2027 NFL Draft: College Game Recaps – Week 0 and 1

Like Oregon, Notre Dame, and Indiana, Ole Miss took some time to start clicking. Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss entered this season as a potential early-round prospect, and he got his season started with a mixed outing against Louisville. The first half wasn’t good, but Chambliss made big plays in the second half to help out his defense and lead his team to a tough win over a good opponent.

In the first quarter, Chambliss used his legs to run for a dozen and a first down, but shortly later he fumbled the ball away after being gang-tackled. Chambliss responded by throwing a well-located pass downfield for a 31-yard completion. That play set up a field goal for the Rebels. Midway through the first half, Chambliss didn’t see a safety as he worked through his progressions, and a Louisville defender made a nice interception jumping a route downfield. Late in the half, Chambliss had a receiver open for a touchdown, but he put too much air under the ball, and that let the defender recover to knock the pass away for an incompletion. It was a painful missed opportunity as it led to a missed field goal.

In the third quarter, Chambliss came back to make a great play climbing the pocket before throwing a laser down the field to hit Deuce Alexander on a deep cross, and he took off down the field for a 62-yard touchdown. Just before the fourth quarter, they hooked up again with Chambliss airing out a bomb that dropped in perfectly to Alexander, and he raced down the sideline for another 62-yard touchdown. A few minutes later, Chambliss found his tight end for a 35-yard touchdown. His tight end was running open down the seam, and Chambliss lofted in the score. Chambliss added a rushing touchdown from a few yards out in his big second half, and helped to lead the game-winning field goal. Chambliss finished completing 21-of-36 passes for 336 yards with three passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, an interception, and a fumble.

For the NFL, Chambliss is a dual-threat quarterback who has a play style similar to Kyler Murray or Russell Wilson. Chambliss is a shifty runner with elusiveness and quickness. He also has a quality arm to push the ball downfield and is a gritty competitor and playmaker. Chambliss is small and comes from a college offense, so he might grade out as more of a day-two prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft.

This game featured two future NFL running backs in Ole Miss’ Kewan Lacy and Louisville’s Isaac Brown. Both Ole Miss and Louisville were focused on stopping the backs as the interior of their defensive lines played really well. All night, Lacy (17-61-1) was not finding a lot of rushing lanes, but he was running hard and had a goal-line touchdown run in the first half. Brown (16-36) ran hard as well, but neither one was able to break free for chunk gains. Overall, this tape won’t hurt their grades as they had no holes to work with.

Notre Dame quarterback C.J. Carr entered the season as a potential first-round pick for the 2027 or 2028 NFL Draft. Wisconsin played well in the first half to slow down Carr and Notre Dame, but eventually the Fighting Irish settled in and dominated the second half. Carr was not prolific, but he was efficient and managed the game well.

In the first quarter, Carr did some short passing to help lead a field goal drive, and then after a Wisconsin turnover, he tossed a short touchdown pass to an open tight end, James Flanagan, in the flat. Carr continued to move the ball with some precision passes, and he showed some nice accuracy and zip on his passes downfield, but Notre Dame was calling a lot of short passes, and Carr had to settle for another field goal after leading a nice drive. In the second half, Carr set up a few rushing touchdowns and threw a pass in the flat that was turned into a touchdown by a fancy run by his back. Carr finishes completing 19-of-29 passes for 239 yards with two touchdowns.

For the NFL, Carr is an efficient passer who throws accurately, has good field vision, poise in the pocket, and is a smart distributor of the ball. Carr does not have an elite skill set with an ultra-powerful cannon or dangerous running ability, but he can rip a defense from the pocket and lead his team to points without critical mistakes. Carr is similar to Bo Nix or Brock Purdy, and that could lead to him getting a first-round projection from pro evaluators.

Notre Dame has two early-round cornerback prospects in Leonard Moore and D.J. McKinney, and they were both outstanding to open the season. In the first half, Moore played well with a good tackle on a quarterback run and another tackle in run support. Wisconsin was mainly targeting the other cornerbacks through the air, and Moore was blanketing his receiver. In the second quarter, Moore had nearly a miraculous interception but was unable to control the ball and settled for a pass broken up. Moore had another clutch tackle just after halftime. In the third quarter, McKinney had tight coverage and adjusted well to a ball behind the receiver to make an interception and then race down the sideline from midfield for a pick-six.

Moore looks like a top-10 pick next April while McKinney could be a late first or second-day candidate. They could produce a phenomenal season together for the Fighting Irish.

