The 2025 college football season is rapidly approaching, and the results of the upcoming campaign will do a lot to determine the position of hundreds of prospects in the 2026 NFL draft. But there are several players that evaluators are really looking forward to seeing in 2025.
After talking to scouts and personnel people throughout the NFL, I chose 10 players who I feel have the most at stake this season. Some are looking to redeem themselves from a disappointing 2024 season, others have injury issues which they need to address, while still others need to be more consistent to really move up draft boards. Millions of dollars in professional earnings could be on the line for the players below.
We're going to start with one of the three quarterbacks on this list, with this signal-caller also being a prime subject of this exercise a year ago.
Jump to a player:
Allar | Bailey | Beck | McCoy
Nussmeier | Onianwa | Ott
Payton | Proctor | Tyson
Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
There were moments in 2024 when Allar looked like a potential top-five pick. There were other times when it seemed like Penn State was effectively taking the ball out of his hands. With tight end Tyler Warren gone to the NFL and backup quarterback Beau Pribula transferring to Missouri, all eyes will be on Allar in 2025.
Allar is a 6-foot-5, 235-pound quarterback with good arm strength, plus-level mobility and two seasons of solid starting experience. Those traits describe a player NFL scouts normally fall in love with, but that hasn't been the case yet with Allar. Instead, scouts have questioned his decision-making and instincts.
"Love the tools, but I've rarely been blown away by what he does with them," an NFC East area scout said.
One college scouting director said, "There's no killer instinct with him. He'll take what the defense gives him. I'd actually love to see him be more aggressive and throw a few more picks."
Allar has thrown just 10 interceptions to 49 touchdown passes in his two seasons as starter. He completed 66.5% of his passes last season -- a jump from 59.9% the year before. If Year 2 in offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki's scheme produces the same development as Year 1, Allar has the talent to get himself into the top of Round 1.
David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech
Texas Tech has assembled a defensive line group as talented as any in the country, with Stanford transfer Bailey as the headliner.
The 6-foot-4, 250-pound senior was mostly used as just a pass rusher at Stanford, which led to limited snaps, but good things happened when he was on the field. In 2024, he posted seven sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles in only 339 snaps.
"Bailey is a blur off the ball," an NFC South area scout said. "I mean, he can flat-out move. It's better than James Pearce Jr. last year and he [was selected in the] late first."
Bailey is indeed quick, with a 2.64-second time to first pressure. That isn't quite Abdul Carter territory (2.48), but it was good enough for No. 23 in the country last season.
Bailey has to prove he can become a three-down player and not live purely as a situational rusher. But he's talented enough that one Big 12 coach told me he's the best pass rusher his team will see all season long.
Carson Beck, QB, Miami
One year ago, Beck was being hailed as the potential QB1 for the 2025 draft after a stellar first season as a starter at Georgia. Instead, Beck saw his production suffer in 2024, as his interceptions doubled from six to 12 while his completion percentage dropped from 72.4% to 64.7%. The Bulldogs struggled to replace receiver Ladd McConkey and tight end Brock Bowers, which highlighted Beck's accuracy and ball-placement issues.
A torn UCL suffered in the SEC title game sidelined Beck, who initially declared for the NFL draft before deciding to hit the transfer portal. Like Cameron Ward, Beck is hopeful a move to Miami will boost his draft stock.
"He's better than people give him credit for," a college scouting director said. "He looks like a top-10 pick physically ... he just struggled too many times down the stretch at Georgia."
Following elbow surgery in December, Beck was cleared for spring practice and is expected to be at 100% for the season opener Aug. 31 against Notre Dame. The Irish defense will be a big early test for Beck -- and a chance to remind scouts of his talent and ability as a pure pocket passer.
Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
A true blue-chip cornerback prospect, McCoy wouldn't be on this list were it not for a torn ACL in January. When asked at SEC media days about McCoy, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel did not have an update on his availability.
McCoy is exactly what you want in a first-round corner with his quickness, timing and ball skills. The 6-foot, 193-pound junior has picked off six passes in his first two seasons combined. He allowed a QBR of 15.7 last season, which would have been the fifth best of any cornerback in the 2025 draft.
"I think we would have seen him go first [among cornerbacks] last year," said an AFC North scout, who did not include two-way player Travis Hunter in his corner rankings.
If McCoy can get back onto the field in 2025 and show that same level of play, his odds to be CB1 in the 2026 class are strong.
Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
Heading into LSU's battle against No. 14 Texas A&M on October 26, Nussmeier was receiving legitimate first-round buzz among NFL scouts and analysts. The 6-foot-1 quarterback and son of New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier was wowing scouts with his flexible arm angles, fast decision-making and upside ahead of his eighth career start.
Then it fell apart. Nussmeier threw three interceptions and completed only 50% of his throws against the Aggies. The following week against Alabama was much of the same, with two interceptions. Nussmeier finished the season with 12 picks to 29 passing touchdowns, with another three touchdowns rushing. He returned to school instead of entering the 2025 draft.
The hype is still there, though, and for good reason. Nussmeier might have thrown five picks in those two SEC contests we mentioned, but he also threw for 405 yards and three touchdown passes against A&M.
In a draft class with no clear-cut QB1, Nussmeier is often mentioned by scouts as one of the top players -- with one AFC scouting director even declaring him as QB1 before the season starts. "Give me his fire and his instincts, plus his football knowledge, even if he's not that big," the director added.
