Arch Manning, Dante Moore headline 2026 NFL draft-eligible players who stayed in college

Over the next three days of the 2026 NFL draft, a theme will emerge. Commentators and teams will discuss how this year’s class is thin and lacks the depth and top-end talent of previous cycles.

At some point across the three days, the conversation will inevitably turn to the 2027 NFL Draft class. It’s already being touted as one of the most talented in recent memory, highlighted by Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Texas quarterback Arch Manning, among others.

Smith will be a three-and-done player for the Buckeyes, but Manning is entering his fourth season with the Longhorns. His father, Cooper Manning, recently told On3’s Chris Low that the quarterback “never discussed” leaving early for the NFL draft.

Manning is just one of a long list of talent returning to college for the 2026 season who were eligible to declare for the draft after 2025. Oregon’s Dante Moore “still might have gone No. 2 overall,” had he entered this weekend’s NFL draft, a scout previously told On3’s Andy Staples.

It’s just the reality of the NIL era. An established veteran college quarterback now commands a salary that only first-round picks can match in the NFL’s rookie salary structure. It’s not just limited to quarterbacks, either, with top offensive tackles and EDGEs returning to college for a payday.

So, who were the top draft-eligible players that opted to return to college football for 2026? On3 is breaking down the top athletes expected to be selected this weekend in Pittsburgh but who will be playing college football this fall instead.

Quarterback
+ Arch Manning — Texas
+ LaNorris Sellers — South Carolina
+ Dante Moore — Oregon
+ Brendan Sorsby — Texas Tech
+ John Mateer — Oklahoma
+ Jayden Maiava — USC
+ Trinidad Chambliss — Ole Miss
+ Sam Leavitt — LSU
+ Darian Mensah — Duke

Running Back
+ Justice Haynes — Georgia Tech
+ LJ Martin — BYU
+ Mark Fletcher — Miami
+ DeSean Bishop — Tennessee
+ Hollywood Smothers — Texas
+ Raleek Brown — Texas

Wide Receiver
+ Duce Robinson — Florida State
+ Eric Singleton — Florida
+ Isaiah Sategna — Oklahoma
+ Evan Stewart — Oregon

Tight Ends
+ Terrance Carter Jr. — Texas Tech
+ Jamari Johnson — Oregon
+ Benjamin Brahmer — Penn State

Offensive Line
+ Cayden Green — Missouri
+ Trevor Goosby — Texas
+ Austin Siereveld — Ohio State
+ Carter Smith — Indiana
+ Trevor Lauck — Iowa
+ Howard Sampson — Texas Tech
+ Jacarrius Peak — South Carolina
+ Justin Evans — Nebraska
+ Sheridan Wilson — Texas Tech

Defensive Tackle
+ Bear Alexander — Oregon
+ Ahmad Moten — Miami
+ A’Mauri Washington — Oregon
+ AJ Holmes — Texas Tech
+ Mateen Ibirogba — Texas Tech
+ Tyrique Tucker — Indiana

EDGE
+ Matayo Uiagalelei — Oregon
+ Damon Wilson — Miami
+ Will Heldt — Clemson
+ Princewill Umanmielen — LSU
+ Kenyatta Jackson Jr. — Ohio State
+ Quincy Rhodes Jr. — Arkansas
+ John Henry Daley — Michigan

Linebacker
+ Rasheem Biles — Texas
+ Teitum Tuioti — Oregon
+ Yhonzae Pierre — Alabama
+ Whit Weeks — LSU
+ Kip Lewis — Oklahoma
+ Isaiah Jones — Indiana
+ Austin Romaine — Texas Tech
+ Raylen Wilson — Georgia

Cornerback
+ Jyaire Hill — Michigan
+ Brice Pollock — Texas Tech
+ Kelley Jones — Mississippi State
+ Zach Lutmer — Iowa
+ John Nestor — Minnesota

Safety
+ Bray Hubbard — Alabama
+ Jelani McDonald — Texas
+ Ty Benefield​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ — LSU
+ Marcus Ratcliffe — Texas A&M
+ Amare Ferrell — Indiana
+ Keon Sabb — Alabama