![\"(Josh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ed_prestigeart_040226_all-juice-team_2100.jpg\"\/)
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(Josh Heim\/Yahoo Sports)<\/p>\n
As All-Juice Team moments go, this one might as well have a bronze statue.<\/p>\n
Fourth-and-5 with 9:27 left in the national championship game \u2014 holding a collar-tightening 17-14 lead over the Miami Hurricanes \u2014 the Indiana Hoosiers went for it. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza took a shotgun snap at the Miami 19-yard line and inexplicably ran. But he didn\u2019t just run. He cut right, jumped over an offensive lineman sprawled out throwing a block, caromed off two Miami defenders who had sandwiched Mendoza with a simultaneous hit at the 4-yard line, spun and dove into the end zone, stretching the ball and his torso over the goal line, where he got rocked in the back with another hit.<\/p>\n
If you want a dictionary definition of what having all the juice means \u2014 epitomizing the standards of effort, attitude and performance \u2014 this was the moment. This play, on the biggest stage, with the ball in the hands of the biggest rags-to-riches quarterback in college football, this is why Terez Paylor came up with the All-Juice Team<\/a> 12 years ago. To honor not only the players with the talent and mentality and almost undefinable gravitas, but to recognize those among them who will lay everything they have on the line when everyone on their shoulders requires it.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n That\u2019s what Mendoza did on Jan. 19, completing arguably the most improbable story in college football history, while giving up every ounce of himself in a game that literally left several parts of his body bleeding.<\/p>\n On a team and in a process that has always sought quarterbacks who could lead and elevate the players around them, Mendoza\u2019s inclusion became a no-brainer. With that in mind, we give you the 12th installment of the All-Juice Team, an annual continuation of seeking to creatively draft a college football team with a roster epitomizing players who blend elite levels of effort, attitude and performance.<\/p>\n Before we get to the team, a recap of Terez\u2019s approach when choosing an All-Juice roster: The team is based on NFL talent evaluators and coaching staff feedback, choosing two players per \u201cshelf,\u201d building a full 22-man team plus one priority free agent. The one extra player is a shoutout to an earlier edition of one of Terez\u2019s All-Juice teams where he added an extra defensive player to account for a nickel spot while also maintaining a traditional seven-man box. We have chosen to use the additional spot to add a preferred free agent who was put onto our radar by sources, putting this year\u2019s selection in the offensive category despite his special teams designation.<\/p>\n With that in mind, enjoy the 12th annual All-Juice Team. As always, we hope Terez would have approved of the work. Here are the shelf breakdowns based on where each prospect was projected to go.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Please help us keep the memory of our late friend and colleague Terez Paylor alive and pick up one of the All-Juice Team T-shirts or hoodies<\/a>, with proceeds going to Howard University<\/a> and the University of Missouri<\/a>. The funds will support a scholarship for journalism students in Terez\u2019s name, helping to provide some of the same opportunities that Terez had on his trek to becoming an influential NFL reporter in Kansas City and on the national stage.<\/p>\n Top 10 picks<\/p>\n Fernando Mendoza, Indiana QB Picks 11-20<\/p>\n Monroe Freeling, Georgia OT Picks 21-32<\/p>\n Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State G Advertisement<\/p>\n Top of Round 2<\/p>\n Blake Miller, Clemson OT Bottom of Round 2<\/p>\n Keionte Scott, Miami CB Top of Round 3<\/p>\n Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State Edge Bottom of Round 3<\/p>\n Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh LB Round 4<\/p>\n Bud Clark, TCU S Round 5<\/p>\n Zane Durant, Penn State DT Round 6<\/p>\n Micah Morris, Georgia G Round 7<\/p>\n Jakobe Thomas, Miami S Priority free agent<\/p>\n Jaffer Murphy, UTSA PK<\/p>\n (Josh Heim\/Yahoo Sports)<\/p>\n Fernando Mendoza, Indiana (QB) \u2014 Captain<\/p>\n He went from a Yale commit to parlaying two seasons at Cal into a transfer to Indiana last season, where he smashed through his ceiling, throwing for 41 touchdowns and rushing for seven more. Mendoza has the quintessential size (6-foot-5 and 236 pounds) of a prototype quarterback, as well as the leadership qualities NFL teams love at the position. As mentioned in the All-Juice Team lead-in, his touchdown run against Miami in the national title win for the Hoosiers was a pure All-Juice moment. If you want to see how he ended up on this team, watch that championship game. It encapsulated Mendoza\u2019s ability to take a beating and keep coming back, as well as make the critical play when it had to happen.