College Football Week 2: 2026 NFL Draft prospects to watch
By Jack Brentnall
Week 1 of the college football was full of intrigue, surprises, and confounded expectations.
While Week 2 we might not have the high-profile clashes to rival Ohio State-Texas and LSU-Clemson, there are still plenty of prospects with exciting matchups ahead.
This week I have picked out seven names that I will be watching closely this weekend.
Logan Jones - IOL, Iowa (6-3, 300, rs-Senior)
We will be treated to a proper Midwest rivalry game in Week 2, as Iowa faces off against Iowa State. If there is one player I am particularly interested to watch it is Hawkeyes center Logan Jones.
The sixth-year senior actually began his college career as a defensive tackle, before switching to center following Tyler Linderbaum’s departure. 2025 marks Jones’ fourth season as a starter, and he has established himself as one of the best centers in college football, evidenced by his First Team All-Big Ten selection last year.
Jones’ calling card as a prospect is his outstanding athletic ability. He is noticeably explosive in short areas, and has the fluidity to climb and play out in space. He is also an incredibly physical finisher, in spite of his size.
It was pretty apparent in Iowa’s opener against Albany that the passing game will once again be a major concern. They finished with just 48 passing yards, averaging three yards per attempt. If they are to have any success against Iowa State, it will be by running the ball, something they did very effectively in Week 1. Jones was a big part of that success, with his masterful execution of Iowa’s zone-heavy offense on full display.
This week he will go up against Iowa State’s Domonique Orange, one of the top defensive tackles in the upcoming class. Orange has had a very strong start to the season, and his imposing size is the kind of thing that will test a player like Jones. This should be a very entertaining trench battle.
R Mason Thomas - EDGE, Oklahoma (6-2, 249, Senior)
The Oklahoma vs Michigan game looks like one of the most interesting contests of Week 2, and one player I will be watching very closely is Sooners edge rusher, R Mason Thomas.
Thomas is a former four-star recruit who played in a rotational role for two seasons before becoming a starter in 2024. He excelled, particularly as a pass rusher, finishing with nine sacks and 10 quarterback hits, earning Second Team All-SEC honours.
As soon as you turn on Thomas’ tape you see an NFL athlete. This is a player who was a track athlete in high school, despite playing off the edge. His burst is outstanding from both a two and three point stance and he will consistently threaten the outside shoulder. He then has the requisite dip to flatten and get back to the quarterback.
The question facing Thomas this year is whether he can find a few reliable change-ups to his pass rushing arsenal. The idea of having a deep bag of passing rushing tricks may be overrated, but you do need more than one way to win in order to keep opponents guessing. This weekend’s game against Michigan should be a good test for him.
Darian Mensah - QB, Duke (6-3, 200, Junior)
Duke made headlines in the offseason when they made former Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah one of the highest-paid players in college football. The returns in Week 1 were promising, but it’s his Week 2 matchup that scouts will be watching closely.
Duke made light work of FCS school Elon last week, but face a much tougher test this weekend in the form of Illinois. Mensah looked very good in his first outing as a Blue Devil, showcasing impressive accuracy, timing, and decision making. His stat line was impressive too, completing 79.4% of his passes, averaging 11.4 yards per attempt, and throwing three touchdowns.
The question facing Mensah during his time at Tulane was what he would look like against legitimate Power Four defenses. This weekend will help to answer that question. Illinois have a number of very talented players on that side of the ball and they won’t make things easy for him. It will be interesting to see how he fares.
Xavier Scott - CB, Illinois (5-11, 195, Senior)
One of the players tasked with stopping Mensah is Illinois cornerback Xavier Scott, who seems to have been one of the more divisive prospects during summer scouting. He currently sits 83rd on the consensus board, but several notable analysts have him as a top 10-15 prospect in the class. For my money, he is in the first round conversation.
It is easy to see why some are buying into him. Scott has consistently been one of the most impressive cornerbacks at the catch point and produced four interceptions in 2024 alone. He has an innate feel for zone coverage and the quick trigger to fly downhill. He is also a very sound and reliable tackler, with a real physicality to his game that belies his size.
Scott certainly has room to grow as a technician, particularly in coverage. He struggles to stay square when working from off coverage and his tendency to open his hips lets smarter route runners target his blind spot. The potential is evident though, and if he can show more consistency he should find himself in the first round discussion come April.
Byrum Brown - QB, USF (6-3, 232, Senior)
One of the big upsets from Week 1 was USF taking down No. 25 Boise State, and they had their quarterback Byrum Brown to thank for the win. He went 16/24 for 210 yards, averaging 8.8 yards per attempt. He also made his presence felt as a runner, with 10 rushes for 70 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Brown was getting hype as a prospect at the beginning of last season, but he struggled out of the gate before suffering a season-ending leg injury in Week 5. Based on what we saw in Week 1 he looks to be back at his very best.
It is easy to see why some people are excited about Brown as a prospect. He has a noticeably live arm that can test every inch of the field. He is also a talented athlete, who shows speed and quickness as a runner, while being built like a linebacker.
This weekend he has a really tough test, going on the road to face a Florida team favoured by almost 20 points. Brown struggled badly the last time he faced SEC competition, throwing for just 104 yards against Alabama in Week 2 of 2024. If he can replicate the performance he had against Boise State against a quality opponent, expect to hear a lot more buzz.
Justice Haynes - RB, Michigan (5-11, 210, Junior)
One of the pleasant surprises of summer scouting was Michigan running back Justice Haynes. Previously at Alabama, he showed flashes of potential with the Crimson Tide, but had limited opportunities, with just 78 carries in 2024.
Haynes transferred to Michigan in the offseason to earn a starting workload, and that is exactly what he got in Week 1. He made his touches count too, finishing with 159 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries. Level of competition notwithstanding, this was an excellent performance and one that will have piqued the interest of scouts.
As a prospect, Haynes has good size that he pairs with impressive explosiveness and agility. He is a physical runner too and won’t shy away from contact, and he has proven himself to be a solid option on passing downs.
His biggest issue at Alabama was his tendency to freelance runs, bouncing outside and leaving easy yardage on the table. That sort of approach won’t work against top competition like Oklahoma, and this should be a really nice test for Haynes. He has the potential to be a big riser this season.
Marlin Klein (6-6, 250, rs-Junior)
I decided to add an extra name to my list this week after being really impressed with what I saw from Michigan TE Marlin Klein in Week 1. The redshirt junior end has taken the reins from Colston Loveland and he looked immediately at home.
Born and brought up in Germany, Klein made his way to the US at 16 years old to play high school football. From there he was recruited by a host of schools, picking the Wolverines over the likes of Georgia and Nebraska.
Klein was used primarily as a blocking tight end through his first three seasons at Michigan, but he has the athletic profile of a pass catcher. He is a two-time member of Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List, reportedly logging a 6.89 in the three-cone and a 4.25 in the short shuttle.
In Week 1 against New Mexico he hauled in six of his nine targets for 93 yards and a touchdown, averaging an incredible 15.5 yards per catch. This week’s game against Oklahoma will be a much tougher test, and it will be interesting to see if he’s still as impactful against Power Four competition.
JACK BRENTNALL
HEAD OF NFL DRAFT CONTENT
Previously the founder of The Jet Sweep, Jack joined The Touchdown as head of Draft Content in 2024. A Scouting Academy alumnus, Jack has been Covering the NFL Draft since 2020. Follow him on Twitter @Jack_Brentnall.