2026 NFL Draft Prospects Under the Most Pressure to Succeed

We are drawing closer to the start of the 2025 college football season, when all of the training and workouts will be put to the test against live opponents.

A lot is riding on this season for those who hope to hear their names called in the 2026 NFL draft. The pressure to succeed is real, especially for returning seniors as this is their last chance to prove themselves at the collegiate level.

Where players are drafted and stacked in the NFL will be determined by their performances this season.

Here are six draftable prospects under the most pressure to succeed in 2025.

Carson Beck, QB, Miami

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Last year was not a kind one for Carson Beck.

He lost his luster and was ejected from the QB1 discussion, and his stock fell to the second day of the 2025 draft. In the SEC Championship Game against Texas last December, he suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) that required surgery.

After initially declaring for the draft, Beck entered the transfer portal and joined the Miami Hurricanes, following in the footsteps of 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward.

Ward put the Hurricanes back near the top of the ACC and gave fans a reason for optimism. Will Beck be able to sustain that level of excitement and extend their positive play forward? Time will tell.

The combination of his fallen draft stock, the UCL injury and now playing in Ward's shadow puts a lot of pressure on the former Georgia QB.

Since his game does not mirror Ward's, Beck has to lean on his accuracy, ball placement and timing from the pocket. When he is on time and in rhythm, he can deliver pinpoint passes against single and bracket coverages.

Miami will need to run the football more with a balanced attack this season with the 22-year-old at the helm.

Beck enters his final year in college football ahead of the 2026 draft as the veteran among a crop of talented but young and raw quarterbacks. The pressure is on to play as the higher floor player and not fall behind the more physically gifted passers and athletes in the class.

Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

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Ohio State is having a run on talented wide receivers being selected early in NFL drafts. From Michael Thomas in 2016 to Marvin Harrison Jr. last year, the Buckeyes are churning out 5-star and potential first-round receivers like a factory.

Up next, Carnell Tate. The former 5-star recruit out of IMG Academy will step into the starting lineup across from last year's freshman phenom, Jeremiah Smith, after Emeka Egbuka was drafted in the first round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Consequently, more targets and opportunities for Tate are vacated. Can he cash in on these chances and have a dominant receiving season?

A big season from the 20-year-old can place him in the early rounds next April. He is a smooth-moving route-runner who plays the game at his pace.

Smith will likely face more double/bracket coverages from opposing defenses after torching single coverage at a high rate as a freshman. This equates to more single coverage matchups for Tate to exploit.

The Buckeyes will have a new starting quarterback for the second straight season. Finding rhythm and chemistry will be important for Tate's campaign. Is he a potential No. 1 receiver, or will he forever be seen as Robin to a more talented Batman?

Nyck Harbor, WR, South Carolina

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No wide receiver is more physically gifted or toolsy than Nyck Harbor of the South Carolina Gamecocks.

The 6'5", 235-pounder is a ball of clay ready to be molded into a premier pass-catcher. He is a raw player who has yet to put together a solidified season on offense.

His star quarterback, LaNorris Sellers, is the most anticipated returning signal-caller in college football outside of Arch Manning.

Sellers took significant strides as a passer and player in 2024. If this trend continues in 2025, Harbor will need to grow with his teammate and make a significant impact on the Gamecocks' offense.

Harbor has elite long speed evident from his 10.11 100-meter and his 20.20 200-meter times last May. He is built like DK Metcalf and has similar attributes. But he needs a productive 2025 season to silence the doubters and prove to scouts that he is developing and improving.

He declined to run track for the Gamecocks this year to focus solely on training for the football season. The pass-catcher is learning in real time, and he needs to make his mark in the SEC this fall.

Harold Perkins Jr, LB, LSU

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Last season was a lost one for LSU's hybrid LB/edge Harold Perkins Jr.

The 20-year-old played four games but then tore his ACL. As a result, the defense lost one of its most explosive and impactful front seven.

As a freshman, Perkins burst onto the college football scene as a dominant pass-rushing phenom. He stuffed the stat sheet in 2022 with 10 sacks, 13 quarterback hits, 18 hurries and four fumbles forced.

After an outstanding first season, LSU moved him to off-ball linebacker, possibly because he is listed at 6'1" and 220 pounds. Usually, that does not bode well against the run on the defensive line.

Perkins was growing into his linebacker role during the 2023 season, posting positive grades and numbers, per Pro Football Focus. Losing almost an entire season while developing into a role can set players back, and his NFL evaluation and future are muddy at the moment.

At his listed height and weight, he is an outlier and his best trait is rushing the passer.

In 2025, Perkins needs to paint a clear picture for NFL scouts and decision-makers regarding which position he will play at the next level. Can he live as a weak-side linebacker on first and second downs before rushing off the edges on third downs? This would be an ideal situation for his draft stock.

If teams have doubts about where and how often he plays, Perkins could tumble down the draft board in April. He is healthy and looks primed to remind everyone in college football and the draft community what caliber of prospect he is.

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

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Jeremiyah Love is the clear-cut consensus favorite No. 1 running back prospect entering the 2025 college football season and for good reason.

The Notre Dame star is an outstanding talent and athletic ball-carrier. That said, everything does not remain the same once the football season is live.

For example, Quinshon Judkins was among the top running back prospects last preseason before Ashton Jeanty took the football world by storm and stamped himself as the draft's unquestioned RB1.

Holding the top spot from preseason to postseason is difficult, though Love will be challenged by Penn State's Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen for starters. Washington has a great running back in Jonah Coleman, and Minnesota ball-carrier Darius Taylor is primed for a big year in the Big Ten.

Love should be the primary focus for the Notre Dame offense, with CJ Carr projected to be its new starting quarterback.

Love's opportunities to dominate college football may increase as a runner and receiver out of the backfield. Still, he will have a group of talented runners nipping at his heels through the 2025 football season and into the 2026 draft cycle.

Drew Allar, QB, Penn State

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There is no other 2026 draft prospect with more pressure to succeed than Drew Allar. He possesses the physical traits that scouts covet.

The Penn State quarterback's arm strength is the biggest draw. He has shown growth over the last few seasons and helped power his team to the postseason in 2024.

That said, Allar remains a bit raw and frustrating in the pocket. After the season, excuses can be made because he had a lackluster receiving corps and it was Tyler Warren, Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen or bust for their offense.

Their play-calling was outstanding, so the excuse was more than valid last season. Penn State did a good job through the transfer portal, finding new receivers for Allar to work with this fall.

Trebor Pena of Syracuse, Troy's Devonte Ross and USC's Kyron Hudson will step in as new starters for the Nittany Lions this year.

Allar has talented receivers with varying skill sets and strengths to bolster the offensive passing attack. With the improved talent in the receiver room the excuses for the QB are drying up.

He has to clean up his decision-making, footwork and playing on time with reading progressions. His technique and mechanics are the biggest areas of improvement for him. They must be addressed this season.

As a senior, the clock is ticking, and Allar has to perform as a potential top-10 pick and franchise quarterback would.