As many Laguna Beach High School seniors prepare to attend colleges across the country, the 2026 NFL Draft is altering the collegiate teams and players that they once followed. For many students, top colleges’ star athletes declaring for the draft means attending games at their new home stadiums won’t feel the same without the players who helped define their programs in recent years.
Each year, more than 200 players are drafted into the NFL or other professional leagues, leaving behind college programs that incoming students are preparing to join. For LBHS seniors, this creates a change in their expectations, as the teams they followed in high school may look very different when they arrive on campus. They won’t be able to feel that surge of excitement when shaping LBHS seniors’ college experience, their favorite player bulldozes a defender in their path, or see a perfect spiral that drops right into a receiver’s hands in a heated rivalry game. When at a game, they can’t chant that player’s name in support, and even commemorating them by wearing their jersey just won’t feel right. Since these pivotal players who reshaped their teams’ programs are heading off to college, incoming college freshmen will miss an important opportunity to support and cheer on their favorite players. Everyone has a special connection to their favorite players, regardless of skill, and as players head to the draft earlier each year, fans have to pivot to supporting them on NFL teams. Below are thoughts from some LBHS seniors on the draft, their favorite NFL teams, and their thoughts on players leaving the colleges that they will be attending and cheering on. I also added some dynamic college players who could become LBHS Seniors’ new fan favorites and would be a spectacle to watch in a game atmosphere.
Senior Cade Lalim thoroughly enjoyed his favorite NFL team, the Minnesota Vikings, picking Caleb Banks since “he is a beast,” but Cade, “hopes that he can stay healthy”. The Vikings selected Caleb Banks, who is a defensive tackle from the University of Florida, with their first pick in the 1st round at No. 18. At 6’6, 320 lbs, Banks is a physical player, and if his raw strength can be molded into talent, he can easily put up big numbers for the Vikings.
Bryce Stothers, a senior who is attending the University of Nebraska, will no longer be able to see star running back Emmet Johnson play since he was drafted to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 5th round, 161st overall, in this year’s draft. Bryce was able to see him play against UCLA and watched as “He scored like all of their touchdowns.” Stothers noted that Johnson “is shifty out of the backfield,” and although he is a “lot smaller than normal running backs,” he makes up for it by being able to “catch the ball well.” Bryce thought,” he was gonna go in the third round or maybe the fourth.” However, he fell to the Chiefs, who were able to get a hidden gem in the later rounds. Johnson ended his explosive season at Nebraska with 15 total touchdowns, 1,451 rushing yards(Big Ten leader), and was almost impossible for defenders to bring down. With the departure of star quarterback Dylan Raiola to the University of Oregon, Nebraska Cornhusker fans will look towards the UNLV transfer quarterback Anthony Colandrea to lead the charge in the highly competitive Big 10 conference. Colandrea threw for 3,459 yards (17th nationally) and 23 touchdowns at UNLV, which earned him the 2025 Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year.
Bryce is also a fan of the New Orleans Saints and their 1st round draft pick(8) Jordan Tyson. When asked how he felt about the pick, Bryce Stothers said he “likes it but hopes he can stay healthy” and believes that “he is the best receiver in the class” if he can remain on the field. Jordan Tyson is crazy athletic, and with his high jumping and elite contested-catch ability, he can tear up any NFL team’s best cornerback. At Arizona State, Tyson was able to put up 711 yards and catch 8 touchdown passes despite injury setbacks. ASU looks to have the University of Colorado transfer Omarion Miller take over Tyson’s role as Arizona State’s new No.1 wide receiver. Miller is a speedy deep threat who put up 8 touchdowns and 808 receiving yards, averaging 18.0 yards per catch (the highest among Colorado players in 2025).
Zealan Munsey is a senior who will be attending the University of Oregon in the fall and won’t be able to see top players like the 2nd ranked safety in the draft by ESPN, Dillon Thieneman( selected Round 1 pick 25 to the Chicago Bears), and the number one-ranked tight end by ESPN, Kenyon Sadiq( selected Round 1 pick 16 to the New York Jets). Zealan was personally a huge fan of Thieneman, and as a Dallas Cowboys fan, he had hoped that his team would draft the Ducks star. Zealan felt, “That it’s pretty sad because [he] really [enjoyed] watching him and had really begun to, “appreciate the defensive side more than the offensive side” of football. Munsey believes that “he is gonna do very well in the nfl” which is expected since, Thieneman’s play recognition combined with his quick instincts has allowed him to make big plays especially in the clutch when he was an Oregon Duck. Zealan Munsey, however, is “excited to see Dante Moore play,” and he “does think that Oregon will be top 4 and Dante Moore will put up a Heisman-type performance”. Moore, who was projected at the number 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, opted to stay at Oregon for another season and will compete in the 2027 season for the Heisman Trophy and a shot at the National Championship. Those big dreams for Oregon are well within reach, since quarterback Dante Moore’s mobile pocket-passing abilities and powerful arm strength will allow him to fling deep passes on go/fly routes to top receivers Evan Stewart and Dakorien Moore. On the defensive side, Koi Perich will look to fill the gap at safety left by Thieneman’s departure, and Perich’s skills, paired with his defensive leadership traits, will pose a threat to opposing offenses.
With college looming around the corner for LBHS seniors, the 2026 NFL Draft highlights the constant change in college football, where the players they once followed are replaced by a new generation that they will soon experience firsthand.
Sources: https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft/teams/_/name/chi/chicago-bears
