While the 2026 NFL Draft remains months away, Week 9 of the college football campaign provided league executives and fans alike plenty to think about.
While past performance and spring grades set the spotlight on a large crop of ballplayers as the season began, nine weeks of ball have placed a spotlight on a new group of prospects worthy of discussion.
From potential future face of the franchise signal-callers to an elite mismatch weapon, these four players were outstanding, grabbing the eye of NFL decision makers.
Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed leads 2026 NFL Draft prospects on the rise
QB Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
It was a highly efficient Saturday for Reed, totaling over 300 yards combined through the air (202) and on the ground (108) in a win over then No. 20-ranked LSU in Death Valley.
Still just a redshirt sophomore (third season), it remains unlikely that Reed will declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, but the dual threat skillset continues to evole as the season wears on.
He's had inconsistencies with his accuracy, which has stemmed from lazy mechanics this fall, but the platform is there for a player who forces defensive coordinators to stay up late at night.
WR Denzel Boston, Washington
What a day it was for Boston, amassing 153 yards receiving and a trip to pay dirt against the top 25-ranked Illini from Illinois.
While Boston won't hear his name called as early as former Husky standout Rome Odunze from yesteryear, his 6-foot-4 frame showcases a prototypical 'X' build on the outside, and it only takes one team to fall in love with a skillset.
He's a highly skilled pass-catcher who wins over the top as a physical presence, but also touts the nuance and spatial awareness to serve as a target hog in got-to-have-it situations.
RB Justice Haynes, Michigan
Michigan isn't the powerhouse you're used to, but Haynes has remained one of the top ball-carriers in all of college football and deserves the necessary spotlight.
For Haynes, it was just another day at the office against Michigan State, piling up another 152 yards on the ground with two more trips to the endzone. In total, he's now gone over 100 yards in all but one of his seven starts (USC), averaging a gaudy 7.1 yards a carry.
DL Clev Lubin, Louisville
A transfer to the ACC from Coastal Carolina, Lubin led the country in total pressures this week with 9.
While Lubin won't fit most NFL teams' specific thresholds at the position from a size, length, or speed perspective, he's a power-laden rusher with a refined approach at the position at 6-foot-3, 245 pounds.
Whether teams evaluate him as a sub-package edge rusher or a guy that could be deployed on all three downs due to his power at the point of attack, he's a name to keep an eye on as the year progresses.