What's on the line is a potential No. 1 overall draft slot if Nussmeier can cut down on his turnovers (and turnover-worthy plays) while still making the aggressive throws of a potential starting-caliber quarterback.
Ethan Onianwa, OT, Ohio State
The Ohio State offensive line was a powerhouse in 2024, leading the Buckeyes to a national championship on the back of an elite run game. But starters Donovan Jackson, Josh Simmons, Seth McLaughlin and Josh Fryar are all gone. To help build a new front wall, the Buckeyes tapped into the transfer portal and picked Onianwa, who previously played at Rice.
A four-year player with the Owls, Onianwa has starting experience at both tackle spots, with nine starts coming on the left side last season. His stat line was absurd, with no sacks allowed and just eight total pressures and two penalties attributed to him all season. The 6-foot-6 Onianwa is listed at 357 pounds and plays with the power expected of a man that size.
"I can't wait to see him against Texas [in Week 1]. His agility and power on tape are insane ... we'll know by about 1 p.m. if he's a legit prospect or not," an AFC East area scout said. Onianwa will get a trial by fire facing star Longhorns pass rushers Colin Simmons, Anthony Hill Jr. and Trey Moore.
In a 2026 class that looks loaded at offensive tackle, Onianwa has plenty of competition atop that group. If he can ace the Ohio State schedule and lock down future first-round pass rushers, his stock will soar.
Jaydn Ott, RB, Oklahoma
One year ago, Ott was debuting as the No. 1 running back on my preseason watchlist, even over Ashton Jeanty, who would become the No. 6 pick in the 2025 draft.
Ott's season did not go nearly as well as Jeanty's, thanks to an ankle injury that limited him to 10 games. He rushed for only 385 yards and four touchdowns -- a big step down from his 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023. The 5-foot-11, 208-pounder originally announced he would return to Cal for his senior season before hitting the transfer portal and signing with Oklahoma.
The Sooners plan to feature a powerful rushing attack with Ott as the primary back, but he has also shown off his receiving skills at Cal with seasons of 46, 26 and 24 catches, respectively. Can Ott get back to his old form in a new location?
"I'm kind of out on him because he looks to have lost all his burst, even before he got hurt," one AFC West area scout said. "If he comes back and has that power again, I'll be back in on him, but the summer grade from me was mid-rounds."
Ott will have to prove himself again after a disappointing season, even if the drop-off in numbers came as he played through injury instead of shutting down for the year. Week 2 against Michigan's defense will be a great barometer as to how resurgent he'll be.
Patrick Payton, Edge, LSU
Like Beck, Payton debuted high on my preseason watch list at this time last year. His lack of a 2024 breakout was the result of a Florida State team that struggled in every phase of the game. He ended the season with only four sacks -- down from seven the year before -- and promptly transferred to LSU, where he's a better fit in defensive coordinator Blake Baker's aggressive scheme.
Payton has an impressive tool kit at 6-foot-6 and 255 pounds. He demonstrates first-step quickness and length with a body type that could add more strength to better round out his pass-rush game plan. And while he has shown flashes of top technique, he lacks consistency in that area.
Moving to the SEC means weekly battles against premier offensive tackles. Up first is Clemson in Week 1, where he'll likely face top-100 prospect Blake Miller, followed by Florida's Austin Barber in Week 3 and Alabama's Kadyn Proctor on November 8.
If Payton is to become the first-round talent scouts saw in 2023, he'll have plenty of game opportunities this fall to establish it.
Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
There hasn't been an offensive tackle taken with the No. 1 pick since 2013 (Eric Fisher), but many scouts feel the 2026 tackle class could break that mold. Proctor headlines the group.
A 6-foot-7, 366-pound left tackle who signed with Alabama as a five-star recruit, Proctor has dominated defensive linemen with his raw power and grip strength. In 11 starts last season, Proctor allowed three sacks and just 14 pressures. Two of his three allowed sacks came in the final two games of the season, so scouts are already whispering about conditioning and availability.
"He's massive and his strength is one of one, but is he going to make it through the year? He was gassed against Auburn [in Week 14] and he looked awful against Michigan," an NFL general manager said.
In Alabama's bowl game against Michigan, Proctor allowed one sack and two pressures, his worst performance of the season considering he played only 32 snaps. Proctor was playing through a shoulder injury, which kept the two-year starting left tackle out of the first two games of the 2024 season and ultimately required offseason surgery.
Proctor's talent is rare, and scouts are nit-picking when pointing out his struggles and not compensating for playing through injury. But attention will be on him this year as an OT1 candidate and a potential No. 1 pick.
Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
As scouts prepare for the upcoming season, no player has emerged as the consensus top receiver in the 2026 class. And while we wait for sophomores Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State) and Ryan Williams (Alabama) to be eligible in 2027, Tyson has a legitimate claim to the WR1 spot in April if he can clean up one obvious weakness -- drops.
Jordyn Tyson brings the pass down and into the end zone to pad Arizona State's lead vs. Arizona.
Tyson was credited with eight drops last season on 114 targets -- a drop rate of 7.0%.
But he has talent. He's 6-foot-1, 195 pounds and has sprinter speed to get open down the field. He caught 75 passes for 1,101 yards with 10 touchdowns and closed out the regular season with back-to-back-to-back performances of more than 125 yards.
Tyson, who broke his collarbone against Arizona and missed both the Big 12 championship game and college football playoffs, will be back with star quarterback Sam Leavitt this season. And if he can better secure the football, he has WR1 potential.