Sam Leavitt was making his debut for LSU after starring at Arizona State. A Lisfranc injury ended Leavitt's 2025 season early, but he was still a top target for Lane Kiffin as his debut quarterback with the Tigers. In 2024, Leavitt showed he is a talented dual-threat quarterback similar to Jaxson Dart or Johnny Manziel. Playing for Kiffin could cause Leavitt to turn into a first-round pick for the 2027 NFL Draft, and he got his 2026 season off to a good start against Clemson.

The very opening didn’t go well for Leavitt. On the second play of the game, he threw behind his receiver, and it bounced off his receiver's hands. Star cornerback Ashton Hampton caught the deflection for an interception that set up Clemson at the LSU 33. Leavitt responded with some short completions to get a field goal. He also used his legs for some chunk gains to set up a rushing touchdown and ran an eight-yard score using his speed to get upfield and dive past some defenders. In the third quarter, Leavitt found a wide-open receiver in busted coverage for a 32-yard touchdown.

Versus Clemson, Leavitt completed 16-of-28 passes for 230 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Leavitt’s running ability is special, and his legs bring a dangerous element to his offense. With quick feet and athleticism, Leavitt is outstanding at moving in the pocket to dodge the pass rush and avoid negative plays. He easily slips away from rushers and extends plays by breaking out of the pocket. From there, Leavitt is dangerous to take off down the field as he has a second gear to accelerate into the secondary, and he is a shifty open-field runner with size to push through defensive backs.

As a passer, Leavitt has some talent, but he does need some development. Playing for Kiffin could help his growth and ability to work out of the pocket. Leavitt has a strong arm and can fire some missiles into the intermediate part of the field. Leavitt can launch deep passes accurately, and he has the arm to make any throw. Leavitt could stand to improve his ability to work through progressions. He seems to often lock onto one side of the field. There are also plays where he takes off running if his first read is covered. On other plays, he does a nice job of using his check-down, so getting more refined at scanning through his receivers and reading the defense will be necessary for the NFL. Some pro defenses are going to keep him contained and make him beat them from the pocket, so Leavitt could use development as a pocket passer. Landing with Kiffin in the transfer portal could prove to be life-changing. While Kiffin has questionable character, to say the least, he does know the passing offense and is a good play caller, schemer, and quarterback developer. Leavitt could rise into being a first-round pick this season.

LSU tight end Trey’Dez Green looks like a first-round pick for the 2027 NFL Draft, and he had a strong start to the season. Green caught four passes for 58 yards and had some key yardage to help the Tigers extend scoring drives. In the first quarter, Green had a catch on the run to get a 21-yard gain for the Tigers, and that set up a game-tying field goal. Green continued to move the chains with a few receptions in the first half. Green did have some underwhelming plays as a blocker. In the second half, Green had a nice block on a linebacker at the second level to open a cutback lane for his back to score from 13 yards out. Green may not be a good blocker, but his receiving mismatch talent is so great he looks like a future first-round pick.

Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown and defensive end Will Heldt are potential first-round picks, but they were both quiet against LSU. Heldt was a non-factor in the pass rush and chipped in four tackles as a run defender. Brown had 10 tackles, but they were downfield and tackles in pursuit. Brown was a non-factor in stopping Leavitt on the ground or Tigers running back Dilin Jones. This tape is going to hurt both Heldt and Brown as they did not look like first-round talents versus LSU.

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore could have been the second-overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but Moore decided to return to the Ducks to continue his development at the college level. While Moore may not be able to improve how high he goes in the draft, playing another season of college football could lead to improved passing talent for the NFL. After a slow start, Moore got into a better groove and had a respectable opening to his season.

Moore had a quiet first half as the Boise State defense did a good job of blanketing the Oregon receivers. Late in the first quarter, Moore dropped in a pass deep down the field for a 50-yard gain, and he helped set up a rushing touchdown. After a slow stretch, Moore created some points just before half as Moore hit a pass to his talented tight end Jamari Johnson down the seam, and he bounced off a few defenders to fall into the end zone with a 27-yard touchdown. That late score was critical for Oregon to narrow Boise State’s lead to a field goal at the half and grab hold of the momentum.

In the third quarter, Stewart hit a slant to Evan Stewart on the run, and he took off for a 41-yard gain. The very next play, Moore threw to a well-covered receiver in the end zone, and the cornerback pushed the receiver away to get an interception. The officials correctly called a pass interference to negate the turnover. Oregon settled for a field goal to tie the game. On the next possession, Moore connected with Jeremiah McClellan in the flat, and he powered through a few defenders for an eight-yard touchdown.

