The 2025 college football season has come to a close. We’ve entered into the politicking window for College Football Playoff berths and conference championship games. More importantly, we’ve also reached the start of All-Star Game acceptances. With that comes an added push of focus into the NFL Draft cycle.

The 2026 NFL Draft will be here before we know it. But now that the regular season college games have wrapped up, it’s a good time to take a new look through the landscape to explore some of the top talent eligible. Here’s a refreshed look at my top-50 players eligible for the 2026 draft with my latest prospect big board.

Kyle Crabbs’ December 2026 NFL Draft Top-50 Big Board

1. Ohio State SAF Caleb Downs

The most diverse defensive back in college football. Downs isn’t a star in the high post but his ability to line up in a plethora of places and his elite football IQ make him a defensive weapon that can help you match personnel week to week in the NFL without substitutions.

2. Ohio State LB Arvell Reese

Reese has enjoyed a glow-up this season thanks to some prolific power and the ability to play off the ball. Defenses are surely going to be scrambling to the new heavy trends for opposing offenses this season, and Reese has the right stuff to play coverage over tight ends or heat up quarterbacks.

3. Miami FL EDGE Rueben Bain Jr.

The book on Bain Jr. is that he’s great but lacks a prototypical build. I’ll take my chances. If you can’t find a way to unleash him in your defense because he’s not as long as guys on the edge normally are, that says more about you than it does him.

4. Oregon QB Dante Moore

My favorite quarterback eligible for 2026. The buzz has been that Moore will be back at Oregon in 2026 for the Ducks. But after the loss of his offensive coordinator, the continued buzz about his play and the need for top quarterbacks, I’ll keep ranking him until he’s still enrolled at Oregon with the declaration deadline having passed.

5. Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love

Love has a clean profile as a ball carrier. He’s a prolific runner with the right blend of speed, burst, power, balance, and vision to fit into any scheme. The biggest battle he’ll have to fight this offseason is the narrative around drafting running backs high.

6. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza

Mendoza has had a superb season for the Hoosiers. You may wish he were a little more athletic — he’s in the “sneaky athletic” category. You may wish there were less RPOs in his offense. But he’s accurate, big, and super smart. It’s a foundation you can build around at the most important position.

7. Ohio State WR Carnell Tate

Big Play Tate! You want length at the catch point, you want deep ball abilities, you want accuracy erasers? You want fluid athleticism and elite body control? This is your guy. Tate is a prolific downfield receiver who has the ability to shine in a vertical passing offense.

8. Miami OL Francis Mauigoa

I don’t care whether you’re projecting him at guard or not. He’s got easy power, good cadence with his feet, and a strong anchor. Mauigoa is a long-tenured starter who should be well-groomed for life in the NFL.

9. Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson

Tyson hasn’t quite been able to fully match the energy of his 2024 season, but I’d caution against over-correcting here. He’s a smooth athlete who has plenty of parallels to some of the best young receivers playing on rookie contracts in the NFL right now.

10. Alabama QB Ty Simpson

Simpson is entering a pivotal window for his 2026 NFL Draft profile. He’s sharp at the line of scrimmage, surprisingly resourceful in negotiating pressure, and has come up big for the Tide in big moments. He’s mature beyond his reps. But he’s struggled with the deep ball, and his play has wavered a bit late in the year. For a guy who is a one-year starter, a shaky finish could push him back to school.

Prospects 11-20

11.	Oregon	TE	Kenyon Sadiq
12.	Penn State	IOL	Vega Ioane
13.	USC	WR	Makai Lemon
14.	LSU	CB	Mansoor Delane
15.	Ohio State	LB	Sonny Styles
16.	Texas A&M	EDGE	Cashius Howell
17.	Clemson	CB	Avieon Terrell
18.	Auburn	EDGE	Keldric Faulk
19.	Utah	OT	Spencer Fano
20.	Texas A&M	WR	KC Concepcion

Hot take: I’d rather have a pick from 11-20 in this year’s draft than a pick from 3rd overall to 8th overall. I don’t think the difference between those players is particularly big. This is a strong group of players, and the 11-20 range should feel like the strength of the first round of this year’s class.

Prospects 21-30

21.	Clemson	EDGE	TJ Parker
22.	Texas Tech	EDGE	David Bailey
23.	Tennessee	CB	Jermod McCoy
24.	Iowa	OT	Gennings Dunker
25.	Tennessee	CB	Colton Hood
26.	Washington	WR	Denzel Boston
27.	Oregon	IDL	A’Mauri Washington
28.	South Carolina	QB	La’Norris Sellers
29.	Alabama	OT	Kadyn Proctor
30.	Utah	OT	Caleb Lomu

Questions galore in this group. Is TJ Parker explosive enough to be a marquee player on the edge? What’s Jermod McCoy’s medical outlook after missing the season with a major injury? Will La’Norris Sellers declare or transfer for big NIL money? Is Kadyn Proctor just the next abnormally large Alabama tackle, or is there a first-round player here? The draft process will, hopefully, provide clarity.

Prospects 31-40

31.	Ohio State	IDL	Kayden McDonald
32.	Georgia	LB	CJ Allen
33.	Texas	LB	Anthony Hill Jr.
34.	Clemson	IDL	Peter Woods
35.	USC	WR	Ja’Kobi Lane
36.	Louisville	WR	Chris Bell
37.	Oregon	EDGE	Matayo Uiagalelei
38.	Auburn	IOL	Connor Lew
39.	Ohio State	CB	Davison Igbinosun
40.	Florida	IDL	Caleb Banks

There’s a trio of fallers in this group that are worth mentioning. Clemson’s Peter Woods has regressed this season. It was disappointing to continue to see his season unfold without the same effectiveness in deconstructing blocks. A healthy Connor Lew is probably at least 10 spots higher on this list. And Caleb Banks only got back onto the field at the end of November. He was a candidate ranked highly on potential, and we simply haven’t seen him play enough this season.

Prospects 41-50

41.	USC	SAF	Kamari Ramsey
42.	Oregon	SAF	Dillon Thieneman
43.	Arizona State	CB	Keith Abney II
44.	Texas Tech	EDGE	Romello Height
45.	Texas	OT	Trevor Goosby
46.	Toledo	SAF	Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
47.	Penn State	CB	AJ Harris
48.	San Diego State	CB	Chris Johnson
49.	Clemson	OT	Blake Miller
50.	Alabama	WR	Germie Bernard

One thing that is abundantly clear with this group is that this is a great year to need defensive backs. There are players of all shapes and sizes. Perhaps none are more intriguing than Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren — a supersized defender who is part of a strong recent pipeline of NFL players to come through the program. I find myself partial to Romello Height as well — he’s a super-senior who plays like a more mature player than his teammates and opponents…because he is. A younger Height probably gets ranked higher, but, as is, he’s a disruptive talent.

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