Miami T Francis Mauigoa Declares For Draft
Considered one of the top lineman prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft and a consensus first-round talent, Miami (FL) offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa announced this week on his Instagram that he will forgo his senior year of college and declare for the draft. Following in the steps of last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Mauigoa projects as a potential top 10 pick after a strong finish to his college career under the brightest of lights. 
Unlike Cam Ward, who started out as a zero-star prospect and arrived in Coral Gables by way of Incarnate Ward and Washington State via transfer portal, Mauigoa arrived at the U as a consensus five-star prospect. Born in American Samoa, Mauigoa first got the attention of the recruiting world as a stellar two-way lineman at Aquinas HS (CA). He went back home for his sophomore year at Tafuna HS in American Samoa before transferring to the prestigious IMG Academy (FL), a school near Tampa known for bringing in top high school players from around the country to develop for college.
Mauigoa’s offers came early and often, rising him quickly to five-star status as the top schools in the country fought for his signature. After taking official visits to Alabama, Florida, USC, Miami, and Tennessee, Mauigoa committed to first-year Miami head coach Mario Cristobal before his senior year and became the headliner of the Hurricanes’ signing class. By the end of the recruiting cycle, 247Sports composite ranking listed him as the ninth-best overall recruit and the top offensive tackle in the nation.
As an early enrollee, Mauigoa got a headstart on his ability to make an impact as a true freshman but surprised many when he was named the starting right tackle in his first year with the team. He showed a ton of promise in his first season with the Hurricanes with elite size — listed at 6-foot-6, 335 pounds as a true freshman — and impressive strength for his age, but he still had plenty of room for improvement in his technique.
He improved with each season he played in Coral Gables, getting named second-team All-ACC as a sophomore before leaving no doubt as a consensus All-American in Year 3. For much of his junior campaign, draft pundits assessed that his skillset was more aligned for a role on the interior of the offensive line, but as each piece of game film came through, those pundits became a bit more bullish on the idea of Mauigoa sticking at tackle in the NFL. The view of him as an NFL tackle started to solidify more and more on his team’s run through to College Football Playoff, which ended with a home loss to the Hoosiers in the Playoff’s final game. Still, though, against some of the NCAA’s top competition, including several of the draft’s top pass rushing prospects, Mauigoa continued to shine with everyone watching, allowing just one sack and two pressures in 16 games.
Of some of those major draft pundits, Dane Brugler of The Athletic’s midseason ranking of Mauigoa as the 16th-best overall prospect and second-best offensive tackle is currently his lowest major ranking. ESPN contributors Mel Kiper Jr. and Matt Miller both have Mauigoa as their top offensive tackle prospect, with Miller ranking him as the seventh-best overall prospect and Kiper slotting him in at No. 8.
After a stellar 2025 season, Mauigoa has likely cemented his first-round status. Plenty of teams will be open to adding a top offensive line prospect with a high floor and potential to start at tackle or guard. Though not likely, if the Jets were to take him No. 2 overall, it would reunite Mauigoa with his older brother, Francisco Mauigoa, a rookie linebacker taken by New York in the fifth round last year. With the elder Mauigoa’s first name encompassing all the letters of younger brother’s, the two go by “Kiko” and “Sisi” to avoid confusion.
Fernando Mendoza Declares For NFL Draft
As expected, Fernando Mendoza will be turning pro in 2026. The anticipated No. 1 pick announced on Instagram Friday he has declared for the NFL draft. 
Many of the quarterbacks held in high regard entering the 2025 college season did not meet expectations. Mendoza was an exception, however, with the Cal transfer playing a pivotal role in Indiana’s storybook campaign. The Hoosiers continued their rapid ascent under head coach Curt Cignetti this year, capping off a perfect season by winning the national championship on Monday.
Mendoza easily enjoyed the most productive season of his three-year college career along the way. He posted a 41:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio while completing 72% of his passes. Mendoza’s rushing ability is not viewed as a staple of his game at the NFL level, but he posted 276 yards and seven scores this season. That production, coupled with Indiana’s dominance, helped land Mendoza All-American honors along with several other individual accolades.
The Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award winner has long been viewed as a first-round lock in April’s draft. Opinions were split on his ceiling as a pro passer during the regular season, although Mendoza’s stock has continued to rise through Indiana’s CFP run. The QB-needy Raiders are slated to select first overall, and Dante Moore recently elected to stay at Oregon for next season.
