boise State, so expect a high-scoring game.
Moore has a chance to show off why he is one of the best quarterbacks in college football. Boise State took some massive losses in its secondary this past offseason, including safety Ty Benefield, who transferred to LSU. Moore has a very good receiving group around him, so I’d expect him to get off to a strong start.
Kewan Lacy | RB | Ole Miss
Last season stats: 306 Att,1567 Yds, 24 TDs & 29 Recs, 177 Yds
Week 1 | Louisville @ 7:30p Night (Sunday, Sept. 6)
One of the top running backs eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft is Kewan Lacy, who is coming off a massive 300-carry and 1,500-yard season. Lacy is going to have a tough matchup against Louisville’s strong front seven, as they were among the top run defenses last season.
With Trinidad Chambliss finally returning, it should help Lacy run the ball well behind that solid offensive line. We should expect to see Lacy bounce off defenders rather than going down easily. We need to see him be more patient as a runner, especially against a tougher defense like Louisville.
Nick Marsh | WR | Indiana
Last season stats: 59 Recs, 662 Yds & 6 TDS
Week 1 | North Texas @ 1:00p Day (Saturday, Sept. 5)
Receiver Nick Marsh transfers from Michigan State to Indiana in hopes of improving his draft stock. Marsh is a physical 6’3″ receiver who can win on contested catches and has some sneaky YAC ability to his game. His matchup against North Texas should be interesting, as they have a veteran secondary. Marsh will have to find ways to get open and make the most of his opportunities, as there is plenty of competition for targets in Indiana’s offense.
Jadan Baugh | RB | Florida
Last season stats: 220 Att, 1170 Yds, 8 TDs & 33 Recs, 210 Yds, 2 TDs
Week 1 | Florida Atlantic @ 7:45p Night (Saturday, Sept. 5)
Junior running back Jadan Baugh looks to get off to a quick start against one of the worst defenses in Florida Atlantic. They were 130 out of 136 FBS teams last season and allowed running backs to dominate against them. Baugh has a solid veteran offensive line to run behind as he looks to build off his 1,100-yard season last year. Baugh should be able to make plenty of noise in Week 1 and start his junior season off strong.
Julian Sayin | QB | Ohio State
Last season stats: 77 Comp%, 3610 Yds, 32 TDs, 8 INT
Week 1 | Ball State @ 12:30p Day (Saturday, Sept. 5th)
Second-year starter Julian Sayin may not need to be elite in this first matchup of the season. Ohio State may shine on the ground, which could lead to fewer passing attempts for Sayin. We should look to see Sayin show off his accuracy and ability to read a defense quickly.
In his last two non-conference games against Grambling and Ohio, Sayin threw for over 300 yards in both games. If Sayin wants to compete to be one of the top quarterbacks in the 2027 class, it all starts with an elite game against Ball State.
LaNorris Sellers | QB | South Carolina
Last season stats: 60.8 Comp%, 2437 Yards, 13 TDs, 8 INT
Week 1 | Kent State @ 12:45p Day (Saturday, Sept. 5)
South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers will look to improve his draft stock against Kent State. It’s not a hard matchup, but it may not be easy either. Kent State’s defense ran plenty of zone coverage last season, which is something Sellers has struggled with.
If Sellers isn’t going to be forced to pass the ball over 20 times, he may end up struggling to show much in this matchup. His mobility will be key to his success and should allow him to make plays when things break down. Sellers has plenty of upside, but he could be the one player who falls out of this top 10 if he doesn’t show improvement in Week 1.
Ryan Coleman-Williams | WR | Alabama
Last season stats: 49 Recs, 689 Yds & 4 TDS
Week 1 | East Carolina @ 12:00p Day (Saturday, Sept. 5)
Last but not least is receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams from Alabama. Williams will have an interesting matchup against East Carolina, which basically had to revamp their entire secondary. Understanding if this secondary is any good will be tested on Saturday.
Coleman-Williams would regress last year in his play, as his YPR dropped by nearly four yards from his freshman season. Hopefully, Williams has been building up a rapport with new starting quarterback Keelon Russell. Alabama will need to get Coleman-Williams in space and allow him to work after the catch, as he had 331 yards after the catch in 2025. Williams has a lot of upside, but he needs to show it on the field in Week 1.
Weekly Send Off
Week 1 is only the beginning for the 2027 NFL Draft class. We’ll be back next Friday with another group of prospects and matchups to watch as players begin to separate themselves throughout the college football season. For more on the class, check out our latest 2027 Rookie Big Board and 2027 Superflex Rookie Mock Draft.
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