On the next Oregon possession, Moore had a receiver wide open in the front of the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown, but Moore was inaccurate, throwing too high for an incompletion. That poor throw turned into a four-point loss for the Ducks as they settled for a field goal. Midway through the fourth quarter, Moore hit receiver Dakorien Moore about 16 yards downfield on an out route, and Moore juked two Broncos defenders to break free down the field for a 62-yard touchdown. Dante Moore finished completing 28-of-37 passes for 378 yards with three touchdowns.

For the NFL, Moore is an efficient passer who operates well out of the pocket. He can read the defense, work through his progressions, and distribute the ball downfield. In 2025, he was an accurate passer. In this game, his accuracy did not look as pinpoint as he threw behind Johnson on his touchdown catch and missed an easy touchdown in the second half. It was only the first game, and Moore will probably make better throws as he gets into the groove of the season. Moore looks like a pro starter and future first-round pick.

Oregon has four defensive linemen who are good NFL prospects: defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei, edge Teitum Tuioti, defensive tackle Bear Alexander, and nose tackle A’Mauri Washington. Of the group, Uiagalelei showed the same kind of play from 2025. Last year, Uiagalelei was very inconsistent and showed a poor motor. He would flash special ability at times, but also would let himself be blocked by inferior talents frequently. This game was more of the same, and Uiagalelei was quiet for three quarters. In the fourth quarter, Uiagalelei finally came alive and made a play. Uiagalelei bull-rushed through the left tackle before pushing him aside to sack the quarterback. Uiagalelei is talented, but he needs to show an improved motor and more consistent production in the weeks to come.

Tuioti was the most active and impactful of the group, even though he does not have as good of a physical skill set in terms of size, speed, and athleticism. At the end of the first quarter, Tuioti made a big play on a third down going against the right tackle. He used quickness to get upfield, a long arm to hold off the right tackle, and then ripped underneath him to get a sack. Late in the first half, Tuioti used power to work through the right tackle and almost got a safety. In the fourth quarter, Tuioti powered through the left tackle and worked off a chip from the running back to get a third-down pressure that helped force an incompletion in the end zone. This was a good tape for Tuioti. He has a great motor, fights hard to get off blocks, and has a knack for winning his assignment. Tuioti may not grade out as a first-rounder, but he could be a sleeper day-two pick who turns into a nice value.

Washington had an active game with some stuffed runs and clogging gaps at the point of attack. He did have some miscues, including jumping offside to set up a fourth-and-1 and a missed tackle on a first-down run in the fourth quarter. In the first quarter, Alexander bull-rushed the left guard to get penetration and then swallowed up the quarterback for a sack as he stepped up in the pocket. Alexander had some runs come at him, and he and Washington seemed to wear down a bit in the second half. This tape won’t hurt or help either Washington or Alexander significantly.

There were a few late-round defensive line prospects with upside on display in Dublin, Ireland as the college football season kicked off Week 0. North Carolina edge rusher Melkart Abou Jaoude had 10.5 sacks last season and could be a player on the rise during the 2026 season. TCU defensive tackle Ansel Din-Mbuh also has some ability as an interior disruptor. Both of them had good moments and quiet stretches in the season opener.

Early in the third quarter, Abou Jauode swiped the hands away from the left tackle and then dipped underneath him to hunt down Jaden Craig for a blindside strip-sack that was recovered by North Carolina. Abou Jauode has some power as a rusher, but could use more development in his repertoire of moves. He could be a late-round or undrafted free agent with potential, but if Abou Jauode improves throughout the season, he could rise.

In the first quarter, Din-Mbuh put together a nice rush, breaking the grip of the right guard and darting down the pocket to sack Billy Edwards on a third down. Later in the first half, Din-Mbuh flowed well down the line to help make his presence felt in run defense, but he was not getting off blocks in the pass rush. On some plays, Din-Mbuh was going up against the Tar Heel tackles, and he couldn’t get off the blocks. Din-Mbuh

North Carolina quarterback Billy Edwards and TCU quarterback Jaden Craig looked like undrafted free agents in this game. Craig had a good run at Harvard before landing with TCU, but he struggled against North Carolina and was very underwhelming in the second half. Edwards missed some throws and left some yards and points on the field. Both Edwards and Craig looked like training camp arms but not true competition to be a third-stringer.