Ranking the Most NFL Pro-Ready 2025 College Football Athletes
In the NFL draft, pro teams are investing millions of dollars in potential and not necessarily the guys who are ready to be All-Pro players right away. But at the top of the draft, you're gambling on a combination of the two.
College football, of course, already boasts the stars of the 2026 NFL draft, and there are plenty of marquee names who will be coming out after this season. Then, there are a few underclassmen who would crash that party if they were eligible.
It's fun to sort through them all.
From a pair of seasoned quarterbacks to a slew of top-tier front-seven stalwarts, the players in college football who are the most ready to suit up on Sundays right now are a diverse group. They play on both sides of the ball at various positions all over the field.
Here are college football's dudes who not only would be drafted high but would be ready to bust out in the NFL right away.
15. Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon Ducks Tight End
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It's always fun to think a little bit outside-of-the-box on these lists, and one wild card who isn't being talked about enough if Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq.
This dude is a bad man at the position, a 6'3", 245-pound fantastic athlete who reminds me of former long-time NFL star Vernon Davis.
While Sadiq hasn't gotten on track yet this year with just five catches as the Ducks are breaking in new starting quarterback Dante Moore, Sadiq is going to have some monster games this year and prove to everybody he's a future star.
NFL teams already know.
Sadiq just moves differently at the position, able to streak down the seam and be a nightmare one-on-one matchup for safeties. He's also already an elite blocker who doesn't mind doing the selfless things that make him a great tight end.
The offensive playmaker already possesses the skills at the position that will make him a big-time player on the next level.
14. T.J. Parker, Clemson Tigers Edge
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There isn't a bigger disappointment in all of college football this early season than the Clemson Tigers.
They are 1-2 with losses to LSU and Georgia Tech, and coach Dabo Swinney's team has no business being mid with so much elite talent on both sides of the ball. The first player on this list who is a future star is edge-rusher T.J. Parker.
At 6'3", 265 pounds, Parker is a big, twitchy edge who is the perfect player at the position with his hand in the dirt. Parker is the kind of player NFL teams covet at the position because he's an every-down player.
There may be faster, more dynamic guys who can come off the edge and get after quarterbacks, but Parker has that in his game, along with the ability to hold his own and be more than stellar against the run. He's put together for all aspects of defense and shouldn't have to come off the field much on the next level.
Parker is compared a lot to another former ACC star, Jared Verse, who was at Florida State. His type of game has a long shelf life at the next level.
13. Anthony Hill Jr., Texas Linebacker
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The unique thing about Anthony Hill Jr. is that there isn't quite a consensus on where he's going to play at the next level.
Some analysts have him as an edge-rusher, while others see him standing up on the second level and roaming around as a traditional linebacker.
While some may see that as a detriment, I value the versatility. Plug Hill in where you need him and let him grow and adapt, move him around to other places and watch him thrive. He's a ball hawk who is fast enough to get after quarterbacks and a sure tackler, as well.
At 6'3", 238 pounds, Hill is an all-world athlete, and he is a fumble-forcing force who is a major disrupter.
"He creates these explosive plays on defense," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian told the Austin American Statesman's Danny Davis of his playmaker, who has seven forced fumbles in his career.
That's a guy every NFL team is going to want.
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12. Dylan Stewart, South Carolina Gamecocks Edge
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Thankfully for the South Carolina Gamecocks, Dylan Stewart can't head to the NFL in the 2026 draft. He's got another season of college football yet to play.
But he's proving every game why he was a coveted 5-star prospect who everybody wanted. Pro teams are going to want him just like the college ones, too.
The 6'5", 245-pound sophomore has picked up where he left off a season ago with 13 tackles and a pair of sacks through three games. He is all over the field and has the size to come after quarterbacks from a three-point stance or standing up.
Stewart is a seasoned player who was an instant-impact player for the Gamecocks and has done nothing but show he has the instincts of a veteran on the field. He is a force who must be accounted for by the offense on every play.
This is a guy who's just different.
11. Colin Simmons, Texas Longhorns Edge
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When it comes to upside, Texas junior edge-rusher Colin Simmons would be much higher on this list. But the kid still needs some seasoning to live up to his ability.
Even so, he's still right on the cusp of my pro-ready players, and if he were eligible to come out in the 2026 NFL draft, pro teams would agree. The 6'3", 244-pound defender almost certainly would either be a top-10 pick or right on the cusp.
He's just outside the top tier on this list, but he is a quick, twitchy player who is living up to his former 5-star billing already in Austin. As a true freshman last year, there were times he was the best player on a championship-caliber defense, even ahead of Anthony Hill Jr.
