Scout's Eye - National Championship Game Preview

John B. Everett
Jan 19
6 min read

The college football season concludes Monday night when the Hurricanes battle the Hoosiers for the national title. Miami is seeking their first national championship in a quarter century while Indiana seeks their first national championship in school history. This game features several potential first-round picks including Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza and OT Carter Smith as well as Miami OT Francis Mauigoa, EDGEs Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor, and CB Keionte Scott.

National Championship Game

Miami, Florida

Hard Rock Stadium

Monday, January 19. 8:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm PT

(10) Miami, Fl (13-2) v (1) Indiana (15-0)

Miami, Fl – QB Carson Beck (SNS #4 QB), RB Mark Fletcher, WR CJ Daniels, OTs Francis Mauigoa (SNS #1 OT) and Markel Bell, EDGEs Rueben Bain (SNS #2 EDGE) and Akheem Mesidor (SNS #4 EDGE), LBs Wesley Bissainthe (SNS #11 LB) and Mohamed Toure, CB Keionte Scott (SNS #2 CB), and Safety Jakobe Thomas (SNS #6 Safety).

Indiana – QB Fernando Mendoza (SNS #1 QB), RB Roman Hemby (SNS #13 RB), WRs Elijah Sarratt (SNS #10 WR) and Omar Cooper, TE Riley Nowakowski, OTs Carter Smith and Khalil Benson, IOL Pat Coogan (SNS #19 IOL), EDGEs Mikail Kamara (SNS #23 EDGE) and Stephen Daley, IDL Hosea Wheeler, LBs Aiden Fisher (SNS #7 LB) and Isaiah Jones, CBs D’Angelo Ponds (SNS #5 CB) and Devan Boykin, and Safety Louis Moore (SNS #13 Safety).

The Hurricanes enter the National Championship Game as decided underdogs but get to play a home game at Hard Rock Stadium against the undefeated Big Ten Champion Indiana Hoosiers Monday night. Miami QB Carson Beck was a game manager in the playoff wins over Texas A&M and Ohio State but became a difference maker in the semifinal victory over Ole Miss, completing 23/37 (62.2%) / 268 yds / 3 TDs (1 rushing) / 1 INT while providing top notch leadership and a calm, mature demeanor in the huddle and pocket. Beck displayed the pocket presence, field vision, and decision making against the Rebels that NFL teams have been waiting to see and that projects well to the NFL level. Beck has flashed these skills before, both at Georgia and Miami, but consistency has been an issue throughout his career. Beck has avoided poor games since his four-interception performance in a loss to Louisville earlier this season and will need to play the best game of the season, if not career, against the loaded Hoosier defense on Monday night. RB Mark Fletcher has had a great postseason rushing 58 times / 395 yds (6.8 YPC) through three playoff games and will have a difficult decision to make after this game. Fletcher (6’2” / 225 lbs) has the size, toughness, and inside running skill that will interest NFL teams in April. If Fletcher declares for the 2026 NFL Draft, he should hear his name called in the fourth or fifth round this spring. Another prospect who has a decision to make, OT Francis Mauigoa, should not have to think too long about it since he is a near lock as a top 10 pick in April. Mauigoa, SNS’ number five overall prospect, plays ORT for the Hurricanes but has the feet and lateral agility to protect a QB’s blindside at OLT. Mauigoa and the Hurricanes’ offensive line will have their hands full against the Hoosiers’ talented defensive front seven. Miami EDGEs Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor were the focus of Ole Miss’ offensive game plan, which effectively neutralized Bain and Mesidor during the Fiesta Bowl national semifinal game where the Hurricane duo combined for five tackles and no sacks or TFL in Miami’s victory. Indiana may have similar plans and they have one of the better set of OTs in OLT Carter Smith and ORT Khalil Benson in which to execute the strategy. Mesidor played through an arm injury in the Fiesta Bowl and is reportedly ready to play through it again on Monday night. CB Keionte Scott is likely to enter the 2026 NFL Draft and will most likely be a first-round draft pick in April. Scott is a wildcard in terms of Miami’s chances to pull off the upset. Scott is deployed all over the Hurricanes’ defense and this versatility is what entices NFL teams, who could use him in a similar manner to how Detroit deploys Brian Branch. Scott is SNS’ number 21 ranked prospect on the Big Board 100 for the 2026 NFL Draft and IU QB Fernando Mendoza needs to account for the dangerous playmaker or Scott could ruin the Hoosiers ascension to the top of college football.

