While the 2027 NFL Draft is still far off in the distance, players who 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 1 Recap.
Clemson did not play well in their season opener, losing to LSU 51-3. The defense was put in a bad position by the offense not moving the ball, but they didn’t play well either. There was a bright spot in linebacker Sammy Brown. Brown was all over the field for Clemson, racking up 10 total tackles.
Although the game didn’t go his team’s way, Brown played solidly. He is potentially going to be the first linebacker taken in the 2027 NFL Draft because of his athleticism, run-stopping, and ability to blitz. A lot of that was on display against LSU. There are still things to work on in coverage, but Brown is a good prospect to keep tabs on this season.
LSU’s defense totally shut down Clemson’s offense to help them get the big win. A lot of credit goes to LSU’s talent, but it was clear that Clemson’s offense just didn’t have much going for it either. Whit Weeks returned from a disappointing 2025 season, when he was injured, to play well in this game. Weeks played well, as he had six total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Weeks needed to show what he can do when healthy and he did against Clemson. He was aggressive and evaded blocks to make tackles. There were some impact plays behind the line of scrimmage to help his team win. Weeks isn’t the biggest linebacker, but he can diagnose run plays well and make plenty of tackles. He should be a day-two pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, but there is still a lot of football left to play.
Louisville had a big matchup with Ole Miss in week 1 and took the Rebels to the absolute limit. The offense really picked things up in the second half. Most of that was through the air, as Brown really struggled to get things going. He had 13 carries for 36 yards. Brown did have three catches for 32 yards as well.
Brown just couldn’t find running room against the Rebels. The good thing for his draft stock is that he was more involved as a pass-catcher than he has been previously. Brown will need to have good performances the rest of the way and show he can have productive games against better fronts. Currently, he is projected to be a day two or early day three pick.
Notre Dame faced off against Wisconsin in week 1 at Lambeau Field. The Badgers fought well for a half of football, but Notre Dame was able to pull away late. A lot of that was because of the push up front. Knapp was a big part of that and showed some real potential at guard after moving there this offseason.
Knapp was called for a hold, but it should’ve been a legal snatch block. He held up well against the power of interior rushers. Adding strength and moving people in the run game will be things to work on at guard, but Knapp had a good start against solid competition. He is currently projected to be a day two pick, but it will be exciting to see how he progresses on the inside.
Boise State battled Oregon very closely in week 1, as they lost by seven points. The Broncos battled tough on both sides of the ball. Their defense didn’t make it easy on Oregon. Edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan made an impact, even if it didn’t show up in the box score. He finished the game with two total tackles.
It would’ve been nice for Virgin-Morgan’s draft stock to get a sack against a power conference team like Oregon. He still has some solid tools with his movement ability that NFL teams will like. Virgin-Morgan will need to up his sack production to up his stock, but he will have plenty of more football to help him beat last year’s numbers.
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