Simmons finished the '24 season with 48 tackles, including 14 for a loss and nine sacks. He also added an interception, and much like Hill, you can line him up anywhere on the field. He's more of a rabbit-package guy who is a pin-your-ears-back player.
There are more seasoned guys at his position more ready to make an NFL impact now, but Simmons is close to stardom.
10. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU Tigers Quarterback
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There are a lot of things to love about Garrett Nussmeier, and he certainly has a bright future in the NFL. When it comes to signal-callers on this list, he is very high.
But there are a few other guys higher than him on this list because his decisiveness is still a bit in question. At 6'1", 205 pounds, he isn't the biggest, most physical quarterback, but he boasts the arm strength you want and can make every throw.
Unfortunately, he should be posting better numbers for the third-ranked, undefeated LSU Tigers. After throwing 29 touchdowns but 12 interceptions a season ago, he has just three scoring tosses and two picks this year.
Nussmeier isn't the greatest at reading defenses yet and tries to do too much on his own, but being the son of a long-time NFL coach and having all those important pro attributes make his positives far outweigh the negatives.
There are a lot of NFL teams who will love to bet on talent like his, and Nussmeier will keep growing before our eyes. Is he ready? No, but he's close enough at his position for our list.
9. Keldric Faulk, Auburn Tigers Edge
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There aren't a lot of folks who talk about Keldric Faulk because Auburn has been so bad throughout his career, but that's going to change this year.
With the Tigers improving in Year 3 under Hugh Freeze, many will tune in. They'll see what kind of athlete Faulk is and why NFL teams have known about him for years. This is a major disrupter who is one of the best defensive athletes in all of college football.
I love Faulk's blend of length and strength, and he is the prototype the NFL looks for at the position. There isn't a player at his position eligible for this draft who has the measurables that Faulk does.
At 6'6", 284 pounds and with that type of explosiveness, there simply aren't a lot of players who can match his size and physicality at the position.
This is a kid who has been a mass-producer on the Plains from a statistical standpoint and who is going to eat on the next level.
8. Jermod McCoy, Tennessee Volunteers Cornerback
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Boy, the Tennessee Vols certainly could have used Jermod McCoy against Georgia this past weekend.
Gunner Stockton and the Bulldogs picked on the Vols' young backup Ty Redmond all day, and UT is trying to navigate the early season without McCoy and Rickey Gibson III, who was lost early in the year. Coach Josh Heupel expects to get McCoy back soon after the defensive back tore knee ligaments this offseason.
Once he gets back, the Vols will be able to have a lockdown guy who is the top player at his position in college football. At 6'0", 194 pounds, McCoy has elite speed, size and footwork.
Mired in relative obscurity as a freshman at Oregon State, McCoy made his way to the SEC prior to the '24 season and promptly became an all-league player. McCoy has exceptional ball skills and the all-around skills to excel right away.
If he returns to the field and proves he's healthy, McCoy is a top-10 pick.
7. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State Sun Devils Wide Receiver
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Because of where he plays and how the Sun Devils aren't normally on television until late, you may not know too much about wide receiver Jordyn Tyson.
Much like last year's Arizona State star Cam Skattebo, though, the pass-catcher from Texas is worthy of your attention. He's already got the eye of NFL scouts everywhere.
The 6'2", 201-pound receiver isn't the top receiver on this list, but he's the top player at this position who could come out in the 2026 NFL draft, and he's probably the best pass-catcher in his class, altogether.
With Skattebo off to the NFL, the passing game has been much more of a focal point for coach Kenny Dillingham's Sun Devils this year, and Tyson is the centerpiece with 24 catches for 314 yards and four touchdowns.
There's no denying his speed and route-running, and Tyson is much better at securing the ball this year. He's developing exactly the way you'd expect him to, and he has the potential to be a star on the next level very soon.
6. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina Gamecocks Quarterback
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The top-ranked player at the most important position on the football field on this list is still a work in progress.
That's scary considering how super-talented South Carolina redshirt sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers already is. While he hasn't reached the pinnacle of his stardom yet (nowhere close), the traits he possesses lead me to think he'd thrive more in the NFL than he does in Columbia.
It doesn't seem new Gamecocks offensive coordinator Mike Shula really knows how to use Sellers at all, which is great news for the SEC.
At 6'3", 240 pounds, Sellers is a bruiser carrying the football and is a superstar athlete with a big arm who can make every throw and extend plays with his legs. He packs a punch as a runner, and he leans on that at times rather than read through his progressions.
When you consider he hasn't had anywhere near two full years of starting under his belt, it's shocking to see just how developed he is. Sellers' game has No. 1 overall pick written all over it.
Does he need some more work? Yes, but NFL teams already have seen enough. He's special.
