Welcome back to another edition of The Scouting Notebook.
The Scouting Notebook will feature prospects to watch during the college football slate. While some may think it’s too early to start talking about the 2026 NFL draft, there’s never a bad time to discuss the future of the Chargers.
That said, here are the players to watch for in Week 6.
G Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
Ioane has made clear strides in his junior season, steadying his pass protection while continuing to road grade defenders in the run game. The Penn State left guard had a strong performance against a talented Oregon front last week and now will travel with the Nittany Lions to the Chargers’ backyard for a matchup with UCLA. While he needs to time his hands a bit better to establish more polish as a prospect, Ioane looks like he could be the first guard off the board next April if he continues his recent ascent.
WR CJ Daniels, Miami
Wide receiver isn’t a huge need for the Chargers with the early-season emergence of Quentin Johnston, but it’s one of the few positional rooms big enough to accommodate a draft pick every season. Daniels has flashed some incredible body control and contested catch ability early this season for the Hurricanes and has a key matchup with Florida State on deck on Saturday. The former Liberty and LSU receiver may lack top-end speed, but he can move all over the formation and make the tough catches when needed.
DL Anthony Smith, Minnesota
Smith has been a riser throughout the first month of the college football season, producing six sacks in four games to match his previous career high set in 2024. At 6’6″, 285 lbs, the fourth-year Gopher is a bit of an inside/outside tweener, but he’s shown enough explosiveness on the edge to be a jumbo-sized perimeter player at the next level potentially. The Chargers favor edge defenders who are stout against the run under coordinator Jesse Minter, which could put Smith higher on their board than some other teams that favor more fireballing types off the edge.
EDGE Tyreak Sapp, Florida
The Chargers should be looking for Khalil Mack’s replacement and starter opposite Tuli Tuipulotu this next offseason. At 6-foot-3 and 274 pounds, Sapp is strong and heavy-handed with the power to set the edge against the run and the burst and bend to pressure quarterbacks. He led the Gators with seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss in 2024.
TE Joe Royer, Cincinnati
The Chargers have something in Oronde Gadsden II, but they have to fill their tight end room with more youth. Royer, the Ohio State transfer, had 50 receptions for 521 yards and three touchdowns last season. Through four games, he has ten catches for 162 yards and two scores. Royer is a threat in the passing game, possessing great hands and the athleticism to get vertical and pick up yards after the catch.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: 2026 NFL draft: 5 prospects Chargers fans should watch for in Week 6
