FAVORITE TEAMS

I’m slowly but surely learning about watching individuals playing a team sport of football. There are various reasons for why a player does well on the field. Sometimes off the field is as important too just to know their attitude and personality. The ones I’ve listed caught my attention either a year ago or more, especially the top 5 players. #1 impressed me a lot by watching a bowl game in 2024. Who says bowl games were a waste of time? Let freshmen, sophomores, and walk-ons have at it since they’re battling for playing time in the future. I present to you my 2026 CFB Players on Watch this season. Enjoy!

After a big season for a former walk-on who went from making his career start in a bowl game to leading North Texas as the starter to the American conference championship, he transferred alongside some of his teammates with his coach to Oklahoma State. If he continues his upward trajectory, he might be a Top 3 quarterback in the 2028 NFL Draft.

After a hot early start, he suffered a thumb injury on his throwing hand against Auburn and wasn’t the same since. Now, he’s healthy, he’s bigger, he’s stronger, and has better weapons. If he stays healthy all season with better help from his offensive line and running backs, his name will be mentioned for Heisman again, but for the entire season.

It’s been a few seasons since Kent State had a competent quarterback. This man went through leg injuries early in his college career. Now, he played at his healthiest last season and looks to lead his team to bowl-eligibility this season. The early schedule’s brutal before things slowly become manageable to compete for six wins.

The man plays well in game-time situations. He had to overcome some injuries to make it through the season for Iowa State. Now, he’s a Penn State Nittany Lion with his coach Matt Campbell, his coordinator, and some of his former Iowa State teammates meshed with a few returning Penn State players. It’s possible Penn State competes for the CFP as long as this guy is on the field. If he can produce in the Big Ten, his draft stock will go up.

You probably haven’t watched him before, but this track runner is a Swiss army knife. He’s a gadget player who will run, catch, throw, and return kicks. Watch out for Micahi Danzy this season as long as Florida State’s offense is able to perform well. It looked murky against New Mexico State, but Danzy was everywhere again. Expect more of him when the offense needs something.

This young man had some production last season with Georgia Tech. He transferred to Florida and could have more opportunities whether it’s blocking or catching. He will find himself on the field more often as Florida’s offense looks to be a bit more competitive this season.

Behind Ahmad Hardy is a dude who could deliver punishment and make them pay when he gets out to the second and third level. Jamal Roberts stood out last season and has an opportunity to stand out while Ahmad Hardy’s recovering from a bullet wound during the offseason. If Roberts produces well in Hardy’s absence, he’ll likely be mentioned for next season’s NFL draft or take full charge of Missouri’s offense next season.

Joseph went from a contributor in 2024 to leading Old Dominion to a 10-win season with his arm and legs. He threw for 2,600-plus years, 21 touchdowns, and added over a whopping 1,000 rushing yards for another 13 touchdowns. If he’s the answer to Luke Fickell’s poor offense, Wisconsin turns into a much better team in the back half of the season. Just to give you a hint, Joseph’s likely eligible to play one more season next season.

Oklahoma’s defense has studs all over. But when Oklahoma needed more pass rushers to account for R Mason Thomas’s absence, Taylor Wein found his way in the trenches and is a disruptor on all fronts. The kid is big and moves quicker for his 270-pound frame. This could be the season where his draft stock goes up if he continues disrupting offenses and then some.

He’s small, but he’s quick and can run routes pretty well. He was also a standout amongst Kansas State’s receiving corps. Brown has a chance to do it against SEC competition and hopefully his frame holds up against stronger and faster defenders. If he can be crisp on his routes efficiency, he could be a reliable player to an NFL quarterback.

I got a glimpse of Smith Snowden last season, and this kid can play both sides. He’s a defensive back, but he can play some offense whether it’s running or catching. Coming into Michigan alongside Kyle Whittingham and Jason Beck, they plan to do about the same with him. He could resemble a bit of Jabrill Peppers combined with some toughness he brought in from Utah.

Surprisingly, no one mentioned Antwan Raymond after his 1,200-rushing yard performance last season. In one game against Maryland, he carried for a whopping 41 times for 240 rushing yards in a win. What I’m hoping for is overall improvement from the offense against tougher competition. The way Rutgers offense played showed they could be effective, but hopefully they added enough depth to give Raymond a break while still producing big numbers.

Craig suffered a season-ending injury that was a big blow to Missouri’s scoring production. Now, he returns and is looking for a healthy bounce back. He has potential to be a reliable kicker at the next level. He has the leg strength to net over 50 yards at ease and hope it’s healthy enough to do it again.

Beau popped up out of nowhere during last season and played exceptional down the stretch. I was surprised he wasn’t nabbed up in the portal for a slot receiver option, but it’ll be fun to watch him in the New Pac-12. Even if he doesn’t make it to the NFL, his performance could get some glimpses by an NFL team.

After a poor campaign at North Carolina, Gio Lopez lands next to their next-door neighbor, Wake Forest. Wake has some pieces that could help Lopez turn his career around. He’s a talented quarterback who landed in a very questionable situation last season. If the offensive line can protect him, Lopez could find his South Alabama self that made him the talk of the conference.

Semi might as well not be called Semi because this man’s huge coupled with his athleticism. He played both sides last season and it’s possible he may get similar opportunities again. Be on the lookout for him potentially getting more runs and catches. How he was listed as a tight end with an over 300-pound frame at 5’11 is beyond me, and I’m not complaining!

I put him on the list because of his 53-yard kick that was the longest in UMass history last season. The program may have gone 0-12, but at least they have a reliable kicker in Morris who will get them opportunistic points every chance they get. If he boots like that more often, bigger schools might get a look at him for transfer opportunities.

I played Oregon State in CFB 27 and started Atkinson after Game 4 in Year 1. I looked him up after he was announced the starting quarterback for Oregon State. Then, I looked him up after finding out he transferred from Mercer after his freshman campaign that included an FCS playoff appearance. Whatever this kid has after throwing for nearly 4,000 yards and 34 touchdowns, Oregon State may finally have an answer at quarterback. From watching Baker Mayfield in college, to Josh Allen, to Justin Herbert, to Cam Ward at Miami and Fernando Mendoza at Cal in one season, to Drew Mestemaker and Dru DeShields, Atkinson may be another quarterback that could do something interesting in his young career. If Oregon State has the offensive pieces to give this kid some opportunities, he might surprise a lot of people by the end of this season.