2026 NFL Draft: 8 players who already stand out after returning to school
2YHRGTM Washington State quarterback John Mateer (10) looks for a receiver during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Utah State, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Pullman, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)
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- John Mateer will look to flash his skills against SEC competition: It took some time for Mateer to become a starter at Washington State, but he started all 12 games for the Cougars in 2024 and threw for more than 3,100 yards. He joins Oklahoma for the 2025 season.
- Ar’maj Reed-Adams is a run-blocking force: He moves well for a 6-foot-5 and 330-pound lineman and placed in the 90th percentile or higher on both zone and gap run-blocking plays last season.
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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
As we continue to prepare for the 2025 college football season, it only makes sense to continue scouting for the 2026 NFL Draft.
There are always college football players who stand out but end up coming back to school for one reason or another. Here are eight such prospects who stand out.
It took some time for Mateer to become a starter at Washington State, but after two years of watching from the sidelines, he started all 12 games for the Cougars in 2024 and threw for more than 3,100 yards.
He earned a meager 70.8 PFF passing grade due to making 16 turnover-worthy plays in addition to his 18 big-time throws. However, he does show some moxie and NFL-level playmaking ability, especially out of structure. He also recorded more than 800 rushing yards in 2024 with an 86.2 PFF rushing grade. It will be interesting to see what Mateer, now with Oklahoma, can do versus SEC competition.
WR CARNELL TATE, OHIO STATE
Freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith captured most of the headlines and attention in Ohio State’s passing attack last season, but Tate also showcased NFL talent, especially during their College Football Playoff run.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound sophomore receiver recorded a 70.8 PFF overall grade in 2024, but his 69.2% separation rate against single coverage placed him in the 81st percentile and his 86.6% separation rate against all coverages ranked in the 93rd percentile. Those are fantastic numbers for a receiver with Tate’s height and length. Expect big things from him in 2025.
Sutton, a former five-star prospect, was one of the highest-rated recruits in Penn State history, which is saying something for such a historic program. His 2023 tape left a lot to be desired in terms of consistency, but the flashes were there.
After 2024, Dennis-Sutton has now stacked three straight seasons of solid PFF overall grades — 77.2, 77.5 and 73.9. At 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, he possesses the size and length the NFL will covet. I’m looking for him to take that next leap as a pass rusher, and if he does, he can lock in first-round draft stock.
Reed-Adams caught my eye after seeing him in person against McNeese State in Week 2 of the 2024 season. He was Texas A&M’s highest-graded offensive lineman (82.3) in his first year with the Aggies, having played four seasons at Kansas before that.
He moves well for a 6-foot-5 and 330-pound lineman, specifically as a run blocker, earning an 85.9 PFF run-blocking grade last year. Reed-Adams placed in the 90th percentile or higher on both zone and gap run-blocking plays. He felt like an easy Day 2 pick after last year’s campaign.
TE ELI STOWERS, VANDERBILT
Stowers actually started his career as a quarterback at New Mexico State and, ironically enough, lost the starting job to Diego Pavia, who is still his quarterback now at Vanderbilt.
Stowers converted to tight end in 2023 and earned a 76.4 PFF receiving grade with the Aggies, before taking his game to another level with an 89.0 PFF receiving grade at Vanderbilt. He is another player who felt like a Day 2 pick if he had declared last season. But both he and Pavia decided to give it one more ride at Vanderbilt. Stowers can compete to be a top-50 selection as one of the best tight ends in the 2026 class.
CB DAYLEN EVERETTE, GEORGIA
Evertette was a five-star recruit and a top-20 player in the 2022 recruiting class, according to 247 Sports. He became a starter in 2023 as a true sophomore but recorded just a 63.5 PFF coverage grade. In 2024, he was once again a starter and upped his production with three interceptions and a 73.3 PFF coverage grade.
His 6.9% forced incompletion percentage is evidence of his ideal NFL ability at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, but he has yet to really up the anticipation part of his game. If that happens more in 2025, Everette could become an early 2026 NFL Draft selection.
RB JONAH COLEMAN, WASHINGTON
After rushing for more than 1,000 yards in his first season at Washington with an 88.7 PFF rushing grade, Coleman somewhat surprisingly didn’t declare for the 2025 NFL Draft — although it featured a stacked running back group.
The 5-foot-9, 225-pound running back has quick feet for the amount of weight he carries. Over the past three seasons, he has averaged 0.36 forced missed tackles per carry, which places him in the 98th percentile. Coleman enters the 2025 season with high expectations to be a top back in the 2026 class.
Taaffe is a former no-star cornerback recruit who started his college football journey by walking on at Texas, his hometown school. He earned a scholarship with the Longhorns and became a starter — and now he actually has a path to play in the NFL.
At 6 feet and 190 pounds, Taaffe is on the smaller side for a safety. But his cornerback background gives him quick change-of-direction ability and smooth backpedal work for deep coverage. He earned an 89.0 PFF coverage grade last season with a 20.5% forced incompletion percentage. Taaffe is no longer just a feel-good story — he’s a legitimate NFL prospect.
