2026 NFL Draft: College Game Recaps – Week 10

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer was superb to start the season, but after sustaining a thumb injury that required surgery, Mateer hasn’t been the same. He rushed back playing versus Texas only 17 days after the surgery. He was awful against the Longhorns and then had some other underwhelming performances, including a week ago against Ole Miss. In order to be a high first-rounder, Mateer needs to find his early-season form and finish the season strong.

In the first quarter, Mateer and the Oklahoma offense were struggling to move the chains and were getting their punter involved. Early in the second quarter, the Sooners finally got a drive going when Mateer scrambled and took off on a 22-yard run. That was the key play in a field goal drive. Late in the second quarter, Mateer threw a perfect strike for a chunk gain, but throughout the first half, Mateer was not comfortable completing passes.

In the third quarter, Mateer and the Sooners’ offense started to find their stride. For a few plays, Mateer continued to struggle to find open receivers, but he once again used his legs for a 22-yard run to convert a third-and-long, and that play seemed to turn things around for Oklahoma. Mateer finally connected on a long completion, firing a laser to the far sideline for a 25-yard completion to Isaiah Sategna III. That set up a short rushing touchdown, and Mateer found a rhythm as a passer. That led to a field goal for Oklahoma.

On the next drive, Mateer ran to move the chains and had some completions, but then had some bad luck when he had a deflected pass intercepted by Tennessee. Late in the fourth quarter, Mateer had a short rushing touchdown. He finished completing 19-of-29 passes for 159 yards with an interception. He had 80 yards rushing with a score, but he had more yards than that on the ground, as college football counts lost sack yardage against the rushing total.

While it took some time to get going, Mateer was better versus Tennessee than he has been in recent weeks. In the second half, Mateer was more accurate and finally started to play in rhythm. The first half was not good tape as Mateer showed poor fundamentals on a few plays, including a few jump passes. Mateer needs to string together good tape for the remainder of the season to have a shot at being a first-rounder next April.

Oklahoma’s R. Mason Thomas is a fast and athletic edge rusher who can really get after the quarterback. Unfortunately, Thomas was not in the game long, but he made a big difference in the outcome. In the first quarter, Thomas showed his athleticism on an incredible play. After Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar was stripped, the ball bounced up and Thomas was able to catch the bounce about knee high with one hand. He had a Volunteers blocker jostle with him for about 15 yards before Thomas shed the block and sprinted down the field. In the final 15 yards, Thomas slowed with a pulled hamstring, but he was able to score into the end zone with a 71-yard touchdown run. Thomas went out for the rest of the game after the injury.

Sources say that they really love Thomas’ pass-rush ability for the NFL. The 6-foot-2, 249-pounder is fast and athletic. However, he is very undersized for the NFL, and he is not big enough to be a base end. Thomas will have to be a rotational player and designated pass rusher. He could also get moved to Sam linebacker, who rushes off the edge in passing situations. Given Thomas’ size limitations, multiple sources say they are projecting him to day two of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Team sources have said that Georgia does not have a lot of early-round talent for the 2026 NFL Draft, and the Bulldogs do not have the elite talent that they have had in recent years under Kirby Smart. The one player that could be a first or second-round pick next April is linebacker C.J. Allen. Allen has been superb this season and the constant on a Bulldogs defense that has been very feast-or-famine.

In the first half, Allen was doing a nice job of making tackles in the ground game and keeping Florida from establishing a consistent rushing attack. In the third quarter, Allen had a clutch tackle as Florida had set up a quarterback draw with blockers and space in front, but Allen worked off his blocker and tackled D.J. Lagway just past the line of scrimmage to sniff out a potential touchdown run. Shortly later, Allen showed his speed, flying to the perimeter to snuff out a screen. In the fourth quarter, with the Gators driving, Allen had a clutch stop with open field behind him on a perimeter run by the Gators. It was an excellent open field tackle after Allen shed a block.

For the NFL, Allen looks like a future starter. He is fast, physical, and has good instincts. He is an excellent run defender with good read-and-react skills and is a physical tackler. In pass coverage, Allen shows the ability to get depth in his drop and covers a lot of ground in zone.

Florida edge rusher George Gumbs Jr. had a huge game to help a gritty Gators defense. Gumbs was all over the field for the Gators and was causing disruption in the backfield for all four quarters. In the early going, Gumbs had a few good tackles on running plays to stop Georgia backs near the line of scrimmage. He was also putting some pressure on Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton. Late in the second quarter, Gumbs chased down Stockton for a tackle at the line of scrimmage just before Stockton broke into the open field. Early in the fourth quarter, on a third down, Gumbs bullrushed through the left tackle and took out the legs of Stockton for a sack.

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Gumbs is quick and athletic off the edge. He shows some functional strength to push off blocks and plays with an excellent motor. Gumbs had five sacks in 2024 and flashed as a rotational player. Gumbs may not have the size to be an every-down starter, but he could be a good rotational edge rusher with the potential to develop into a starting Sam linebacker.

There was the potential for a good draft matchup in this game with Boston College left tackle Jude Bowry going against Fighting Irish edge rusher Boubacar Traore. Bowry is one of the only bright spots on a terrible Boston College team, and he has a good skill set for the NFL. Traore is a fast and athletic edge rusher with natural quarterback-hunting skills. Unfortunately, the matchup did not come to fruition.

