College Football Week 4: 2027 NFL Draft storylines to watch
By Jack Brentnall
With three weeks of college football under our belt, we’re beginning to get a good feel for the landscape of the 2027 NFL Draft.
Week 4 brings major tests for several of the class’s most prominent quarterbacks, along with an intriguing trench battle and opportunities for several emerging names to build upon impressive starts.
Here are six storylines to watch in Week 4.
Spotlight Game - Dante Moore (QB, Oregon) vs USC
A prospect taking centre stage in one of the weekend’s biggest matchups.
Dante Moore entered the season as my QB2 and one of only two quarterbacks carrying a starting-level grade. Three games into the campaign, however, that evaluation is beginning to feel considerably less secure.
On the surface, the box score production looks solid. Moore has completed 60 of 88 passes for 852 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions. While he looked flawless against Portland State last weekend, the tape against FBS competition has been far less convincing. He endured stretches of inconsistency against Boise State in the opener before struggling in a surprise defeat to Oklahoma State.
Moore is a naturally accurate passer who throws with excellent touch and shows some nice pre-snap smarts. The concerns emerge when the conditions around him deteriorate. His mechanics can break down under pressure, he has struggled to solve creative post-snap rotations and some of his worst performances have come against Oregon’s strongest opponents.
Daniel Jeremiah often talks about quarterbacks being either a “truck” or a “trailer”. A truck can carry an offense when the surrounding circumstances are imperfect. A trailer requires the structure and supporting cast to carry him.
Oregon’s trip to USC should provide meaningful evidence about which category Moore belongs in. This is a major game between ranked opponents and, following the defeat to Oklahoma State, it is a game the Ducks cannot afford to lose. This is exactly the sort of game where you want to see Moore elevate his team in a difficult situation.
The Proving Ground - Anto Saka (EDGE, Texas A&M) vs LSU
A prospect facing one of the toughest individual matchups on his schedule.
Anto Saka’s appeal as a prospect is built largely upon his athletic potential. The Texas A&M edge defender possesses an explosive first step, excellent closing speed and the ability to stress offensive tackles around the arc.
That explosiveness has not yet translated into consistent disruption this season. Saka has generated two pressures and one sack through three games, while his pass rush win rate sits at just 10%.
There was always some projection involved in his evaluation. Saka had limited starting experience entering the season and his pass rush approach remains relatively underdeveloped. He can threaten the high side with speed and flash the ability to convert that momentum into power, but he needs to develop more reliable hand usage and counters when tackles match his initial burst.
LSU left tackle Jordan Seaton represents an ideal test of that development. Seaton is one of the most athletic pass protectors in the class, possessing the explosiveness to reach his set point quickly and the light feet to mirror speed around the edge. His balance, grip strength and well-timed hands make him particularly difficult to beat with athleticism alone.
That places the emphasis firmly on Saka. Can he vary his approach and find solutions when Seaton takes away his first move? A productive performance against one of the class’s most gifted pass protectors would be a significant boost to his NFL Draft projection.
Rising Stock - Anthony Evans III (WR, Mississippi State) vs Missouri
A prospect whose stock is rising and who has an opportunity to build further momentum.
Kamario Taylor has understandably attracted much of the attention surrounding Mississippi State’s unbeaten start, but Anthony Evans III has quickly established himself as an important part of the Bulldogs’ offensive success.
Evans has caught 20 passes for 294 yards and three touchdowns through three games, finding the end zone in every appearance. He is averaging 3.20 yards per route run and has posted a 135.7 passer rating when targeted.
Evans’ athletic background is intriguing. He was an accomplished track athlete in high school and recorded a personal best of 21.10 seconds in the 200 metres. That speed shows up on tape and gives defenses another problem to account for within an increasingly dangerous Mississippi State passing attack.
Though he had a very respectable season with the Bulldogs in 2025 (821 yards and four touchdowns), it feels like Evans is really beginning to ascend beyond a good college receiver into a player well worthy of more NFL Draft consideration.
This weekend he has another opportunity to impress against a good Missouri team. If he can continue to stack these impressive performances, he is a name you’ll hear a lot more of in the coming weeks and months.
Under the Radar - Sammy Omosigho (LB, UCLA) vs Maryland
A lesser-known prospect with an opportunity to earn more attention.
Sammy Omosigho spent three seasons as a part-time player at Oklahoma before transferring to UCLA during the offseason. Through three games with the Bruins, he appears to be making the most of his first opportunity to occupy a prominent defensive role.
Omosigho has accumulated 28 tackles without missing a single attempt. He has also recorded two sacks and forced three fumbles.
The production alone is enough to make him worthy of attention, but the next step is establishing whether it can be sustained. Maryland will provide Omosigho with another opportunity to demonstrate his reliability as a tackler while continuing to contribute as a blitzer and turnover creator.
It has been an impressive first month with the Bruins. If Omosigho continues playing at this level, the wider attention will follow.
Backing It Up - Keyjuan Brown (RB, Louisville) vs Wake Forest
A prospect facing a significant rise in competition.
Keyjuan Brown delivered one of the most explosive rushing performances of Week 3. The Louisville running back needed just 10 carries to produce 163 yards and two touchdowns against SMU, breaking off scoring runs of 58 and 53 yards while forcing seven missed tackles.
The performance showcased many of the qualities that make Brown an intriguing prospect. He is an instinctive runner who identifies cutback lanes, possesses the burst to attack creases and combines light feet with the contact balance to create additional yardage in congested areas.
The primary question is not ability but opportunity. Brown has received only 18 carries through three games as he competes with Isaac Brown and quarterback Lincoln Kienholz for touches in a crowded Louisville rushing attack.
Keyjuan Brown has been remarkably productive with that limited volume. Eight of his 18 attempts have gained at least 10 yards, but sustaining anything close to that level of efficiency will be difficult. Defenses will also be more alert to his presence following what he produced against SMU.
Wake Forest therefore offers Brown the chance to prove that Week 3 was more than one spectacular afternoon. Another productive performance would strengthen the argument for Louisville to increase his workload and his position as one of the better backs in the 2027 class.
Make-or-Break Performance - LaNorris Sellers (QB, South Carolina) vs Alabama
A prospect who needs a statement performance to stop his stock falling further.
There has never been much doubt about LaNorris Sellers’ physical talent. He possesses a powerful frame, excellent athleticism and the arm strength to access every area of the field. At some point, however, the evaluation has to move beyond what Sellers could become and focus on the quarterback he currently is.
Week 3’s defeat to Mississippi State was one to forget for Sellers, who threw two interceptions but could have had half a dozen. His first saw him lock onto his intended target before the snap, stare him down and deliver the ball directly to an underneath defender.
Mississippi State were regularly disguising their coverage and Sellers had no answer. There were numerous occasions when he made throws seemingly without properly confirming the post-snap look.
Sellers remains capable of producing spectacular plays, but the processing concerns are becoming harder to excuse with every passing week.
A trip to Alabama is an unforgiving setting in which to seek answers, but that is also what makes it such an important test. Sellers does not necessarily need to lead South Carolina to an upset. He does need to show that he can be a more consistent and reliable processor. Another outing like the one we saw in Week 3 and it might be time to end the discussion around Sellers as a noteworthy quarterback in the 2027 class, if that time hasn’t already come.
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.
