On Monday, January 19, 2026 (7:30 p.m. ET), No. 10 Miami plays No. 1 Indiana for the CFP National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
If you’re watching it through a draft lens, you’re in luck: there are 10 draft-eligible headliners with a ton of evaluators glued to every snap.
Indiana prospects
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Former Player feedback
You can tell when a QB is seeing the movie before it plays. Mendoza looks like that guy—calm feet, eyes that don’t panic, and a release that stays consistent when the pocket tightens. What I love is the red-zone demeanor: down there, windows shrink and linebackers get grabby. If he’s decisive and protects the ball, it’s a “we can win it all” vibe for the whole sideline.
If I’m a defender, the nightmare is when he’s comfortable enough to take the easy profit—checkdowns, quick games, and just enough movement to keep you from teeing off. That’s how you lose by 10 without ever feeling like you got dominated.
Former Coach feedback
I’m grading Mendoza on three things: pre-snap control, post-snap confirm, and late-down answers. The title game forces you into third-and-7 in the second half with everything screaming. Can he ID pressure, set protections, and still deliver on rhythm?
The plan against him is to make him win outside structure without giving him freebies: simulated pressures, late rotation, force him to throw “the hard five-yard throw” repeatedly. If he stays efficient and avoids the one bad turnover, he’s exactly the kind of QB scouts bet a franchise on.
Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
Former Player feedback
Cooper is the guy DBs hate because he turns “nice tackle” into “why is he still running?” His body control after the catch is the tell—he doesn’t just catch and fall, he catches and re-accelerates. In a championship game, that’s how you steal momentum: one bubble, one drag, one broken tackle, and now the whole defense is playing tighter.
Also: he plays like he expects contact. That matters when the refs “let ’em play” late.
Former Coach feedback
When a receiver is a YAC engine, your plan starts with alignment and leverage. I’m forcing him into contested windows by denying free access: press looks, collision at the top, and bracket him on critical downs. The coaching point to defenders is simple: tackle with numbers—first man slows, second man finishes.
For Cooper, scouts will care about: can he separate cleanly when everyone knows he’s the hot read? Can he win on third down against tight man without manufactured touches? If yes, he’s a plug-and-play NFL slot/WR2 type.
Carter Smith, OT, Indiana
Former Player feedback
Offensive linemen don’t get “highlight moments,” but a left tackle can absolutely change a game. Smith’s tape reads like a guy who trusts his hands and doesn’t overset. That’s huge against Miami’s edges—if your tackle panics, the whole offense speeds up and your QB starts feeling ghosts.
When Smith is playing well, the QB looks calm, the run game has patience, and you can feel the defense getting frustrated.
Former Coach feedback
This is the trench matchup that will decide the narrative. Indiana has to keep Mendoza clean while still getting into their normal rhythm.
I’m evaluating Smith on anchor, recovery athleticism, and independent hands. Can he re-fit when the rusher counters? Does he stay square when Miami runs games and stunts?
The “NFL” question: does he win against power and speed without needing constant help? In the title game, you don’t get to hide.
D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana
Former Player feedback
Ponds is that corner who plays like he’s 6’2” even if the roster doesn’t. As a receiver, you’ll feel him—he contests everything, he’s sticky in phase, and he has that annoying knack for being in the right spot when you think you’re open.
In a title game, corners who believe become contagious. If he starts the night with a breakup or a pick, Miami’s QB will double-clutch the rest of the quarter.
Former Coach feedback
If I’m coaching against him, I’m testing him with formation stress: stacks, bunches, motion—make him communicate and pass routes off. If he’s outside, I’m also forcing him to tackle: quick screens, perimeter runs, and crack-replace situations.
From a scouting standpoint, he’s a classic “can he stay outside or is he a nickel?” evaluation. What he can do is eliminate first reads with instincts and short-area quickness—and that always plays on Sundays.
Miami prospects
Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
Former Player feedback
If you’ve ever rushed against a tackle who’s basically a moving wall, you know the feeling: you win the snap and still can’t get around the corner. Mauigoa’s power shows up in how he “ends” reps—rushers don’t fall near the QB; they get redirected, steered, and shoved into the next zip code.
