Week 7 SCOUTING NOTEBOOK: Red Raiders edge rushers, Fernando Mendoza and more

By Jack Brentnall

Week 7 looked like a slate full of entertaining matchups and it didn’t disappoint.

There were several big NFL Draft storylines to follow. This week’s scouting notebook covers a pair of exceptional pass rushers, a top-ten talent, and two quarterbacks whose stocks are headed in opposite directions.

Mendoza leads Indiana to season-defining win

The road game against No. 3 Oregon was always going to be a colossal test for Fernando Mendoza and the entire Indiana program. When the final whistle blew on the Hoosiers’ historic victory in Eugene, Mendoza had emphatically passed the test, showcasing the poise and mental toughness that NFL teams covet.

While the box score won’t wow anyone – he completed 20 of 31 passes for 215 yards, a touchdown and an interception – the tape tells the story of a quarterback who showed up in a big game and commanded his offense.

Mendoza’s sound decision making and willingness to throw with anticipation showed up multiple times in this game. His play was rarely flashy, but it was surgical, getting through his reads on schedule and finding his receivers to keep drives alive.

His composure under duress was particularly impressive. Indiana’s offensive line was clearly overmatched in talent and suffered from numerous mental errors that led to quick pressure on the quarterback. Despite being pressured on 13 dropbacks, Mendoza took just one sack, a testament to his ability to stay calm and get the ball out quickly. 

Mobility will never be his calling card, but he also showed the ability to find answers with his legs when needed. He ran for 40 yards on five carries when removing the four kneeldowns to end the game.

His pick six in the fourth quarter will be a talking point, and justifiably so. One of the concerns with Mendoza as a prospect is his inability to really generate zip on throws when working off-platform. That showed up on the interception, with Mendoza underthrowing the ball when working off his back foot.

However, it is his resilience that cemented the win. Immediately following the pick-six, Mendoza jogged back onto the field and led Indiana on an authoritative 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to reclaim the lead for good. That ability to bounce back from a critical error in the most hostile of environments is the sort of clutch mental fortitude that will have scouts excited for his NFL potential.

Texas Tech's edge rushers run wild

There’s been a lot of hype around Miami’s edge rushing talent, but the top-tier play of Texas Tech edge rushers David Bailey and Romello Height is forcing a conversation about the best pass rushing duos in college football. They had another overwhelming performance against Kansas this weekend.

The numbers from this game are eye-popping. The two players combined for 19 pressures and seven defensive stops. Bailey dominated the box score with three sacks, while Height added one of his own, contributing to the defense’s nine total sacks on the night. Their efficiency was staggering: Height recorded an impressive 27.3% pass rush win rate, while Bailey reached a near-unblockable 40.6%. Bailey also became the first player to record 10 or more pressures in back-to-back games since Ivan Pace in 2022.

Bailey is understandably early lots of NFL Draft buzz. His pass rushing prowess pops off the tape, with a rare blend of physical traits and technique. His pure speed terrifies opposing tackles and allows him to win around the arc, but also creates opportunities for inside counters, something he took advantage of numerous times against Kansas. Despite not being the biggest or longest edge defender, he is also able to collapse the pocket with speed-to-power moves when needed.

Romello Height may not be as freaky as Bailey, but he’s not far off. Asking opposing offenses to contain both players is an incredibly tall order. Height was particularly impressive as a looper on stunts in this game, with his twitch and burst proving far too much for Kansas’ offensive line.

With performances like this, both players are going to keep shooting up draft boards. They both leave you wanting more as run defenders (particularly Bailey), but their ability to consistently get after the quarterback and win in a variety of ways has tremendous value at the next level.

Arvell Reese's rise continues

There hasn’t been a bigger riser in the 2026 NFL Draft class this season than Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese. After barely being on the draft radar following a part-time role in 2024, Reese has rapidly evolved into THE player that opposing offenses must account for, even on a defense loaded with premier talent.

This weekend’s performance against Illinois was another building block for the junior, where he recorded seven tackles, including four stops and a pair of sacks, showcasing the elite disruptiveness that has defined his breakout campaign.

Reese continues to shine in a hybrid role, splitting his time between his more traditional off-ball role and lining up off the edge. He is a fiercely physical player at the point of attack, capable of setting the edge and holding his own against offensive tackles – a rare trait for a sub-250 lbs off-ball linebacker.

He is at his best when getting downhill and attacking the opposing offense. Reese is a violent and physical presence who is an exceptional blitzer from an off-ball position, proving to be a total mismatch versus running backs in protection. He can make plays against offensive linemen too – one of his sacks in this game came after he collapsed the pocket with an outstanding bull rush against the right tackle.

While he is still developing a feel for coverage and his inexperience does show at times in how he processes from an off-ball alignment, his downhill attacking ability more than compensates.

The debate over his ultimate NFL role will be a hot topic in the coming months: Is he an off-ball linebacker? Or is he the next player to transition from the second level to a pure edge role, like Micah Parsons or Abdul Carter? The truth is, his best fit is in the hybrid role he currently plays. Reese is a clear Zack Baun-type of player – a versatile “walk” linebacker who can be moved around the front seven to create advantageous matchups. With the rise of simulated pressures and creepers at the professional level, this sort of chess piece will be highly coveted in the draft.

Drew Allar's season ends in disappointment

The biggest headline from a college football standpoint in Week 7 was Penn State losing a third straight game, this time against Northwestern. The fallout from the game has seen head coach James Franklin lose his job, but for the NFL Draft world, the major story was quarterback Drew Allar.

Allar struggled once again, posting completion 13 of 20 passes for 137 yards and an interception before leaving the game in the fourth quarter after suffering a season-ending leg injury. With no eligibility left and no chance to claim a medical redshirt after appearing in more than four games this season, this game marks the final chapter of Allar’s college career.

This was a career that many expected to go very differently. Allar signed with Penn State as a five-star recruit with outrageous physical tools, drawing comparisons to players like Josh Allen. Many Penn State fans hoped that he could be the quarterback who would elevate them to a national title.

That never materialised, and this season, things took a significant step back. The core issue that plagued Allar throughout his time as a starter – accuracy – continued to be his undoing. His inability to hit layups and keep the Penn State offense on schedule was maddening. Through seven weeks, he ranked 42nd amongst draft-eligible quarterbacks in adjusted completion percentage on throws of 0-9 yards.

It would be unfair to lay all the blame for Penn State’s disappointing run at Allar’s feet, but the simple fact is he’s just not been good enough. While there has been constant talk over the last two seasons about a lack of sufficient surrounding talent, an elite quarterback is expected to step up and elevate the players around him. That never happened with Allar.

As for his professional draft outlook, his path is murky. His elite tools will no doubt intrigue scouts and coaches alike. However, the glaring red flag is his inability to translate those tools into consistent, high-level play in three seasons as a starter. Add in a potentially serious leg injury and it is difficult to envision him coming off the board any earlier than day three.

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.

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