Scout's Eye - National Playoff Semifinals Preview

John B. Everett
2 days ago
9 min read

Only four teams remain alive in the hunt for the national title and several future NFL stars will undoubtedly be featured performers in the drama to come. Let’s take a look at some of the best draft-eligible prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft that will be playing in the national semifinals at the Fiesta and Peach Bowl games on January 8^th and 9^th, respectively.

Fiesta Bowl

Glendale, Arizona

Thursday, January 8. 7:30 pm ET / 4:30 pm PT

(10) Miami, Fl (12-2) v (6) Ole Miss (13-1)

Miami, Fl – QB Carson Beck (SNS #5 QB), RB Mark Fletcher, WR CJ Daniels, OTs Francis Mauigoa (SNS #4 OT) and Markel Bell, EDGEs Rueben Bain (SNS #3 EDGE) and Akheem Mesidor, LBs Wesley Bissainthe (SNS #10 LB) and Mohamed Toure, CB Keionte Scott (SNS #5 CB), and Safety Jakobe Thomas.

Ole Miss – QB Trinidad Chambliss, RB Kewan Lacy (SNS #3 RB), WRs Harrison Wallace, De’Zhaun Stribling, and Cayden Lee, TE Dae’Quan Wright (SNS #6 TE), OTs Diego Pounds and Jayden Williams, IOL Patrick Kutas, EDGEs Princewill Umanmielen and Da’Shawn Womack, IDL Zxavian Harris (SNS #3 IDL), LBs Suntarine Perkins (SNS #5 LB), Tahj Chambers, and TJ Dottery, CBs Antonio Kite and Jaylon Braxton, and Safeties Wydett Williams and Kapena Gushiken.

The Hurricanes are one win away from playing what is an essentially a home game for the National Championship, but first they have to navigate a game in Glendale, Arizona against a loaded Ole Miss team on Thursday night. QB Carson Beck continued his solid, if unspectacular, play this postseason against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl last week. Beck completed 19/26 passes (73.1%) / 138 yds / 1 TD against OSU’s top ranked defense and most importantly, he operated within the offensive system and triggered a near flawless performance in Miami’s 24-14 victory. Beck has completed 33/46 (71.7%) / 241 yds / 2 TDs / 0 INTs over the two-game playoff campaign. Beck’s poor performances against Louisville and SMU led directly to those upset losses earlier this season and his avoidance of those type of mistakes - interceptions and poor decisions while under duress - has been good enough against Texas A&M and Ohio State. But at some point over the next two games, Beck will need to make plays to help the Hurricanes bring home their first national title in a quarter century. Beck could move himself into first-round consideration in April if he elevates his performance significantly against the Rebels on Thursday. OT Francis Mauigoa and Miami’s offensive line held their own and consistently won the POA against the Buckeyes’ loaded defensive front seven. Mauigoa (6’6” / 315 lbs) is making the case to be the first OL drafted this spring. Mauigoa has a playing style similar to Penei Sewell (Lions) and his strength and nasty playing style makes him a potential Pro Bowler early in his NFL career. EDGEs Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor were the difference against the Buckeyes, overwhelming OSU’s young OTs and consistently pressuring QB Julian Sayin throughout the Cotton Bowl game, forcing him into numerous poor decisions and two INTs. Bain and Mesidor combined for 3 sacks and 3.5 TFL against OSU and were regularly squeezing down running lanes and limiting OSU’s rushing attack to 45 yards on 24 attempts (1.9 YPC). Bain and Mesidor look like locks as first round selections and have the production to match the measureables. Bain has recorded 45 total tackles / 8.5 sacks / 13 TFL while Mesidor has recorded 56 total tackles / 10.5 sacks / 15.5 TFL on the season. If Ole Miss OTs Diego Pounds and Jayden Williams cannot limit Bain and Mesidor, it will be a very long night for the Rebels.

