NFL Draft prospects to watch: Week 9 college football preview

As the 2026 college football season carries on, NFL Draft boards across the league and media are beginning to take shape. Nine weeks in, here are some players I am watching this weekend. All listed times are Eastern.

Leonard Moore, Cornerback, Notre Dame v. Navy (12 PM on ABC): The best cornerback in the country takes on one of the least pass happy offenses in the country. While Leonard Moore’s coverage abilities won’t be tested much, it’s a great opportunity to see how well he can be a versatile defender. Will he fight through perimeter blocking to limit Navy’s running game? It will be crucial to keeping Notre Dame on top.

AJ Holmes Junior, Defensive Lineman, Texas Tech v. Arizona (12 PM on ESPN): One of only a few games this week that feature two ranked teams, plenty of NFL prospects will be on the field for this Big 12 Showdown. AJ Holmes is the new star on the Texas Tech defensive line after the Red Raiders sent a handful of players to the NFL last year. He is a disruptive, every down defender who will need to be at the top of his game to limit an explosive Arizona offense.

Chris Cole, Linebacker, Georgia v. Florida (3:30 PM on ESPN): Arguably the game of the day, The Georgia-Florida showdown will have a ton of starpower. On Georgia loaded defense, I am most interested to see how Chris Cole goes to battle with the Florida run game. The Gators have a star back in Jadan Baugh and will really want to move the ball on the ground. Chris Cole is the next great Georgia linebacker and can put on a clinic in this game.

Griffin Wilde, Wide Receiver, Northwestern v. Oregon (3:30 PM on Peacock): Okay so hear me out… Griffin Wilde is a 6’2” senior pass catcher for Northwestern who has 38% of their receiving yards this season. To put that into perspective, all-world freshman Jesse Legree has 39% of his team’s passing yards this season. Wilde is a big, reliable, athletic target in the Wildcat passing game. While Oregon is down on their luck this season, they will still be a tough match for Chip Kelly’s offense. Wilde will likely be seeing the ball quite a bit.

Ahmad Hardy, Running Back, Missouri v. Arkansas (7:45 PM on SECN): Ahmad Hardy was one of the best players in all of college football last year. After starring as a freshman at ULM, Hardy transferred to Missouri and was immediately a game changing running back. He rushed for over 1,600 yards and scored 16 times on the ground. In the spring, Hardy suffered a gunshot wound that has held him out of playing until this week. While Hardy is expected to get limited touches, I am curious to see how he looks. College football is better with Ahmad Hardy healthy, so here’s hoping he feels good and can get back on track to having a great career.