The 2026 NFL Draft Round 1 is in the books. Thirty-two college athletes heard their names called in Green Bay, and for each of them, Thursday night was the culmination of years of work — on the field, in the film room, and increasingly, in the NIL marketplace.
At RallyFuel, we track the fan side of that journey. Before Fernando Mendoza became the first overall pick, before Jeremiyah Love’s name lit up the board at #3, these athletes were college players building their brands — and fans were fueling them. That’s what the Trophy Case is all about: documenting the moment fans invested in an athlete’s future before the rest of the world caught up.
15 of the 32 Round 1 picks had active RallyFuel profiles before draft night. Here’s the full class — with direct links to every confirmed profile.
15 Round 1 Picks on RallyFuel
| Pick | Player | Position | School | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Fernando Mendoza | QB | Indiana | Profile → |
| #3 | Jeremiyah Love | RB | Notre Dame | Profile → |
| #4 | Carnell Tate | WR | Ohio State | Profile → |
| #5 | Arvell Reese | EDGE | Ohio State | Profile → |
| #8 | Jordyn Tyson | WR | Arizona State | Profile → |
| #9 | Spencer Fano | OT | Utah | Profile → |
| #10 | Francis Mauigoa | OT | Miami | Profile → |
| #12 | Kadyn Proctor | OT | Alabama | Profile → |
| #13 | Ty Simpson | QB | Alabama | Profile → |
| #15 | Rueben Bain Jr. | EDGE | Miami | Profile → |
| #16 | Kenyon Sadiq | TE | Oregon | Profile → |
| #19 | Monroe Freeling | OT | Georgia | Profile → |
| #20 | Makai Lemon | WR | USC | Profile → |
| #28 | Caleb Lomu | OT | Utah | Profile → |
| #31 | Keldric Faulk | EDGE | Auburn | Profile → |
The 2026 Round 1 Class
Here’s who went off the board in Round 1, and the programs they came from:
Pick 1 — Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana · RallyFuel Profile → The first Indiana quarterback ever drafted in the first round. Mendoza’s rise from a program not typically associated with NFL production makes his selection a landmark moment for the Hoosiers program. 3,535 pass yards · 41 TDs · 2025 Heisman Trophy winner. See his full NIL journey on the Heisman NIL Power Rankings.
Pick 2 — David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech A dominant pass rusher out of the Big 12 who finished his career as one of the most productive edge defenders in Red Raiders history. Led the FBS in sacks (14.5) last season.
Pick 3 — Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame · RallyFuel Profile → Love announced himself on the national stage at Notre Dame, becoming one of the most explosive backs in college football. His selection at #3 is the highest a Notre Dame running back has gone in recent memory. Earliest RB taken since Saquon Barkley.
Pick 4 — Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State · RallyFuel Profile → Ohio State’s receiver pipeline continues. Tate is the first of four Buckeyes selected in Round 1 — a historically dominant showing for a single program. 51 REC · 875 YDS · 9 TDs in his final college season.
Pick 5 — Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State · RallyFuel Profile → The second Buckeye off the board. Reese was a force off the edge in Columbus and didn’t have to wait long to hear his name. 40 solo tackles · 6.5 sacks · 4.46 speed.
Pick 6 — Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU A cornerback who developed into one of the SEC’s best cover men under Brian Kelly’s staff in Baton Rouge.
Pick 7 — Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State Ohio State #3. Styles is the son of former NFL player Lorenzo Styles and was one of the most celebrated recruits in program history. He delivered on that promise.
Pick 8 — Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State · RallyFuel Profile → One of the draft’s best stories — a receiver who emerged at Arizona State into a legitimate first-round talent despite playing outside the traditional Power Four spotlight.
Pick 9 — Spencer Fano, OT, Utah · RallyFuel Profile → The Utes’ offensive line pipeline produces another first-rounder. Fano’s development in Salt Lake City made him one of the draft’s safest prospects.
Pick 10 — Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami · RallyFuel Profile → A massive offensive tackle whose combination of size and athleticism made him a consensus top-10 prospect.
Pick 11 — Caleb Downs, SAF, Ohio State Ohio State #4 — making this the most dominant single-program performance in Round 1 in recent NFL Draft history. Downs transferred from Alabama before becoming a consensus All-American in Columbus.
Pick 12 — Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama · RallyFuel Profile → A former top recruit who developed into a first-round pick in Tuscaloosa after returning to the program following a brief transfer stint.
Pick 13 — Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama · RallyFuel Profile → The second quarterback taken, and a redemption story for a player who waited patiently behind others before his moment arrived.
Pick 14 — Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State One of the draft’s premier interior offensive linemen, Ioane was a cornerstone of Penn State’s offensive front.
Pick 15 — Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami · RallyFuel Profile → The third Hurricane selected in Round 1 — a remarkable showing for Mario Cristobal’s program. Bain was one of the most disruptive pass rushers in the ACC.
Pick 16 — Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon · RallyFuel Profile → A versatile tight end whose combination of blocking and receiving ability made him one of the draft’s most complete prospects at the position.
