Conference play is upon us, meaning AP Top 25 clashes are inevitable. The Big Ten's expansion has pitted Oregon against Penn State, Indiana, and USC, and the SEC is never short on ranked matchups.
The meat and potatoes of the college football season are here, and NFL scouts are watching. Week 5 offers fans a Saturday slate filled with tests for championship contenders and the top prospects that make them special.
Coincidentally, quarterbacks headline this weekend's festivities. As passers jostle for positioning, Week 5 could prove to be pivotal.
Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama (at Georgia)
Simpson didn't begin the year on NFL Draft radars. He had never seen significant playing time, and the Crimson Tide -- especially after Week 1 -- seemed to be crumbling around him.
Neither he nor his Alabama teammates played well against Florida State. Still, in the weeks since, Simpson has been impeccable, making good on his team's talent advantages to get his season back on track. He won't have that working for him against the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs.
MORE: Fernando Mendoza plants his flag in QB1 race after win vs. Illinois
If Simpson passes the biggest test of his collegiate career, it will be hard to ignore him as a legitimate 2026 prospect. There are enough tools to stretch the field and scramble, and quality showings against elite opponents would help mitigate concerns about his inexperience.
Alabama is a three-point underdog against the Bulldogs. Overcoming those odds against a stellar defense would give Simpson real helium.
Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas (vs. Notre Dame)
Green is one of the class's most experienced passers, showing out at Boise State before his transfer to Arkansas. He had a strong 2024 campaign, during which those prior reps left an imprint on his tape. This is a quarterback who is in command of his offense, perhaps because he is the offense.
His 6'5", 235-pound frame comes with elite athleticism for the position. It makes him a viable threat out of structure and as a designed rusher to the sideline and between the tackles.
Notre Dame has struggled in the early going but still presents a challenge for an unranked Arkansas team, especially as an SEC slate looms. The Fighting Irish aren't the best team on Arkansas's schedule, but a strong showing would set the stage for Green's home stretch.
Green began the year as a late-Day 3 prospect with limited runway for development. Ironing out the accuracy and mental inconsistencies that sunk his stock and playing well against a loaded SEC schedule would be a meaningful reason to pay attention to him as a legitimate prospect.
Everyone in Penn State vs. Oregon
- But mostly Ducks QB Dante Moore and Nittany Lions QB Drew Allar
Oregon at Penn State is one of the premier matchups of both Week 5 and the college football season. These Big Ten contenders offer high-level talent at seemingly every position, most notably under center.
Allar entered the year with more hype, a constant presence in first-round mock drafts. Dealt the burden of expectations, he hasn't quite lived up to the excitement in 2025. His physical tools will justifiably buoy his stock, but his spot among the top prospects in the class isn't guaranteed. Allar currently has a second-round grade on my board and hasn't done enough to change that billing. Putting NFL throws on film against a championship contender could help change that.
Moore, meanwhile, is a later riser than most of the quarterbacks in this class. In fact, as other stars struggle, he has a chance to save the class as its QB1. Moore has started the season hot, blending intangible nuance with above-average tools. Duels with Allar and Indiana's Fernando Mendoza could give NFL decision-makers the ammo necessary to take him in Round 1.
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