Michigan and Oklahoma will enter Memorial Stadium on Saturday night boasting two of the most talented rosters in college football. Let’s take a look at the top 15 prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft that’ll be doing battle in Norman.
A former track sprinter, the 6-foot-2, 250-pound Thomas brings serious burst and speed off the corner. He moves well enough to cover tight ends (and plenty of running backs), shows crazy twitch and has the ability to fly around even the most athletic tackles.
He’s still light, and probably always will be to a degree — Thomas entered college as a 215-pound edge rusher. The reason why it might not matter? He still moves like a 215-pounder. Continued strength development is necessary here, as is a more consistent presence against the run, but Thomas is a top-50 prospect with room to rise.
After a big 2024 season replacing Cam Ward at Washington State, Mateer got off to a great start at Oklahoma last Saturday — 30-of-37 passing for 392 yards, three touchdowns and an interception against Illinois State. An athletic quarterback with legit scrambling ability, Mateer (6-2, 220) has arm talent that really sets him apart. He combines a quick release with great velocity while showing an ability to change arm slots and throw on the move.
Mateer is also strong in the pocket and generally plays with good footwork on his drops.
There are times he’ll play a bit fast — ripping the ball without stepping into a throw and losing accuracy, or not thoroughly processing a concept before making a decision. But he enters the season as a top-100 prospect.
His counterpart in this game, Michigan’s outstanding true freshman Bryce Underwood, won’t be draft-eligible until 2028.
A rocked-up, explosive edge, Moore (6-3, 260) had a top-five win rate nationally last season (23.4) and has been a productive pass rusher inside a very deep Michigan rotation since his true freshman year. Now in his second season as a full-time starter, Moore combines great grip strength and athletic bend with good power and body twitch throughout his frame. He converts speed to power very well and can also be effective rushing over guards.
Moore doesn’t always convert pressures to sacks, as he could use a bit more of a diverse move set. His anchor against the run could be stronger, too. In the end, though, Moore has a shot to be among the 10 best edge prospects in the 2026 draft.
A 5-9, 190-pound ball of dynamite, Burks is a very explosive athlete and relentless mover, and he can change directions in a hiccup without losing any speed. A strong ball tracker who maintains good body control at the catch point, Burks had 11 contested catches from 2023-24, despite his smaller frame. He also forced 17 missed tackles during his final season at Purdue (2023) and has 27 for his career.
Multiple injuries limited Burks to just five appearances last season, although he still managed 31 catches. He plays bigger than his frame, so if he can stay healthy (and be more consistent with his hands), he could be a solid Day 2 selection.
A proud former member of the Cologne Crocodiles, Klein is a German-born tight end who finished high school in Georgia before finding a home at Michigan — which has basically become a tight end assembly line. Klein spent most of his earlier career behind current Chicago Bear Colston Loveland, but he’s been one of the Big Ten’s best athletic secrets for a bit now.
A two-time member of Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List,” Klein (6-6, 245) is a complete athlete with an ideal frame. He has the burst and agility to play with an expanded route tree at the next level, and his potential as a blocker remains immense. Same time, he’s only seen 32 combined targets in four years — nine of them (and his first career TD) coming last Saturday in a win over New Mexico.
Barham (who will miss the first half Saturday after being flagged for a controversial targeting penalty against New Mexico) is a jumbo-sized inside linebacker prospect with pass-rush tools. At 6-3, 241, he’s almost big and long enough to be an edge — he actually did see a few reps on the edge last week.
Barham is a versatile athlete who is very disruptive inside, but he has to be cleaner with his reads and coverage responsibilities. He has serious traits, though, and might be a top 100 player if he turns in his best season.
There’s a chance this is way too low for Ott. It’s complicated, though, as Ott missed most of last season at Cal with an ankle injury and has been dealing with a shoulder injury so far in 2025. Availability is a concern, but Ott can be a big play waiting to happen.
His vision in the open field and potential as a pass-catching threat have kept him on scouting boards, despite the lack of production since 2023.
Moore remains questionable for the Oklahoma game as he continues to rehab a knee injury that has kept him out of action since the 2023 national title game. His instincts and football IQ on the back end are as good as any deep safety in the country, though, and his fearlessness as a defender makes him the type of big-play DB that reminds some of former Michigan standout (and current Washington Commander) Mike Sainristil.
If Michigan can get him back this week — or some point this season — it’d dramatically impact an already talented defense.
Much like Derrick Moore, Benny has spent the bulk of his career in a heavy rotation behind extremely talented players — notably, 2025 first-round picks Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant. Still, he’s is a powerful and twitchy interior defender with good balance and the versatility to line up in multiple spots. He has to be more efficient with his punch and rush plan, but a big season could push him firmly into the Day 2 conversation.
A gigantic linebacker prospect, Daniels (6-4, 240) is an explosive former high school safety/receiver who entered college at about 190 pounds. He began his college career as a safety at Oklahoma State before eventually moving to linebacker ahead of last season. He’s been a very productive player no matter where he’s lined up. And though he’s still learning the finer points of a new position, he’s a very intriguing athlete with a ton of potential.
The 2024 season was a breakout campaign for Halton (6-2, 292), a long and explosive interior defender who has put on a solid 25 pounds during his college career. He still moves a bit like the 270-pound edge he once was, though, so he can be very difficult for slower-footed guards on pass-rush downs and has maintained a destructive ability to knife into the backfield on early downs.
He’s still pretty light and can struggle with double teams, but Halton is absolutely a presence that has to be accounted for inside.
Hausmann also enjoyed a breakout 2024. If the former Nebraska transfer and hyper-athletic inside linebacker prospect can repeat that performance, he’ll be ranked much higher. Back in 2022, Hausmann became just the fifth true freshman linebacker to start in Nebraska history. Now, after backing up Junior Colson and Mike Barrett during Michigan’s national title year, Hausmann has slowly turned into one of the Wolverines’ most productive run stoppers.
He’s still a little light, but his movement skills and improving nose for the football make him a linebacker to watch.
One of Michigan’s big transfer wins this offseason, Haynes arrived after starting his career in Alabama’s rotation and got off to a great start against New Mexico — 16 carries for 159 yards and three scores, including a 59-yard touchdown run. A powerful and explosive cutter with good open-field vision, Haynes is a perfect fit at Michigan, which loves to hammer the ball inside on gap schemes while maintaining the option to bounce outside whenever it wants.
The 210-pound Haynes will share time with talented sophomore Jordan Marshall in Michigan’s backfield this season.
A true big fella, Williams (6-1 and a solid 320) plays with a great anchor and fast, active hands while maintaining enough movement skill to chase the ball out of his area. He is a smart run defender who always seems to know where the ball is headed.
He’s not a huge pass rusher, and there might be limitations with regard to his versatility at the next level, but he’s a very good run stuffer in the SEC.
Big and fast on the back end, Spears-Jennings is a 220-pound former high school receiver who is now a full-time defensive back. Still big enough to come downhill and be a force in the run game, Spears-Jennings has the type of athletic burst and ball skills that also make him a big-play threat in coverage.
He’s still gaining experience as a full-time starter and has to maintain consistency with everything he does, but Spears-Jennings is a very intriguing athlete.
(Top photos of Deion Burks and Derrick Moore: Brian Bahr, Raj Mehta / Getty Images)
