While the 2025 NFL Draft is still far off in the distance, players that will be drafted early are on the field now. Each week presents unique matchups for draft prospects and this week is no different. Here are NFL Draft prospects to watch in college football week 0.
Iowa State had a good season in 2024, winning 11 games and making the Big 12 Championship Game. They were fueled by a good defense, which was made better by Dominique Orange. He totaled 24 tackles, five tackles for loss and one sack. This season, he is expected to do even more.
At 6-foot-4 and 325 pounds, Orange has great size for an interior defensive lineman. He has shown the ability to shed blocks well and make an impact against the run. Orange, also known as “Big Citrus” can take on double teams and allow his teammates to make plays on the ball. He doesn’t have the greatest flexibility and can maintain his gap integrity better. To improve his stock, he can show more of an impact rushing the passer in 2025. Orange can help the Cyclones stop the run against the Wildcats. He is a projected mid-round pick.
Kansas State won nine games in 2024 and have a lot of hope for this season. Their offense and defense both ranked in the top 50, but they’ll both need to grow for the Wildcats to improve. Romaine can help with that after playing very well in 2024. He had 96 total tackles, eight tackles for loss and two sacks.
He has good size for an NFL linebacker prospect at 6-foot-2 and 245 pounds. Romaine plays aggressively, which can lead him to make big plays, but he also fills the wrong gaps against the run at times. He shows good pursuit and tackling to help against the run. Romaine will need to improve his coverage, as he struggles to stay attached in man coverage and could have better range and awareness in zone coverage. His impact could help Kansas State win their opener against a tough Iowa State team. He is a projected mid to late round pick.
Kansas started last season off slowly, but then picked things up at the end of the year. While the Jayhawks don’t return a lot, bringing back players like quarterback Jalon Daniels and Foster give them some hope for the upcoming season. He has been starting since 2021, when he was at Texas A&M, and was a Second Team All-Big 12 last season.
Foster is a huge center at 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds. With that comes good strength and anchor ability. He moves well for his size and uses his hands well. While he has a ton of experience, he does let his pad level get too high and loses leverage. He can struggle vs. length and also can struggle to block moving targets at the second level. Kansas will want to get off to a better start this season and good play up front against Fresno State, who has a few talented defensive linemen, will help. Foster is a projected mid to late round pick.
UNLV had a great season in 2024, winning 11 games. Head coach Barry Odom left for the Purdue job and now Dan Mullen, the former Florida and Mississippi State head coach, comes in. He brought in a lot of transfers to help find success again this season. One of those is JoJo Earle, who was a former four-star recruit with stops at Alabama and TCU. Over his college career, he has 47 catches for 579 yards and five touchdowns.
The Rebels are playing Idaho State, an FCS team, which could give Earle a chance to have a big game. He is a smaller receiver, but is great with the ball in his hands. Earle can juke defenders and has good vision in the open field, which also makes him a good return threat. He runs solid routes and will go over the middle. With his size, he has a limited catch radius and may be a slot only player in the NFL. Proving he can play through physicality, whether against press or through the catch, will be huge. He doesn’t have a lot of production and broke his foot during his college career, so he’ll have to make this year better for his stock. Earle is currently projected to be a late-round pick.
Incarnate Word had a great season in 2024, winning 11 games and making the FCS Quarterfinals. They lost quarterback Zach Calzada in the transfer portal to Kentucky, but there is hope after wide receiver Jalen Walthall decided to return. He had 85 catches for 1,290 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2024.
With not many games going on in week 0, Incarnate Word will get more eyeballs on them this week as they play Nicholls to open their season. He has good height for a wide receiver at 6-foot-2 and can go up and high-point the football. Walthall is good with the ball in his hands, making people miss, but also can stretch the field vertically. He will need to fill out his frame, show more dedication in blocking and prove he can beat press to improve his stock. Because he plays in the FCS, playing well in a pre-draft event and working out well at the NFL Combine can really help his draft position.
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