Matt Miller
In every NFL draft class, there are the headliners who need no introduction. In 2026, that includes the likes of Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik. But this is not about players everyone already knows. Instead, we’re identifying prospects who fans will get to know over the upcoming college football season and beyond.
After talking to scouts and personnel people around the NFL, I picked 10 under-the-radar players who could be primed to rise up draft boards over the next 10 months. This is the third year I’ve done this exercise, with last year’s list featuring Day 2 picks such as guard Jonah Savaiinaea and safety Kevin Winston Jr.
Who is primed to make a similar leap this cycle? The players below are in no particular order, but we start with a quarterback who ended last season on a hot streak.
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We’re always searching for the quarterback who’s primed to emerge from under the radar and climb to the top of the draft. While Cameron Ward wasn’t quite considered under the radar, he was overshadowed by players such as Carson Beck, Quinn Ewers and Shedeur Sanders at this time a year ago. Ward ultimately shot past all of them and was drafted No. 1 overall. (Beck did not declare and transferred from Georgia to Miami.)
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Robertson has the physical tools to potentially leap over more well-known quarterbacks. The former four-star recruit transferred to Baylor from Mississippi State prior to the 2023 season.
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“If you want a dude that’s going to come out of nowhere, it’s [Robertson]. He’s what everyone wants [Penn State’s] Drew Allar to be,” said an AFC South area scout who covers the Southwest. “Big, big arm, and he can move.”
Robertson threw for 3,071 yards with 28 touchdown passes and eight interceptions last season — his first as a starter — and had another 230 yards and four scores rushing. With a powerful right arm and plus-level mobility, Robertson can attack defenses vertically and create with his legs when needed. He had 52 passes of more than 20 yards last season. Robertson has never seen a deep one-on-one route he didn’t want to attack, so he must work on his decision-making and speed up his delivery, which can get hitchy at times. But there are a ton of physical tools for scouts and coaches to be excited about here.
Ohio State is arguably the current “WRU” after a strong recent run of first-rounders and NFL superstars. But while sophomore Jeremiah Smith is the Buckeyes receiver most scouts and analysts are raving about, don’t sleep on Tate.
A former five-star recruit out of Chicago, Tate has been overshadowed since signing with the Buckeyes in 2023. Marvin Harrison Jr. was the star during Tate’s freshman season, while last season saw Emeka Egbuka and Smith emerge as Ohio State’s top two WRs. But with Egbuka gone to the NFL, Tate stands to benefit from one-on-one looks as defensive coordinators try to stop Smith.
One NFC East regional scout praised Tate’s toughness and route-running ability, thinking he’s poised to shine this season.
“I’m all-in on Tate,” the scout said. “He’s big, but his technical ability as a route runner is impressive. He’s really good at generating separation with his size and his start-stop ability. He’s a really good WR2 in the pros.”
The 6-foot-3, 191-pound Tate has only 70 receptions for 997 yards and five touchdowns in two seasons, but much more is expected from him in 2025. And he has the tools to capitalize on the opportunity.
Halton’s breakout started in 2024, when the 3-technique posted five sacks in 13 games after not recording a single quarterback takedown the previous two seasons.
Despite being undersized at 6-foot-2 and 291 pounds, Halton’s quickness and explosive ability off the ball make it tough for interior offensive linemen to get their hands on him. He led the FBS with a pressure rate of 14.1% at defensive tackle last season, making him one of the top returning interior pass rushers in the nation. Scouts have taken notice.
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“I loved his progression from seeing the field as a true freshman to working more as a sophomore, and then, boom, he has that huge year last year. The Gerald McCoy comparisons are coming,” said an NFC West area scout.
“G-Baby”, as his teammates call him, could have entered the 2025 draft but opted to stay in school. With his versatile pass-rush moves, quickness into gaps and heads-up run defense, don’t be surprised if Halton lands in the top two rounds next April.
If this name sounds familiar, it’s because of Hunter’s efforts at UCF. After initially signing with Auburn as a four-star recruit, the 6-foot-4, 320-pound Hunter played three seasons with the Knights, racking up five career sacks and earning second-team All-Big 12 honors last season. “The Fridge” now heads to Lubbock with a chance to shine in the Red Raiders’ 3-4 scheme.
“Hunter is a big dude, but his strength and ability to command double-teams is where he’ll stand out in the 30 front,” said an NFC South area scout who has seen him play in person.
The 3-4 scheme isn’t known for producing huge stats for defensive linemen, but Hunter’s play at UCF has him on NFL scouts’ radar. Much like Byron Murphy II (No. 16, 2024) and Kenneth Grant (No. 13, 2025), Hunter is a massive interior prospect who could land in Round 1.
The Longhorns have heavily utilized their tight ends the past two seasons, with Ja’Tavion Sanders and Gunnar Helm being the featured targets. Endries has a chance to be the best of the trio.
At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, the Cal transfer is built more like Sanders and has the versatility to be a flex tight end who can line up in the slot, backfield or in-line next to the offensive tackle. Endries grabbed 56 passes for 623 yards and two scores as a sophomore last season with only one drop, showcasing his strong hands.