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Even his critics laud his grit, with one high-ranking AFC executive who was nitpicking Mendoza at the scouting combine said, \u201cHe\u2019s tough as s***. I can\u2019t deny that.\u201d An NFC executive, who voted for Mendoza\u2019s All-Juice inclusion, added: \u201cHe\u2019s big, smart and tough, and those are usually the kinds of quarterbacks who figure it out [on the NFL level].\u201d Another talent evaluator likened his determination to last year\u2019s No. 1 overall draft pick, Cam Ward, who like Mendoza was largely a recruiting afterthought coming out of high school<\/a> but managed to claw his way to the top of NFL draft boards. That and his resiliency in the face of mistakes or adversity put Mendoza over the top for our All-Juice quarterback and the captain of our offense. \u2014Robinson<\/p>\n Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas (RB)<\/p>\n Another transfer portal climber who leveled up from Buffalo to New Mexico State and finally Arkansas last season. Washington seemed to get better with each transfer, bringing it all together in 2025, when he ran for 1,070 yards and caught 28 passes for another 226. If you want to see a rep that will get you excited, check out his 22-yard touchdown run against Texas, when Washington lowered his shoulder and absolutely planted a Longhorns safety on his way to the end zone. That might have been his All-Juice highlight.<\/p>\n Washington produced some big games against big-time SEC opponents, despite playing on an Arkansas team that didn\u2019t have much NFL talent around him. League talent evaluators who liked Washington see him as a potential three-down running back, even with some work to be done on his pass protections. He\u2019s big (6-1 and 223 pounds) and left some jaws wagging at the combine with a 4.33 40-yard dash. He\u2019s more of a one-cut-and-go player who fits a zone running scheme. An NFC talent evaluator likened him to a less nifty version of Jonathan Taylor. \u2014Robinson<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State (WR)<\/p>\n Tyson at his best might be the wide receiver in this class with the cleanest chance to grow into a true No. 1 receiver in the NFL. He has incredible ability at the catch point to leap over defensive backs and make plays in traffic and has enough juice when he\u2019s healthy to be a threat in the open field. With Mendoza, Monroe Freeling and Tyson on the squad, the framework of a potential high-octane offense is here on the All-Juice team.<\/p>\n Tyson\u2019s extensive injury history, including a hamstring ailment that plagued him during the season through the pre-draft workout circuit, will ding him on draft day, but if he can get healthy or stay healthier, there\u2019s big-time potential here from a playmaker standpoint on the outside.\u00a0\u2014McDonald<\/p>\n KC Concepcion, Texas A&M (WR)<\/p>\n Yet another portal maximizer, Concepcion spent two seasons at North Carolina State before transferring to Texas A&M for the 2025 season, catching 61 passes for 919 yards and nine touchdowns. He can also be a lethal returner and was a first-team All-American as an all-purpose offensive player. He didn\u2019t run a 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, but talent evaluators love his speed, especially against some NFL-level defensive backs. He dropped seven passes last season, but he showed up at the combine vowing to showcase his focus and impressed teams with his drill work. Check out his rep in the gauntlet from the combine. It was fast and clean and showcased his determination to fix the drop issues.<\/p>\n One evaluator billed Concepcion as a blend of Jayden Reed and some Luther Burden III, with an ability to play various roles in an offensive scheme and also provide big plays on special teams. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t have to just be a slot player \u2014 he can definitely play all over and a little bit behind the line of scrimmage. You want to create ways to just get the balls in his hands and let him do his thing.\u201d Concepcion also drew admiration from teams with a social media post standing up for individuals afflicted with speech impediments, after some fleabags made comments about Concepcion\u2019s stutter during a podium appearance. \u201cHe\u2019s a great kid,\u201d an AFC evaluator said. \u201cHe was a lot of fun to meet with.