The NFL Draft is still in the distant future, but the true difference-maker in a player’s draft stock is determined by their on-field performance during the regular season. “But how can I track all the highlights throughout college football each week?”, you may ask. If that is you, you came to the right place!

Each week during the college football season, I will bring to you an NFL Draft Stock Report, sharing the most significant draft information gathered from the previous week’s college football action. As the season goes on, we will focus in on players whose stock is continuously soaring and making a case to be an early to mid-round selection.

As always, be sure to share your thoughts on these prospects in the comment section below, but without further adieu, here are the most notable performances affecting the 2025 NFL Draft landscape from this past week’s action.

Kurtis Rourke | QB | Indiana

Indiana has been the Cinderella story of 2024 thus far, and much of the credit is due to quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who completed19 of 29 passes for 263 yards and 4 touchdowns last week. This season, Rourke is completing over 73% of his passes and currently boasts a 19-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The sixth-year senior from Canada continues to make noise as the leader of this miracle Hoosiers team, and he is certainly looking more and more like a player who could receive strong consideration from NFL teams. At 6’5″, 223 pounds, Rourke possesses ideal NFL size, while also displaying a quick release and great accuracy to the short and intermediate levels of the field. He is the wild card in this class of quarterbacks that has mostly underwhelmed as a whole.

Carson Bruener | LB | Washington

The son of former Steelers tight end Mark Bruener, Carson has put together a solid campaign for the Huskies, and he is peaking at just the right time. Last Saturday against USC, Bruener was all over the field, recording 12 total tackles, 7 solo tackles, 2 passes defended, and 2 interceptions. At 6’2”, 226 pounds, Bruener is a fluid cover linebacker who possesses the instincts and tenacity of a top-notch run defender. He is a bit light for the NFL and will need add a good 10-15 pounds if he wants to make it as a three-down linebacker, but his ability in both run defense and coverage will make him an attractive option if his successful season continues. He is not much of a blitzer, but that alone will not hold teams back from considering him, especially if he performs well in a massive game against Penn State this weekend.

Cody Simon | LB | Ohio State

Simon has not provided as much flash as people may have wanted, but he has been a rock solid piece in the middle of Ohio State’s defense, and he proved it again this week against Penn State. Recording 10 total tackles, 5 solo tackles, and 1 sack, Simon gave Drew Allar and the Nittany Lions fits both as a run defender and as a pass rusher throughout the day. Simon is a great athlete with plenty of experience and football knowledge, but it has been a slow process putting it all together and turning it into on-field production. If he continues to do the basic well, the splash plays will come in time, and his draft stock will continue to rise.

O’Donnell Fortune | CB | South Carolina

Fortune is still a little slight of frame, but he has put together a strong season for the Gamecocks, and that continues this past Saturday when he recorded 4 solo tackles and 1 interception in their upset win over Texas A&M. With sticky cover skills and schematic versatility, keep an eye on Fortune as we inch closer to the scouting combine, where he will have a chance to rapidly boost his stock.

Jayden Higgins | WR | Iowa State

Despite an upset loss to Texas Tech, standout receiver Jayden Higgins still enjoyed a productive day, hauling in 10 receptions for 140 yards and 1 touchdown, He now holds a 55/703/7 stat line on the season, and he certainly possesses the size NFL teams want in a perimeter receiver at 6’4”, 215 pounds. He has been a consistent riser and could be a name to watch in the early rounds.