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One of the elite prospects in the 2027 NFL Draft class faces his first big test of the season. Ohio State star receiver Jeremiah Smith travels to Austin in a game rich in NFL prospects. What other 2027 NFL Draft prospects have good matchups to watch this week? 2027 NFL Draft Prospects to Watch in Week 2 Matchup of the Week: Ohio State at Texas 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC) From an NFL Draft standpoint, this game is going to take some beating this season. NFL scouts will be flocking to Austin to see a vast array of NFL Draft prospects. The highest-ranked prospect on view is Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith. He’s an elite prospect who is NFL-ready. Smith has an elite size/speed combination, and he’ll be difficult for Texas to stop. Single coverage not working for you against Jeremiah Smith? Time to double team him. Bottom of the screen – out ran the safety who needed greater depth. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/5JDJCRCS3J — Paul Emery (@UKDraftFan) May 17, 2026 The most talked-about prospect is Texas quarterback Arch Manning. There was little to be learned from last week against Texas State, but that didn’t stop anyone from dissecting his play. This will be a far better test, as will a tough SEC schedule. Manning has elite pocket manipulation, but his footwork and arm angles are inconsistent, causing him to miss easy throws. Can he show greater consistency against a quality defense? One advantage for Manning this year is his supporting cast. Auburn transfer Cam Coleman joins the returning Ryan Wingo to form a potent combination. Manning’s blind side protector, left tackle Trevor Goosby, had an Autumn camp injury scare (bone bruise), but played last week and should be good to go. He’s a huge man and will be looking to go as early as Kadyn Proctor did in April. The other big name for the Longhorns is edge rusher Colin Simmons. If he can get pressure on Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, it might dry up the supply route to Smith. Sayin himself is a divisive prospect. He was in some early mock drafts, while others believe him to be more of a Day 3 prospect. His lack of arm strength is a major limitation. Projecting Sayin forward to the NFL, his ability to make tight window throws or push the ball down the field are both question marks. Watch for those kinds of throws in this one. A Buckeye safety to look for is Jaylen McClain. He’s a smart and versatile prospect who is well coached. His pattern recognition is excellent, so he will be waiting to jump on any errant throws from Manning. Other prospects in this game include: Ohio State Brandon Inniss – Wide Receiver Austin Siereveld – Offensive Tackle Luke Montgomery – Guard Carson Hinzman – Center Kenyatta Jackson Jr. – Edge Rusher Eddrick Houston – Defensive Line James Smith – Defensive Line Jermaine Mathews Jr. – Cornerback Earl Little Jr. – Safety Terry Moore – Safety Texas Hollywood Smothers – Running Back Raleek Brown – Running back Melvin Siani – Offensive Tackle Hero Kanu – Defensive Line Rasheem Biles – Linebacker Jelani McDonald – Safety Other FBS Prospects to Watch (All Times Eastern) There may be a slim chance to look at one of the top running back prospects on Friday night. Missouri and Ahmad Hardy travel to Kansas (8:00 p.m., Fox). However, Hardy didn’t play in Week 1, still recovering from an off-season gunshot wound. The other top Missouri prospect, tackle Cayden Green, also didn’t play last week, and his status is unclear. If these two prospects are unable to play, look out for Missouri tight end Brett Norfleet, who is a potential day two pick. Also on Friday night, Rutgers visit Boston College. Rutgers have two potential day two picks in running back Antwan Raymond and wide receiver KJ Duff. Duff is 6’6”, 225 lbs, and started the year with a bang: 9 catches for 196 yards and three touchdowns, one of which went for 78 yards. Raymond had a quiet opening day, but has talent. The Michigan Wolverines somehow escaped with the victory to open the season, and now has a step-up in competition. They host the Oklahoma Sooners in one of two interesting early Saturday games. The top prospect on show is Oklahoma defensive tackle David Stone. His teammate edge rusher Taylor Wein is also worth a look. For Michigan, cornerback Jyaire Hill has a thin frame, but he’s physical and has a nice break up on the ball. Another prospect, Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, would do well not to throw at Hill. The other early kickoff of interest sees Arizona State visit Texas A&M. SEC opposition will be a nice test for two Arizona State receivers in Omarion Miller and Reed Harris. The Aggies have a receiver of their own in Mario Craver, so it will be good to stack these three in one game. After losing to Tulsa last week, Oklahoma State will go into their game against Oregon with some trepidation. Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker had good tape for North Texas last season. However, his supporting cast doesn’t look to be great, and he will need to step up against a strong Oregon squad. There will be little to learn from watching the Oregon prospects. There will be better matchups down the road, although their schedule isn’t the strongest. Week 4 against Southern California will be a better judge of their prospects. Another prospect to watch in the noon kickoff slot is Temple tight end Peter Clarke. Clarke is a graduate of the NFL Academy in London, England, and moved to the United States in January 2023. He has upside as he still has the intricacies of the position to learn; he’s the type of prospect NFL scouts love. Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Greg Johnson carries first-round grades from some analysts. The Golden Gophers host Mississippi State. Look for the matchup against Mississippi State defensive tackle Jaray Bledsoe, who is a potential top 100 prospect. Minnesota left guard Greg Johnson can move people. He gets under his man and creates a nice hole for his back on this play.#NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/mTlSyBvRGt — Paul Emery (@UKDraftFan) July 16, 2026 Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey has his admirers in the media. It will be interesting to see how he fares against an SEC defense. 2027 NFL Draft Prospects to Watch in Week 2 – Small Schools As with last week, there are opportunities for small school prospects to have tape against FBS schools. This allows them to at least partly answer the level-of-competition concern. There are fewer of these matchups this week. Richmond visits North Carolina State on Friday night. Look out for Richmond star edge rusher Camden Byrd, who already has four sacks this season! He briefly entered the portal in the off-season, but stayed loyal to the Spiders. Montana State is one of the top FCS schools. They travel to Nevada. They could well be eying the upset, so the game itself carries interest. Four Montana State prospects are on the Shrine Bowl 1000 watch list. Look out for quarterback Justin Lamson, receiver Taco Dowler and offensive tackle Titan Fleischmann. Safety Caden Dowler is dealing with a knee injury and is unfortunately not scheduled to play. Howard edge Gabriel Stephens is a speed rusher who, because of lack of size, projects to linebacker as a pro. Howard takes on Indiana. Look out for Stephens rushing against star Indiana left tackle Carter Smith. The Last Word Manning struggled last year at the Horseshoe. He has the chance to show how much he has improved against a talented Ohio State defense. This is a far better matchup than Texas State to judge him. Manning isn’t the only prospect in this game. When NFL coaches get involved in the Draft process after the season, they will watch this game first for any prospects from these two schools. The remainder of the schedule lacks scouting matchups, but there are worthwhile games to watch. Stone is the highest-ranked prospect for Oklahoma with a solid test at Michigan. Mestemaker was billed as part of the deep 2026 quarterback class. However, losing to Tulsa was an inauspicious debut. He may struggle to rebound against Oregon, but it will be worthwhile to look at his response to last week. More NFL News - 2027 NFL Draft Watch: Evaluating Prospects in Week 1 - 2027 NFL Draft Week Zero Prospect Notes - The Passing of Matt Suhey…40 Years After the Chicago Bears Shuffled to the Super Bowl Main Photo Courtesy of Adam Cairns – USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images