5. Spencer Fano, Utah Utes Offensive Tackle
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Every NFL team out there wants a plug-and-play franchise offensive tackle around which they can build their offense.
There's one out West in Utah's Spencer Fano, who has more potential upside than any player at his position in the class, including Alabama's Kadyn Proctor who would have come in at No. 16 on this list because he still needs some more development.
Fano is already ready to be a star on the next level. He made this list ahead of Proctor and Francis Mauigoa, and his teammate Caleb Lomu could be a first-round pick, too.
The 6'6", 309-pound mauler understands the necessary leverage, strength and angles of the position and allowed just one sack throughout the entire 2024 season. Plus, he has the pedigree you're looking for in the NFL, as well.
Fano's uncles Gabe Reid (Bears), Spencer Reid (Panthers), Teni Palepoi (Chargers), and Anton Palepoi (Broncos/Seahawks) all played in the NFL, but none of them has his elite ability. This could be an All-Pro tackle for years to come.
4. Rueben Bain Jr., Miami Hurricanes Edge
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As if Rueben Bain Jr.'s NFL draft profile wasn't already incredibly high, the Miami Hurricanes' star is off to a brilliant start to the 2025 season on one of the top teams in the nation.
The sky is the limit for Bain, who could surge all the way up to the top two or three picks of the '26 draft. Yes, he's that talented.
Bain is big and explosive, and he's a physically dominant edge who possesses next-level strength already. At 6'3", 275 pounds, Bain fits the evolving prototype NFL teams are looking for at the position.
Sure, it's nice to get a rabbit-package guy who can get after quarterbacks with electrifying edge speed, but the value in guys who can stay on the field every down is off-the-charts these days as NFL teams see a growth in hurry-up offenses.
We already mentioned T.J. Parker fitting this mold, and two first-rounders from a season ago (Shemar Stewart and Mykel Williams) prove pro teams want those guys and covet them like never before.
Bain is the best of the bunch of the every-down edge defenders, and he stands to make a ton of money.
3. Peter Woods, Clemson Tigers Defensive Tackle
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The top defensive lineman who could come off the board in the 2026 NFL draft should be Clemson's Peter Woods.
Like T.J. Parker, Woods hasn't made the kind of early-season impact the Tigers wanted yet, but his athletic ability and positional versatility are off the charts. At 6'3", 311 pounds, the Alabama native is almost certainly an interior lineman on the next level, but he can get after quarterbacks like an edge
Woods has the potential to be one of the best interior rushers in a long time, and he is terrific against the run, as well. He wreaks havoc on every play, freeing up play creation for his teammates, even when he isn't a stat-stuffer himself.
We already mentioned T.J. Parker fitting this mold, and two first-rounders from a season ago (Shemar Stewart and Mykel Williams) prove pro teams want those guys and covet them like never before.
Woods has the ability to be the top overall defensive lineman taken and have a long career in the NFL.
2. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State Buckeyes Wide Receiver
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It's impossible to tell that Jeremiah Smith is just a sophomore when you watch him play. As a matter of fact, he is built like (and plays like) a seasoned NFL All-Pro.
Teams are just biding their time until they can select him in the 2027 NFL draft, where he has future megastar written all over him
The comparisons between Smith and former long-time NFL pass-catcher and future Hall of Famer Julio Jones are rampant, and there's a reason why. At 6'3", 223 pounds, the Florida native is big and physical enough to make every catch over the middle, but he's also a field-stretching force who takes the lid off defenses.
The best thing about Smith is that he's a student of the game who perfects his route-running ability and is excellent in yards after the catch, too.
After a sluggish opening week of the season in an offensively challenged win over Texas, Smith has gotten back on track and is on pace for big-time numbers once again.
There's not a more NFL-ready offensive player in the nation than the sophomore, and an argument can be made he's first overall.
1. Caleb Downs, Ohio State Safety
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The only reason why Caleb Downs beat out teammate Jeremiah Smith for the top spot on this list is because he's a year older and more advanced at one of the most important positions on any NFL roster.
Either could be ranked No. 1, but both clearly belong at the top.
Downs is a star-in-the-making who could line up and thrive anywhere on the field. The things he does for the Ohio State Buckeyes on the back end of the defense are just so advanced. He will step into the NFL and be one of the top players at his position right away.
Don't doubt him being the best in his first year. He's that good. He makes plays at all three levels of the defense and impacts the running game and the passing game from the safety spot. There just aren't many who can do that.
There's not a defensive player in all of college football with a higher IQ, and that's why people are suggesting Downs could be the top overall player in the '26 draft. That would be unheard of as a safety, but Downs is a generational talent there.
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