2026 NFL Draft prospects to watch in Week 5: Drew Allar faces a defining stage

With Week 5 of the College Football season set to kick-off, a headlining group of prospects have made their way to the forefront of evaluators' attention this weekend.

Which prospects are worth keeping a closer eye on?

Let's take a peek at a handful of 2026 NFL Draft prospects to watch this week, and who they'll face.

2026 NFL Draft: 5 prospects to watch in Week 5 of the College Football season

QB Drew Allar, Penn State

Schedule: vs No. 6 Oregon (4-0)

The 2026 draft cycle is already beginning to take shape, and Week 5 offers one of the most important stages yet for a quarterback who has been under the microscope since he first arrived in Happy Valley.

Allar has all the physical tools that scouts covet — a sturdy 6-foot-5 frame, a strong arm capable of driving the ball into tight windows, and enough mobility to extend plays when protection falters. But for all his traits, evaluators want to see consistency, poise, and production against the best competition.

He’ll get that chance on Saturday night.

In what should be an unbelievable atmosphere at Beaver Stadium, No. 6 ranked Oregon comes into town for a primetime matchup with the Nittany Lions in their famed Whiteout, one of college football’s most electric atmospheres.

It’s the type of environment NFL teams look at with a fine microscope — a quarterback on the biggest stage, facing a top-ten opponent with playoff implications on the line, and doing so in front of a national audience. For Allar, it’s the perfect opportunity to validate the first-round buzz that’s been building around him since his breakout flashes earlier in his career.

Organizations will be watching closely to see how he handles pressure against Oregon’s front, processes in real time against disguised coverages, and whether he can deliver in high-leverage moments.

Penn State has leaned on its run game in the past with Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen -- two names that will hear their names called in April -- but this matchup will likely demand Allar to take command and prove he can win with his arm.

It's the type of game that carries weight far beyond the box score. A standout performance in the Whiteout could not only vault Allar into the thick of the Heisman conversation, but also solidify him as a Day 1 centerpiece in the 2026 NFL Draft discussion.

QB Dante Moore, Oregon

Schedule: @ No. 3 Penn State (4-0)

While much of the pregame attention will center on Allar and Penn State’s environment, on the other side of the field Oregon’s Dante Moore brings just as much intrigue to Week 5.

Moore, a former five-star recruit, began his career at UCLA before transferring to Oregon, where he has quickly elevated his play into the upper echelon of signal-callers in the entire country. The raw flashes he showed early in his career have begun to take on a more polished form, thanks to better protection, a deeper supporting cast, and a system that emphasizes his strengths.

Moore’s 2025 season thus far has been just as efficient as impressive. He’s completing passes at a high rate, limiting mistakes, and showing the arm talent and processing speed that once made him one of the most coveted recruits in the nation. His blend of touch and anticipation allows him to hit receivers in stride downfield, and he’s developed into a quarterback who can balance aggression with composure -- which will be huge in an environment like he will face on Saturday.

Playing in a hostile Whiteout atmosphere against a top-ten opponent will give scouts a chance to evaluate how he handles adversity, adjusts to complex defensive looks, and leads his offense when the lights are truly at their brightest.

WR Germie Bernard, Alabama

Schedule: @ No. 5 Georgia (4-0)

Huge week for the Washington transfer in Bernard on the road against the Bulldogs.

While true sophomore Ryan Williams draws all the attention for the Crimson Tide offense, the versatility of Bernard as an inside-out weapon will remain critical to the overall success of Alabama's offense throughout the evening.

Bernard, an alignment-versatile weapon, has totaled three touchdowns in his past two games, and his ability to create chunk plays up and down the formation will force Georgia to account for his presence on each and every snap.

What makes him additionally unique is his ability in the red zone, where his quick twitch and knack for finding open space consistently place him in opportunistic spots to take advantage of touches.

Currently, Bernard has late Day 2, early Day 3 grades from teams as a player whose role at the next level could come right away as a core special teamer (think Virginia Tech turned Washington Commander WR Jaylin Lane from last year's cycle) with growing snaps on offense as his career progresses.

LB Whit Weeks, LSU

Schedule: @ No. 13 Ole Miss (4-0)

If you haven't watched Weeks play football, make sure you take a few minutes on Saturday to watch him fly around.

A modern day hybrid piece in the middle of an elite Tigers defense, Weeks has the instincts and trigger to explode through gaps downhill, along with the spatial awareness and pure coverage ability to eliminate running backs and tight ends in space.

He's not the biggest, nor most powerful linebacker even on the LSU roster, but there has to be an appreciation for just flat out, electric football players, and Weeks absolutely fits the script.

Through four weeks as an off-ball 'backer, Weeks leads LSU in pressures with 7, a nod for his ability to wreak havoc play after play after pl.... you get the point. He's an outstanding football player.

LB Eric Gentry, USC

Schedule: @ No. 23 Illinois (3-1)

Gentry is one of the more unique defensive prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft cycle. At 6-foot-6, he brings rare length and versatility to the second level unlike the draft has seen really since Virginia's Charles Snowden back in 2021.

His career has already shown flashes of high-level production with tackles for loss, sacks, and disruptive plays in coverage, but consistency and health have always been the key questions. After redshirting in 2024, Gentry has returned to form in 2025, emerging as one of the leaders on USC’s defense with impact plays against both the run and pass.

Week 5 offers him a massive opportunity to prove himself on a national stage. A road test against thr Illini won’t just be about numbers — it will be about handling pressure in a tough environment. Illinois has a physical brand of football that tests linebackers with run fits, motion, and screens designed to pull them out of position.

For Gentry, the challenge will be showing scouts that he can not only play downhill and leverage his length, but also maintain discipline and fluidity in space against an offense built to stress him.