Back for a fifth year, Future Hogs is a series of articles that looks at draft-eligible college football players throughout the season that might improve the Washington Commanders. I’ll feature players each week whose play stands out and how they could fit on the Commanders’ roster.
The first week – not counting Week 0 – of college football featured some competitive matchups of heavyweights. The top-ranked team preseason, Texas, took on last year’s champion, #3 ranked Ohio State, in a defensive struggle.
In the end, the Buckeyes prevailed and claimed the top spot from the Longhorns. LSU and Clemson featured two top quarterback prospects in Garrett Nussmeier and Cade Klubnik and two teams ranked in the Top 10. Nussmeier and LSU made a few more plays to beat Clemson in a battle of the Tigers. In the last matchup of teams ranked in the top 10, Miami outlasted Notre Dame.
There are a handful of contests to look forward to in Week 2. Michigan will take on Oklahoma in a contest that features teams ranked in the Top 25. Iowa will take on Iowa State for the right to hoist the Cy-Hawk Trophy. In an early SEC matchup, Ole Miss will face Kentucky.
Here are a few players who had a good week and might be able to help out the Commanders. Let me know what you think about these prospects and feel free to post players that stood out to you.
John Mateer | QB | Redshirt Junior | Oklahoma
After an incredible rookie campaign, Jayden Daniels is the unquestionable starter for the Commanders. Marcus Mariota is a good veteran backup that fits Kliff Kingsbury’s offense, but he is getting older and is dealing with injuries. New addition Josh Johnson has been around long enough to play for virtually every NFL team. Given Jayden Daniels’ maturity, I think the team should look for a young backup to groom in Kingsbury’s offense.
After spending last year in Washington State, John Mateer transferred to Oklahoma to lead the Sooner offense. He isn’t the tallest signal caller, but he is well built at 6’1”, 224 lbs. Mateer’s footwork and mechanics are good and he even delivers balls from varying arm angles. You can see him work through progressions and look off safeties to open throwing lanes. On top of his passing ability, he’s a talented runner with almost 1,000 yards for Washington State last season. In a win over Illinois State, Mateer went 30 of 37 for 392 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. He also added a touchdown on the ground.
Jonah Coleman | RB | Senior | Washington
The Commanders used their last 2025 draft pick on Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt and all he did was perform well enough for the team to trade Brian Robinson, Jr. Throw in a healthy Austin Ekeler, hard-running Chris Rodriguez, and versatile Jeremy McNichols, and the Commanders have a respectable collection of backs. However, with only Croskey-Merritt signed beyond this season, the group could look very different in 2026.
Jonah Coleman followed his head coach from Arizona to Washington to be the Huskies’ lead back. At 5’9”, 220 lbs, Coleman is well put together. He runs hard behind his pads with excellent vision and patience. The strength is evident as he rarely goes down on first contact and fights for more yardage. Maybe his best attribute: he hasn’t fumbled in his entire career. Coleman rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns on 23 attempts against Colorado State.
Nyck Harbor | WR | Junior | South Carolina
Thank goodness Terry McLaurin signed his contract extension because the Commanders’ receiving corps might have been filled with a lot of questions otherwise. Can Deebo Samuel avoid the injury bug? Jaylin Lane had a fantastic summer, but how will he perform in meaningful games? Is Noah Brown healthy enough to contribute at a high level? Will Luke McCaffrey take a stop forward in his development.
If it’s an elite athlete the Commanders want at receiver, they won’t find anyone better than Nyck Harbor. How good an athlete is he? He qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials as a sprinter, but forewent the trials to focus on football. This elite speed comes in a man that is 6’5”, 235 lbs. The problem is although he’s a junior, Harbor is a raw receiver that wins because of his size and speed. Harbor had three catches for 99 yards and a touchdown against Virginia Tech.
Kenyon Sadiq | TE | Junior | Oregon
Is the tight end position the most concerning for the Commanders? Zach Ertz was a reliable pass-catcher despite being in the twilight of his career. John Bates has been a standout blocker as TE2. Ben Sinnott did not have the impact many hoped he would in his rookie year. Improvement this season might see him become the heir apparent to Ertz. Colson Yankoff has been a solid special teamer.