The Hoosiers are one victory away from completing one of the most improbable stories in college football history. Before coach Curt Cignetti was lured from James Madison to take over the moribund Indiana football program, the Hoosiers were the losingest program in college football history and continual cellar dwellers in the Big Ten conference. Now, Indiana is on the cusp of building a dynasty in Bloomington, winning their first outright conference title in 80 years, making the playoffs twice, and losing only two games during his time at IU – both losses suffered last season against the two teams that played for last year’s national title, Ohio State and Notre Dame. QB Fernando Mendoza entered the Peach Bowl last week in a two-man battle with Oregon QB Dante Moore to be the presumptive top selection in April’s draft. But after the Peach Bowl, that competition was swiftly put to rest by the dominating performance produced by Mendoza – 17/20 (85%) / 177 yds / 5 TDs / 0 INTs – on his way to earning Peach Bowl MVP honors. Moore, on the other hand, struggled and this struggle informed his decision to return to Eugene for another year of seasoning. Mendoza will undoubtedly be the first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. The only question is whether or not Las Vegas decides to trade down with a desperate team with abundant trade assets to play with. In other words, the Raiders are waiting on a phone call from the Jets, the only team with as big of a need at QB as Las Vegas. WR Elijah Sarratt has accepted his invitation to the Senior Bowl, an unusual choice considering how long this season has been in Bloomington. Last year, every Ohio State and Notre Dame Senior Bowl invitee turned down the invitation after playing for the national title. But Sarratt accepted his invitation, an indication of his competitiveness and drive. Against Oregon, Sarratt caught 5 passes / 75 yds / 2 TDs and has scored 15 TDs this season. Sarratt has the size, length, and hands desired at the NFL level but needs to run a good 40 time at the combine next month to make the case to be a first-round draft pick in April. OT Carter Smith needs to consider his draft options carefully. Smith has a year of eligibility remaining and the depth at OT may make returning to Bloomington the right call. But Smith is the best OT in the nation and has little to prove at the college level next year. Smith is a likely ten-year NFL starter and a franchise OLT at the next level but he may not get drafted in the first-round in April due to the depth at OT this year and the fact that most scouts are sleeping on Smith. Hoosier LB Isaiah Jones has quietly put together a dominating season at IU. The junior LB can be deployed throughout the front seven to take advantage of mismatches and his combination of size and athleticism makes him an intriguing prospect. Jones (6’2” / 230 lbs) has recorded 76 total tackles / 7 sacks / 15.5 TFL / 1 forced fumble / 1 INT / 3 passes defensed on the season. If Jones returns to IU for his senior season, he will be one of the highest-rated defensive prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft. LB Aiden Fisher, SNS’ number 84^th ranked prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft, is coming off a great performance in the Peach Bowl where Fisher recorded 9 tackles, 1.5 TFL, and 1 pass defensed in Indiana’s 56-22 thrashing of the Ducks. Fisher should be a third or fourth round pick in April. CB D’Angelo Ponds effectively ended the Peach Bowl before it even started when he took the opening play, a Dante Moore pass, back for a pick six and the blow-out was on. Ponds (5’9” / 173 lbs), SNS’ number 42 ranked prospect for April’s draft, lacks ideal size and length and that may limit him to slot duties at the NFL-level. But Ponds is a playmaker and difference maker in the secondary with the ball skills, quickness, and confidence to contribute immediately at the NFL-level. If he declares for April’s draft, the junior should hear his name called sometime during the second day of the draft.