College Football Playoffs: Best Draft Prospects to Watch
You’re going to be bombarded with lists all week of the players you should watch this weekend. And you should read those. But we’re giving you a fresh take by looking at the best prospects with a tilt toward the 2025 NFL Draft.
Let’s remember who we’re watching first.
Indiana takes on Notre Dame on Friday night. Saturday we’re treated to a triple-header of Penn State vs. SMU, Texas vs. Clemson and then a nightcap of Ohio State vs. Tennessee. The four teams with a bye—Oregon, Georgia, Boise State and Arizona State—await their dancing partners.
Instead of going team-by-team with this, we wanted to simply rank the players you should be watching. We’re including underclassmen we believe will declare for 2025. Notable exclusions are Cade Klubnik (QB) and Antonio Williams (WR) from Clemson. The same goes for injured players like Josh Simmons (T-Ohio State), Kevin Winston Jr. (S-Penn State) and Benjamin Morrison (CB-Notre Dame).
Here are our top 50 prospects to watch this weekend and in the College Football Playoffs.
Honorable Mention: Vernon Broughton (DT-Texas), Isaiah Nwobokia (S-SMU), Kobe King (LB-Penn State), Jordan James (RB-Oregon), Jaylen Reed (S-Penn State), Mitchell Evans (TE-Notre Dame), Trevor Etienne (RB-Georgia), Daylen Everette (CB-Georgia), Blake Miller (T-Clemson), Nicholas Singleton (RB-Penn State), Andrew Mukuba (S-Texas), Trey Moore (DE-Texas), Terrance Ferguson (TE-Oregon), Gunnar Helm (TE-Texas), Xavier Watts (S-Notre Dame), Tez Johnson (WR-Oregon), Jordan Burch (DE-Oregon), Lathan Ransom (S-Ohio State)
32. TreVeyon Henderson (RB-Ohio State)
A true senior, Henderson leaves Ohio State with 3,496 yards rushing and 38 touchdowns—and that’s before we count whatever damage he does in the playoffs. Henderson is a compact back at 210 pounds on a 5-10 frame and he runs well through traffic with the vision and contact balance of a great zone runner in the NFL.
NFL Draft Projection: Round 3
31. Denzel Burke (CB-Ohio State)
Scouts are torn on if Burke will play inside or outside in the NFL, but they love his mechanics and tape that’s shown he’s ready to immediately step into a lineup. The 6-foot-1, 193 pound senior could be a valuable chess piece in man coverage thanks to his short-area quickness and high football IQ.
NFL Draft Projection: Round 3
30. Omarr Norman-Lott (DT-Tennessee)
Ohio State’s offensive line woes are great news for Tennessee; especially defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott. The 6-3, 315 pounder had four sacks this year while working in a heavy rotation up front that goes eight players deep. His quickness and ability to close with power are NFL-starting caliber traits from the redshirt senior.
NFL Draft Projection: Round 3