College Football Playoff 2026 NFL Draft Outlook to Watch in CFP Quarterfinals
The 2025-26 College Football Playoff Quarterfinals are finally here, with quarterfinal matchups taking place at the Cotton, Orange, Rose and Sugar Bowl’s. These games will take place just days before the final weekend of the NFL regular season, and fans of the eliminated teams can officially set their goals for the 2026 NFL Draft. We already looked at some potential first-round prospects a few weeks ago, and we’ll do the same for this series of quarterfinal matchups taking place over the New Year’s holiday. We will use the big boards from Tankathon and the NFL Mock Draft Database for reference. Check out our latest 2026 NFL mock draft here. 10 Miami vs. (Top 20) Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State (Late first round) The New Year’s Eve matchup between Miami and Ohio State will be one to watch if you’re an NFL Draft nerd, as there’s a chance half of the top 10 will take the field at AT&T Stadium. The Buckeyes have several players who should hear their names called early and Arvell Reese is one prospect who could potentially go No. 1 overall. Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia unleashed the 6’4″, 243-pound monster this season and soared up draft boards by displaying his versatility, racking up 62 combined tackles, 10 TFLs and 6.5 sacks to earn consensus All-American honors. Former Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon recently compared him to Micah Parsons and Abdul Carter as an off-the-ball linebacker who could make an immediate impact upon entering the league.INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 06: Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) runs into the backfield during the Big 10 Championship game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Indiana Hoosiers on December 6, 2025, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesReese may be soon followed by a pair of prospects. Top 10 prospects in teammates Caleb Downs and Carnell Tate Downs is a three-time All-American at safety and won the Thorpe Award and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award this season as the leader of a Buckeye secondary that shut down opponents and nine touchdowns on the year. first place in defensive SP+. On the Miami side, Reuben Bain Jr. field goal in their 10-3 first-round win over Texas A&M Meanwhile, on offense, Fraincis Mauigoa has a good combination of size and speed on the offensive tackle and should be the second lineman taken off the board behind Utah’s No. TE, Oregon (Top 20) Matayo Uiagalelei, Edge, Oregon (end of first/start of first). second)A’Mauri Washington, DT, Oregon (late first/early second)Emmanuel Pregnon, OG, Oregon (late first/early second)Oregon buried James Madison as expected in the first round and a handful of their potential first rounders didn’t even play that much as they were able to turn to their backups very early in the contest Dante Moore, in fact, played the entire game and ended up tallying 313 passing yards and five total touchdowns on the day with two. interceptions being his only misses. Some like The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner are currently projecting the Las Vegas Raiders to take him with the No. 1 overall pick and we’ll certainly be hearing his name a lot as draft season unfolds. and three forced fumbles to win Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year. Analysts like NFL Draft Buzz’s Lennox Tate have praised Bailey’s explosiveness out of the gate and his ability to drop into coverage, but he still feels like he needs to step up a bit more entering the league. A pass-rush needy team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could put him in the 10-15 range, but there’s always room for him to move up. ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 06: Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive end David Bailey (#31) takes the field during the Big 12 Championship Game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and BYU Cougars on December 6, 2025 at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesNo. 9 Alabama vs. No. The QB arrived from Cal through the transfer portal last offseason and made his mark by leading the Hoosiers to a perfect 13-0 mark, racking up 2,980 passing yards, 240 rushing yards and 39 total touchdowns on the year. The Heisman winner was the perfect driver of Indiana’s offense and that confirms his top-10 ranking in the EPA for drop and success rate. He has the poise and moxie of an NFL quarterback and is good size at 6’5″, 225 pounds. Like the aforementioned Dante Moore, his name has been bandied about as a potential No. 1 overall pick and he could very well be the most talked about commodity during draft season. Meanwhile, Alabama will put two potential first-rounders on the field, Ty Simpson and Kadyn Proctor. We saw both men help lead the Crimson Tide to a win by 34-24 on the road over Oklahoma in the first round, with Simpson throwing for 232 yards and two touchdowns in the win, Alabama will get offensive tackle LT Overton back after missing the first round due to illness. Overton is projected as an early second-round prospect, but could always raise his stock over the next three months. Consensus All-American this year with a strong campaign where he recorded 85 combined tackles, eight TFLs, four passes defended, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a partridge in a pear tree. Analysts praised his traits such as closing speed and tackling technique, and some even identified him as a sleeper before the start of the season. If you’re a fan of one of the NFL’s current Super Bowl contenders, you could land Allen’s services late in the first round.
Published: 2025-12-31 15:00:00
source: www.sbnation.com
