Biggest Winners from Week 10 of College Football: Arch Manning, CJ Carr & More

A loaded College Football Saturday is behind us, and of course it brought crazy results. In those results, multiple players stood out, raising their stock in the 2027 NFL Draft. Here are six players to take note of after Week 10.

Arch Manning, QB, Texas

Credits: IMAGO

Manning seems to love playing in November. In 2025, he thrived in November, and so far in 2026, he’s doing the same. No. 7 Texas beat No. 18 Missouri on the road thanks to a three-touchdown performance from Manning. The two biggest stats from the performance were zero turnovers and a pressure-to-sack rate of 21.4 percent.

Turnovers have been a big issue for Manning this season, and even with a questionable fumble ruling in the game, the overall execution was clean from the four-year quarterback. Manning completed 73 percent of his passes and did a great job keeping the Longhorns on schedule. The arm strength showcased itself on a touchdown pass to running back Raleek Brown on a wheel route, and the mental processing looked cleaner.

While it’s still a long shot for Manning to reassert himself in No. 1 overall pick conversations. It was an overall promising performance Manning can build on. It’s his second straight game throwing three touchdown passes.

Cooper Barkate, WR, Miami

The entire college football world was a bit disappointed when Malachi Toney was ruled out for the matchup against No. 11 Notre Dame. It just meant that Barkate had an opportunity to step up into the No. 1 receiver role for No. 1 Miami. Barkate didn’t look back. He caught 10 passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns.

Barkate has prior chemistry with quarterback Darian Mensah, having played with him at Duke last season. Throughout the night, he showed savvy route running and strong hands, consistently hurting Notre Dame. While Barkate isn’t regarded as a top pick in next year’s draft, this performance solidified what teams can expect to get from him. A No. 2 receiver who has the ability to make plays at all three levels of the field.

Dylan Riley, RB, Boise State

Before taking the field against Colorado State, Riley was my RB3 heading into the matchup. After 200-plus total yards against the Rams, Riley could move up. He’s got a thick frame at 5-foot-10 and 192 pounds. Riley showed he isn’t a one-dimensional back, hurting Colorado State in the air and on the ground.

Watching Riley, he’s got home-run speed. His longest rush was 42 yards, and his longest catch was 73 yards. The best part of his game is the speed mixed with his vision. Riley won’t second-guess himself on any of his rushes. When he sees a sliver, he’ll put his foot into the ground and explode up the field. He’s a fun player to watch, and his 200-yard performance was another example of why NFL teams will love him.

Devan Thompkins, DL, Alabama

Two sacks in one of the biggest games of the day will have you on this list. Thompkins is a rare athlete: 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, with the flexibility to line up as an outside rusher or on the inside. Both of his sacks against LSU came from the outside, showing his power and the finesse he needs to win around the edge.

It was Thompkins’ first sack since Week 3 of the season, but when watching his tape through the drought, he still deserves top 50 consideration for the draft.

Chris Cole, LB, Georgia

ATHENS, GA – SEPTEMBER 26: Linebacker Chris Cole 9 of the Georgia Bulldogs reacts after picking up a football during the college football game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the University of Georgia Bulldogs on September 26, 2026 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, GA. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 26 Oklahoma at Georgia EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon26092635571

It was a rough day for Trinidad Chambliss and the Ole Miss offense. Most of it was because of Chris Cole and the havoc he caused. He totaled nine tackles, one sack, and one fumble recovery against the Rebels.

Cole has soared up draft boards throughout this fall thanks to multiple performances of chaos. It’s cliché to say he’s a sideline-to-sideline linebacker, but Cole really has that range. It’s fun to watch him make plays for this Kirby Smart defense, and soon he’ll be doing the same for an NFL defense next year.

CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame

November 08, 2025: Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr 13 passes the ball during NCAA, College League, USA football game action between the Navy Midshipmen and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. /CSM South Bend United States of America – ZUMAc04_ 20251108_zma_c04_672 Copyright: xJohnxMersitsx

In the headline matchup of the day, Carr took over. He outdrew Mensah, going 29-of-40 for 319 yards and three touchdowns. Like Manning above, Carr’s biggest stat was no turnovers. He showed how smart he is as a signal caller, repeatedly making the right decision while showing downfield accuracy.

Carr showed his arm talent by making tough throws outside the pocket and down the sidelines. The performance put Carr back in the Heisman race and Notre Dame back in the College Football Playoff race. The mechanics of Carr stand out each and every week, but they went to a new level against the Hurricanes.

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