As a result, Mendoza is widely seen as the projected first overall pick in this year’s draft. Vegas is one of five teams with a head coaching vacancy at the moment, and the Raiders hope to bring in a HC with an offensive background. Developing Mendoza will of course be a central priority for the franchise as the Raiders look to rebound from a 3-14 showing during Pete Carroll‘s one-and-done season.
Plenty can and will change with respect to draft evaluations over the coming months. Movement near the top of the first-round order will, as always, be something to watch for as the draft approaches. With respect to the Raiders, however, anything other than calling Mendoza’s name first overall would be seen as a major upset given where things currently stand.
Raiders Aiming For Offense-Minded HC To Pair With Fernando Mendoza?
Firing defense-minded head coaches in back-to-back years, the Raiders would presumably be more interested in going in another direction during this year’s cycle. Teams regularly take this route after a hire does not work out, and it indeed looks like Las Vegas wants to go offense with its 2026 HC appointment.
The Raiders want to pair an offense-oriented coach with likely No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, veteran insider Jordan Schultz notes. The team may also be willing to wait on this weekend’s conference championship games or perhaps through Super Bowl LX.
Klint Kubiak and Davis Webb both interviewed for the Raiders’ HC position, doing so virtually. The Broncos and Seahawks’ bye weeks allowed for their assistants to discuss jobs early, and Schultz adds both look to have made good impressions. Each remains in the running, and while Jesse Minter appears to be a live candidate as well, he may be fighting an uphill battle due to where the Raiders are aiming.
The team canned Antonio Pierce a year after removing his interim tag. After an aggressive Ben Johnson pursuit fell short, the Raiders veered about as far in the opposite direction as possible by hiring Pete Carroll, who became the oldest HC in NFL history this season. Carroll finished 3-14, edging a disinterested Chiefs team in Week 18 to avoid a two-win campaign. The Raiders hold the No. 1 pick as a result of Carroll’s performance, giving his replacement a silver lining as the organization retools yet again.
Mendoza holds the honor of spearheading one of the great stories in modern college football history, with non-traditional power Indiana emerging to go 16-0 and win the national championship on the back of its Heisman-winning quarterback. He is expected to be the Raiders’ No. 1 pick, as the franchise has taken a few unsuccessful swings at QB since releasing Derek Carr in 2023. To avoid having Mendoza lose his play-caller — granted, this has not been an issue for the Raiders in a long time — to another HC job, the Silver and Black could pair him with an offense-geared leader from the start.
It would seem a bit early on Webb, but the Broncos’ QBs coach is impressing in interviews. The 30-year-old assistant has garnered interest for second interviews, and this report certainly points to the Raiders being interested in a follow-up meeting. Should Denver pull an upset and edge New England without Bo Nix, Webb’s stock could skyrocket ahead of Super Bowl LX. The Raiders cannot interview him again until the Broncos are eliminated.
The same rules are in place with Kubiak, the first year Seahawks OC. Kubiak has yet to run the same team’s offense in consecutive seasons, but he certainly would be asked back in Seattle if not hired by a team this year. While Sam Darnold finished just 19th in QBR, the Seahawks went 14-3 and saw Jaxon Smith-Njigba lead the NFL in receiving. Kubiak, 39 next month, would give the Raiders access to a Shanahan-style attack, as the second-generation coach was on the 49ers’ staff previously and grew up observing his father (Gary) and Mike Shanahan‘s similar offensive approaches.
Webb remains in the running for the Ravens’ HC job, while the Bills have him on their radar as well. Kubiak interviewed with the Cardinals and Ravens while also emerging early as a potential Bills candidate. Joe Brady, Nate Scheelhaase, Mike LaFleur and Klint’s brother Klay — the 49ers’ OC — are the other offensive candidates to interview for the Vegas job.
Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq, S Dillon Thieneman To Enter 2026 NFL Draft
Oregon no doubt breathed a sigh of relief Wednesday when quarterback Dante Moore announced he’d stay in school in 2026. However, a Ducks team that went 13-2 in 2025 and contended for a national championship will lose other key contributors. That includes tight end Kenyon Sadiq and safety Dillon Thieneman. Both players will enter the 2026 NFL Draft, Pete Thamel of ESPN reports.