Kenyon Sadiq is an athletic tight end that offers flexibility at the position. You might think that Oregon only lines him up as a receiver, but he plays inline and is a willing blocker in the run game. The Ducks hand the ball off to him, and he’s even converted a two-point attempt by throwing the ball. Sadiq only had one catch against Portland State, but it went for a touchdown.
Gennings Dunker | OL | Senior | Iowa
Adam Peters made reinforcing the offensive line a priority this offseason. The biggest move was trading for Laremy Tunsil and, a move that allows Brandon Coleman to kick inside to left guard. He then used the first-round pick in the draft on Oregon’s Josh Conerly, Jr. to play right tackle. This means Andrew Wylie and Nick Allegretti will play right guard until Sam Cosmi returns from injury. With Tyler Biadasz at center, the offensive line could be a strength of the team.
Gennings Dunker plays right tackle for Iowa, but some think he will move to guard in the NFL. He plays with a nasty demeanor with the goal of flattening defenders and putting them on their backs. He moves well enough to be scheme diverse and does a good job of staying attached to defenders. Dunker could help the offense become younger, possibly replacing Wylie as his contract expires.
Reuben Bain, Jr. | DE | Junior | Miami
Have the Commanders done enough to improve at defensive end? The additions of Von Miller and Deatrich Wise, Jr. offset the loss of Dante Fowler, Jr. and Clelin Ferrell. These additions are not long-term solutions and the Commanders should look to the draft for youth that improves the position group.
The top-10 matchup between Notre Dame and Miami did not disappoint, coming down to a late field goal for the Hurricanes to get the win. Notre Dame’s passing game struggled much of the night because Miami’s defensive line consistently generated pressure. Bain, Jr. used both quickness and technical proficiency to make plays in Notre Dame’s backfield. If he is his reported 6’3”, 275 lbs, he has the necessary size to play defensive end at the next level. Bain’s six tackles, half a sack, and interception helped Miami take down Notre Dame.
Jake Golday | LB | RS Senior | Cincinnati
The Commanders are set at linebacker with the tandem of Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner. A healthy Jordan Magee should only strengthen the unit. Athletic draft pick Kain Medrano should offer versatility at the position while preseason star Ale Kaho should provide quality depth. Ideally, one of the young players will step into Bobby Wagner’s role when he’s ready to stop playing. The team should still keep an eye to the draft to find depth and special teams players.
Cincinnati was not able to get the win against Nebraska, but Jake Golday had an impressive showing against the Cornhuskers. At 6’4”, 240 lbs, Golday has the size for the position and it shows with the way he takes on blockers and sheds them. I would like to see more of him in coverage because it looks like he might struggle changing direction quickly. Golday was incredibly active as he had 12 tackles and a sack in the loss.
Avieon Terrell | CB | Junior | Clemson
A strong camp has rookie Trey Amos starting opposite Marshon Lattimore. It also allows Mike Sainristil to move back inside. The position should be settled until the end of Lattimore’s contract in 2027, but the Commanders would be wise to start looking for his eventual replacement given his injury history.
The matchup between Clemson and LSU featured two of the best corners in college football: LSU’s Mansoor Delane (a transfer from Virginia Tech) and Clemson’s Avieon Terrell. Although Delane had a pick, Terrell had an impressive game. The younger brother of the Atlanta Falcons A.J. Terrell, Avieon is known for high-level coverage skills. He showed impressive physicality against LSU despite his 5’11”, 180 lb frame. Terrell had six tackles, a forced fumble, and a PBU.
Bud Clark | Safety | Senior | TCU
After losing Jeremy Chinn, the Commanders signed Will Harris to start alongside Quan Martin with Jeremy Reaves, Percy Butler, and Tyler Owens backing them up. Percy Butler’s contract was extended this year, but the team could still look to the draft to bolster the position.
Bud Clark has been a productive safety for the Horned Frogs over four seasons. He has 11 career interceptions with five coming in the season TCU reached the College Football Championship Game. In TCU’s thumping of Bill Belichick’s inaugural game as head coach of UNC, Bud Clark had a pick-six in addition to five tackles.
