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We made it to Week 2 of the college football season! This is going to be a fun weekly article for anyone who doesn’t keep up with college football but wants to see some of the potential draft-eligible players for the 2027 rookie draft. Each week, we will preview their upcoming match ups and what to watch for from each college prospect. We’ll also briefly mention what they did the week before as the season progresses.
Not every week will feature the same group of players or only the best players. As the season moves along, certain players will fall out of this article 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 week stats: 8 Recs, 151 Yds & 2 Tds
Week 2 | Texas @ 7:30p Night (Saturday, Sept. 12th)
Arguably the best receiver in the 2027 NFL Draft class, Jeremiah Smith put on a show in his first game against Ball State. It was expected, as Smith has consistently produced against non-conference opponents throughout his college career. He showed off some spectacular catches while continuing to display the strong chemistry he has with QB Julian Sayin.
We knew Smith was going to dominate against Ball State, and that’s exactly what we wanted to see. Now, he faces No. 4 Texas in a massive Week 2 matchup. It should be a much better test for Smith, but he should still be able to produce against Texas’ younger secondary. The key this week is that we should expect Smith to play the entire game as he looks to improve on his last performance against Texas.
Arch Manning | QB | Texas
Last week stats: 74.1 Comp%, 305 Yds, 4 TDs, 1 INT
Week 2 | Ohio State @ 7:30p Night (Saturday, Sept. 12th)
Arch Manning was able to silence any early-season drama in Week 1, but he may have to do it again in Week 2 against Ohio State. Manning struggled the last time he faced Ohio State, completing around 50% of his passes and finishing with under 200 passing yards. Ohio State’s defense is no joke this season, as they are strong across the field with many of their young players now becoming veterans on that side of the ball.
In Week 1, it was about making the easy throws, and Manning showed he could do that. Now, in Week 2, we need to see how he handles pressure and whether he can win a big game with his leadership and playmaking ability. Most importantly, we want to see Manning make those downfield throws and take advantage of the elite pass catchers around him.
Cam Coleman | WR | Texas
Last week stats: 3 Recs, 70 Yds & 2 Tds
Week 2 | Ohio State @ 7:30p Night (Saturday, Sept. 12th)
Cam Coleman put up a solid outing in Week 1 and showed that he can be a red-zone threat for the Texas offense. Week 2 is going to be a much bigger test for the Longhorns receiver. Coleman will likely line up against two top-10 cornerbacks in Devin Sanchez and Jermaine Mathews Jr., giving him an opportunity to prove himself against elite competition.
One thing we want to see from Coleman is how he handles press coverage and whether he can consistently win those 50/50 balls. He didn’t have to worry about that as much in Week 1, but in this juggernaut matchup, he’ll need to step up. A strong performance against this Ohio State secondary could go a long way toward showing why Coleman belongs among the top receivers in the 2027 class.
Julian Sayin | QB | Ohio State
Last week stats: 84 Comp%, 320 Yds, 3 TDs
Week 2 | Texas @ 7:30p Night (Saturday, Sept. 12th)
Jeremiah Smith’s quarterback, Julian Sayin, started the year in a big way. Granted, it was against Ball State, but he managed a strong outing with a high completion percentage while avoiding poor throws. PFF gave Sayin the third-best Week 1 grade among all FBS quarterbacks.
Like Smith, Sayin could have himself a statement game and perform well against Texas’ young secondary. His biggest test will be how he handles the pressure from the Texas front seven, with Colin Simmons leading the charge in trying to get to Sayin. Let’s see how Sayin gets himself out of difficult situations and makes plays downfield, especially with his average depth of target already up five yards compared to 2025. Sayin struggled against this elite defense in Week 1 of 2025, so the expectation is that he needs to show improvement this time around.
Kewan Lacy | RB | Ole Miss
Last week stats: 17 Att, 61 Yds, 1 TD & 4 Recs, 19 Rec Yds
Week 2 | Charlotte @ 7:45p Night (Saturday, Sept. 12th)
Potential No. 1 running back Kewan Lacy had an average performance against a tough Louisville team. Lacy averaged only 3.6 YPC, but he was banged up throughout the game. He left the field on two separate occasions before exiting for good in the third quarter. He still managed to produce 2.36 YACO per attempt, but his overall efficiency was down, which could have been impacted by the injury.
