Kirk Herbstreit Warns College Football Shift Is Forcing NFL Adjustment

Kirk Herbstreit has made a statement regarding a change to college football that NFL franchises will be unable to ignore.

Jan 18, 2026; Miami, FL, USA; ESPN College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit speaks to fans at fan fest in the Miami Beach Convention Center before the College Football National Championship between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes in Miami Florida. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The 2026 NFL draft kicked off next to Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Thursday night.

One discussion that has emerged around the 2026 NFL draft involves the increase in the average age of the prospects.

With NIL compensation continually rising in college football, many players are looking to stay in college as long as possible to maximize their earnings, a trend that has kept some in college well into their mid-20s.

The discussion of NIL and its impact on the NFL draft was a subject of conversation on ESPN's College GameDay panel in Pittsburgh on Friday. Kirk Herbstreit called it a change the NFL will need to adapt to over the coming drafts.

"People at home wondering 'why aren't there any juniors that are out here in this draft?', it's because of this new NIL rule where players are now able to say 'hey, I'm going to stay in college instead of maybe going and being a third-round pick, why not just stay in college and help my draft stock for the next year and also I can make some money along the way,'" Herbstreit said. "So I think that's going to be a trend that the NFL's going to have to adjust to and get used to because that's the new norm, it's not just this year."

Notable prospects who chose to stay in college for the 2026 season

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) draws back to pass Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, during the Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The biggest surprise ahead of the 2026 NFL draft was Oregon quarterback Dante Moore's decision to stay in college. In the midst of the Ducks' run to the College Football Playoff semifinals, many mock drafts slotted Moore as the No. 2 overall pick to the New York Jets.

NIL is not the sole factor in Moore's decision to stay in college, but earning millions of dollars to hone his craft definitely makes college more attractive.

The Ducks' disappointing exit from the College Football Playoff, mixed with the gain of more starting reps, are other factors that motivated Moore to stay in college.

Prospects like Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss are where the money truly becomes a pertinent discussion. Chambliss was an unheralded transfer when he jumped from Ferris State to Ole Miss in the 2025 offseason, but his heroics both in the regular season and College Football Playoff put the college football world on notice.

The legal battle for eligibility did not help, but Chambliss was already trending as a later pick according to several projections in the months leading up to the draft. Had he declared for the NFL draft, Chambliss would have taken a significant pay cut from what he currently earns at Ole Miss.