Pick 17 — Blake Miller, OT, Clemson Clemson’s offensive line continues to produce NFL talent. Miller was a multi-year starter who anchored the Tigers’ protection unit.
Pick 18 — Caleb Banks, DT, Florida A disruptive interior presence who was one of the SEC’s most feared defensive tackles.
Pick 19 — Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia · RallyFuel Profile → Georgia’s offensive line machine rolls on. Freeling was a cornerstone of the Bulldogs’ protection unit.
Pick 20 — Makai Lemon, WR, USC · RallyFuel Profile → One of the draft’s most electric receivers — a player who lit up the Pac-12 successor conference before becoming a first-round pick.
Pick 21 — Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State The second Sun Devil selected — another signal that Arizona State’s program is producing NFL talent at an accelerating rate.
Pick 22 — Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami Miami’s fourth first-round pick. The Hurricanes’ defensive line factory is operating at full capacity.
Pick 23 — Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF The standout pick for mid-major fans everywhere. Lawrence proved that elite pass rush talent doesn’t only come from Power Four programs.
Pick 24 — KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M A receiver who excelled in the SEC and became one of the Aggies’ most productive pass catchers.
Pick 25 — Dillon Thieneman, SAF, Oregon A ball-hawking safety whose instincts and production at Oregon made him a first-round certainty.
Pick 26 — Keylan Rutledge, G, Georgia Tech A guard whose development in Atlanta paid off with a first-round selection — and a huge moment for Georgia Tech’s program.
Pick 27 — Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State Another mid-major success story. Johnson is proof that NFL scouts find talent everywhere when it’s undeniable.
Pick 28 — Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah · RallyFuel Profile → Utah’s second first-round offensive lineman in Round 1 — cementing the Utes as one of college football’s premier offensive line factories.
Pick 29 — Peter Woods, DT, Clemson The second Tiger selected. Woods was one of the most decorated defensive linemen in the ACC.
Pick 30 — Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana The second Hoosier taken in Round 1 — making Indiana one of the surprise programs of the 2026 draft class.
Pick 31 — Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn · RallyFuel Profile → A pass rusher who consistently disrupted SEC offenses and rewarded Auburn fans who believed in him throughout his career.
Pick 32 — Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame Notre Dame bookended Round 1 with their second running back selected. Price’s selection completes a remarkable night for the Irish.
The NIL Era’s First Full Draft Class
The 2026 draft class is the first group of players who spent their entire college careers in the full NIL era. Every athlete in this class — from Fernando Mendoza to Jadarian Price — had the opportunity to build a brand, connect with fans, and monetize their name before ever signing an NFL contract.
That changes everything about what it means to be a college athlete today.
Before NIL, the only way fans could express their investment in a player’s future was by buying a jersey or showing up to games. Now, fans can fuel athletes directly — building a genuine relationship that follows players from campus to the combine to draft night.
That’s the Trophy Case. When you fuel an athlete on RallyFuel before the draft, you’re not just supporting their NIL. You’re documenting your belief in them. And when their name gets called — as 32 athletes heard it called on Thursday night in Green Bay — that moment belongs to the fans who were there first.
The Programs That Dominated Round 1
Ohio State: 4 picks (Tate, Reese, Styles, Downs) No program came close to matching the Buckeyes’ Round 1 production. Four first-round picks from a single school is historically rare — and a testament to Ryan Day’s program operating at the absolute peak of college football.
Miami: 4 picks (Mauigoa, Bain, Mesidor, + 1 more) Mario Cristobal’s recruiting investments are paying off in a major way. Miami’s defensive line alone accounted for multiple picks.
Notre Dame: 2 picks (Love, Price) Two running backs from the same program in Round 1. Marcus Freeman’s Irish are back as a legitimate national power.
Indiana: 2 picks (Mendoza, Cooper) The most surprising two-pick program in the round. Indiana has never produced a Round 1 quarterback before Mendoza. Cooper’s selection at #30 cements what was a historic night for Bloomington.
Clemson: 2 picks (Miller, Woods) Dabo Swinney’s program continues its streak of consistent NFL production.
Utah: 2 picks (Fano, Lomu) The Utes are quietly one of the best offensive line programs in college football. Two first-rounders in a single round makes that official.
Fuel the Next Wave
The 2026 class is gone — but the 2027 class is already on RallyFuel.
Every athlete who will hear their name called next April is on campus right now, building their brand, developing their game, and connecting with fans who believe in them. The athletes who will dominate next year’s draft board are the ones on RallyFuel today.
15 Round 1 picks from the 2026 class had RallyFuel profiles before draft night — the #1 overall pick, a Heisman winner, and future Pro Bowlers. All on RallyFuel first.
Find them. Fuel them. Build your Trophy Case before the rest of the world catches up.
Browse college athletes on RallyFuel → rallyfuel.com
Build your Trophy Case → rallyfuel.com/trophy-case
Heisman NIL Power Rankings → rallyfuel.com/heisman-nil
Check the Transfer Tracker → rallyfuel.com/transfer-tracker
Learn More About the NIL Landscape
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