Sadiq, a three-year veteran at Oregon, broke out as Moore’s favorite target in 2025. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound junior paced Ducks pass catchers in receptions (51) and touchdowns (eight), and he finished second in yards (560). After leading college football tight ends in TDs, Sadiq earned First-Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten Tight End of the Year honors.
While the draft is still over three months away, Sadiq looks like a good bet to come off the board in the first round. ESPN’s Mel Kiper ranks Sadiq as the ninth-best prospect and No. 1 tight end in the class, writing that “he’s nearly impossible to match against because of his quickness and size.”
Meanwhile, according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic, “NFL teams believe [Sadiq] has the talent to be a top-10 pick.” That’s rare for the position, as Kyle Pitts (fourth overall pick, 2021), Kellen Winslow II (sixth, 2004), Vernon Davis (sixth, 2006), T.J. Hockenson (eighth, 2019), Eric Ebron (10th, 2014) and Colston Loveland (10th, 2025) are the only tight ends who have gone inside the top 10.
Thieneman may have to wait longer than his teammate to hear his name called in April, but he’s still a projected top 50 selection, Thamel notes. Kiper ranks Thieneman third among draft-eligible safeties, trailing only Ohio State’s Caleb Downs and Pitt’s Kyle Louis, while Brugler lauds the junior’s “man-coverage skills and run-stopping ability.”
Thieneman is firmly on the NFL radar after an impressive three-year run divided between Purdue and Oregon. As a Boilermaker, he earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year and third-team All-America honors in 2023 after piling up 106 tackles and six interceptions. Thieneman didn’t intercept any passes in a 104-tackle sophomore campaign, but he added 96 more tackles and another two INTs in his lone season with Oregon in 2025. The 21-year-old was a first-team All-American and a first-team All-Big Ten selection with the Ducks. That stellar performance boosted his stock heading into the draft.
Oregon QB Dante Moore Will Not Enter 2026 NFL Draft
Quarterback Dante Moore will not enter the 2026 NFL Draft. Moore announced on Wednesday that he will return to Oregon for his junior season.
This is a major blow to teams aiming to use a high pick on a quarterback in this year’s draft. Before Moore decided to stay in school, he and Indiana’s Heisman Trophy-winning signal-caller, Fernando Mendoza, were considered locks to go near the top of the draft. With Moore out of the picture, Mendoza is undoubtedly the No. 1 option heading into the proceedings. It seems likely the Raiders will take him first overall.
The Jets (second), Cardinals (third) and Browns (sixth) are other clubs that could conceivably choose a QB in the top 10, but the likelihood of that has decreased with Moore remaining at Oregon. Moore’s NIL valuation checks in at approximately $2.3MM, per On3. That surely made it easier for Moore to delay his NFL career, though he may be leaving a substantial amount of money on the table for the time being. Regardless, the 20-year-old could benefit from further seasoning at the college level.
Before jumping to the pros in 2027, Moore will aim to build on a breakout campaign in which he completed 71.8% of passes and threw for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Moore guided Oregon to a 13-2 record, but Mendoza’s Hoosiers ended the Ducks’ season with a 56-22 blowout in the College Football Playoff semifinal.
Moore, whom ESPN’s Mel Kiper ranked as the second-best prospect in this year’s class, may end up as part of a deeper group of draft-eligible QBs next year. Texas’ Arch Manning and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers represent other potential high picks in 2027. Meanwhile, it’s unknown if any QBs other than Mendoza will come off the board in the first round this year. Alabama’s Ty Simpson and Mississippi’s Trinidad Chambliss, who now round out Kiper’s top three prospects at the position, are among names to watch. Unfortunately for teams in dire need of a franchise QB, neither looks like a slam-dunk first-rounder right now.
Ohio State EDGE/LB Arvell Reese Declares For Draft
Arvell Reese is heading to the NFL. The Ohio State edge rusher/linebacker announced that he’s declared for the 2026 draft, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Reese is generally considered the top defensive prospect in this year’s draft, with some pundits even considering him as the top player in the class. While he might not be selected in the top-two considering the Raiders’ and Jets’ need for a franchise QB, he’ll surely be selected within the top-five picks. ESPN’s Jordan Reid recently had Reese going fourth-overall to the Titans, but there’s a chance he may not fall past the Cardinals at No. 3.
