No rush to go pro: Arch Manning and Dante Moore headline top-10 draft stars staying in college
Top draft-eligible stars are choosing NIL and development over the NFL in 2026
By
Mike Renner
•
5 min read
The conventional wisdom used to be that if you were a top-100 pick, turning pro and starting the clock on your rookie contract was almost always the smartest financial move. It was rare for draft-eligible players with clear top-three-round grades to pass on the NFL and return to school.
That's no longer the case. Not only are many Day 2 prospects choosing to cash in on NIL money this fall instead of entering the draft, but several presumed first-round locks have also told the NFL to wait -- at least for now. These are the top prospects who could have made the leap, but will instead be returning to a college campus near you next season.
- 2025 stats (passing): 61.4 comp%, 3,163 yards, 26 TDs, 7 INTs, 7.8 Y/A
- 2025 stats (rushing): 92 carries, 399 yards (4.3 Y/A), 10 TDs
Arch Manning didn't open the season looking like a franchise quarterback prospect, but he finished it like one. Over his final five games, Manning accounted for 15 total touchdowns -- 11 through the air and four on the ground -- against just one interception. Heading into 2026, there isn't a quarterback in college football I'd rather have.
- 2025 stats (passing): 71.8 comp%, 3,565 yards, 30 TDs, 10 INTs, 8.7 Y/A
- 2025 stats (rushing): 73 carries, 156 yards (2.1 Y/A), 2 TDs
Dante Moore could have easily been a top-five pick had he declared, but returning to school is likely the best move for his long-term development. He's an excellent thrower with touch and accuracy to all levels of the field, but that consistency didn't always hold when he faced pressure this past fall. That's the biggest thing standing between Moore and immediate success in the NFL. He'll get a chance to answer those questions next season on a loaded Oregon team.
Wilson's 2026 NFL mock draft 5.0: Dante Moore's decision shakes up Round 1, forcing Jets to pivot at No. 2
Ryan Wilson
Trevor Goosby was the top offensive tackle on my board -- and a top-10 player overall -- before announcing his decision to return to Texas. Given the lack of high-end competition in this year's tackle class, the move came as a surprise to many.
While it may not be the best short-term financial decision, Goosby likely made the right call for his long-term development. He's still relatively raw, with just one full season as a starter under his belt. But his end-of-year tape was elite: Goosby allowed only three pressures over his final three games. Now, he'll have the opportunity to put that level of play on film across an entire season.
- 2025 stats: 33 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 8 passes defensed
A'Mauri Washington is another one-year wonder who went from a part-time player in 2024 to a full-time wrecking ball in 2025. He was comfortably a first-rounder based not only on his tape, but also on his athletic profile. Washington ranked No. 4 on Bruce Feldman's Freaks List last year, and it shows every snap. It won't take much more development for him to emerge as a top-10 pick in 2027.
- 2025 stats: 34 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 6.0 sacks, 4 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles
You may sense a theme here. Oregon's ability to convince top draft prospects to return to Eugene mirrors what Ohio State pulled off ahead of its national title run last season. Matayo Uiagalelei is the first name on this list, though, who I believe made a truly sound financial decision.
A former four-star recruit, Uiagalelei has the physical tools of a top-10 pick, but his tape this past fall graded out closer to the fringe of the first round. Because he's still so young -- he won't turn 21 until next July -- there's significant room for growth.
Kade Pieper has been a favorite of mine dating back to before he became a starter. On just 108 snaps as a sophomore in 2024, his athleticism jumped off the tape and made his NFL future obvious. I would have given him the same advice he received to return for one simple reason: he was playing out of position last season.
Pieper's body type projects best at center in the NFL, but with Logan Jones blocking his path there, he spent the year at right guard. He'll now get all of 2026 to showcase what he can do in the middle, and he already looks like an early front-runner to be the top center in the 2027 draft.
- 2025 stats (passing): 60.8 comp%, 2,437 yards, 13 TDs, 8 INTs, 8.3 Y/A
- 2025 stats (rushing): 149 carries, 270 yards (1.8 Y/A), 5 TDs
LaNorris Sellers will be drafted highly whenever he declares, simply because he's an absurdly gifted physical talent. His combination of arm strength and mobility is unmatched in college football. The dropback passing game has always been his biggest question, though, and it wasn't fully answered on his 2025 tape. Another year of development could be the difference between Sellers becoming a top-five pick or sliding into the late Day 2 range.
Eric Singleton Jr.
AUBURN • WR • #1
(Transferred to Florida)
5-10, 180 | Junior | ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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- 2025 stats: 58 receptions, 534 yards, (9.2 Y/R), 3 TDs
I don't blame Eric Singleton Jr. for not declaring early after catching just 58 passes for 534 yards this past fall, but I do question his decision to transfer to Auburn last year. He landed in one of the worst passing offenses in the Power Four, with Cam Coleman already established as the WR1, so it's no surprise the move didn't pay off statistically. We'll see whether his transfer to Florida -- a program without an entrenched quarterback -- proves to be the better bet.
Singleton needs a quarterback who can consistently attack downfield, because that's where he wins. He's one of the best deep separators in college football, but to this point, he hasn't had a passer capable of regularly finding him.
Another first-year starter along Iowa's offensive line, Trevor Lauck was wildly impressive while locking down the blindside this past fall. He allowed just five pressures all season. I love his body control and coordination when engaging defenders in space, but his play strength still needs work and remains his clearest area for improvement. If that comes along, Lauck has first-round potential in 2027.
Justice Haynes
MICH • RB • #22
(Transferred to Georgia Tech)
5-11, 210 | Junior | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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- 2025 stats (rushing): 121 carries, 857 yards (7.1 Y/A), 10 TDs
- 2025 stats (receiving): 13 receptions, 50 yards (3.8 Y/R)
After Dante Moore, Justice Haynes was the second-most surprising prospect in the country to return to school -- and for a couple of reasons. First, the 2026 running back class is one of the weakest in recent memory. It wouldn't be shocking if as few as three backs ended up as top-100 picks, with Haynes having a legitimate shot to be RB2.
The second reason is his portal move from Michigan to Georgia Tech, a program set to lose its best offensive lineman -- Keylan Rutledge -- to the draft. We'll see how that decision pays off for Haynes, who averaged 122 yards per game and 7.1 yards per carry last season while emerging as one of college football's most dangerous big-play backs.