\u201d \u2014Robinson<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State (WR)<\/p>\n We had to find a top value receiver in the fifth round who does at least one thing well, and Thompson drew votes from talent evaluators because there\u2019s no denying his straight line speed. He ran a blazing 4.26 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine \u2014 no surprise considering he also notched multiple 100-meter dashes that came in under the 10.4 second mark as a track athlete. He\u2019s not big, coming in at 5-foot-9 and 164 pounds, but he\u2019s also not going to be the type of NFL player who is asked to do a wide array of things. As one NFC area scout said, Thompson\u2019s usage will be to \u201cget deep and let you take big shots.\u201d He did that in college, where he was another portal bouncer, going from Texas to Oklahoma to Mississippi State, where he blossomed with 57 catches for 1,054 yards and a gaudy 18.5 yards per catch.<\/p>\n Despite not having ideal size, he handled the load as the centerpiece of Mississippi State\u2019s passing offense \u2014 and he put up numbers that stood out in the SEC. Interestingly, one evaluator noted that despite spending only one year in Starkville, Thompson was still lauded by the coaching staff for quickly becoming a leader in the locker room. Given that he only scratched his potential in 2025, he might have more ceiling to access with the right coaching staff. Check out his second game at Mississippi State against Arizona State. Everyone had an eye on Sun Devils wideout Jordyn Tyson and it was Thompson who stole the show. \u2014Robinson<\/p>\n Will Kacmarek, Ohio State (TE)<\/p>\n Kacmarek came out of the weeds a bit when we were looking for a sixth-round tight end who offered good value and the ability to make a 53-man roster. Multiple personnel men pointed to Kacmarek, with one NFC West evaluator raving that Kacmarek will \u201ccrack your ass as a downfield blocker.\u201d That\u2019s the rub with him in his All-Juice role \u2014 he\u2019s being selected for the team for being a high-end blocker in his class. Throw on the tape of his game against Michigan and you will see him rag-dolling a couple NFL-caliber defenders. The more you watch him as a blocker, the more you\u2019ll really like him. And he\u2019s unbothered with physical contact as a receiver, too, although he\u2019s not the type who is going to run away from guys.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n While we took Kacmarek in the sixth, don\u2019t be surprised if he ends up going a couple rounds higher. Some evaluators with the power to draft him were really high on him as essentially a player who can basically be a legit sixth offensive lineman with room to fill out as a physical and opportunistic pass catcher. Think a ceiling of Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington, who really started to come into his own as both a high-end blocker and sneaky target for Aaron Rodgers last season. While Kacmarek isn\u2019t quite the athlete and doesn\u2019t bring all of the size Washington does, you can see some of the same nasty physicality. Sign us up. \u2014Robinson<\/p>\n Monroe Freeling, Georgia (LT\/OT)<\/p>\n There might not be a more improved player in college football this past year than Freeling. Following a rough performance in the CFP against Notre Dame a year ago, he was able to right the ship and harness his unreal physical gifts to put himself in a position to be a first-round NFL Draft pick. To say Freeling is a good athlete would be underselling. Like many offensive tackles in this class, Freeling showed off elite measurables and then backed that up in the testing drills where he confirmed his status as a player dripping with the potential to become dominant in the NFL.<\/p>\n Freeling was a huge reason why Georgia\u2019s rushing game had a resurgence in 2025, routinely showing off otherworldly athleticism and flexibility to be a weapon as a second-level blocker for the Bulldogs. He\u2019s not done polishing his game, but his rapid improvement over the past year suggests he may reach that ceiling as he continues to grow. It\u2019s not the most important piece of his talent evaluation, but the fact that Georgia put him on the punt team as the personal protector, lining up in the backfield, is wild because theoretically the Bulldogs would have trusted him to make a tackle in open space. Someone will roll the dice high and the recent rapid improvement should give confidence that he can continue to grow into a franchise left tackle. \u2014McDonald<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Blake Miller, Clemson (OT)<\/p>\n As the draft has approached, the idea of taking Miller at the top of the second round has gotten to be little more of a stretch, but that speaks to what he brings to the table. He has the size, weight and strength (32 bench reps at the scouting combine) of an ideal offensive tackle. A talent evaluator who framed Miller as \u201can instant starter\u201d at the next level put us onto his tape versus All-Juice Team edge Dani Dennis-Sutton (and future high-round draft pick) when Clemson faced Penn State. It was superb. It completely lived up to what made Miller a high-end recruit and translated into a highly impressive 54 college starts. This is NOT one of the college offensive tackles who will need to be taught how to play the position in the NFL. He knows. He\u2019s ready.