Reese mostly played linebacker this season at Ohio State, although many teams would likely target him for an edge role in the NFL. Despite only getting into 97 snaps at the position in 2025, Reese still ranked seventh in the FBS in pressure rate (18.5%). Scouts have lauded his explosiveness and physicality, and his versatility could prove to be an asset as a professional.
The prospect had a rapid rise up the draft rankings in 2025. While his 2024 campaign put him on the NFL map, he solidified himself as a top prospect with a breakout performance this past year. He ultimately finished the season with 69 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks, earning him a consensus All-American nod and the Big Ten Linebacker of the Year award. He was also a finalist for the Butkus Award, which is given annually to the top linebacker in college.
As ESPN’s Jake Trotter notes, Reese joins wide receiver Carnell Tate and safety Caleb Downs as Buckeye players who have declared for the draft this week. Both Tate and Downs are also expected to hear their names called in the first half of the first round.
Ohio State S Caleb Downs Declares For 2026 Draft
Ohio State safety and projected first-round pick Caleb Downs has declared for the 2026 NFL Draft (via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer).
Downs, 21, was a five-star recruit out of Georgia who was thought to be the No. 1 safety in the class of 2023. He committed to Alabama, and not only did he earn a starting job as a freshman, he led the SEC in solo tackles. He finished 107 total tackles, plus 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, and four passes defended and earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors for his efforts.
Nick Saban’s retirement after the 2023 college football season led Downs to transfer to Ohio State, where he continued to dominate opposing offenses. He did not match his freshman-year raw tackle totals in Columbus, but he made more splash plays around the line of scrimmage while continuing similar ball production in the passing game.
Downs racked up the accolades in his two years at Ohio State, earning first-team Big 10 and All-American honors in both years, plus Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year and the Jim Thorpe Award in his final seasons. Downs also played a key role on the Buckeyes defense that ran through a gauntlet of tough offense on their way to the 2024 national championship.
Downs is currently considered the top safety prospect in the 2026 draft class by a significant margin. At the moment, he is the No. 1 prospect on Pro Football Focus’ big board and No. 11 on ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s rankings. As an early-declaring prospect with three years as a starter and the growing impact of versatile safeties in the NFL, Downs could be seen as a young cornerstone around which teams can build their entire defense.
The NFL has not spent top-10 picks on safeties in recent years. The highest drafted safety in the last five years was Kyle Hamilton, the 14th overall pick in 2022, while Jamal Adams (sixth overall, 2017) was the last one to go in the first 10 picks. Downs has the potential to have the same kind of multi-dimensional impact in an NFL defense, though landing under the right coach in the appropriate defensive scheme will still be important. Downs’ testing at the Combine could solidify his status as a top-10 prospect, but a poor showing could drop his stock similarly to Hamilton’s pre-draft fall.
Alabama QB Ty Simpson To Enter Draft
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson will declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, Pete Thamel of ESPN reports. Simpson informed Alabama’s coaches of his decision to forgo his senior season on Wednesday.
Simpson, ESPN’s 27th-ranked recruit coming out of high school, committed to Alabama in February 2021. He wound up playing sparingly with the Crimson Tide from 2022-24. Jalen Milroe, now a backup quarterback with the Seahawks, was Alabama’s starter during that three-year span.
With Milroe moving on to the pros, Simpson finally got his chance to lead the Crimson Tide’s offense this season. He completed 64.5% of passes and threw for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions in 15 games. Simpson earned second-team All-SEC honors and helped his team to a College Football Playoff berth.
Alabama advanced with a first-round win over Oklahoma, but its season ended with a 38-3 blowout loss to Indiana in the Rose Bowl. Hoosiers Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the potential No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, got the better of Simpson. After Simpson suffered a rib injury, backup Austin Mack replaced him early in the second half.
Despite an unceremonious ending to his time at Alabama, the 6-foot-2, 208-pound Simpson could come off the board early in April’s draft. However, assuming Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore declare, expectations are they’ll enter the proceedings as the top-ranked QBs in the class.
Moore (No. 1) and Mendoza (No. 2) are the highest-rated prospects on Mel Kiper’s latest big board at any position. The ESPN draft analyst doesn’t have Simpson as a top 25 prospect, but he’s third among QBs.. If that holds up over the next few months, Simpson may have a chance to go in the first round.
