We have more players for you to watch as you get to become the smartest fan base in the NFL, getting to know which college football players will be wearing purple next year.
The fifth weekend of college football is here, and it has some featured matchups that will have scouts’ attention, so it should have yours as well. As for why we are writing this, we are projecting the Vikings‘ draft needs to be cornerbacks, safety, linebacker, defensive line, and running back.
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Cornerback and safety are the two biggest needs of this team, with glaring holes either immediately present or on the horizon. Byron Murphy Jr. needs help in the secondary, and we may be watching the final season of Harrison Smith; thus, those are the top needs. The linebacker position could emerge as a need depending on what the team does with Ivan Pace Jr., and Blake Cashman will be a free agent after the 2026 season. Lastly, the defensive line and running back both look great right now, but have new faces at the positions, whose potential we do not know, and have some older faces in the group, so some depth pieces may be added there.
This is a great roster the Vikings have built, but with 11 selections in the upcoming NFL Draft, we will be covering a wide range of players and positions. With that in mind, here is our first watchlist of the college football season.
Editor’s Note: College football does not have the best injury report system; some do not even report them until gameday. If a player is listed to watch and does not play, we apologize.
Watch potential Vikings draft prospects live on Fubo (free trial)
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Cornerbacks Schedule
Noon/11:00 AM CST
Duke’s Chandler Rivers vs. Syracuse on ACC Network
3:30 P.M. EST/2:30 P.M. CST
Washington’s Tacario Davis vs. Ohio State on CBS
Ohio State’s Davison Igbinosun vs. Washington on CBS
Ohio State’s Jermaine Mathews Jr. vs. Washington on CBS
7:30 P.M. EST/6:30 P.M. CST
Penn State’s A.J. Harris vs. Oregon on NBC
10:15 P.M. EST/9:15 P.M. CST
Colorado’s DJ McKinney vs. BYU on ESPN
Colorado’s Tyrecus Davis vs. BYU on ESPN
Safety Schedule
Noon/11:00 AM CST
Duke’s Terry Moore vs. Syracuse on ACC Network
3:30 P.M. EST/2:30 P.M. CST
Washington’s Alex McLaughlin vs. Ohio State on CBS
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Washington’s Makell Esteen vs. Ohio State on CBS
7:30 P.M. EST/6:30 P.M. CST
Penn State’s Zakee Wheatley vs. Oregon on NBC
Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman vs. Penn State on NBC
Linebacker Schedule
Noon/11:00 AM CST
Kansas State’s Austin Romaine vs. UCF on Fox Sports 1
Kansas State’s Desmond Purnell vs. UCF on Fox Sports 1
3:30 P.M. EST/2:30 P.M. CST
Ohio State’s Sonny Styles vs. Washington on CBS
Ohio State’s Arvel Reese vs. Washington on CBS
7:30 P.M. EST/6:30 P.M. CST
Penn State’s Amare Campbell vs. Oregon on NBC
Oregon’s Bryce Boettcher vs. Penn State on NBC
Oregon’s Teitum Tuioti vs. Penn State on NBC
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10:15 P.M. EST/9:15 P.M. CST
BYU’s Isaiah Glasker vs. Colorado on ESPN
BYU’s Jack Kelly vs. Colorado on ESPN
Defensive Line Schedule
Noon/11:00 AM CST
Minnesota’s Deven Eastern vs. Rutgers on Big Ten Network
3:30 P.M. EST/2:30 P.M. CST
Ohio State’s Anthony McDonald vs. Washington on CBS
7:30 P.M. EST/6:30 P.M. CST
Penn State’s Zane Durant vs. Oregon on NBC
10:15 P.M. EST/9:15 P.M. CST
BYU’s Keanu Tanuvasa vs. Colorado on ESPN
Running Back Schedule
Noon/11:00 AM CST
Wake Forest’s Demond Claiborne vs. Georgia Tech on ESPN
3:30 P.M. EST/2:30 P.M. CST
Ohio State’s CJ Donaldson vs. Washington on CBS
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Washington’s Jonah Coleman vs. Ohio State on CBS
7:30 P.M. EST/6:30 P.M. CST
Penn State’s Nick Singleton vs. Oregon on NBC
Penn State’s Kaytron Allen vs. Oregon on NBC
Oregon’s Makhi Hughes vs. Penn State on NBC
Oregon’s Noah Whittington vs. Penn State on NBC
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This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Players Vikings fans should watch in CFB Week 5