<\/p>\n He\u2019s smooth in his play and sets up in a way that showcases his 6-7, 317-pound frame and length. He\u2019s got some nasty to him, too. He\u2019s got a ton of length that is very obvious when you watch him. He\u2019s been durable and handled blocking on a fairly balanced offense over the course of his collegiate career. An AFC evaluator who put Miller\u2019s name on his All-Juice submission labeled him the most \u201csteady\u201d and \u201cexperienced\u201d tackle in this draft, while noting the number of high-level games he\u2019s played over his four years at Clemson. As that evaluator put it, \u201cHe started as a freshman and went four years in that lineup. Big, big program. That instantly catches my attention. I wish we had 20 of him in every draft. It just doesn\u2019t happen.\u201d \u2014Robinson<\/p>\n Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State (LG\/G)<\/p>\n Ioane stands out as a potential first-round offensive guard in a draft otherwise lacking elite interior offensive line talent. He possesses the athletic traits and “mean streak” necessary to succeed in the NFL. However, he needs to improve the consistency of his fundamentals. Paired with Freeling, Ioane forms the foundation of the All-Juice team’s offensive line, offering significant physical upside and the ability to immediately create running lanes.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n While the idea of Ioane might currently be more appealing than his present skill level,\u00a0 a common theme in this draft class, his upside is undeniably real, and offensive line importance is paramount. Due to the lack of competition among potential impact interior blockers, there’s a strong chance Ioane is selected earlier than expected, as he has the potential to be one of those impact players. \u2014McDonald<\/p>\n Micah Morris, Georgia (RG\/G)<\/p>\n The overall interior offensive line depth is lacking in this year\u2019s draft class, so we decided to take the super athletic, punishing guard from Georgia as a dart throw. Morris had a tremendous performance at the scouting combine, showing developable athletic traits in a 325-pound frame. He was a big reason for the resurgence of the Bulldogs\u2019 run game and the plan is for him to do the same thing for the All-Juice Team.\u00a0\u2014McDonald<\/p>\n Jake Slaughter, C, Florida<\/p>\n A three-year starter and two-year captain who earned All-American honors his final two seasons at Florida, Slaughter anchored the Gators\u2019 offensive line. He faced plenty of good defensive line talent during his career and is as pure as you can get from the center spot, taking all of his college snaps there. He got some reps at guard at the Senior Bowl but talent evaluators said he was most comfortable at center in practices. Basically, Slaughter is what he is positionally and we didn\u2019t make this pick because he offers interior line flexibility. When we were looking for a middle-round center, Slaughter got a handful of votes from evaluators as a smart, consistent competitor who could end up being a player that an NFL team can plug into the starting lineup inside of his first two years and then not worry about the position for the next decade.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n While he\u2019s limited as an athlete, he makes up for it with the kind of football IQ that will allow him to make pre-snap reads and help set protections. Center is always a tricky pick for this team because it\u2019s rarely packed with the best athletes and the upside that gives prospects the ability to relocate to guard in the NFL. Slaughter is a consistent technician who will have enough movement ability to play in most schemes, including zone-heavy looks. While he excelled in pass protection, he also comes from a program that had a balanced offense, making him a solid cog opening the point of attack in a running play. \u2014Robinson<\/p>\n Jaffer Murphy, UTSA (PK)<\/p>\n The priority free agent (someone we think will be undrafted) is one of our favorite exercises on the All-Juice Team. There is NEVER a shortage of talent evaluators who have some hidden gem player they love for this spot. The best of which \u2014 in All-Juice history \u2014 was probably Carolina Panthers rising wideout Jalen Coker, who was tapped as our priority free agent in 2024<\/a> on the advice of evaluators. Coker is now the standard for finding a player who can become a key and talented starter who didn\u2019t require a draft pick. This is Terez Paylor\u2019s legacy team and I can tell you confidently that finding a quality undrafted free-agent rookie would have been his pinnacle.