Matt MillerDec 17, 2025, 06:25 AM ETCloseMatt Miller is an NFL draft analyst for ESPN, providing in-depth scouting on the nation’s top pro prospects. A Missouri native, Matt joined ESPN in 2021 and also contributes to SportsCenter, NFL Live and ESPN Radio. Prior to joining ESPN, Matt spent 11 years as a senior draft analyst at Bleacher Report.Follow on X
play0:24Zachariah Branch hauls in game’s first TD for GeorgiaGunner Stockton connects with Zachariah Branch who darts into the end zone for a 7-yard TD vs. Georgia Tech.
play0:13Ty Simpson escapes pocket and finds Isaiah Horton for a Bama TDIsaiah Horton hauls in a dime from Ty Simpson to pad the Crimson Tide’s lead.
Fernando Mendoza to McAfee: We’re humble, hungry and ready to get to work (0:55)Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza joins Pat McAfee and breaks down the program’s mindset heading into the College Football Playoff. (0:55)
Zachariah Branch hauls in game’s first TD for GeorgiaGunner Stockton connects with Zachariah Branch who darts into the end zone for a 7-yard TD vs. Georgia Tech.
Gunner Stockton connects with Zachariah Branch who darts into the end zone for a 7-yard TD vs. Georgia Tech.
Ty Simpson escapes pocket and finds Isaiah Horton for a Bama TDIsaiah Horton hauls in a dime from Ty Simpson to pad the Crimson Tide’s lead.
The 12-team College Football Playoff gets going Friday when Alabama plays at Oklahoma, the first of four first-round on-campus games. And not surprisingly, the top 12 teams of the 2025 CFB season have plenty of prospects for the 2026 NFL draft.
We’re identifying each player in the playoff who could be selected in the upcoming draft and which round they’d fit best right now, giving brief breakdowns on prospects graded in the first three rounds. These players’ draft stocks aren’t etched in stone; they can all rise or fall during playoff action and the predraft process. But this is where things stand right now and a good picture of which teams could be sending a bunch of top talent to the early rounds of the draft.
Let’s get started with the No. 1-seeded team in the CFP and the only undefeated squad left in the FBS. Prospects are ordered within each round by overall ranking, injured players are included and underclassmen are marked with an asterisk. National title chances are via ESPN’s Football Power Index.
Jump to a team: Indiana | Ohio State | Georgia | Texas Tech Oregon | Ole Miss | Texas A&M | Oklahoma Alabama | Miami | Tulane | James Madison
First-round matchup: Bye (will play Alabama-Oklahoma winner in Rose Bowl) FPI chances to win national title: 25.9%
Smith has been a rock-solid left tackle, with just one sack allowed this season. And Cooper might be credited with the catch of the season with his toe-tapping grab in the end zone against Penn State to help Indiana avoid an upset. Teams I’ve talked to love his downfield skills while praising his ability to win one-one-one matchups. Cooper is more than a highlight-reel receiver and has consistently shown up this season, with 58 receptions for 804 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The Indiana secondary has been strong all season, and scouts have noticed. Ponds is seen as a future nickel in the NFL at 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, but he’s a proven playmaker who has pulled down four interceptions the past two seasons. Ferrell has been a defensive glue guy, with four interceptions in each of the past two seasons. Sarratt, who started his career at James Madison, is a prototype X receiver with a 210-pound, 6-foot-2 frame.
Round 7: RB Kaelon Black, TE Riley Nowakowski, Edge Stephen Daley, WR Makai Jackson, OT Kahlil Benson
First-round matchup: Bye (will play Miami-Texas A&M winner in Cotton Bowl) FPI chances to win national title: 26.1%
Round 1: S Caleb Downs*, LB/Edge Arvell Reese*, WR Carnell Tate*, LB Sonny Styles, DT Kayden McDonald*
Curry doesn’t get as much attention as players such as Reese or McDonald, but he’s actually leading the Buckeyes with 11 sacks this season. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound senior is a rising prospect. The same goes for Mathews, who kicked off the season with an interception of Arch Manning and grew from there. Tshabola has started 29 games at right guard the past two seasons, allowing only one sack.
First-round matchup: Bye (will play Tulane-Ole Miss winner in Sugar Bowl) FPI chances to win national title: 11.5%
Zachariah Branch hauls in game’s first TD for Georgia
First-round matchup: Bye (will play the James Madison-Oregon winner in Orange Bowl) FPI chances to win national title: 10.9%
Getting Bailey from Stanford in the transfer portal proved to be one of the best decisions any FBS team made this season. The senior edge rusher has 13.5 sacks and 65 pressures while being a relentless, speedy stand-up defender for the Red Raiders. He has an opportunity to get into the top 10 when it’s all said and done. And while Bailey might not have elite size at 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, he consistently wins with burst.
