College football is back!
As the 2025 season rolls along, so will our weekly previews of games and NFL prospects to watch. This will come in addition to our NFL Draft coverage over the course of the fall and winter. Whether you’re a fan of the draft or just a college football fan, this series looks to give you an idea of what to watch each week.
Windy City Gridiron’s Lead Draft Analyst, Jacob Infante, will be taking a look at what to expect in Week 5 of this year’s college football campaign.
Blue-chip of the week
No. 11
Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza @ Iowa, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, 2:30 p.m. CST
Coming off of a dominant victory over Illinois last week, Indiana heads to Iowa ranked as the No. 11 team in the nation. A big part of their early success has been the stellar play of Fernando Mendoza at quarterback, as he has 14 passing touchdowns and no interceptions with a 76.8% completion percentage through his first four games of the season.
Mendoza gives me Jared Goff vibes when I watch his tape. A tall pocket passer who wins with poise and accuracy, he has a strong arm with the ability to hit targets into tight windows. He showcases good timing across the middle of the field and has looked more comfortable going through his progressions the first few games he’s played at Indiana this season. Though he doesn’t possess much dual-threat value, he’s a surgical passer with NFL-level accuracy. He’s one of the more consistent quarterbacks in the nation and looks the part of a future first-round pick at this stage in the season.
Prospect matchup to watch
No. 17 Alabama EDGE LT Overton @ No. 5 Georgia OTs Monroe Freeling and Earnest Greene III, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, 6:30 pm CST
Any time you can get Alabama and Georgia on the field at the same time, you’re going to see plenty of NFL prospects show up. One of my favorite players from Alabama this year is edge rusher LT Overton. He only has four career sacks at the collegiate level so far, but his tape shows he’s much more productive than his sack totals indicate. A powerful, sturdy edge rusher, Overton is an intelligent player with a deep arsenal of moves he can use to stack and shed blocks in the run game. He’s a great size-adjusted athlete for a guy who’s listed at 278 pounds, and he rushes with a relentless motor that maximizes his raw power and helps him push the pocket as a pass rusher.
Overton and the rest of Alabama’s defense will be tested by a talented Georgia offensive tackle duo. Monroe Freeling is only a junior and might not declare for the 2026 draft, but he’s a tall lineman with good length at 6’7” who moves quite well for his size. Most notably, though, I think Earnest Greene III will be a draft pick in 2026. I see him more as a guard than as a right tackle, which is where he currently plays. That said, he brings an intriguing blend of raw power and a nasty demeanor paired with quick feet in pass protection and good burst climbing to the second level.
Sleeper highlight
Tulane EDGE Maurice Westmoreland @ Tulsa, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, 3:00 p.m. CST
Maurice Westmoreland is one of my top Group of 5 players in the 2026 draft. He was an impact performer at UTEP, tallying 15.5 sacks between the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Though he doesn’t have a sack for Tulane in his first four games, he has a respectable 75.7 PFF pass-rushing grade.
The 6’2”, 250-pounder has a solid first step off the line of scrimmage and demonstrates a strong plan of attack with each snap he takes. He uses his hands well and takes advantage of his shorter frame, maintaining proper pad level and winning with leverage through his weight distribution. Though his physical tools aren’t particularly elite, therefore limiting his ceiling as a draft prospect, he’s about as pro-ready of an edge rusher you’ll find at the Group of 5 level and feels like an eventual solid rotational piece for an NFL defensive line.
