The 2025 college football regular season came to a close Saturday, bringing with it a wealth of coaching changes and the promise of a busy transfer portal season. There are 82 teams still playing postseason games, some of whom will play several more in their College Football Playoff runs.
But college football careers ended Saturday for those whose teams didn’t qualify for bowl games and others who plan on opting out of postseason action.
Subsequently, some on-field résumés have been finalized within the 2026 NFL draft pool. Predraft events such as the Senior Bowl, East-West Shrine Bowl and NFL Combine await those at the top of the class.
Saturday was the final regular-season chance for players to make a statement and cement their draft stock. Here’s who helped—and hurt—their cause in Week 14.
RISERS
T.J. Parker, edge, Clemson
After a difficult junior season for Sports Illustrated’s top-ranked player this summer, Parker had a terrific final act. The 6' 3", 260-pound Parker had three sacks, one fumble recovery, and, according to Pro Football Focus, eight quarterback pressures in Clemson’s 28–14 win over South Carolina. Parker hadn’t recorded a sack in over two months, but he put his tools on full display Saturday. He won with powerful bull rushes, refined hand usage and ankle flexion to turn the corner at the top of his rush and bring down South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers, an athletic, big-bodied signal-caller. Should Parker declare for the draft, the junior may be on the fringe of the first-round picture, but he left quite an impression in his regular-season finale.
Kaytron Allen, RB, Penn State
In an untraditional Big Ten shootout marked by 76 points and over 1,000 yards of total offense combined, Penn State outlasted Rutgers, 40–36, behind Allen’s brilliance. The 5' 11", 219-pound Allen rushed 22 times for 226 yards and one touchdown, headlined by a 55-yard gain that gave him three consecutive games with a 40-plus-yard run to end the regular season. He won Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week each of the final three games, using his blend of power, vision and contact balance. There are few runners steadier and more experienced than Allen, who will enter the NFL with more wear and tear than teams prefer but with a lengthy, distinguished résumé. He looks like a potential top-100 pick.
Malik Benson, WR, Oregon
Benson capped a strong finish to the regular season with five catches for 102 yards and a game-sealing 64-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter in Oregon’s 26–14 win over Washington on Saturday. Amid a flurry of mid-season injuries, the Ducks’ receiving corps is thin, but Benson has capitalized on his opportunities. Benson, who stands 6' 1" and 195 pounds, arrived at Oregon via Florida State and Alabama, and he’s emerged as a big-play threat who can hit explosives from anywhere. He has a terrific top gear and quality field vision to find and hit open holes.
Gabe Jacas, edge, Illinois
Jacas had two and a half tackles for loss and two sacks apiece in three of the Fighting Illini’s final four games—he had eight tackles for loss and six-and-a-half sacks during that span. He was steady through the season’s first eight games, but he flipped a switch late and looked more like the potential top-50 pick he was projected as entering the season. At 6' 3" and 270 pounds, Jacas led the Big Ten in sacks with 11. He can win with speed and power, and he’s a loose athlete who enjoyed back-to-back years of double-digit tackles for loss. Big, strong, athletic and productive, Jacas has the résumé of a top-50 pick and the potential to be an early impact player.
Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska
College football’s third-leading rusher with 1,451 yards, Johnson closed the regular season with 29 carries for 217 yards and one touchdown against Iowa. The 5' 11", 200-pound Johnson led the Big Ten with 1,821 all-purpose yards, over 350 yards clear of the next-closest competitor. Perhaps overlooked and underappreciated at-large this season, Johnson has the burst and agility to make defenders miss in tight quarters with jukes and spin moves, and he has the power to run through arm tackles. The 2026 draft class has several quality Day 2 running backs, and Johnson certainly factors into the mix.
FALLERS
Eric Singleton Jr., WR, Auburn
Singleton’s decision to transfer from Georgia Tech to Auburn didn’t net the on-field benefits he’d certainly aspired to gain. One of college football’s fastest players, Singleton eclipsed 700 receiving yards in each of his two years with the Yellow Jackets and entered 2025 as a potential first-round pick. The 5' 10", 180-pound Singleton set a career-high with 58 catches, but his knack for creating explosive plays dissipated, as he finished with a career-low 534 yards and three touchdowns. Singleton caught three passes for 26 yards in Auburn’s loss to Alabama, the fifth time this season that he’s made three or fewer receptions and finished with less than 30 receiving yards. Singleton now has a decision to make about whether he’ll enter the 2026 draft or stay in college and rebuild his stock.
Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington
Coleman sustained a knee injury in Washington’s Week 11 loss to Wisconsin. While he missed only the ensuing game, he struggled in his two appearances post-injury. Coleman, who stands 5' 9" and 228 pounds, rushed four times for six yards and a touchdown in a win over UCLA, and in Washington’s loss to Oregon on Saturday, he had only 22 yards on nine carries while adding a nine-yard reception. Coleman’s inefficient, injury riddled regular-season finish could be a cruel end to a brilliant college football career in which he eclipsed 1,000 yards from scrimmage and scored 16 total touchdowns this fall. He projected as a second-round pick midway through the season and may still find his way into Day 2, though he didn’t get a fair chance to put an exclamation point on his time at Washington.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Five Prospects Who Improved Their 2026 NFL Draft Stock in Week 14.
