Let’s Debate: Way-Too-Early Look at Top CFB Players for the 2027 NFL Draft

As spring football is off and running for college programs, college and NFL fans alike also have their attention turned toward the 2026 NFL Draft, hosted this year by Pittsburgh on April 23-25. In this week’s Let’s Debate, our college football experts are examining both spring football and next year’s NFL Draft. So before spring football ends with finalized rosters for next season and before 2027 NFL mock drafts are ever-present, we’re examining which college players have the most to prove this season and which players might be off the board first in 2027. Which player has the most to prove to his program this season? RJ Young: Darian Mensah, Miami QB Mensah breached his contract with Duke, made a mess that needed to be settled outside of court, only to walk into a program as the presumed starter at Miami, where the acts he follows include a former No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft and the first quarterback to lead the Hurricanes to the national title game since Ken Dorsey 25 years ago. Mensah led Duke to its first ACC title in 36 years, and he has developed into one of the better quarterbacks in the country. But with this being his third stop and the second where he has made headlines — first for signing a two-year, $8 million contract and second for breaking it — he can’t afford to play poorly in 2026 both for Miami’s sake and for the sake of his NFL Draft stock next season. Michael Cohen: Makhi Hughes, Houston RB Around this time last year, Hughes was one of the hotter names in college football after his headline-grabbing transfer from Tulane to Oregon. He’d put together back-to-back 1,300-yard seasons for the Green Wave in 2023 and 2024, twice earning first-team All-AAC honors, to entrench himself as one of the best young tailbacks in the country. When he entered the portal last winter and subsequently committed to Oregon, it was presumed that the Ducks were landing the future bell cow in their backfield. But it never quite worked for Hughes at Oregon. He was unable to carve out a role in a talented backfield spearheaded by Noah Whittington, Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr., never tallying another carry after the win over Oregon State on Sept. 20. It was no surprise when Hughes announced his intention to enter the portal a second time, and now he’ll have to work his way back to prominence at Houston. [NFL DRAFT: Fernando Mendoza Leads QBs in Top 100 on Big Board] Which player would you select first in the 2027 NFL Draft: Jeremiah Smith or Arch Manning? Young: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State WR, and it’s not close. Only one of these players has proven he’s a generational talent at his position, emerging as the best true freshmen since Trevor Lawrence at Clemson in 2018 to lead his team to the national title. Only one of these players has repeatedly dismantled his opposition in one-on-one battles, beaten double teams and helped swing the balance of power from the SEC to the Big Ten — the league that is home to the last three national champions. The stats for Smith are there with back-to-back seasons with more than 1,200 receiving yards, leading the Big Ten in 2024 and 2025. But more important is the ability to change the fortunes of an NFL franchise with one selection. Cohen: Arch Manning, Texas QB Even though all signs point toward Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith likely having a better pro career than Texas quarterback Arch Manning — the words “generational talent” continue to be thrown around when people discuss the Buckeye great — the latter is a far more logical choice, given the unparalleled impact of his position in the modern game. There’s a reason why the last wide receiver to be selected No. 1 overall was Keyshawn Johnson in 1996. And there’s a reason why 21 of the ensuing 29 top overall picks were quarterbacks. No matter how talented, how explosive, how indescribably unique any non-quarterback might be, they’ll never influence winning and losing as directly as a team’s signal-caller. Selecting Manning at No. 1 overall, while risky, at least gives a general manager the opportunity to unearth a truly franchise-altering player. The same just can’t be said for a wide receiver — even one as phenomenal as Smith. In Let’s Debate, our experts tackle and explain the hot-button issues fans care about.