The crazy number of upsets was just an appetizer before college football went into full tilt, with six Top-25 matchups and five other games involving Top-25 teams that could also turn into upsets. That’s 17 AP Top-25 teams that have to lock in a bit more than usual, not to mention plenty of other games to keep your eye on throughout the day, like Colorado-Baylor (12 pm EST, ESPN2), UCLA-Maryland (1:30 pm EST, Big Ten Network), TCU-UCF (3:30 pm EST, FS1) and Oklahoma State-West Virginia (7 pm EST, FS1).
But you’re not here to hear me badger about which games to watch. You’re here to find guys who may be wearing red and black next April, and 10 2027 NFL Draft prospects are in this loaded Week 4 slate of college football that Atlanta Falcons fans should keep an eye out for.
Kayin Lee, CB, Tennessee vs. Texas
Neyland Stadium – Knoxville, TN
12 pm EST – ABC
Kayin Lee and Cam Coleman, the sensational wide receiver at Texas, were teammates at Auburn last season. This week, they face each other in Knoxville to kick off a jam-packed day of college football. Lee, at 5’11”, 190 pounds, was a force at Cedar Grove High School and brought that same physicality to Auburn and now to Tennessee. He hasn’t had a great start to the season, but an impressive showing against Coleman, Ryan Wingo, and this talented Texas receiver room could be huge for his draft stock.
Katin Houser, QB, Illinois vs. Ohio State
Ohio Stadium – Columbus, OH
12 pm EST – Fox
This is the week. Katin Houser has been one of the favorites of the draft community in that next tier of quarterbacks behind Arch Manning, Dante Moore and Darian Mensah. Houser has an NFL-caliber arm and enough ability to move outside the pocket where he should be a problem for college defenses. After years of discourse, Houser and Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss may bring back the bet on Day Two quarterbacks.
Wayne Knight, RB, UCLA vs. Maryland
SECU Stadium – College Park, MD
1:30 pm EST – Big Ten Network
Hello, Newman. Wait, wrong guy. This Wayne Knight is tied with Florida’s Jadan Baugh for the most rushing touchdowns in the country. After four years at James Madison, Knight jumped to P4 ball and immediately made an impact for the Bruins. He is a smaller back at 5’7”, 193 pounds, but he has all the qualities that help backs of that size translate to the NFL. He runs with tenacity; the first contact struggles to bring him down; he has the agility to make people miss in phone booths and he has the vision to find daylight where there may not be one.
Peyton Bowen, S, Oklahoma vs. Georgia
Sanford Stadium – Athens, GA –
3:30 pm EST – ESPN
Atlanta should continue to look to the Oklahoma program for safeties. At 6’0”, 201 pounds, Bowen is a more seamless fit on the back end than Bowman may be as a true safety. That’s not including his ability in man coverage or his ability to come down in the run game from deep in the secondary.
Brendan Bett, DL, Florida vs. Ole Miss
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – Gainesville, FL
3:30 pm EST – ABC
Despite his reputation after his incident against South Florida last season, Bett is still one of the better athletes you’ll find on a defensive line this season. At 6’4”, 312 pounds, Bett’s lateral quickness and strength are welcome additions to one of the more athletically gifted defensive lines in football.
Trevor Lauck, OT, Iowa vs. Michigan
Michigan Stadium – Ann Arbor, MI
3:30 pm EST – CBS
With the Falcons playing a bit better than in those first two weeks, the Falcons may be able to address other non-quarterback needs in the first round. If they can, Jake Matthews’ replacement could be sitting in Iowa. There isn’t anything Lauck does that will jump off the page, but he is a very good tackle who doesn’t allow pressures and blocks well in the running game.
Nyck Harbor, WR, South Carolina vs. Alabama
Bryant-Denny Stadium – Tuscaloosa, AL
7 pm EST – ESPN
With LaNorris Sellers’ struggles, the sun is starting to set on the Nyck Harbor agenda. However, I’m not ready to give up on it just yet. At 6’6”, 243 pounds, and world-class speed, Harbor has a chance, in primetime, to make a big impact on a massive stage. With guys like Zabien Brown and Bray Hubbard in Alabama’s secondary, South Carolina has to get a spark from somewhere if they want to pull off the upset. Why shouldn’t that spark come from Harbor?
Justin Bowick, WR, Oklahoma State vs. West Virginia
Milan Puskar Stadium – Morgantown, WV
7 pm EST – FS1
One of the better stories in college football is the resurgence of Oklahoma State under quarterback Drew Mestemaker. His favorite target thus far? Wide receiver Justin Bowick. At 6’5” and 209 pounds, Bowick’s vertical ability, plus his knack for finding yards after the catch, Bowick could have a huge impact on their game against the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Ty Benefield, S, LSU vs. Texas A&M
Tiger Stadium – Baton Rouge, LA
7:30 pm EST – ABC
If the Falcons end up addressing safety in the draft, one of the guys they should really target is LSU safety Ty Benefield. According to PFF, Benefield is allowing a 39.6 passer rating when targeted so far this season. Insert the fact that he’s been all over the defense (43 box safety snaps, 87 free safety snaps, 25 slot cornerback snaps), and Benefield has the opportunity to add real versatility to an NFL secondary next season. He’s also 6’3” and 215 pounds, some length and mass that would be much-needed in the Falcons’ secondary.
Bear Alexander, DT, Oregon vs. USC
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – Los Angeles, CA
7:30 pm EST – NBC
While I’m not the biggest fan of defensive linemen wearing single numbers, Bear Alexander can, as long as his run defense stays the same. Alexander and Georgia Tech’s Tawfiq Thomas are the top two in terms of run defense grades at PFF, but Alexander also terrorized his former team at USC last season. I expect him to have the same, if not greater, impact this year. Especially since Oregon needs a spark badly from somewhere.
