The NFL season officially begins a week from tonight when the Colts and Saints square off in the Thursday night opener.

But the football season really kicks off this evening with several college matchups that will include players who will be suiting up on Sundays in the next year or two.

Here are a few names to keep your eyes on tonight if you're a draft junkie or just a college football fan:

Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU - At 6-foot-1, 299 pounds, Dorsey is considered by most draft gurus as the top defensive tackle prospect in all the land. Scout.com has him listed as the top prospect overall for the 2008 draft and Scouts, Inc. has him rated No. 4 among seniors. In its college football preview issue, Sports Illustrated talked about how Dorsey was bow-legged and had to wear leg braces when he was three years old. He likely would have been a first-round selection in last year's draft but decided to come back for his senior year. Keep  your eye on No. 72 when No. 2 LSU travels to Jackson, Miss. to take on Mississippi State in ESPN's 8 o'clock game.

Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU - He's only a junior this year, but at 6-foot-5, 290 pounds, draft gurus fully expect Jackson to be a first-round pick if he leaves school early. Last season, he piled up 8.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. According to this article in The Advocate, Jackson and Dorsey have lived together for three years, and Dorsey does all the talking while Jackson is the more soft-spoken of the pair.

Early Doucet, WR, LSU - There's a reason LSU is among the handful of favorites to win the national championship this season. Scouts, Inc. has Doucet ranked as their No. 7 senior prospect and their top wide receiver. Draft gurus expect this to be a big year for Doucet, considering he's never had to be LSU's go-to guy. The Tigers had Craig Davis and Hard Knocks-star Dwayne Bowe at wideout last season -- both first-round picks -- along with the No. 1 overall selection, quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville - As I wrote earlier this month, many were surprised when Brohm didn't come out after his junior season as coach Bobby Petrino left to take over the Falcons. Things could work out though if Atlanta's one of the five-worst teams this season and can draft Brohm in '08. He's a classic drop-back passer who completed nearly 64 percent of his passes last year. Mel Kiper compares him to Jim Kelly. Injuries have been a concern, but Brohm is expected to be a Heisman finalist if he stays healthy this season. Louisville hosts powerhouse Murray State tonight.

Ray Rice, RB, Rutgers - He doesn't have ideal size at 5-foot-9, 193 pounds, but draft pundits still like Rice's prospects should he decide to leave school after his junior year. Another potential Heisman finalist, Rice was part of Rutgers' surprise run last year, piling up 1,794 yards and 20 touchdowns. Rutgers takes on Buffalo tonight. Here's a YouTube video pushing him to win the Heisman.