Arch Manning, Dante Moore among top NFL Draft prospects returning to college

The conventional wisdom was that if you were a top 100 pick, turning the clock and starting the clock on your rookie contract was almost always the smartest financial move. It was rare for draft-eligible players with clear grades in the three rounds to make it to the NFL and return to school.

That’s not the case anymore. Not only are many Day 2 prospects choosing to cash in on the NIL this fall instead of entering the draft, but several presumed first-round locks have told the NFL to wait — at least for now. These are the top prospects who could move up, but will be returning to a college near you next season.

• Statistics for 2025 (transient): 61.4 comp%, 3,163 yards, 26 TDs, 7 INTs, 7.8 Y/A
• Statistics for 2025 (quick): 92 carries, 399 yards (4.3 Y/A), 10 TDs

Arch Manning didn’t open the season looking like a franchise prospect, though finished it like another. In his last five games, Manning has tallied 15 total tackles — 11 through the air and four on the ground — against one interception. Going into 2026, there is no quarterback in college football that I would rather have.

• Statistics for 2025 (transient): 71.8 comp%, 3,565 yards, 30 TDs, 10 INTs, 8.7 Y/A
• Statistics for 2025 (quick): 73 carries, 156 yards (2.1 Y/A), 2 TDs

Dante Moore can have it it was easy to choose from five he would have announced, but going back to school is probably the best step for his long-term growth. He’s an impressive bowler with touch and accuracy at all levels of the field, but that consistency hasn’t always held up under pressure in recent defeats. That’s the biggest thing standing between Moore and immediate success in the NFL. He’ll get a chance to answer those questions next season on a team full of Oregon.

Wilson’s 2026 NFL mock draft 5.0: Dante Moore’s decision shakes up Round 1, forcing the Jets to flip to No.

Ryan Wilson

Trevor Goosby was a player top attack on my board — and a top-10 player overall — before announcing his decision to return to Texas. Due to the lack of high level competition in this year’s division, this action left many in awe.

While it may not be the best short-term financial decision, Goosby probably made the right call for his long-term development. He’s still relatively poor, with just one full season of starts under his belt. But his year-end tape was stellar: Goosby allowed just three touchdowns in his last three games. Now, he’ll have a chance to put that level of play on film throughout the season.

• 2025 figures: 33 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 8 passes defensed

A’Mauri Washington is one of the one-year wonders who went from a part-time player in 2024 to a full-time wrecking ball in 2025. He was a comfortable first-rounder based not only on his tape, but also on his athletic profile. Washington ranked No. 4 on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks list last year, and it shows all the action. It won’t take much improvement for him to emerge as a top 10 pick in 2027.

• 2025 figures: 34 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 6.0 sacks, 4 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles

You might hear a theme here. Oregon’s ability to convince top draft prospects to return to Eugene mirrors what Ohio State did before its national title last season. Matayo Uiagalelei is the first name on this list, however, who I believe has made a really sound financial decision.

A former four-star recruit, Uiagalelei has the physical tools of a top-10 pick, but his tape this past fall came out near the edge of the first round. Because he’s still so young — he won’t turn 21 until next July — there’s significant room for growth.

Kade Pieper has been a favorite of mine since long before he was a star. In 108 snaps as a sophomore in 2024, his athleticism jumped off the tape and made his NFL future clear. I would give him the same advice he got to come back for one simple reason: he played out of position last season.

Pieper’s body type projects to be the best center in the NFL, but with Logan Jones blocking his way there, he spent the year at right guard. Now he’ll get all of 2026 to show what he can do under center, and he’s already looking like a front-runner to be the top center in the 2027 draft.

• Statistics for 2025 (transient): 60.8 comp%, 2,437 yards, 13 TDs, 8 INTs, 8.3 Y/A
• Statistics for 2025 (quick): 149 carries, 270 yards (1.8 Y/A), 5 TDs

LaNorris Sellers will be heavily written about whenever he announces, simply because he is an absurdly gifted body. His combination of arm strength and mobility is unmatched in college football. The drop-down passing game has always been his biggest question, however, and it wasn’t fully answered in his 2025 tape. Another year of development could be the difference between Sellers being a top five pick or sliding into the late 2nd grade.

• 2025 figures: 58 receptions, 534 yards, (9.2 Y/R), 3 TDs

I don’t blame Eric Singleton Jr. for not announcing early after catching just 58 passes for 534 yards this past fall, but I question his decision to transfer to Auburn last year. He landed in one of the worst passing offenses in the Power Four, with Cam Coleman already established as a WR1, so it’s no surprise that the move didn’t pay off statistically. We’ll see if his transfer to Florida — a program without a solid quarterback — proves a better bet.

Singleton needs a quarterback who can attack downfield, because that’s where they win. He’s one of the deepest spreaders in college football, but so far, he doesn’t have a passer who can find him regularly.

Another first-year starter on Iowa’s offensive line, Trevor Lauck was very impressive while blindfolded this past fall. He allowed just five pressures all season. I like his body control and synergy when he covers defenders in space, but his playmaking ability still needs work and remains his most obvious area for improvement. If that happens, Lauck has first-round potential in 2027.

• Statistics for 2025 (quick): 121 carries, 857 yards (7.1 Y/A), 10 TDs
• Statistics for 2025 (accepting): 13 receptions, 50 yards (3.8 Y/R)

After Dante Moore, Justice Haynes was the second most impressive running back prospect in the country — and for a few reasons. First, the 2026 running back class is one of the weakest in recent memory. It wouldn’t be a shock if a couple of quarterbacks ended up being top 100 picks, with Haynes having a legitimate shot to be RB2.

The second reason is his transfer from Michigan to Georgia Tech, a program that will lose its best offensive lineman — Keylan Rutledge — to the program. We’ll see how that decision benefits Haynes, who averaged 122 yards per game and 7.1 yards per carry last season while emerging as one of college football’s most dangerous backs.