Ohio State WR Carnell Tate Declares For 2026 Draft
Ohio State wide receiver and projected first-round pick Carnell Tate is planning to leave school early and declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Tate, 20, arrived in Columbus in 2023 and managed to carve out a small role on offense as a freshman, despite the Buckeyes’ crowded receiver room. He stepped into the No. 3 job in 2024, and averaged 48.9 yards per game with four touchdowns on the season. This past season, he posted 79.5 yards per game with nine touchdowns, positioning himself as one of the top receiver prospects eligible for the 2026 draft.
Ohio State is known as ‘WRU,’ or Wide Receiver University, for their history of producing elite NFL wideouts under longtime receivers coach (and ex-Dolphins WR) Brian Hartline. (Hartline recently took a head coaching job at South Florida, so it will be interesting to see if that affects OSU’s status as the most consistent producer of pro-caliber wide receiving talent.)
Tate is the latest product out of that pipeline, which includes former teammates Emeka Egbuka and Marvin Harrison Jr. along with 2022 and 2023 first-rounders Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Based on those names alone, it is easy to see why NFL teams would be interesting in adding a Buckeyes receiver of their own.
Tate’s resume is not limited to his school. In addition to his solid traditional stats, he logged 3.03 yards per route run and a 85.7% contested catch rate, per Pro Football Focus. He also was not charged with a drop on 66 targets this season. Between his reliable hands, consistent route-running, and 6-foot-3 frame, Tate has plenty to offer that could fit in any NFL offense. He is already seen as a potential top-10 pick, and a strong gauntlet of testing at the NFL Combine in March could secure his stock.
Raiders Clinch No. 1 Pick In 2026 Draft
Before the start of their Week 18 game, the Raiders have learned their fate with respect to this year’s NFL draft. Vegas will own the top selection for the 2026 edition of the event. 
The Giants were among the teams playing in the early window for the final day of the regular season. Only New York could have overtaken Vegas for the top spot in the order, but that would have required a win against Dallas. However, the Giants beat the Cowboys 34-17. That result clinched the No. 1 pick for the Raiders.
Today’s development represents the expected outcome in this case. The Raiders lost to the Giants in Week 17, the contest which was widely known to have massive implications for the draft order. Both teams drew criticism for their roster handling in the build-up to that contest, particularly the Raiders. Tight end Brock Bowers was moved to injured reserve while edge rusher Maxx Crosby was shut down for the remainder of the season against his wishes.
Head coach Pete Carrol also objected to the idea of sidelining Crosby, who is slated to undergo meniscus surgery. The five-time Pro Bowler has already spoken out about the decision to shut him down, something which has fueled a new round of trade speculation. Managing the Crosby situation will be critical for the Raiders, a team which could undergo a number of notable changes soon.
The 2025 offseason saw numerous arrivals at all levels of the organization. That included a new coaching staff led by Carroll, although his tenure has not gone as planned. A widespread expectation exists Carroll will prove to be a one-and-done staffer. New offensive and special teams coordinators will also be required during the hiring cycle. In the meantime, attention in the front office will turn to the possibility of selecting a new quarterback.
Geno Smith was acquired via trade in a Carroll reunion, and he is under contract through 2027. The veteran has fallen well short of expectations this season, however, and the team could seek out a replacement via the draft. Smith could be retained as a bridge starter, but the acquisition of a future franchise signal-caller would be seen as a pivotal move for a Raiders team desperately in need of stability on several fronts.
Fernando Mendoza is seen by many as the top quarterback in the 2026 class, one which in general is not held in high regard. The Heisman winner is set to lead Indiana in the CFP semifinal against Oregon. That means a matchup against Dante Moore – whose intentions regarding the NFL draft are still not known – is upcoming. Vegas’ evaluation of both passers will be a major storyline over the coming months, presuming both wind up turning pro.
The rest of the draft order will be finalized as the remaining games around the league play out. Shuffling in the top five could prove to be impactful given the dearth of high-end QB prospects relative to the demand amongst many teams. In any event, the Raiders – who of course will look to avoid a repeat of the JaMarcus Russell situation from the last time they selected first overall – find themselves in position to kick off this year’s draft.