2027 NFL Draft: College Game Recaps – Week 5

Miami quarterback Darian Mensah has been superb to open the 2026 season and has put up some huge numbers against mostly weak opponents. The Clemson defense has some good NFL talent to test Mensah and he was playing on the road in a tough environment. While Mensah was not prolific, he played efficiently and was able to manage the game to guide his team to a tough road win.

Early in the first quarter, Mensah got a gift when he threw a quick screen to wide receiver Cooper Barkate, and Clemson had busted coverage to let Barkate sprint 61 yards for a touchdown. After that play, the Clemson defense did a better job in coverage and forced some punts. Early in the second quarter, Mensah took off on a run and exploded down the middle of the field. He got hit hard at the four-yard line and fumbled the ball ahead into the end zone, and Mensah dove on the ball for a 34-yard touchdown. Later in the second quarter, Mensah found Toney running wide open, and he lofted in a 58-yard touchdown, but the score was called back on a Miami penalty. Mensah finished completing 18-of-27 passes for 227 yards with a touchdown pass and one rushing touchdown.

For the NFL, Mensah is a poised quarterback with good accuracy. Mensah has very good ball placement and throws it accurately to all levels. Mensah is not a signal caller who looks to run, but he has some functional mobility and speed when he has to move, and his athleticism is enough of a threat that defenses have to respect it. This game gave proof of that with Mensah moving in the pocket along with his touchdown run. Team sources say Mensah is on his way to having a starter grade and being a first-round pick next April.

There was a great draft matchup in this game with Clemson cornerback Ashton Hampton taking on Miami star sophomore receiver Malachi Toney. Toney is extremely fast and one of the most explosive receivers in college football. Hampton is a big cornerback, and his ability to run with speed receivers was going to be put to the test by Toney.

In the second quarter, Hampton was matched up on Toney and was called for a holding. Toney was about to break free, but Hampton yanked on his shoulder pad to hold him back. Shortly later, Hampton stayed close enough to Toney on a crossing route to get a tackle along the sideline and force a third down. A few plays later, Hampton was close to Toney, and Hampton slapped the ball out of Toney’s hands for an incompletion. Early in the third quarter, Hampton had a great play to get his defense off the field on a fourth down. He was matched up against Toney, playing off man coverage. Toney ran at Hampton, then juked before slanting towards the middle of the field. Hampton triggered and broke downhill with impressive twitch for a big corner, and he used his length to slap the pass away. It was a phenomenal play in coverage from Hampton.

Overall, this was a great tape from Hampton. It showed that he has quality twitch, speed, and explosion to be able to match up against speed receivers. Hampton already has the size and length to handle big wideouts, but this tape answered any questions about whether he has enough speed. This tape will be huge for Hampton in months to come and could push him into the top half of the first round.

Miami has two good pro prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft on their defensive line with tackle Ahmad Moten and edge rusher Damon Wilson. In the second quarter, Moten used a swim move to get past the right guard, and Moten chased down the quarterback for a sack. In the fourth quarter, Moten closed on the scrambling quarterback to help get in on a sack and force a fumble that was recovered by Wilson. Overall, this was a good tape from Moten showing his interior pass rush ability along with being a tough run defender at the point of attack.

In the second quarter, Wilson burned the right tackle with a speed rush to get a hand on the quarterback and help set up a sack for his teammates. A few plays later, Wilson came unblocked and got a hard hit on the quarterback just after the ball was released. On one of the final plays of the half, Wilson fired past the tackle again with a speed rush to get a sack that forced a field goal attempt. At the end of the third quarter, Wilson used speed and a move to the inside to fire past the left guard to almost get a sack. The quarterback was able to dodge him, but Wilson continued to pursue, and he dove on the fumble to get the ball back for the Hurricanes. Wilson is a fast and dangerous edge rusher with natural ability to hunt the quarterback. He looks like a second-round pick at least, but he could rise over the course of the season just like Akheem Mesidor did last season.

The Clemson offense has struggled all season, but one player who stepped up and provided some big plays against Miami was wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. Early in the game, Wesco showed a nice run after the catch after a short pass in the flat. Later in the first half, Wesco made a nice leaping grab in a crowd of defenders for a 21-yard gain on a third down. Wesco had some other short catches with nice runs to move the chains for the Tigers. In the fourth quarter, Wesco caught a pass along the sideline and broke a tackle before breaking down the sideline for a 55-yard gain. It was a rough night for Clemson and their offense, especially with Wesco being the lone bright spot as he caught nine passes for 152 yards. This was a good tape for Wesco that will help his draft grade. He showed quickness and good route-running to get open with run-after-the-catch ability. Wesco might be a potential day-two pick if he were to enter the 2027 NFL Draft.

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is the top prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft, and Smith has been dominating every opponent this season. He continued to do that versus Iowa and, in the process, continued to rewrite the Buckeyes' record books.

In the early going, Smith had a few catches to help set up a touchdown and field goal. At the start of the second quarter, Smith used his strong hands to snatch the ball in a crowd, and then he darted down the field with his speed to rip off a gain of 53 yards. On the next drive, Smith made a tremendous over-the-shoulder catch while being double covered. Late in the second quarter, Smith caught a 12-yard touchdown on an out route, and then dove with the ball stretched out over the end zone.

