While the 2026 NFL Draft remains months away, Week 12 of the college football campaign provided league executives and fans alike plenty to think about.
As the calendar pushes into mid-November and the college football season enters its final stretch, the board is reshaping itself once again.
Early-season hype and spring scouting grades laid the groundwork back in August, but 12 weeks of real tape have brought a new wave of prospects to the forefront. These four players have surged into the conversation -- and NFL evaluators are taking notice.
Baylor QB Sawyer Robertson leads 2026 NFL Draft prospects on the rise
QB Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
A veteran under center for the Bears, Robertson is a big-armed gun-slinger who, despite losing in Week 12, showcased many of the traits scouts like in his 6-foot-4 frame.
He completed 29 passes for 430 yards and a trio of scores against Utah, delivering up the seam, to the far hash, in the intermediate areas, and all spots in between.
While his completion percentage (below 50%) and his two interceptions knock his day a bit, the fundamental ability to rip throw after throw to tight windows across the formation is NFL-type stuff.
WR Josh Cameron, Baylor
When a quarterback has a big day, it's likely a wideout or two correlate with that success, and Cameron was the primary beneficiary of Robertson's massive afternoon.
While you won't find Cameron on any Top 100 lists for the upcoming draft, the Cedar Park, Texas native has remained a standout in the Big 12 this fall. Against Utah, he amassed 13 catches for 165 yards and two scores, a career day for a player who had scored in each of the prior two weeks, as well.
WR Malachi Fields, Notre Dame
A transfer to South Bend from the University of Virginia, Fields was uncoverable against Pitt.
In what was a do-or-die matchup for the Fighting Irish's CFP hopes this winter, Fields took it upon himself to lead the way through the air, hauling in target after target from QB CJ Carr.
Week after week Notre Dame WR Malachi Fields continues to pop on tape.
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) November 15, 2025
Hell of a play from the 6’4” UVA transfer. pic.twitter.com/2VCZIqMK8E
As the weeks go on, he continues to rise on boards league-wide and is a ballplayer who could see his name called as early as the second round come April.
DL Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State
One of the most gifted pass-rushers in the country, it was a "finally" type of ballgame for Dennis-Sutton against Michigan State.
It's been an ugly 2025 in State College for a team expected to contend for a national title this fall, but it was refreshing to see Dennis-Sutton dominate in the way he can against the Spartans, totaling a gaudy 13 total pressures (8 hurries, three QB hits, two sacks), leading the country in W12.
A long, rangy, three-down defensive presence, while conversations with scouts surrounding Sutton have circled around the same theme of "disappointing" thus far, tape like this showcases the immense potential he has when he's at his best.