Last year, the 2025 All-Film squad featured guys like Andrew Mukuba and Tyler Shough—players with glaring warts on paper who dominated on the grass. This year brings a fresh crop. I threw out the medicals. I ignored the height-weight-speed thresholds. I locked myself in the film room, clicker in hand. The tape tells the truth.
Garrett Nussmeier does not look like a modern prototype. He lacks the rocket arm of top-ranked Fernando Mendoza or the sheer size scouts crave. But turn on the LSU film. The pocket collapses. A 300-pound defensive tackle crashes through the A-gap. Nussmeier simply slides left, resets his base, and fires a strike on a deep out route. He threw for over 3,500 yards last season because he operates with a terrifying calm. I stood on the sidelines at Death Valley last October; the biting Louisiana cold did not matter. You could feel the crowd hold its breath every time he launched the ball. He waited years for his turn behind a Heisman winner, grinding in the shadows, and that hunger flashes on every single down.
“I don’t care about a 40 time. When the bullets are flying on 3rd-and-long, you need a guy who can read the defense and put the ball on the money. That’s who Garrett is.”
— Brian Kelly, LSU Head Coach
Let’s talk about the trenches. Texas Tech’s David Bailey gets knocked for his run defense. Pundits say big tackles wash him out. Watch him pin his ears back on passing downs instead. Bailey racked up 14.5 sacks in 2025. He possesses a violent inside spin move that leaves offensive tackles grabbing air. He understands body mechanics and bends the edge at angles that defy physics. He plays angry, fighting for every inch.
Then there is Jeremiyah Love. The Notre Dame running back isn’t the biggest guy in the draft class, but his burst through the hole is sheer violence. He runs high, yet drops his pad level right at the exact point of contact. He refuses to go down easily, a relentless drive that helped him score 35 touchdowns over the last two seasons. Love runs like a man with a massive chip on his shoulder, turning routine inside zones into explosive footraces.
These prospects will slide into Day 2 or even Day 3 of the draft next week. General managers fear drafting outliers. Smart defensive coordinators and offensive play-callers will grab these guys in the middle rounds. When September hits and the inevitable injuries pile up, these “imperfect” players will step onto the field ready to perform. They already process the game at an NFL speed. Expect players like Nussmeier and Bailey to steal starting jobs by Week 6, ultimately shifting the balance of power in wild-card races down the stretch.
