It’s NFL Draft week. In just a few days, hundreds of young men will finally achieve the goal they’ve worked so hard to accomplish, hearing their name called on draft night.
Before we get there, here are three players everyone should be familiar with by Thursday.
It’s only fitting to lead with the man expected to be the first name called on draft night, Fernando Mendoza, quarterback from Indiana.
There’s a lot to love about Mendoza. His counting stats and play on the field prove why he will and should be the first name off the board.
Mendoza is coming off a phenomenal 2025 college football season. He put up stats of 3,535 passing yards, adding 41 passing touchdowns with an exceptional 72% completion percentage.
This great stat line led to him taking home numerous awards, such as being named First-team All-American, winning the Walter Camp and Davey O’Brien awards and taking home the most coveted award in college football, the Heisman trophy.
He capped off his 2025 campaign by leading his Indiana Hoosiers to a national championship trophy, capping off a perfect 16-0 season.
Mendoza isn’t the perfect prospect, but he is as solid as they come. His ability as a leader is second to none. Though he has solid-to-good arm strength, his accuracy is the best in the class. Mendoza is always on time, and his ball placement is fantastic. He is not the most mobile player in the world, but if need be, he can get on the run.
The next player is a personal favorite, Jeremiyah Love, the running back out of Notre Dame.
There is a lot to love about Love. He has a pro-ready frame to go with a pro-ready skillset, standing 6’0 and 212 pounds.
The running back had a tremendous 2025 season, where he put up 1,372 rushing yards paired with 18 rushing touchdowns, all while averaging 6.9 yards per carry.
This season led to him being named to the All-American first team, a finalist for the Walter Camp and Maxwell awards, a finalist for the Heisman trophy and the winner of the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s top running back.
Love is one of the most NFL-ready prospects in this class and will be a difference maker on day one for whichever team drafts him.
His pairing of speed and elusiveness, along with the ability to be a strong physical runner, makes him the most complete back in this class. His hands out of the backfield are also a plus, as he’s reliable in the passing game and extremely talented with the ball in his hands
Love is everything teams are looking for in a modern-day running back.
Finally, it’s only right to show the guys representing the purple and gold some love.
Twelve former Tigers look to add to the NFLSU pipeline. However, one name stands out from the rest, being cornerback Mansoor Delane.
Delane was the best player on one of the best LSU defenses we’ve seen in some time, locking up some of the most talented wideouts in the best conference in college football
Delane took a major gamble on himself over the summer, transferring from the ACC to the SEC, and he looked like he belonged there from the jump.
He put up a 2025 season where he put up 45 tackles and 2 interceptions. His stat line led to him being named a First-team All-American and First-team All-SEC player, while being a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.
Delane isn’t the biggest or most physically imposing player in this class, but his technicality is among the best. He is sticky and a shadow on his man in coverage, and his play speed is next level. He comes in at only 5’11, which is viewed as smaller for modern-day corners at the top of the draft, but he plays much bigger and isn’t afraid of a challenge.
The NFL Draft starts April 23 and goes until April 25. Day one of the draft starts at 7 p.m., where these prospects won’t have to wait long to hear their names called.
