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The college football season continues inching toward the halfway point, and Week 5 delivered several exciting finishes with postseason implications.
Oregon and Alabama pulled off road upsets over Penn State and Georgia, respectively. Illinois and Ole Miss won at home over higher-ranked opponents in USC and LSU. Unranked Virginia upset Florida State, while Indiana and Tennessee staved off upset bids from Iowa and Mississippi State.
Now, as the calendar turns to Week 6, the contenders are separating themselves from the pretenders.
The same principle applies to the 2026 NFL draft class. Some risers keep stacking quality outings. Some fallers haven’t flipped the script on their early-season struggles.
Here’s Sports Illustrated’s temperature check on the best and worst performances from Week 5.
RISERS
Makai Lemon, WR, USC
Forming an elite receiver tandem with likely first-round pick Ja’Kobi Lane, Lemon has put himself into the first-round conversation with a brilliant junior season. The 5' 11", 190-pounder caught 11 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns in the Trojans’ 34–32 loss at Illinois, and he enters Week 6 leading the FBS with 589 receiving yards. Lemon is a natural separator with quality route nuance, hands and versatility—he spends most of his snaps inside but can play outside, too. Lemon is third in the FBS with 271 yards after the catch, a nod to his playmaking skills. He’s a well-rounded receiver trending toward Round 1.
Caden Curry, DE, Ohio State
The Buckeyes’ defense is full of shining stars, including perhaps the draft’s biggest riser in linebacker Arvell Reese, but Curry stole the show in a 24–6 win at Washington. Curry lived a defensive lineman’s dream, recording 11 tackles, three sacks and five tackles for loss against the Huskies. The 6' 3", 260-pound Curry is another prototypical mid-round Ohio State defensive end: He’s tough, steady and plays hard. Curry made a lot of effort plays against Washington and consistently finished when the opportunity presented itself.
Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
On the road, against the No. 3 team in the nation, in the vaunted Penn State whiteout, Moore never looked rattled. Making his 10th career start, he went 29-of-39 passing for 248 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, illustrating the poise, accuracy and playmaking that’s put him into first-round conversations. At 6' 3", 206 pounds, Moore has the arm strength and athleticism to beat defenses inside and outside of structure. After a rocky freshman year in 2023 at UCLA, he’s lived up to his five-star billing at Oregon.
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
It almost feels inauthentic to have a player of Love’s pedigree on this list, but he’s been dominant, including setting a career high with four touchdowns on Saturday against Arkansas. On the heels of a 19-carry, 157-yard, two-touchdown performance against Purdue, Love rushed 14 times for 57 yards and a pair of scores in Fayetteville. And after failing to catch a pass for the first time since November 2023 the week before, Love had five grabs for 70 yards and two more touchdowns against the Razorbacks. The 6' 0", 214-pounder is as explosive as he is versatile, and he’s more than capable of winning with power. He’s the draft’s best running back and enters October playing at an incredible level.
Zion Young, edge, Missouri
Young has been one of the nation’s best pass rushers this season, and he continued his dominance Saturday against UMass, tying for the FBS lead with seven total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. The 6' 5", 262-pounder is tied for ninth nationally with 20 pressures, along with two sacks and five tackles for loss. Lanky and athletic with strong hands and a quick first step, Young registered three quarterback hits against UMass, the latest in a string of quality performances that have him trending toward being a second-round pick.
FALLERS
Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
There was a dash of symbolism to Allar’s game-sealing interception in double overtime against Oregon. He’s long been a prospect full of potential, his performance level usually falling short of the sum of his parts. Allar led Penn State back from a 17–3 fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime. He had a chance for a signature moment, and he couldn’t capitalize. Allar was 14-of-25 passing for 137 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while adding 42 rushing yards in the Nittany Lions’ 30–24 loss. The 6' 5", 235-pounder has the size and arm talent to be a first-round pick, but his lack of pocket poise and consistent accuracy have come back to bite him too often. It’s not unfair to view him as a Day 2 pick.
Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
Nussmeier, Sports Illustrated’s No. 1 quarterback over the summer, has battled a torso injury in the early goings this fall. While neither he nor LSU coach Brian Kelly has specified its full impact, Nussmeier’s play has declined. He’s thrown for more than 240 yards only once—against FCS opponent Southeastern Louisiana—and he’s thrown only seven touchdowns to three interceptions in five games. Nussmeier threw for a season-low 197 yards in LSU’s 24–19 loss to Ole Miss. His accuracy, once so pinpoint and precise, has now become a cause for concern. Nussmeier entered the year as a consensus first-round pick, but like Allar, he’s in the process of playing his way out of the draft’s opening round.
Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
Boston’s stock isn’t too different from what it was at the start of the season. However, he undoubtedly missed a chance for a statement-making performance against Ohio State. At 6' 4" and 209 pounds, Boston is a big-bodied, sure-handed receiver with the intelligence and ball skills to be a top-50 pick. He’s made big plays this season, be it impressive contested catches or the 78-yard punt return touchdown he notched in Week 2. But the Buckeyes largely kept him quiet. Boston caught only three passes for 26 yards; after a 17-yard gain in the second quarter, he didn’t log another catch until the fourth quarter, and his final two grabs went for just four and five yards, respectively. Boston is enjoying a quality senior season, and he still looks every bit a top-two-round pick. However, he had a chance Saturday to prove his name belongs in the top tier of wideouts and ultimately didn’t deliver.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Elite QBs Among Three Prospects Whose 2026 NFL Draft Stock Declined in Week 5.