As a former player, I love tackles who are mean without being sloppy. That sets the tone for the whole offense.
Former Coach feedback
I’m watching his foot quickness vs. speed and his hand placement under stress. Big, powerful tackles sometimes look great until they face a rusher who can threaten both edges of the set. In this game, he has to handle chaos—late movement, pressure looks, long-yardage pass sets.
If he stays clean technically in a championship environment, it’s first-round validation.
Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami
Former Player feedback
Bain is the type of edge who makes you speed up even when he doesn’t get home. That “violence” is real—you can feel it in the way linemen brace for contact. When a pass rusher plays with that kind of intent, QBs rush mechanics and tackles start reaching.
If I’m an offensive lineman, I’m begging for help: chips, tight ends, backs—anything to keep him from turning the corner with momentum.
Former Coach feedback
Against Bain, protection has to be planned, not improvised. Slide to him at times, chip him at times, and vary the cadence so he can’t time the snap. Miami’s whole defense feeds off pressure, and Bain is a centerpiece of that identity.
NFL-wise, I’m grading first step, counter plan, and run-game discipline. Everyone can win with effort; the pros demand answers when the tackle sits on your favorite move.
Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami
Former Player feedback
Mesidor is that veteran rusher who understands how to “stack” moves. He might not be the flashiest in warmups, but once the game starts he’s constantly stressing your hands—speed-to-power, then the inside counter when you overcommit.
In the fourth quarter, those guys become a problem because they’re not guessing. They’re hunting.
Former Coach feedback
I care about his rush efficiency when the opponent knows it’s a pass. Does he still win on 3rd-and-8 late? That’s how you translate to the league.
Also, watch how offenses protect: if Indiana keeps sliding help his direction, that’s respect—and it also means Mesidor is forcing constraints in the game plan.
Carson Beck, QB, Miami
Former Player feedback
Veteran QBs can calm a huddle the way a good point guard calms a team. Beck has that “seen it all” feel—he’ll take the hit, he’ll stand in, and he’ll make the throw that makes the defense go “how?”
But he’s also the kind of QB where defenders feel like, “If we keep swinging, he’ll give us one.” In a title game, that tension is everything.
Former Coach feedback
If I’m coaching Indiana’s defense, I’m testing his patience: disguise, rotate late, and force him to hold the ball for a half beat so the rush can arrive. You don’t want to blitz yourself into big plays; you want to make him string together perfect decisions.
From a scouting standpoint, this is the “pressure response” tape. When things go off-script, does he stay sound or does he chase the heroic play?
Ahmad Moten Sr., DT, Miami
Former Player feedback
Interior power is miserable to play against because you can’t run away from it. When a big DT starts collapsing the pocket, you don’t get clean throwing lanes and your center/guards start playing on skates. Moten’s value is in making the QB uncomfortable without needing a sack.
If he’s healthy enough to be himself, he can wreck the timing of Indiana’s entire passing game.
Former Coach feedback
DT evaluation in big games is simple: can he affect the QB on non-blitz downs? If yes, he’s a real NFL rotation player at minimum. I’m watching his pad level and stamina—does the power stay in the fourth quarter?
If he’s limited, Miami has to manufacture pressure elsewhere—and that changes everything schematically.
Keionte Scott, DB, Miami
Former Player feedback
Scott is the kind of nickel/DB who makes receivers think twice about “easy” catches. The physicality shows up early—screens, short crossers, quick outs—he’ll punish those. And when a DB is a threat as a blitzer, it changes protection calls and hot routes.
As a former player, I love defenders who bring an attitude and understand leverage.
Former Coach feedback
He’s a chess piece. As a coach, I can spin him down, bring him off the edge, drop him into robber looks, and force the QB to hesitate. The key is discipline—big-game adrenaline can turn a versatile DB into a gambler.
Scouts will ask: can he be an every-down slot defender and special teamer? If yes, he sticks on rosters a long time.
What I’ll be watching when the lights come on
- Indiana’s protection vs. Miami’s rush: If Miami can win with four, everything opens up behind it.
- Mendoza vs. disguise: title games are where you earn “franchise QB” tape.
- DBs in leverage moments: one pick, one forced fumble, one fourth-down breakup — that’s how championships swing.