“[Texas coach Steve Sarkisian] is doing a great job developing tight ends and working his offense around them, but I wonder how much Endries will see the ball with Arch Manning’s deep ball,” one AFC West national scout said before adding that Endries’ versatility should shine in Austin. “He’s such a good athlete and he can play anywhere. He’s one of the two most talented tight ends in the country.”
Endries has two seasons of eligibility remaining, so he’s not a lock to be in the 2026 draft. But expect his name to be mentioned a bunch in the lead-up to the season.
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Cal’s Jack Endries breaks free for 57-yard TD vs. Miami
Cal’s Jack Endries shakes his defender and gallops down the sideline into the end zone to tie the score at 7-7 against Miami.
After two seasons as a starter at Purdue — in which he had six interceptions as a true freshman in 2023 while emerging as a dangerous punt returner — Thieneman transferred to Oregon. Ranked as ESPN’s No. 1 defensive back in the transfer portal, he’ll lead the Ducks’ secondary and should become a household name in Dan Lanning’s NFL-style defensive scheme, which utilizes its safeties in multiple alignments.
At 6-foot and 207 pounds, Thieneman isn’t a supersized prospect like Nick Emmanwori in this past draft, but he is a versatile defender who can align at either safety spot or even as a slot cornerback.
“When you look at football IQ, versatility, speed and range, he has it all. Safeties always seem to fall in the draft, but he has first-round tools,” an AFC West area scout said.
Thieneman can get overaggressive in his pursuit angles, but he’s a clean open-field tackler and provides a true split-safety value that fits any defensive scheme. If he slots into Lanning’s defense like we think he will, Thieneman has first-round ability.
Mizzou has become a bit of an offensive line factory in recent years, with three players selected in the past two drafts (including 2025 No. 7 pick Armand Membou) and two more slated to be selected early in 2026. NFL scouts think Green has the agility and strength to be drafted early.
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At 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, Green — who transferred from Oklahoma after the 2023 season — has ideal size for an NFL guard, but there are some who think he could also play left tackle. That’s something to watch as Missouri’s training camp begins, as the Tigers look to replace Marcus Bryant, who was drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round in April. Green has the footwork, agility and length to excel on the perimeter if needed.
“Watching his feet at left guard, I think he could play tackle. He’s a lot like Membou in that way. He’s really versatile athletically,” said an NFC offensive line coach who studied his tape.
Green’s run-blocking dominance stands out on tape, but he must improve his balance in pass blocking. If that improvement happens, he has All-American ability and first-round potential.
Spencer Fano is typically the first name mentioned when discussing NFL prospects on Utah’s offensive line, but Lomu is also catching the eye of pro evaluators. The 6-foot-6, 305-pound left tackle allowed only two sacks last season as a redshirt freshman. Lomu’s run-blocking ability and movement in pass protection have scouts excited about what he’ll do in a follow-up campaign.
“Utah went through a lot of adversity on offense last year, but he stood out. And if you’re good enough to move Fano to the right side after all his accomplishments, that says a lot,” an AFC North scout said.
Lomu has three years of eligibility remaining, but his movement ability and poise in pass protection are indicative of a high draft pick. He’s tailor-made for zone-blocking schemes, and with more experience, the 19-year-old could become one of the nation’s top players.
Allen started 13 games last season for the Bulldogs and stood out on tape while I was scouting his draft-eligible teammates. Now it’s his turn. At 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, he’s built for the pro game and has the speed and explosiveness to be a solid modern linebacker prospect.
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Allen’s 2024 tape showed a downhill attacker who posted 49 solo tackles and one interception. He had a huge game against Georgia Tech, when he had 10 tackles. He’s a rising star on a defense known for producing early-round prospects.
“You look at his instincts, his toughness, and how well he plays coming into gaps to take on the run, and he’s a throwback to guys like Fred Warner and Lavonte David early in their careers … but he’s a better pass rusher,” an NFC general manager said.
Playing on a defense which had three first-round picks in 2025 left Allen under the radar, but he won’t be kept out of the spotlight for long.
Who will be the transfer quarterback to rocket up draft boards this year? A lot of early buzz is centered around former Cal quarterback Mendoza … and for good reason. After a breakout last season in which he threw for 3,004 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions, Mendoza transferred to Indiana to play in Curt Cignetti’s Air Raid offense. Expectations soon followed the redshirt junior, especially considering Cignetti’s scheme and the presence of legit NFL wide receiver prospect Elijah Sarratt on Indiana’s roster.
At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, Mendoza has ideal size, a quick release, fast decision-making and the arm talent to power the ball to every area of the field.
“Watch that dude throw back-shoulder fades and you see the touch, timing and power to be a baller in the NFL,” another regional NFC East scout said. He added that Mendoza’s toughness is also a key trait but worries about residual effects from the offensive line he played behind last season.
“He got hit and pressured a lot last year behind a bad O-line, so that’s something to watch for this year. Is he a little traumatized by what he had in front of him last year?” the same scout said.
A two-star recruit coming out of high school, Mendoza has been slept on since originally committing to Yale. Bigger names like Allar, Manning and Beck might drive early quarterback talk, but Mendoza has fans in the NFL.