2027 NFL Draft: ESPN Names College Football Powerhouses Loaded With Elite Prospects

All of the top College Football Playoff contenders in 2026 are loaded with future NFL talents.

NIL and the NCAA transfer portal have turned college football into a more profitable short-term option for upperclassmen than the NFL draft. The result is a college football landscape consisting of more national championship contenders than in the years prior to NIL, which leads to drafts full of well-proven prospects.

Jordan Reid of ESPN released a tiered list of the college football programs expected to produce the most talent in the 2027 NFL draft class. Reid listed four programs in his first tier, all of which have their minds set on a College Football Playoff berth this season.

Texas

Quarterback and offensive tackle are two highly sought-after positions in the first round of each NFL draft. Arch Manning's improved confidence and strong football pedigree make him an attractive pick at quarterback, and left tackle Trevor Goosby received All-SEC First Team distinction in 2025.

Wide receiver Cam Coleman is a likely first-round draft choice given that he puts together a productive season, although he may slide to the back half of the opening round given the league's perception of wide receivers in the first round. Defensively, Texas boasts college football's best defensive end in Colin Simmons, another position NFL franchises value in the first round.

Those four are the likely extent of the Longhorns' first-round picks, but they could see as many as 11 other starters drafted in 2027. Texas possesses draftable talent at running back, wide receiver, offensive line, defensive tackle, linebacker and defensive back in addition to its presumed first-round talent.

Oregon

Quarterback Dante Moore is a no-brainer for NFL franchises as a first-round pick. The Ducks' second-year starter threw for over 3,500 yards in their run to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season and could have been a top-five pick last April.

The other two potential first-round talents Reid highlighted on Oregon's 2026 roster are tight end Jamari Johnson and defensive tackle A'Mauri Washington. Johnson was one of two tight ends to log over 500 yards receiving for the Ducks last year, and Washington batted eight passes down at the line of scrimmage.

The rest of Oregon's defensive line along with portions of its offensive line and linebacking corps should be selected next April. The Ducks' receiving corps and secondary are younger units, but both possess talent in Evan Stewart and Koi Perich that are likely draft picks in 2027.

Notre Dame

Defense is where the majority of Notre Dame's 2027 NFL draft talent resides. Only two of the Fighting Irish's defensive starters are underclassmen, and their secondary is primed to produce a pair of first-round picks.

Leonard Moore projects as the No. 1 cornerback in the 2027 NFL draft class after earning All-America First Team distinction as a sophomore. Reid also tabbed safety Tae Johnson as a first-round prospect thanks to an outstanding sophomore season.

The offense doesn't offer the same volume of draft prospects as the defense, but it may have a first-rounder at quarterback in CJ Carr. Preseason Heisman Trophy projections have been bullish on Carr after he turned in an impressive 2,741 passing yards and 24 touchdowns in his first season as a collegiate starter.

Miami

Darian Mensah during 2026 ACC Media Days. — Jul 15, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Miami quarterback Darian Mensah speaks to the media during ACC Media Days at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Hurricanes are hoping to produce a second first-round pick at quarterback in three seasons with Darian Mensah. Similar to Cam Ward's trajectory, Mensah has ascended to Miami after spending time at two other programs and is expected to elevate an already potent offense.

Miami is younger across the offense than it was last season, but it still offers draftable talent beyond a quarterback. Running back Mark Fletcher is coming off a 1,207-yard season on the ground, and wide receiver Cooper Barkate, Mensah's favorite target at Duke, registered 1,106 receiving yards in 2025.

Like Notre Dame, Miami is primed to lose multiple defensive starters to the 2027 NFL draft. The Hurricanes possess one of the nation's most ferocious defensive tackle tandems in Ahmad Moten and Justin Scott. The secondary boasts multiple draft talents, including a pair of returning starters at cornerback in Xavier Lucas and OJ Frederique.

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