Ohio State vs Texas: 10 NFL Draft prospects to watch

By Jack Brentnall

There are few games on the college football calendar with as much NFL talent on display as Ohio State vs Texas.

Both programs are loaded with 2027 prospects, including two of the biggest names in college football in Arch Manning and Jeremiah Smith. The talent extends well beyond them though, with potential early round prospects on both sides of the ball.

Both teams came through relatively comfortable opening games in Week 1, but this weekend should offer a much better look at some of their top draft-eligible players.

This list is by no means comprehensive. Instead, these are the 10 prospects I am most interested in watching when the Buckeyes travel to Austin.

Arch Manning - QB, Texas (6'4", 230 lbs)

Manning enters the season as one of the biggest names in college football and a leading contender to be the first quarterback selected in the 2027 NFL Draft.

There was plenty to like on his 2025 tape. Manning already operates the position with an advanced understanding of coverage, working through full-field reads and showing the anticipation to get the ball out before receivers uncover. He is also an exceptional pocket navigator, using subtle movements to evade pressure without unnecessarily abandoning structure.

The athleticism adds another dimension. Manning is an explosive runner who can punish defenses when scrambling lanes open, but his first instinct remains to solve problems from the pocket.

The biggest question coming out of the summer was accuracy. Manning can produce some outstanding throws, but his ball placement was inconsistent at every level. In particular, he can struggle to reset his base after moving within the pocket, leaving otherwise well-worked reps unfinished.

His opening performance was encouraging in that regard. Outside of one poor red zone interception, Manning looked accurate, composed and in control. Ohio State should provide a much better indicator of whether he can carry that into the season.

Jeremiah Smith - WR, Ohio State (6'3", 223 lbs)

There may not be a more naturally gifted non-quarterback prospect in college football than Jeremiah Smith.

At 6’3″ and 223 lbs, Smith possesses a rare combination of size and explosiveness. He has the speed to win vertically, the strength to bully defenders through the route and enough polish to consistently create separation at all three levels.

What makes Smith particularly difficult to defend is that there is no obvious answer for his physical profile. Give him space and he can eat up a cushion in an instant. Try to crowd him and he possesses the play strength to work through contact and maintain his route.

There are still small technical areas for him to clean up. Smith can allow defenders into his frame at the line of scrimmage, while his tall frame can make it difficult to really sink on sharper route breaks. His effort as a blocker has also been frustratingly inconsistent.

Those are relatively minor complaints for a player with Smith’s overall talent. He wasted little time reminding everyone of that in Week 1, catching eight passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns.

Cam Coleman - WR, Texas (6'3", 200 lbs)

Coleman’s move from Auburn to Texas was one of the most intriguing transfers of the offseason.

The former five-star recruit has all the tools to become one of the top receivers in the 2027 class. He is an explosive mover who can quickly get on top of defensive backs, but there is more to his game than pure speed. Coleman understands how to attack leverage through his stem and has the strength and body control to create separation late at the breakpoint.

His hands are another strength. Coleman is comfortable extending away from his frame and has the adjustment ability to make catches when the football is not perfectly placed.

There was still plenty of room for development on his Auburn tape. His route tree was fairly linear, featuring plenty of hitches, comebacks and vertical routes, while some hip tightness can show when he is asked to really sink into more demanding breaks. He also offers limited value after the catch.

Coleman made an efficient start to life with Manning, turning four targets into three catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns in the opener against Texas State. Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley both saw more opportunities, but I would expect Coleman’s volume to grow as he and Manning continue to build their rapport.

Jaylen McClain - S, Ohio State (5'11", 202 lbs)

Ohio State continues to produce talented defensive backs, and Jaylen McClain might be the next name to emerge as a legitimate NFL prospect.

McClain is a smooth, instinctive safety whose biggest strength is his versatility in coverage. He has impressive range from single-high alignments, with the turn-and-run quickness and closing burst to cover significant ground on the back end.

He also shows good awareness of route development. McClain regularly recognises what an offense is trying to create and gets himself into position to squeeze throwing windows before the ball arrives. His fluidity allows him to carry tight ends and slot receivers vertically when asked to play man coverage.

The next step is turning that positioning into production. McClain has not consistently attacked the football at the catch point, limiting his opportunities to create turnovers. He can also be slightly delayed triggering downhill from depth and lacks the length and strength to consistently disengage once blockers get their hands on him.

Texas has no shortage of weapons in the passing game, with Coleman joining Wingo and Mosley in a talented receiving corps. McClain’s ability to diagnose route combinations and prevent explosive plays will be an important part of Ohio State’s efforts to contain them.

Trevor Goosby - OT, Texas (6'7", 325 lbs)

Goosby has steadily developed into one of the more intriguing offensive tackle prospects in the 2027 class.

At 6’7″ and 325 lbs, he possesses obvious NFL size and length. He is a savvy pass protector who generally does a good job of diagnosing changing fronts and adjusting to late pressure, while his power is particularly evident in the run game.

Goosby can generate impressive movement at the point of attack, using his length and torque to move defenders out of their gap. There is a physical edge to his game too, with a willingness to finish blocks and look for work when left uncovered.

The consistency still needs to improve. His hand placement can be erratic and he will occasionally completely lose control of blocks as a result. He is also susceptible to speed off the edge, while his tall frame can leave him vulnerable to powerful rushers who are able to get into his chest.

