Long-term success in Devy and C2C formats means planting your flag on college prospects early, before the market catches up (including those who may eventually affect pro football odds). Some player takes that your league mates consider absurd today could be consensus in a couple of months; that’s how fast this landscape moves.
With that in mind, I’m going on record with four spicy Devy/C2C takes for the 2026 CFB season. There will always be swings and misses in these formats, but when I do make contact, I want it to be a home run.
1. Mario Craver will be runner-up for the Biletnikoff and go in Round 1 of the 2027 NFL Draft.
Runner-up to Jeremiah Smith, of course. Mario Craver is one of the more polarizing players in Devy and C2C formats today. There are certainly “truthers” (like myself) out there, but most are concerned his playstyle and frame will limit his NFL ceiling.
I have very few concerns with Craver. Sure, he’s undersized, but he reportedly put on a ton of size this offseason and is up to 180 pounds. He’s always played bigger than his listed size, but physicality should no longer be an issue.
Craver is a twitchy, dynamic YAC monster who can win at all three levels and has the acceleration to take the top off of defenses. He was also outproducing first-round talent KC Concepcion in the early part of the 2025 season, with 440 receiving yards and four touchdowns through the first three games. Craver has his quarterback, Marcel Reed, back, and projects to be the clear WR1 for the Aggies. 1200 yards and eight touchdowns will be his floor in 2026.
2. Jonathan Hatton Jr. will be the Sooners’ clear RB1 by the end of the season.
I’ll take it a step further: Hatton will be valued as a top 12 running back in Devy by this time next year. He has plenty of backfield competition this year, with Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock returning, as well as Colorado State transfer Lloyd Avant. But I think the consensus four-star freshman will ultimately prove to be the most talented of the bunch and be a starter late in the year.
Hatton has received nothing but rave reviews from the Oklahoma coaching staff this offseason. Reports say he’s around 230 pounds right now, but highly explosive and lightning fast for his size.
I liked what I saw on his high school tape, displaying a willingness to initiate contact and showing decisiveness behind the line. He’s more of your one-cut, downhill runner, and once he gets momentum, he’s tough to bring down. I think Hatton could be really special.
3. Jeremiah Koger will post a 1,000-yard season for Auburn.
Koger is beginning to get more buzz in Devy and C2C circles now, but is still wildly undervalued. Including their bowl game, the guy posted over 600 receiving yards and eight touchdowns as a true freshman for South Florida, and he did so without posting a single reception until Week 6.
He now follows his head coach, Alex Golesh, over to Auburn, where he projects to be the starting “Z” receiver. Keshaun Singleton (another USF transfer) will get his as well, but I believe Koger is the better receiver. With a familiar game plan and the same quarterback in Byrum Brown throwing him the football, I don’t see Koger struggling to get acclimated to P4 play. At 6’3” and 215 pounds, he’s the ideal size and frame for an NFL boundary receiver. Get ready for this kid to make waves at the NFL level in a couple of years.
4. Cooper Barkate will match Malachi Toney in production.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying Barkate is a comparable player to Toney. They’re not in the same ballpark. However, I don’t think the Devy community fully realizes just how productive Barkate has been across his career. He’s posted back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons, his most recent with Duke and Darian Mensah (his current quarterback at Miami). He’s combined for 18 receiving touchdowns in those two seasons. He’s sitting at 2.65 career yards per route run (YPRR) and a 27.8% target rate. Those are all incredibly strong marks.
This Miami passing attack should be heavily consolidated in favor of Toney and Barkate; I expect these two receivers to account for well over 60% of the pass production. I see both receivers finishing the year around 1,100-1,200 receiving yards and 8-10 touchdowns. Again, Toney is the top dog here. He’s the future NFL superstar and first-round selection. That said, don’t be surprised if Barkate sneaks into Day 2 of the 2027 NFL Draft and carves out a nice complementary role at the next level. He’s a legit talent and deserves his flowers
Thanks for taking the time to check out today’s article. If you have any Dynasty, Devy, or C2C-related questions, I can be reached on X @jim_DFF. #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding #AlwaysBeScouting