In the early going, Notre Dame was winning the time of possession, and they did not have many plays head-to-head. Bowry was playing well in pass protection on a few plays, but then, midway through the second quarter, Bowry had to be helped off the field by trainers. He seemed to be struggling to put weight on a leg and also seemed like he had a head injury. Bowry did not return to the game, and it was

For the NFL, Bowry looks like he has starting potential as a left tackle. He has good size, length, strength, and athleticism. If this is a serious injury, he might want to enter the transfer portal to go to a good team and help his draft grade before turning pro. Traore was quiet in this game, but he has played well this year. He can be a streaky player and have some quiet stretches. Traore would be wise to go back to Notre Dame next year and improve on his technique to become more consistent before turning pro.

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love showed once again that he is an elite running back prospect and a true first-round talent. In the early going against Boston College, Love was not finding a lot of running room, but he had a few nice receptions, showing his ability to turn a short catch for a few yards into a double-digit gain. He had a short touchdown run, and used his power to move the chains. Early in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame was backed up at their own six-yard line. Love showed patience on a zone run to the left and let his blocks get set before he exploded through a hole and raced down the field for a 96-yard touchdown run. That run clinched the win for Notre Dame. Love finished with 136 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns. Love caught four passes for 30 yards.

For the NFL, Love looks like a three-down starter who is capable of being a work-horse back like Josh Jacobs or Nick Chubb. Love is a physical downhill runner with excellent vision, patience, and cutting ability. Love shows serious power to pick up yards after contact and is capable of creating on his own. In the passing game, Love is pro-ready and very impressive. He runs good routes from a variety of places, has soft hands, and is athletic to adjust to the ball. Love has also blocked well in pass protection. As long as he can stay healthy, Love looks like a first-round pick for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate could continue the Buckeyes’ streak of first-round wide receiver prospects next April. Tate helped improve his chances of being selected on the opening night of the draft with an impressive performance against Penn State. Tate made big plays downfield that produced some critical points for his team.

In the early going, Tate was catching some short passes to move the chains. Late in the second quarter, Tate ran a go route down the field and gained some separation on the deep safety. Tate adjusted to an underthrown pass and outfought the safety to reel the ball in for a 35-yard touchdown catch. In the opening minute of the third quarter, Tate got an opening running a deep post, and Sayin lofted in a pass to Tate for a 57-yard gain to set up a first-and-goal. Tate finished catching five passes for 124 yards.

For the NFL, Tate is a big outside receiver who can challenge pro cornerbacks downfield and on the sideline. Tate has the size to win contested catches and is capable of beating them on jump balls or back-shoulder throws. Tate is not an elite burner like Tyreek Hill or Jameson Williams, but he runs well enough to get downfield with speed. Some team sources who have watched him in person for years, say that Tate does not look as talented as Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Marvin Harrison Jr., or Emeka Egbuka. But they feel that Tate is a legit early-rounder. Tate looks like a potential late first-round or early second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese has been superb in 2025, and he continued his strong play with an excellent performance against Penn State. In the first quarter, Reese showed his pass-rush ability when he blew by left tackle Drew Shelton to chase the quarterback out of the pocket for a third-down incompletion. Later in the third quarter, Reese slapped down the hands of Shelton to chase down the quarterback for a sack. On the next possession, Reese read a screen being set up, and he fired to the back to tackle him for a loss. Those plays showed tremendous speed from Reese. Reese was an animal in the ground game, firing to the backs and shutting down the tackle box with teammate Sonny Styles. This tape was outstanding as Reese was all over the field for the Buckeyes.

For the NFL, Reese is a do-it-all linebacker as he is big, fast, and athletic. While Reese has a great skill set, what sets him apart is his good instincts. He has advanced read-and-react skills with quick diagnosis. Reese is fast to read his keys, and that puts him in a position to be around the ball. With his size and speed, Reese is a dangerous pass rusher who brings some serious speed around the edge or up the middle. He can drop into coverage and is a tough run defender. Reese is a first-round talent for the 2026 NFL Draft.

This was a bad tape from Shelton. The Penn State left tackle has a nice skill set with size, strength, and athleticism, but he has poor technique and does not move his feet quickly enough to cut off the edge from speed rushers. That leads to Shelton reaching after rushers and bending at the waist. He should return to the Nittany Lions next year to improve before going to the NFL.

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is a potential first-round pick next April, and versus Penn State, he produced a tape that will help his cause. In the second quarter, Downs flew over to the flat to make a big tackle in the flat that snuffed out a screen pass for no gain. A little while later, Downs missed a tackle in the flat after taking a bad angle, and that let Nic Singleton dart downfield for a 13-yard gain. Downs came back to read a play well to fire into the line to make a tackle at the line of scrimmage for no gain. In the fourth quarter, Downs was in coverage in a crowd of two receivers and a defensive back. Downs won on a jump ball to come down with an interception that helped Ohio State clinch the win. Downs showed a lot for the NFL in this game. He was instinctive, fast, around the ball, and made big plays in both phases.

Penn State defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton has early-round talent for the NFL Draft, and he was seeing some double teams from Ohio State. In the early going, Dennis-Sutton worked past the right tackle with a nice rush for a hit on quarterback Julian Sayin. Early in the second quarter, Dennis-Sutton used a speed rush to get upfield and pushed through the left tackle to get a hit on quarterback Julian Sayin to force a third-down incompletion. Shortly later, Dennis-Sutton used a speed rush to the inside of the left tackle to almost get a sack, but Sayin side-stepped Dennis-Sutton and ran for a first down. It was a nice rush with speed, but it showed Dennis-Sutton’s stiffness and struggles to redirect to a scrambling quarterback. In the second half, Dennis-Sutton was pushed back off the ball, and Ohio State was able to get a short touchdown run. Dennis-Sutton looks like a late first-round or second-round pick.