College football is only in Week 2, but we already have a good idea of which prospects could be headed for an early pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Players like Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith and Texas EDGE Colin Simmons are all but a lock to land in the top 10 picks of April’s draft, but we should see plenty of shifts throughout the 2026 college football season. That’s greatly impacted by games week to week, and none are greater than Saturday, September 12’s matchup between #1 Ohio State and #4 Texas.
Before we dig into who the top 2027 prospects are playing in Week 2, let’s compile our 2027 NFL Draft prospect rankings, featuring payouts via PrizePicks.
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2027 NFL Draft Prospects Rankings Entering College Football Week 2
We hear the terms "historic" or "generational" thrown around far too often, but the 2027 NFL Draft class truly carries that kind of potential.
Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith and Notre Dame CB Leonard Moore have showcased their elite talent for multiple seasons, and Texas EDGE Collin Simmons and South Carolina EDGE Dylan Stewart are tracking to be top-tier edge-rushing prospects.
Following a weak 2026 QB class, that shouldn’t be an issue in 2027. Texas QB Arch Manning and Oregon QB Dante Moore may jostle to be the #1 overall pick all season, and Miami QB Darian Mensah already has the shortest payout to win the Heisman Trophy (5x), per PrizePicks.
Arguably the most important positions in football — QB, EDGE, OT, CB, and WR — could be absolutely loaded with talent at the top of the 2027 class. Plus, Oklahoma DT David Stone, Ole Miss DT Will Echoles, and Florida RB Jadan Baugh round out other key spots.
We could go on and on, but for now, we’ll give you a comprehensive list of our current top 20 2027 NFL Draft prospects to watch throughout the college football season.
The NFL Draft tab is already live at PrizePicks, where you can predict who will be the #1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft and who could be a top-five pick.
According to PrizePicks, Texas QB Arch Manning (3.03x), Miami QB Darian Mensah (4.16x), Notre Dame QB CJ Carr (5.55x), Oregon QB Dante Moore (5.88x), and Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith (8.33x) currently have the five shortest payouts to be the #1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Two of those prospects will face off in Week 2, while Mensah already tallied 252 passing yards and 3 passing TDs in Thursday’s 77-7 thrashing of Florida A&M. Who will prospects like Moore, Carr, and more face in Week 2?
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Payouts on PrizePicks indicate real-money earnings if a prediction is correct; for example, a 2x on a $100 entry pays out $200. The lower the payout multiplier, the higher the chance of the outcome occurring, according to user picks.
How to Watch Top 2027 NFL Draft Prospects in Week 2
Week 2’s early slate catches the eye, with #5 Indiana, #6 Oregon, #11 Oklahoma, and #2 Georgia all in action.
Later, #9 Ole Miss, #8 LSU, and South Carolina all gear up for cupcakes under the lights. But the same cannot be said about #4 Texas, as it hosts #1 Ohio State in a Titanic-sized matchup.
Check out each prospect’s match in Week 2 and where you can watch each game.
The crown jewel of Week 2 is undoubtedly #1 Ohio State visiting #4 Texas, as the two programs wrap up a home-and-home series.
Ohio State vs. Texas Loaded with 2027 NFL Draft Prospects
Ohio State vs. Texas may feature the best collection of 2027 NFL Draft prospects we will see all regular season. Everything about this game is worthy of the hype, from the Buckeyes leaving the Longhorns sour following last season’s and 2025’s matchups to Texas being only a 1.5-point favorite on PrizePicks.
As seen in our top 20 prospect rankings, this game features five of our top 10 players. Granted, this is mostly carried by Texas with the likes of QB Arch Manning, EDGE Collin Simmons, OT Trevor Goosby, and WR Cam Coleman.
However, Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith is likely the best player in all of college football and continues to prove why he’s a generational talent. Plus, QB Julian Sayin is firmly tracking to be a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, though his chance to be one of the first signal-callers off the board remains in question.
Frankly, this is Ohio State; we know this program is dripping with NFL talent, just like Texas. The Buckeyes’ top-tier talent, like WR Carnell Tate, LB Sonny Styles, LB Arvell Reese, and S Caleb Downs, were selected in the top 11 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft.
In 2025’s Week 1 matchup, it was the Buckeyes' defense that shined in a 14-7 win over the Longhorns. This was Reese’s introduction to the college football world, immediately becoming one of 2026's highly touted prospects. Who could be next in line to boost their draft stock in this matchup?
Outside our top 20 rankings, Ohio State EDGE Kenyatta Jackson is another player to watch. He began 2026 strong by tallying 7 pressures, 2 hits, and 5 QB hurries vs. Ball State in Week 1, per Pro Football Focus.
Jackson stands out as OSU’s top front-seven prospect, currently tracking for a second-round slot, but that can surely climb throughout the season. He has a chance to make a statement against Texas’ elite OT tandem of Goosby and Melvin Siani (a potential second-round pick).
There’s been debate of Coleman catching up to Smith in the WR rankings, too, and Texas’ wideout has a chance to do just that on Saturday as well.
Make your Ohio State vs. Texas picks on PrizePicks!
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Make 2027 NFL Draft Picks on PrizePicks
We already have a good idea of which college football players could be headed for the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft, and no game could be more important than Ohio State vs. Texas during the regular season.
PrizePicks has it all in one place, from your Week 2 college football picks to 2027 NFL Draft predictions.
If you’re building a college football lineup, just pick your players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in on your predictions if you’re right. With Team Picks, you can make NFL or CFB predictions on game winners, spreads, over/unders, and futures for the 2027 NFL Draft — now available in 36 states!
Keep it here with the Playbook for continued 2027 NFL Draft coverage, CFB picks, NFL predictions, futures, and more as we continue the 2026 season.
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