Now, Lacy gets a cake matchup against Charlotte in Week 2. The injury didn’t seem serious, so he should be able to play in this game. We just want to see Lacy be efficient in a plus matchup, showing off the power and speed he possesses while breaking a few tackles along the way. It’s a great opportunity to see a potential top running back rebound, especially after Charlotte allowed over 300 rushing yards in Week 1.
John Mateer | QB | Oklahoma
Last week stats: 64.7 Comp%, 225 Yds, 3 TDs
Week 2 | Michigan @ 12:00p Day (Saturday, Sept. 12th)
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer was limited to just 17 passing attempts in a blowout win over UTEP. Mateer put himself in the conversation this week with a big matchup against Michigan. He looked more settled into the role to start the year, making some solid throws and showing better efficiency. This Week 2 matchup against Michigan will be a major test to see if he’s ready to take a step into the conversation among the top quarterbacks in the 2027 class.
Michigan will look to pressure Mateer after generating pressure on 46% of its snaps in Week 1. Dominic Nichols will lead the charge in trying to get to Mateer and make him uncomfortable. Mateer needs to show that he can handle that pressure, make plays when the pocket breaks down, and sustain tough drives with what looks like a more explosive Oklahoma offense this season.
Bryant Wesco Jr. | WR | Clemson
Last week stats: 2 Recs, 24 Yds
Week 2 | Georgia Southern @ 7:30p Night (Saturday, Sept. 12th)
We need to see a rebound game from Bryant Wesco Jr. Week 1 wasn’t necessarily his fault, as his quarterback had little time to throw, and when he did, the offense struggled to get the ball where it needed to go. Enter Week 2 against Georgia Southern, which has a strong secondary led by Chance Gamble. Unlike LSU, though, Georgia Southern doesn’t have that elite pass rush, so we could see Clemson’s offense adjust and have a much better day through the air.
That’s what we want to see from Wesco Jr.—how he performs when the ball is actually thrown his way and he has opportunities to make plays. We need a game like this to better evaluate his play and see if he can rebound from a quiet Week 1. Of course, that will also depend on whether the quarterback play can improve and give Wesco Jr. opportunities to produce.
KJ Duff | WR | Rutgers
Last week stats: 9 Recs, 196 Yds & 3 Tds
Week 2 | Boston College @ 7:30p Night (Friday Sept, 11th)
KJ Duff was the talk of Thursday night football after exploding for almost 200 receiving yards despite Rutgers suffering a surprising loss to UMass. Now, it’s time to see if Duff can continue this type of dominant performance in Week 2. He’ll have a tougher matchup against a Boston College secondary that has a well-established veteran presence.
Boston College is weaker against the run, so we’ll see how that impacts Duff and whether he can get similar opportunities in this tougher matchup. Duff has a chance to continue climbing the 2027 rankings with another solid performance. He has averaged 80 receiving yards in non-conference games throughout his career, and another big game would only help his stock.
Isaac Brown | RB | Louisville
Last week stats: 16 Att, 22 Yds, & 3 Recs, 32 Rec Yds
Week 2 | Villanova @ 7:00p Night (Friday, Sept. 11th)
Louisville running back Isaac Brown had a rough start to Week 1 of the season. Brown, considered one of the potential top-10 running backs in the 2027 class, struggled against Ole Miss’ stacked defensive line in a high-scoring game. He did show off some of his pass-catching skills, which was a positive despite the disappointing rushing performance.
In Week 2, Brown needs to step up to keep his name in the conversation against a solid Villanova run defense. They held their Week 1 opponent to under 60 rushing yards, so this may not be an easy bounce-back matchup. Louisville needs to get Brown in space and allow him to regain the 2025 form that saw him produce an impressive yards-per-carry average.
Ryan Coleman-Williams | WR | Alabama
Last week stats: 5 Recs, 130 Yds & 0 TDS
Week 2 | Kentucky @ 3:30p Day (Saturday, Sept. 12th)
Ryan Coleman-Williams struggled early in the blowout win against East Carolina, dealing with a few drops. The big thing was that he stopped using gloves in games this year, and an adjustment needed to be made. He would eventually adjust and produce a massive game for the Alabama offense.
Now, he gets a tougher matchup against conference opponent Kentucky. Kentucky struggled against the passing game, allowing 243 passing yards even in a blowout win, but they were without two of their starting cornerbacks, who are expected back in Week 2. Kentucky has big, lengthy, physical corners, which should create a strong test for Coleman-Williams. His ability to consistently win against more physical coverage is something he still needs to show and will be a key thing to watch in Week 2.
We’ll be back next Friday with another group of prospects and match ups 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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