We made it to College Football Week 1! Few College Football seasons have kicked off with as many exciting upsets and slugfests as we’ve gotten this weekend. Alabama still thinks about Nick Saban, Tennessee is ready to put a ring on their new quarterback’s finger, and Arch Manning played like Bronny James. This was the gripping drama we’ve missed all summer, nerds!
Like we did in the video above, let’s break down the biggest games of the weekend. However, the focus will be on the 2026 Draft and the player performances most likely to affect your dynasty rookie drafts. Remember: It’s still only Week 1. We have CFB playoffs now and a full draft process. One game doesn’t define a player. (Unless you’re Mark Sanchez.)
College Football Week 1 Recap | Scouting Report
(1) Texas Longhorns 7 @ (3) Ohio State Buckeyes 14
Texas Longhorns | A Struggling Offense
Arch Manning | QB | 6’4’’ | 219 lbs
Passing: 17/30 170 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: 10 Carries, 38 Yards
Quintrevion Wisner | RB | 6’0’’ | 194 lbs
Rushing: 16 Carries, 80 Yards
Receiving: 1 Catch, 5 Yards
CJ Baxter | RB | 6’1’’ | 227 lbs
Rushing: 10 Carries, 40 Yards
Receiving: 5 Catches, 25 Yards
Jack Endries | TE | 6’4’’ | 236 lbs
Receiving: 4 Catches, 50 Yards
The Longhorn offense was stagnant in large part due to the “Patriots Amoeba Defense” of Ohio State Coordinator Matt Patricia from his time in the NFL. This was the classic example of a young quarterback with few reps struggling against an NFL-caliber defense. We’ve watched QBs with much more experience struggle in the same way.
There will likely be an overcorrection in devy markets to Arch Manning and a decline in the overall strength of 2026 1st Round picks. Allow me to be the first to tell you: take advantage of this. Drew Allar, LaNorris Sellers, Garrett Nussmeier, and positions beyond quarterback are available to draft. Moreover, Ohio State’s defense is just that good, and we should be patient with Arch Manning’s progress throughout the season. “But what if he decides to stay in school?” That’s good for him–and us–because he has more time for development. One player doesn’t make a draft class.
Ohio State | Still Undefeated (Except Michigan Last Season)
Carnell Tate | WR | 6’3’’ | 195 lbs
Receiving: 4 Catches, 50 Yards
CJ Donadson Jr. | RB | 6’2’’ | 232 lbs
Rushing: 19 Carries, 67 Yards, 1 TD
Receiving: 1 Catch, 9 Yards
Max Klare | TE | 6’5’’ | 243 lbs
Receiving: 1 Catch, 11 Yards
What’s scarier? That the Buckeyes haven’t lost a step, or that their best players aren’t Draft eligible beyond Caleb Downs. Carnell Tate looks like the next in a long line of productive Ohio State receivers to end up as an NFL team’s WR1. His length and ability to be a pure “X” are hot commodities in the modern NFL.
Tight end Max Klare will be a player to monitor as the season progresses, despite his poor stat line. The defense did most of the work for this team, and the passing offense merely had to make a few plays from defensive opportunities. The biggest highlight was from Carnell Tate, who was one of the few players on offense to have any real flashes with his big catch display.
(1) LSU Tigers 17 @ (4) Clemson Tigers 10
LSU Tigers | Brian Kelly Might Keep His Job
Garrett Nussmeier | QB | 6’1’’ | 205 lbs
Passing: 28/38 230 yards, 1 TD
Aaron Anderson | WR | 5’9’’ | 188 lbs
Receiving: 6 Catches, 99 Yards
Efficient. The exact label you want for a quarterback in a ranked slugfest. Garrett Nussmeier may not have opened the season with a lot of points, but he certainly played like an NFL-caliber player. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him as one of the first 10 players drafted in 2025. If you’re a QB-needy dynasty roster, Nussmeier might be the safest bet.
Aaron Anderson will likely be a name to watch despite his diminutive height. The electric receiver was the consistent focal point in the passing game and came through with big plays whenever in space. His 5’9” listed height will be a limiting factor during the Draft process, but the right situation could be a future fantasy boon.
Clemson Tigers | Takes “Death Valley” Literally
Cade Klubnik | QB | 6’2’’ | 210 lbs
Passing: 19/38 230 yards, 1 INT
Cade Klubnik’s play began to match his 5-star recruiting hype towards the tail end of 2024, but that success fell short in the home opener. The offense struggled to string together plays despite the loaded passing attack, and Klubnik could see his Draft stock fall. However, the potential for him to have a better landing spot if drafted in the teens may be noteworthy.
(6) Notre Dame Fighting Irish 24 @ (10) Miami Hurricanes 27
Notre Dame | No Love on Offense
Jeremiyah Love | RB | 6’0’’ | 214 lbs
Rushing: 10 Carries, 33 Yards
Receiving: 4 Catches, 26 Yards
Malachi Fields | WR | 6’4’’ | 223 lbs
Receiving: 3 Catches, 48 Yards
Eli Raridon | TE | 6’7’’ | 251 lbs
Receiving: 5 Catches, 97 Yards
Jeremiyah Love was barely existent in Notre Dame’s shocking loss. Even worse, Love was barely a presence on the field after beginning the season as the 2025 RB1 for many. I do think much of the woes were caused by the absolute havoc of the Miami front seven, led by edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr.
I have my doubts about Malachi Fields–mainly due to his age and play style–but Eli Raridon might be a name to watch. Notre Dame has a penchant for producing NFL-caliber tight ends, and Raridon has the towering size to be a mismatch nightmare at the next level. Monitor him closely, because that could raise the price of 2026 2nd round rookie picks come draft season.
Miami Hurricanes | Beck Finds Talent in South Beach
Carson Beck | QB | 6’4’’ | 220 lbs
Passing: 20/31 205 yards, 1 TD
Carson Beck’s final season at Georgia began with me wondering why he was ever considered a real NFL quarterback and ended with me wondering if he was ever actually a person. A forgetful season would be generous. Disastrous would be more accurate. However, Beck wasn’t walking back into the same situation that season. He’d lost both of his top targets in Ladd McConkey and Brock Bowers, and we can all agree that Todd Monken did wonders for that team.
Now he finds himself on a Miami team back on the rise with dynamic weapons like Malachi Toney and another defense to give him friendly field positions. Am I saying that Beck is going to be a Top 5 QB? Probably not. But the physical tools could make him an intriguing project for an NFL team. Then you can let your leaguemates draft him off hopeful hype, and you can avoid Spencer Rattler 2.0.
And that’s your College Football Week 1 recap, folks! It was a fun one (unless your team lost), and we have exciting new prospects moving up and down the Big Board. Follow me @JagSays on most platforms to keep track throughout the season!
See the Latest Rookie Mock Draft
Our Nerds assembled for their first SuperFlex TE premium draft for the 2026 NFL Draft. Find out who the top 12 dynasty prospects were heading into College Football Week 1.