Ole Miss avenged their lone loss of the season in last week’s Sugar Bowl, defeating the SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs 39-34 in a classic contest between two evenly matched teams. QB Trinidad Chambliss has petitioned the NCAA for another year of eligibility but it may not be necessary. Chambliss has gone from leading Ferris State (Mi) to a Division 2 National Championship, transferring to Ole Miss last winter as an unknown, backup QB, to becoming the starter after Austin Simmons was injured, and then leading Ole Miss to the national semifinals. Chambliss has passed for 644 yards (70.6%) / 3 TDs / 0 INTs through two playoff games and has become a legitimate, potential starting QB in the NFL. Chambliss needs more reps and another year of college to become more seasoned, but considering the poor quality of the 2026 QB class, the time may be right for Chambliss to declare for the draft. If Chambliss were to declare, he would grade out as a top 100 prospect for April’s draft. RB Kewan Lacy played in the Sugar Bowl despite injuring his left shoulder against Tulane and displayed the toughness needed for an NFL RB. Lacy played like he was uninjured, rushing 22 times / 98 yds / 4.5 YPC / 2 TDs, caught 2 passes (for 12 yards), and provided quality pass protection for Chambliss throughout the game. Lacy has two years of eligibility remaining but he looks like a future starting RB in the NFL. If he declares for April’s draft, Lacy would likely get drafted in the second round. LB Suntarine Perkins made the transition to a more traditional off-the-ball LB role this season and after a slow start, began to take to those responsibilities and looked more natural in space as the season progressed. Last Thursday, Perkins had his most impactful game of the year, recording 6 total tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 forced fumble, and 1 pass defensed against the Bulldogs. Perkins is a great athlete with the speed, range, bend, and burst to be deployed in a number of ways by a creative DC in the NFL. Perkins, who recorded 10.5 sacks in 2024, is a top 75 prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft, if he declares. LB TJ Dottery, a transfer from Clemson, is the defensive signal caller for the Rebels and his intelligence and football IQ are two of his best assets. Dottery is an instinctive MLB with excellent communication skills and leadership ability. Dottery lacks some desired strength but his range and athleticism meet NFL standards. The redshirt junior has recorded 87 total tackles / .5 sacks / 4.5 TFL / 2 forced fumbles / 2 passes defensed this season.

Peach Bowl

Atlanta, Georgia

Friday, January 9, 2026. 7:30 pm ET / 4:30 pm PT

(5) Oregon (13-1) v (1) Indiana (14-0)

Oregon – QB Dante Moore (SNS #3 QB), RB Noah Whittington, WR Malik Benson, TE Kenyon Sadiq (SNS #1 TE), OTs Isaiah World (SNS #3 OT) and Alex Harkey, IOL Emmanuel Pregnon (SNS #1 IOL), Iapani Laloulu, and Dave Luli, EDGEs Matayo Uiagalelei (SNS #2 EDGE) and Teitum Tuioti, IDL A’Mauri Washington (SNS #2 IDL) and Bear Alexander, LB Bryce Boettcher, and Safety Dillon Thieneman (SNS #3 S).

Indiana – QB Fernando Mendoza (SNS #1 QB), RB Roman Hemby, WRs Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper, TE Riley Nowakowski, OTs Carter Smith (SNS #1 OT) and Khalil Benson, IOL Pat Coogan, EDGEs Mikail Kamara and Stephen Daley, IDL Hosea Wheeler, LB Aiden Fisher (SNS #6 LB), CBs D’Angelo Ponds (SNS #8 CB) and Devan Boykin, and Safety Louis Moore.

