The college football season exists in three distinct stages. Early-season clashes are meant to generate hype and satisfy scheduling requirements. Ohio State played host to No. 1 Texas in Week 1 and the 5,000-student Grambling State Tigers in Week 2.
All eyes will be on the final stage, bowl season, in December and January. But before the College Football Playoff begins, we have to figure out who’s worthy of participating. And for that, we have conference play, the meat and potatoes of our autumn Saturdays.
Most Power Four teams will begin playing conference opponents in Week 4, offering a flurry of rivalry games and high-profile clashes. As teams jostle for positioning in the standings, their prospects will hope to look to put out good tape against meaningful competition to boost their NFL Draft stocks.
A handful of 2026 prospects stand out as having the most to gain from the next two months of action.
Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois
On Saturday, No. 9 Illinois will visit No. 19 Indiana in a meeting of Big Ten foes with playoff aspirations. Among the Fighting Illini, no one has as good a shot of being drafted in Round 1 than edge rusher Gabe Jacas.
He entered the year as a consensus second-round prospect but checks several boxes to launch himself into Round 1. At 6’2″, 270 pounds with 4.70 speed, his blend of burst and size is intriguing. He’s versatile enough to take occasional snaps inside and in coverage, too.
Jacas had eight sacks a season ago and leads the conference with 3.5 sacks in the early going this year. Throw in a knack for finding the football and some team is bound to fall in love. Continuing to produce against high-level Big Ten competition, both as a pass rusher or run stuffer — the latter of which remains in question — could seal the deal.
A strong athlete at a valuable position, games against Indiana and Ohio State will set the stage for a potential ascension.
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
On the other side of the ledger, Fernando Mendoza will hope to avoid Jacas and escape Week 4 upright and victorious. Mendoza entered the season as my QB4, the last first-round passer on my board. So far in 2025, all he’s done is improve his standing.
It has come against lesser competition, but Indiana is 3-0 with convincing wins and plenty of quality quarterbacking. Mendoza leads the conference with nine passing touchdowns and has built on the strengths he showcased at Cal. He’s a tried and true field stretcher with an elite arm and the aggressiveness to make good on it.
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Still, the biggest tests of the Hoosiers’ schedule are ahead of them. Illinois awaits, as does No. 6 Oregon and No. 2 Penn State. Both the Ducks and Nittany Lions offer early-round quarterbacks capable of out-dueling Mendoza. Keeping those games close despite talent disadvantages could go a long way in making his case for QB1.
Isaiah World, OT, Oregon
Oregon will take part in the Civil War in Week 4, hosting Oregon State before entering its gauntlet of Big Ten games a week later against Penn State. The Ducks blew out Northwestern already and have benefited from quality play from quarterback Dante Moore.
A key part of Moore’s supporting cast is left tackle Isaiah World. He’s a transfer from Nevada and a prospect I wasn’t high on this summer. Despite the early-round hype, he was left off my initial top-40 big board, earning a third-round grade and a projection as a below-average starter.
World has enticing physical tools, boasting a 6’7″, 309-pound frame that makes Oregon’s interest easy to explain. That raises his floor in pass protection, but his struggles in the ground game have followed him north. He’s sloppier here, both with his footwork and his hand placement.
The early-season slate hasn’t been particularly kind to World, either. Pro Football Focus’s grading suggest that he hasn’t taken a leap just yet, and the clock is officially ticking. The top Big Ten defenses will test the Ducks, and if World doesn’t improve, his case for Round 1 would reside solely in his upside as a pass protector. That’s not a bet I’m trying to make.
Eric Singleton Jr., WR, Auburn
Singleton transferred into Auburn, introducing himself to SEC competition and the elite defenses that come with it. A tough Brent Venables will pose a challenge to the Tigers as they begin conference play against Oklahoma. Dates with Georgia, Alabama, and Texas A&M, won’t make life any easier.
It might not be a coincidence that Singleton’s worst game came against Baylor, the toughest team of Auburn’s early-September slate. There’s work to be done to prove Singleton is more than a gadget player at the next level, and there’s no better way to silence those doubts than showing out against incredible units.
Making plays inside and out of the slot would help transcend the criticisms that come with his 5’10”, 180-pound frame. Against the freak athletes of SEC secondaries, Singleton lock himself into the top 50 with a strong season.
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