<\/p>\n With that in mind, we give you Murphy, who is the first kicker in history to be added to the All-Juice team. An NFC evaluator first submitted him \u201cjust because he obliterated his pro day,\u201d but we ended up with a handful of other NFL scouting sources concurring. Check any social media platform and you can find the Murphy hype. He ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash, an otherworldly 45-inch vertical and crushed 12 of his 13 field-goal attempts for scouts, including a 70-yarder that lit up the internet. Oh, and just for the full view, among those kicks he also converted from 57, 61 and 65 yards. He\u2019s cut out of marble and appears to have a tremendously high ceiling for whatever team wants to devote the time and patience. UTSA used him as only its kickoff specialist, taking advantage of his cannon leg. You want a player with an wild ceiling who requires just coaching and to make football his life\u2019s primary priority? This is the guy. \u2014Robinson<\/p>\n (Josh Heim\/Yahoo Sports)<\/p>\n Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (EDGE) \u2014 Captain<\/p>\n Bain burst into national stardom this past college season as the anchor on one of the best defenses of 2025, blowing up offensive lines en route to a tightly contested loss to Indiana in the national championship game. Bain\u2019s performance in the College Football Playoff showed why he\u2019s going to be among the first names drafted this month. There have been questions about his arm length <\/a>and this weekend a report surfaced on his involvement in a fatal auto accident in 2024<\/a>. It\u2019s unclear how the latter will affect his draft standing, although multiple media reports have indicated the incident is widely known among NFL teams. As for his on-field shortcomings over his arm length and how that will translate to the next level, he\u2019s already shown enough elite skills to overcome those perceived setbacks at a high level.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Bain didn\u2019t test in the standard drills that measure athleticism, but he is seriously athletic and powerful with the way he\u2019s equally effective against the run and pass. He\u2019s probably going to be a classic \u201chand in the dirt\u201d defensive end in the NFL, but that shouldn\u2019t hurt him too much on draft day.<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to find players with an all-around game this strong, and he should be an impact player from Day 1 for his new NFL team.\u00a0 \u2014McDonald<\/p>\n Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State (EDGE)<\/p>\n Sensing a theme here for the All-Juice team defensive linemen this year? Dennis-Sutton is another twitched-up athlete who quietly has checked a lot of boxes that teams look for in top defensive line prospects. Dennis-Sutton is a rarity in today\u2019s college football landscape: a non-redshirt, four-year contributor for a major college football program. Dennis-Sutton played in 55 games for the Nittany Lions, racking up 25 tackles for loss and 17 sacks over his final two seasons.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n At the scouting combine, he ran a 4.63 40-yard dash, jumped 39.5 inches in the vertical jump and had elite scores in the broad jump and three-cone drill \u2014\u00a0at 6-6 and nearly 260 pounds. That\u2019s the athletic profile of a Pro Bowl defensive lineman, with big-school experience without the higher-end age we normally see from prospects who play this many collegiate games. This could be a serious diamond in the rough, and with the right defensive line coach, Dennis-Sutton could wind up being a long-term starter in the NFL.\u00a0\u2014McDonald<\/p>\n Caleb Banks, Florida (DT)<\/p>\n
Rueben Bain Jr., Miami Edge<\/p>\n
Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State WR<\/p>\n
KC Concepcion, Texas A&M WR<\/p>\n
Caleb Banks, Florida DT<\/p>\n
Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech LB<\/p>\n
Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas RB<\/p>\n
Jake Slaughter, Florida C<\/p>\n
Domani Jackson, Alabama CB<\/p>\n
Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State WR<\/p>\n
Will Kacmarek, Ohio State TE<\/p>\n
Jaden Dugger, Louisiana LB<\/p>\n![\"(Josh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/26_all-juice_offense_v2_8606.jpg\"\/)
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