That last point makes this weekend’s battle with Kenyatta Jackson particularly interesting.

Kenyatta Jackson - EDGE, Ohio State (6'6", 265 lbs)

If Goosby wants an opportunity to prove he can deal with NFL power, Jackson should provide it.

Jackson has prototypical size for the position at 6’6″ and 265 lbs, with the length and strength to take control of reps at the point of attack. His hands are heavy and accurate, allowing him to establish first contact before working through blockers.

That physicality shows up against both the run and pass. Jackson is capable of setting a strong edge against the run, while his preferred approach as a pass rusher is to get into the tackle’s frame and collapse the pocket through power.

The concern is that his rush plan can become too predictable. Jackson lacks the high-end burst and flexibility to consistently threaten tackles around the corner and needs to develop more reliable counters when his initial power move stalls.

He was disruptive against Ball State, generating eight pressures without recording a sack, but Goosby represents a considerable step up in competition.

This is probably my favourite individual matchup of the game from a scouting perspective. Jackson’s power attacks one of the weaknesses on Goosby’s tape, while Goosby’s size and length will force Jackson to show whether he has developed more ways to win when he cannot simply overwhelm his opponent.

Colin Simmons - EDGE, Texas (6'3", 245 lbs)

Where Jackson wins through size and power, Colin Simmons presents a very different problem for offensive tackles.

Simmons is one of the most polished pass rushers in the 2027 class. His first step explosiveness is paired with excellent snap timing, allowing him to immediately threaten the outside shoulder and force tackles into uncomfortable positions.

He already possesses an impressive pass rush repertoire too. His ghost move is particularly dangerous, but Simmons does a good job of varying his approach and using his hands to prevent tackles from sitting on one move.

The limitations primarily come from his frame. At 6’3″ and 245 lbs, Simmons is undersized for an every-down edge defender and possesses only average power. Tackles can push him beyond the pocket when he attacks up the arc, while he can struggle to stack and shed consistently against the run.

Simmons finished the opener against Texas State with three pressures and two stop tackles. It was a perfectly solid performance, although perhaps not the dominant tape you might have expected against that level of opposition.

Austin Siereveld - IOL, Ohio State (6'5", 325 lbs)

Austin Siereveld might not possess the athletic upside of some of the other prospects on this list, but there are few offensive linemen in the class who play with his level of power.

The 6’5″, 325-pounder is thickly built with a strong lower half and genuinely heavy hands. When Siereveld gets properly latched onto a defender, he can be incredibly difficult to dislodge.

He is at his best in a downhill run game. Siereveld generates real vertical displacement on drive and down blocks and is particularly effective when used as a kickout blocker. He also plays with the finishing mentality you want from an interior offensive lineman, regularly looking to put defenders into the turf.

The athletic limitations are fairly clear. Siereveld can struggle when forced to redirect laterally and is not a natural mover in space. He will sometimes compensate by taking overly aggressive angles at the second level, opening the door for linebackers to undercut him.

He played primarily at guard in Ohio State’s opener, which is where I think his game translates best to the NFL. Siereveld may be somewhat scheme dependent at the next level, but teams looking to build a physical gap-based running game should find plenty to like.

Julian Sayin - QB, Ohio State (6'1", 208 lbs)

Manning may attract more national attention, but Ohio State has a quarterback prospect of its own in Julian Sayin.

Sayin’s game is built around accuracy. He throws an exceptionally catchable football and consistently places passes where his receivers can transition immediately after the catch. His deep ball is particularly impressive, with excellent touch and trajectory despite possessing only adequate arm strength.

He also plays with good anticipation. Sayin is quick to identify favourable matchups after the snap and is willing to release the football before his receiver has fully created separation. His compact release helps him stay on schedule, even when there is pressure around him.

The question is what happens when the initial picture becomes muddy. There were moments on his tape where creative rotations caused problems, and he needs to become better at finding solutions when the defense takes away what Ohio State wants to do. His 6’1″ frame can also lead to him drifting backwards in the pocket to find clearer throwing lanes.

Sayin played well in the opener against Ball State, but the level of opposition means there is little reason to draw major conclusions from it. Texas should provide a significantly more complicated problem to solve. I still think Sayin is probably a 2028 prospect, but he is nevertheless a player to watch closely in this one.

Jelani McDonald - S, Texas (6'2", 194 lbs)

Rounding out the list is another safety who brings a very different skill set to McClain.

McDonald is at his best playing close to the line of scrimmage. He is a physical run defender who delivers genuine stopping power as a tackler and does a good job of taking on perimeter blockers with extension and strong hand placement.

There is plenty to like in coverage too. McDonald has good long speed and enough fluidity to carry routes vertically, while he shows a solid understanding of route distribution when working in underneath zones.

His limitations become more apparent when he is asked to operate from depth. McDonald lacks high-end short area explosiveness and can be somewhat clunky when forced to redirect. He is also prone to becoming overly reactive to the quarterback’s eyes, opening his hips prematurely and vacating space behind him.

That makes his usage particularly interesting against an Ohio State passing attack containing Smith and several other talented weapons. McDonald has the physicality and coverage awareness to become an NFL starter, but developing better eye discipline would make him a significantly more dependable defender across a wider range of assignments.

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.

Rated 5 out of 5
BoyleSports NFL