And then there’s Rodriguez. An argument can be made that no player meant more to their program than Rodriguez did to the Red Raiders this season. The senior had 144 tackles, an eye-popping seven forced fumbles, four interceptions and a sack.
Tech’s offense doesn’t get as much love, but Carter is a legitimate flex tight end. The 6-foot-2, 245-pounder had five touchdowns this season on 46 catches, and he should remind scouts of Browns rookie Harold Fannin Jr. from an athletic tools perspective.
First-round matchup: vs. James Madison (7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, TNT/truTV) FPI chances to win national title: 10.4%
Laloulu and Tuitoti round out Oregon’s draftable trench players, and both have the technique and consistent strong play to push into Round 2. Thieneman had a lot of buzz after transferring from Purdue and has lived up to the hype, with two interceptions and 64 tackles on a loaded defense.
First-round matchup: vs. Tulane (3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, TNT/truTV) FPI chances to win national title: 4.7%
Ole Miss doesn’t have the Jaxson Dart-type offensive prospect this year, but Harris is a potential top-50 pick. The versatile senior has had his best collegiate season with three sacks while playing nose tackle and also bumping to a 1-technique in four-man fronts.
As a runner, receiver and return man, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Concepcion gets it done with the ball in his hands. He has posted 12 total touchdowns this season and saw his route tree expand from the gadget-guy role he played at NC State in his first two seasons. Teams at the back end of Round 1, such as Buffalo and New England, could fall in love with his ability to generate chunk plays while also being a dangerous deep threat and punt returner.
Round 7: RB Amari Daniels, RB EJ Smith, TE Nate Boerkircher, DT Tyler Onyedim, LB Scooby Williams, CB Tyreek Chappell
First-round matchup: vs. Alabama (8 p.m. ET Friday, ABC/ESPN) FPI chances to win national title: 1.4%
One of the biggest beneficiaries of Oklahoma’s improved offense, Sategna is a candidate to jump to the pros early after breaking out this season. The 5-foot-10, 182-pounder leads the Sooners with 65 catches while posting seven touchdowns and showing the quick-cutting agility to be an ideal NFL slot receiver. Thomas saw his season cut to eight games because of injury, but he still posted 6.5 sacks and is seen as a 3-4 outside linebacker in the pros.
First-round matchup: at Oklahoma (8 p.m. ET Friday, ABC/ESPN) FPI chances to win national title: 2.6%
Proctor might be the most discussed prospect of the class in NFL meeting rooms. He’s a dominant, powerful player at 6-foot-7, 360 pounds but struggles with leverage and consistency at left tackle. His flashes are elite, but his baseline tape might be more worthy of Round 2.
Ty Simpson escapes pocket and finds Isaiah Horton for a Bama TD
Isaiah Horton hauls in a dime from Ty Simpson to pad the Crimson Tide’s lead.
Brailsford might be undersized at 6-foot-2 and 290 pounds, but his agility and movement skills are perfect for zone-blocking schemes. A strong predraft showing could push him into Round 2. Sabb, who transferred from Michigan following the 2023 season, has posted five interceptions in three years and could be an intriguing underclassman entry in a weak safety class.
Round 4: CB Domani Jackson, RB Jam Miller, DT Tim Keenan III, LB Deontae Lawson, LB Justin Jefferson, G Jaeden Roberts
First-round matchup: at Texas A&M (noon ET Saturday, ABC/ESPN) FPI chances to win national title: 3.2%
Round 7: C James Brockermeyer, G Anez Cooper, DT David Blay Jr., LB Mohamed Toure, LB Wesley Bissainthe
First-round matchup: at Ole Miss (3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, TNT/truTV) FPI chances to win national title: 0.1%
Tulane’s run to the College Football Playoff was built more on being a good, well-coached team instead of being loaded with Round 1 prospects, but the Green Wave have some talent. Hurst didn’t allow a sack all season while playing primarily at left guard but filling in briefly at left tackle. Scouts gave him a Round 3-4 grade over the summer. He has improved upon that with his strength in pass protection and mobility in run blocking.
First-round matchup: at Oregon (7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, TNT/truTV) FPI chances to win national title: 0.1%
The first-round matchup between Oregon and James Madison might seem like David vs. Goliath, given the number of draftable Ducks versus the one Dukes prospect listed here. But the 6-foot-1, 198-pound DeGennaro has a prime opportunity to prove he can hang with the best of the best when going head-to-head with Dan Lanning’s defense.
Mendoza is currently my top quarterback in the 2026 class thanks to his poise, pocket presence and ability to throw guys open and trust them to make plays. The Heisman winner is a lot like Jared Goff in that way. Teams love Mendoza’s smart decision-making. He has good enough arm strength and just enough mobility to extend plays. Mendoza threw for 2,980 yards and 33 touchdowns while registering an 88.3 QBR (third in the FBS). He’s very much in play for the No. 1 pick if a quarterback-needy team moves into that spot.