Surprise Prospects for the 2026 Draft

Last season for the Bears Robertson boasted more than 3,000 yards passing, 28 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He also had a QBR of 83.7 which was fifth best in all of college football. He is being overlooked by names like Arch Manning, Garrett Nussmeier, LaNorris Sellers and others. If he can put up those numbers again and lead the Bears to a few more wins than they had last year, he could jump up draft boards and be the talk of the town come draft day next April.

TE Jack Endries, Texas

Endries transferred from California to Texas. Texas has had some solid tight ends get drafted in the last few years like Ja’Tavion Sanders and Gunnar Helm in the last few years. They grabbed one of the top tight ends in the transfer portal this offseason and with a strong junior campaign, Endries could be one of the top tight ends taken next year. Last year at Cal he had 56 receptions and 650 yards, only recording one drop, showing he has excellent hands and can be a reliable safety valve for QBs. If he can put up even better numbers with a Texas team that is going to be very pass heavy with Manning as their QB. He could be in for a big season and a big jump in the rankings for NFL scouts and GMs.

DT Gracen Halton, Oklahoma

Halton is a beast on the inside and affects the run game big time just with his presence. He does a great job at forcing runners right into a teammates arms for the tackle. He also had five sacks and two forced fumbles last season for the Sooners. A massive senior season could have him as a first-round lock and at the top of many teams' draft boards by the time next years draft gets here.

While as of now my hype on these players is all just speculation. I could see with a big, productive 2025 season how they could catapult up draft boards and be the talk of the town in next year's draft.