Midway through the third quarter, Smith ran a post and then turned it vertically to run to open space. Julian Sayin lofted in the deep ball, and he shook a tackle at the five-yard line to dart into the end zone with a 57-yard touchdown. It became his 36th career receiving touchdown, which broke Chris Olave’s school record. Smith did have a rare dropped pass in the fourth quarter and had another near touchdown catch but was unable to control the ball while falling to the ground. Smith finished with 11 receptions for 206 yards with two touchdowns.

Once again, Smith produced an impressive tape. He showed his dominant combination of speed, size, strength, athleticism, and natural receiving ability. For the NFL, Smith looks like an elite No.1 receiver. He could be a Pro Bowl wideout early in his career, and I think Smith has the ability to be one of the best players at his position in the league. Smith reminds this analyst of Julio Jones, and I think Smith could be a superstar receiver like Jones was during his career with the Falcons. This tape will help Smith to be one of the first players drafted next April.

Iowa right guard Kade Pieper has some fans in the scouting community. A week ago he had a solid game against Michigan with some nice blocks as a run defender. Versus Ohio State, Pieper was solid but not overly impressive. He showed some ability to pull and hit blocks on the move. However, for the NFL, Pieper could stand to add more power to jolt and knock back pro defenders. He did a nice job of sinking his weight to stop some bull rushes. Pieper looks like a better fit to be a center as a pro. That would make him more valuable as a large center to man the middle of the line. Some sources think Pieper could go in the middle of the draft range, while others think he has early-round potential. Overall, this tape made him look more like a third-rounder rather than a first- or second-round pick.

Notre Dame quarterback C.J. Carr looks like a future first-round pick and NFL starter, so it would be interesting to see how he handled the Bill Belichick Tar Heels’ defense. Carr was superb against North Carolina and gave pro evaluators another tape showing that he is a potential franchise quarterback.

On a 28-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Faison, Carr displayed his downfield accuracy and intelligence. He looked off the safety and moved him with his eyes, and then lofted in a perfect strike, leading Faison open in the middle of the end zone for the score. Carr’s next throw was a touchdown as well. After a Tar Heels’ interception. Carr had perfect ball placement in the front corner of the end zone, and Jadan Greathouse made a leaping grab for a touchdown. At the opening of the second quarter, Carr threw his third touchdown pass. Faison got wide open in busted coverage, and Carr led Faison a bit too much, but the talented receiver made a fabulous diving catch for a 39-yard touchdown.

The Fighting Irish defense and special teams allowed the Tar Heels back in the game. Midway through the third quarter on a fourth-and-goal, Carr drew North Carolina offsides with a hard count, and when the play broke down, Carr rolled out before darting upfield and diving into the end zone for a huge touchdown. On the next possession, Carr made a good read with a short touchdown pass to Nolan James Jr. Carr finished completing 21-of-29 passes for 234 yards with four touchdown passes and one rushing.

For the NFL, there is no doubt that Carr has the talent to be a starting quarterback. Carr is an accurate pocket passer with excellent field vision and intelligence. Carr moves his eyes quickly to read his progressions and has a great understanding of his offense and where his receivers are going to be. He has a well-developed football IQ that comes from growing up in an accomplished football family. Carr makes good decisions with the ball and uses his arm and mind to hurt defenses downfield. Carr throws a very catchable ball and has a natural ability to throw perfect touch passes, dropping in the ball at exactly the right spot. With his excellent ball placement, Carr leads his receivers for more yards, and he also places passes where his receiver can make the reception without putting it in danger of being intercepted. While Carr does not have an elite cannon for an arm like Josh Allen, Carr has a solid arm and can make all the throws. Carr does not really have any flaws in his play; he just does not have an elite skill set in terms of a power arm or great running ability. Team sources have told me they compare Carr to Brock Purdy and Bo Nix. This tape will help Carr to be a first-round pick next April.

Faison totaled 132 yards on eight catches with two touchdowns. This was a great tape for Faison. He showed excellent route-running to create separation with the speed to challenge defenses downfield. For the NFL, Faison could be a shifty slot receiver who also lines up outside to stretch the secondary. Along with being a good receiver, Faison is a weapon as a punt returner. He could be a nice third- or fourth-round pick who provides a good value for that selection.

Notre Dame edge rusher Boubacar Traore was superb against North Carolina. Traore used a long arm to beat the right tackle and smashed Billy Edwards as he threw. Linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa caught the wounded duck and returned it about 20 yards to the 12-yard line. On the next drive, Traore powered through a tight end to get into the backfield to make a tackle for a loss in run defense. In the second quarter, Traore went upfield against the right tackle, but he showed his effort to turn and chase and make a tackle five yards downfield to get a tackle on a wide receiver screen. Traore used a speed rush in the fourth quarter to come close to another sack and force a third-down incompletion. This was an excellent tape from Traore showing his ability to beat tackles with speed around the edge, power to go through him, toughness as a run defender, and a good motor to run to the ball. This tape will help Traore to be an early-round pick next April.

Notre Dame Leonard Moore is one of the best players in college football, and he was rock solid against North Carolina. In the early going, he had sticky coverage to force a third-down incompletion. In the second quarter, Moore showed his ability to make a pass break up while avoiding a pass interference by closing on the ball and slapping it away. Moore had tight coverage on Tar Heels star tight end, Jelani Thurman. However, late in the fourth quarter, Moore came over from zone coverage to try and make a hard hit and break up a pass on Thurman, and Moore was shaken up on the play. Moore jogged off the field and his injury did not look serious. Moore looks like a first-round pick next April, and he could go in the top 10.