On Friday night, the Ducks seek revenge for the only loss the suffered this season, a 30-20 home loss on October 11^th to the undefeated and top-ranked Indiana Hoosiers. QB Dante Moore has yet to announce his intentions for the 2026 season. If he returns to Eugene for another season, Moore will likely be the odds-on favorite to be the first pick of the 2027 NFL Draft. The thing is, though, Moore could be the first pick of April’s draft despite his lack of ideal starting experience – Moore has only 19 career starts combined at Oregon and UCLA. From a raw talent stand point, Moore is the best potential QB prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft. Moore’s tools are elite – fantastic arm strength, quick release, very good field vision, and he throws an accurate pass with the timing and touch expected from an NFL starter. Moore has passed for 547 yds / 75% / 4 TDs / 3 INTs combined against James Madison and Texas Tech and will need to be sharp going against the fast and fundamentally solid Hoosier defense. On October 11 against the Hoosiers, Moore threw for 186 yds / 61.8% / 1 TD / 2 INTs and will need to cut down on his turnovers and make good decisions with the ball on Friday night. OT Isaiah World had his worst showing of the season against Indiana in October as he and the Oregon O-line struggled against the Hoosiers, giving up 6 sacks and allowing Moore to be harassed all afternoon long. World has the size, length, feet, and lateral agility to be a ten-year starter in the NFL but needs to refine his technique and improve as a run blocker. The Peach Bowl will be a big test for the senior OLT. Oregon has one of the best EDGE tandems in the nation in Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti, who have combined for 16 sacks and 25.5 TFL on the season. The juniors have complementary roles where Uiagalelei is a strong base end who sets a sturdy edge in the ground game and is a powerful pass rusher while Tuioti can play as a traditional 4-3 DE but has the agility and range to play off-the-ball LB. Tuioti was used as a spy at times when the Ducks hosted the Hoosiers back in October and a similar strategy may be deployed on Friday. Regardless, Uiagalelei and Tuioti need to apply pressure on IU QB Fernando Mendoza, which is easier said than done considering the quality of play offered by Hoosier OTs Carter Smith and Khalil Benson.

The Las Vegas Raiders have secured the first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft and their need for a franchise signal caller is the team’s biggest need. The likely first pick in April’s draft is one of the two QBs playing in the Peach Bowl – either Oregon’s Dante Moore or Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner. Mendoza is coming off a fantastic performance in the Rose Bowl where he was efficient and effective, completing 14/16 passes (87.5%) / 192 yds / 3 TDs / 0 INTs in leading the Hoosiers to a dominating 38-3 victory over Alabama in Pasadena, California. Mendoza, who has yet to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, has the size, arm strength, and athleticism that fits the NFL prototype. But what makes Mendoza the top-rated QB prospect for April’s draft is his football IQ, pocket presence, field vision, and decision-making. In other words, Mendoza’s mental acumen is superb and is already NFL-caliber. And that puts him a level above every other QB prospect in April’s draft. An understated reason why IU is the favorite to bring home their first national championship in school history is the steady production brought to the run game by Maryland transfer RB Roman Hemby, who cracked the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career, recording 1,007 yards rushing at a healthy clip of 5.2 YPC, and 7 TDs on the season. Hemby, who has been invited to the East-West Shrine Bowl later this month, gashed the Tide’s defense for 89 yds / 4.9 YPC / 1 TD in IU’s Rose Bowl victory and has worked himself into a likely mid-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Hoosiers’ have one of the best defenses in the nation, allowing only 10.8 ppg this season, and have NFL-caliber talent at all three levels of the defense. LB Aiden Fisher has been invited to the East-West Shrine Bowl but if IU defeats Oregon, he will be unavailable for the game scheduled for January 22, since he will be playing in the national championship game on January 19^th, but regardless, Fisher looks like a solid mid-round pick in April. Against the Tide on New Year’s Day, Fisher recorded 7 total tackles / 1 sack / 1 TFL / 1 forced fumble as the Hoosiers knocked Bama QB Ty Simpson out of the game and stifled the Tide’s offense all afternoon long. On the season, Fisher has recorded 84 total tackles / 3.5 sacks / 8 TFL / 1 forced fumble / 2 INTs (1 returned for a TD). CB D’Angelo Ponds is one of the most complete and well-rounded CBs in the nation who combines sticky coverage skills with a willingness to support against the run. Additionally, Ponds (5’9” / 173 lbs) is a dangerous kick blocker with a great closing burst to make a play on the FG attempt. IU mostly plays zone defense so he is rarely matched up one-on-one, but Oregon’s WR corps is deep and talented and Ponds is likely to be tested at some point Friday night. Ponds has accumulated 50 total tackles / 3.5 TFL / 1 forced fumble / 1 INT / 8 passes defensed so far this season.