You didn’t ask for it, but here it is. You don’t want this in your life… You need it. Chris Kay, Jared Palmgren, and I, Nate Marchese, came together to draft a 2027 CFF mock first round for your reading pleasure. Obviously, so much will change between now and next spring, once bestball drafts get underway. Furthermore, drafting on November 8 for next August is clearly an exercise in futility.
Here is how it worked. We each took turns drafting the players we would take right now for the 2027 season. The ONLY rule was that you could only draft one quarterback. It is very rare to see more than three QBs go in round one, and we didn’t want this to be a draft about the top returning QBs. Every single player in the player pool with eligibility remaining was available, including the likes of Jeremiah Smith and Drew Mestemaker. But we didn’t select them because none of us wanted to be the owner left nonsensically holding the worthless bag of dog poop at the dog park. We gave our justification for each pick, and I added my own remarks to selections that weren’t mine.
Without further ado, here is our Wayyyyy Too Early CFF 1st Round Mock Draft!
1.01 (Chris Kay)- Malachi Toney, Miami
Kay: “He’s really good. Toney is an elite receiver with an elite target share in an offense that has produced big offenses the past few seasons. Miami also loves to run it up and stat pad for their star talent.”
Nate: No argument here. He was well on his way prior to the high ankle sprain.
1.02 (Jared Palmgen)- Nate Sheppard, Duke
Palmgren: “I could’ve gone with a different position here, but if you give me the #1 RB from this season, likely playing for the same team again in ’27, it’s impossible to pass that up on a position that’ll likely be the shallowest among the big three positions”
Nate: While I don’t have an issue with the selection, I do have concerns that Duke will be able to retain him in ’27. The talent is undeniable, but what happens if he plays for a money program like Miami, Texas Tech, Ohio State, or LSU (his home area) that doesn’t require him to be Superman? Either way, Sheppard should be a sure-fire pick in Round 1.
1.03 (Nate Marchese) – Caleb Hawkins, Oklahoma State
He has been on an absolute tear at the time of this article. The lack of TDs through the first half of the season made him a strong positive TD regression candidate, and that has come through in spades lately with 522 total yards and, more importantly, 7 TDs in his last two games. Maybe Okie State runs it back with the Mean Green crew in 2027. Maybe it has a new QB under Morris. Either way, Hawkins is in for a big season.
1.04 (Chris Kay) – Dylan Riley, Boise State
Kay: “Boise State has done it again. Riley shares time with another back and still ranks amongst the best RBs in CFB. He’s a big play waiting to happen and has a real shot at staying back in the G6, which only helps his fantasy outlook”
Nate: I kind of love this. There are a variety of outcomes. Riley could finish RB1. He could also transfer up, go pro, or stay and split 50/50 with Sire Gaines (this seems least likely). Nonetheless, if there are Silicon Valley pockets in Idaho deep enough to keep DR on the Smurf Turf, then that would be amazing.
1.05 (Jared Palmgren) – Mike Hawkins, WVU
Jared: “He’d be a fool not to run it back with Rich Rod. He’s QB1 by a solid margin, and while QB is going to be deep once again, there are only maybe three true game changers worth a first-round pick, and Hawkins is one of them”
Nate: No disagreement here, Jared. If we assume Hawk returns to Rich Rod’s QB fantasy-friendly system, then it is wheels up for 27. Let’s see what happens this offseason, but totally get securing a top 3 QB.
1.06 (Nate Marchese)- Jesse Legree, Oregon State
Nate: “The Beaver receiver has seemingly faltered just a bit lately, and that is likely why he was still available at 1.06. He has announced his return to Oregon State in 2027. While that would be incredible for his fantasy value, I’m not sure that I totally believe it. However, any team that pulls him into the portal will certainly intend to make him the focal point of their offense to ensure their ROI. He is a lock for the first round if he returns. He is a borderline round one guy should he transfer.”
1.07 (Chris Kay) – Aiden Flora, Iowa State
Kay: “Flora likely remains at Iowa State for another year, and the hope is that they put more around him to improve the offense. The Big 12 schedule continues to give to those playing CFF.”
Nate: Not going to lie. I kind of wish I had thought about this a pick earlier. Flora has been nails on a subpar team.
1.08 (Jared Palmgren) – Jahiem White, North Texas
Palmgren: “Drafting a G6 star before the transfer portal window is a huge risk, obviously. However, I’m not gonna pass up the chance of getting the RB2 for the 2026 season. White and Neal Brown clearly have a strong relationship, we’ll see if that’s strong enough for Brown and White to unite one more time for White’s final year.”
Nate: I can’t agree with Jared more. This would have been my pick if he didn’t make it.
1.09 (Nate Marchese) – Jackson Gutierrez, Navy
Nate: “Good gravy in the Navy. Gutierrez has scored 44+ points in four of his last five games, with Notre Dame being the only hindrance over that stretch. The beauty of the military academies in the transfer portal era is their stability and lack of roster turnover. Gut has been everything I imagined Braxton Woodson would be and then some.”
1.10 (Chris Kay) – Hauss Hejny, Colorado State
Kay: “He can’t transfer again, can he? Assuming he’s healthy, there’s no other quarterback left with the elite upside he has. He’s a great runner that could see an uptick in usage on the ground in 2027.”
Nate: No issues here. I think there are 3-5 QBs you can consider in round one, and Hejny is certainly one of them. He didn’t have to take a QB, but as Jared mentioned in our draft discussion, more QBs could be taken in round one than in years past.
1.11 (Jared Palmgren) – Cam Cook, WVU
Palmgren: “Similar to Hawkins, Cook would be a fool to leave Rich Rod and West Virginia. Cook has been a top-12 RB in the 2026 CFF season so far, and he feels he is one of the safest bets to repeat that in 2026. Unfortunately, folks who stacked him and Hawkins in 2026 will not be able to do so in 2027.”
Nate: Cook is the P4 version of Jared’s pick with Jahiem White- A proven RB in a killer system that could go elsewhere. This is a really safe, solid selection. Nothing wrong with betting on running back in the Rich Rod system.
1.12 (Nate Marchese) – Cardae Mack, Arizona State
Nate: “It has been an impressive year for freshmen, and Mack leads the way. He ranks as the RB5 over the last month of the season, and the other four have already been mentioned here. Who knows what happens to the Sun Devil staff heading into 2027, but history tells us the Marcus Arroyo RB1 feeds families. The fact that the “WildMack” formation has essentially become the entire offense near the goal line makes Mack a lock for high TD volume.
That concludes our mock draft. Others considered were Brad Jackson, Braden Atkinson, Davion Jackson, Carlos Hernandez, Devon Dampier, Gio Lopez. We hope you enjoyed.
