The NFL Senior Bowl has released its first-ever Top 300 list, highlighting draft-eligible prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft. The list was compiled by the Senior Bowl scouting department, consisting of former NFL scouts who evaluated over 2,000 college football players since February.
Universities across the country announced the selection of their athletes to this list. Among them are Eric O’Neill, DT Sheffield, and CJ Campbell Jr. from Rutgers; Isaiah Nwokobia, Ahmaad Moses, and RJ Maryland from SMU; Haynes King, Jamal Haynes, and Keylan Rutledge from Georgia Tech; Marcus Allen, Thaddeus Dixon, and Daniel King from North Carolina; Chris Adams from Memphis; Luke Altmyer, J.C. Davis, Gabe Jacas, and Xavier Scott from Illinois; Josh Braun, Ja’Mori Maclin, and Kam Olds from Kentucky; Sam Leavitt, Max Iheanachor, Keyshaun Elliott, and Jordyn Tyson from Arizona State; as well as Mo Westmoreland from Tulane.
The Senior Bowl emphasized that being named to the Top 300 is a significant honor reflecting high standards in college football. According to the organization’s press release: “This list represents more than just a preseason acknowledgment; it reflects the highest standards in college football. Being named to the Senior Bowl Top 300 list is a meaningful honor and signals that the prospects on this list are viewed among the very best in the country. Only draft eligible players are featured on this list.”
Senior Bowl Executive Director Drew Fabianich stated: “We decided to trim our watchlist from 850 to 300 to raise the bar and truly spotlight the top-tier talent across the country (…) Our staff has been working rigorously to identify the top talent in this year’s draft class and the players on this list have stood out so far, but this is just the beginning. This season is the most valuable part of our process and there is still plenty of football to be played. Our scouts will be on the road every week, tracking how these players perform and who continues to rise.”
The current Top 300 includes representation from eighty-six schools. There are one hundred nine players listed from Southeastern Conference (SEC) programs—more than any other conference—followed by sixty-eight Big Ten prospects. Fifty-three athletes represent Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) teams while forty-three hail from Big Twelve programs.
This new approach narrows last year’s wider watchlist of eight hundred fifty names down to three hundred—a move officials say was made intentionally for greater selectivity. The breakdown shows only twenty-four participants come from outside Power Five conferences.
Of those selected for inclusion in this roster of potential draftees for 2026: fifty-four are underclassmen whom evaluators believe will likely declare eligibility following regular season play.
The Panini Senior Bowl serves as an established showcase event preceding each NFL Draft cycle at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile with participation by more than nine hundred NFL personnel annually.
As noted by organizers: “Just because a player is listed on our Top 300 list does not guarantee him an invitation (…). It is very much possible and likely that many players not on this list will earn an invitation (…) depending on how well they perform this season.”
