Jump to a prospectMakai Lemon, WR, USCCaden Curry, DE, Ohio StateDante Moore, QB, OregonJeremiyah Love, RB, Notre DameZion Young, edge, MissouriDrew Allar, QB, Penn StateGarrett Nussmeier, QB, LSUDenzel Boston, WR, Washington
Week 1 Risers and Fallers | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4
The college football season continues inching toward the halfway point, and Week 5 delivered several exciting finishes with postseason implications.
Oregon and Alabama pulled off road upsets over Penn State and Georgia, respectively. Illinois and Ole Miss won at home over higher-ranked opponents in USC and LSU. Unranked Virginia upset Florida State, while Indiana and Tennessee staved off upset bids from Iowa and Mississippi State.
Now, as the calendar turns to Week 6, the contenders are separating themselves from the pretenders.
The same principle applies to the 2026 NFL draft class. Some risers keep stacking quality outings. Some fallers haven’t flipped the script on their early-season struggles.
Here’s temperature check on the best and worst performances from Week 5.
RISERSMakai Lemon, WR, USC
Forming an elite receiver tandem with likely first-round pick Ja’Kobi Lane, Lemon has put himself into the first-round conversation with a brilliant junior season. The 5' 11", 190-pounder caught 11 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns in the Trojans’ 34–32 loss at Illinois, and he enters Week 6 leading the FBS with 589 receiving yards. Lemon is a natural separator with quality route nuance, hands and versatility—he spends most of his snaps inside but can play outside, too. Lemon is third in the FBS with 271 yards after the catch, a nod to his playmaking skills. He’s a well-rounded receiver trending toward Round 1.
