The 2026 college football season is nearing its midpoint, and several 2027 NFL Draft prospects have improved their draft stock with impressive performances. Here are the biggest risers so far this season.
2027 NFL Draft RISERS: Who’s Climbing Draft Boards?
Harris started his college career at Boston College. After not playing much in 2023, he caught 17 passes for 486 yards and four touchdowns in 2024. During the 2025 season, he caught 39 passes for 673 yards and five touchdowns. Following the season he decided to transfer to Arizona State. Currently, he has 34 catches for 590 yards and seven touchdowns through five games.
At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Harris has great size for an NFL receiver. What has really boosted his draft stock is his speed combined with his size. He has stretched the field vertically and created big plays. Harris can win contested catches and can beat press. He’ll need to work on his route-running to uncover underneath more often and he’s not very elusive after the catch. Harris is trending upwards and could be a first-round pick.
Becker signed with Indiana for the 2024 season, but didn’t play much until 2025. He was a key part of the Hoosiers’ run to a national championship, finishing the year with 34 catches for 679 yards and four touchdowns. Becker has stepped up this season, with 30 catches for 529 yards and eight touchdowns for Indiana and has helped the team remain undefeated.
He has good size at 6-foot-4 and 207 pounds, but also has good athleticism for his size. Becker has good speed to stretch the field and uses his size well to make contested catches. He attacks the football when it is in the air and tracks it well. His route-running can improve and he can add more after the catch, but Becker has been great to start the 2026 college football season.
Mestemaker was never a starting quarterback in high school, but still has found a way to carve a path to big-time college football. He joined North Texas as a walk-on in 2024. He ended up playing a bit, passing for 462 yards that season. In 2025, he started and broke out. He passed for 4,379 yards, 34 touchdowns and nine interceptions on 68.9 percent completion. He followed his head coach from North Texas to Oklahoma State this offseason. So far this season, Mestemaker has passed for 1,575 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions on 67.5 percent completion.
He stands at 6-foot-3 and 211 pounds, which is a solid size for a quarterback. Mestemaker has solid arm strength and can unload a good deep ball. He can go through his progressions well for a player who hasn’t started a lot of games at the position. Mestemaker is a solid athlete who is adjusting to a new level of competition well. He can fix some of his mechanics to help his accuracy and to lessen a windup. Mestemaker can also leave more room for receivers to run after the catch. He has played well enough to be in consideration for being the top quarterback selected in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Cole began his time at Georgia in 2024, when he played sparingly. In 2025, he played a big more and finished the season with 59 total tackles, seven tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. The 2026 season has given him more opportunity and he has run with it. So far this season, Cole has 30 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks this season.
He is 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, giving him solid size for an NFL linebacker, but also has great length. Cole is versatile, as he can play off-ball or line up on the edge to help rush the passer. He is a great athlete, showing good quickness and speed to go pursue ball carriers. Improving his ability to diagnose plays, shed blocks and make more plays in coverage could come with more time, as this is his first year as a full-time starter.
Lance Heard started his college career at LSU in 2023. He played in 12 games, but transferred to Tennessee for 2024. Heard started at left tackle for two seasons in Knoxville. Following the 2025 season, he transferred to Kentucky. He has helped the Wildcats go 5-1 so far in the college football season. Heard has an 85.4 pass-block grade and a 73 run-block grade per PFF.
At 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds, Heard has good size, and length for the NFL. He has good strength to anchor as a pass blocker and has been shown to destroy people in the run game, specifically as a puller. Heard moves well for his size and has a great mentality for the position. He can lose his balance at times and needs to learn to not lean and lunge. Cutting down penalties and improving his hand timing and placement can also improve his stock. Heard has impressed enough to be in first-round range near the midpoint of the college football season.
Gilliam started his college career at Penn State in 2024. He didn’t get a chance to play much in 2024, but played a bit more in 2025. Gilliam finished that season with 15 total tackles, two tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. He decided to transfer to Tennessee for the 2026 season and has been a breakout player. Gilliam has 22 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss and five sacks through six games.
He stands at 6-foot-2 and 305 pounds, which is decent size for an interior defensive lineman. Gilliam is explosive at the snap of the ball, showing his quick getoff and athleticism. He has plenty of pass rush moves and counters to get after the quarterback. Gilliam can shed and maintain gap integrity to help the run defense. His ability to get skinny and attack gaps is also impressive. This is his first year of big production, but he is playing about as well as anyone in the country. He can add to his frame to improve his stock. Gilliam can struggle to shed against longer offensive linemen and adding some strength may also be a way to improve.
Oyebadejo is from England, where he started playing football very late during his time at the University of Exeter. He then came to the United States to play for Jacksonville State. Oyebadejo didn’t play in 2024, but then saw the field and did well in 2025 with 43 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. He transferred to Florida before the 2026 season. Through five games played, he has 11 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
He is a huge edge rusher at 6-foot-6 and 299 pounds, but he moves well for his size. Oyebadejo has solid burst and can convert speed to power as a rusher. Against the run, he sets the edge well and can line up all over the defensive line. A move to the inside could make him more impactful. He has limited flexibility to bend around the edge and is still very new to the sport and that shows up on tape as well. Oyebadejo has had a great start to the season and is rising up draft boards quickly.
Lopa began his college career at Oregon in 2024. He didn’t play much for the Ducks, as he registered 13 total tackles over his two seasons with the team. Before the 2026 season, Lopa transferred to join his former defensive coordinator, Tosh Lupoi, who was named the head coach at Cal. In his first season as a starter, Lopa has registered 27 total tackles, five interceptions and one pass defended.
He is a big safety at 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds with the ability to add more to his frame with time. Lopa has great length, but the most impressive thing about him are his ball skills. He tracks the ball well in the air and goes and gets it, showing his background as a former wide receiver. Lopa can guard tight ends in man coverage. He’s versatile to play in the box or deep. This is the first year of production and he’ll need more experience. He can miss some tackles and likely doesn’t have the range to be trusted in single high coverage very often.
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