150 prospects, 12 schools, 7 rounds: We stacked players in the CFP by NFL draft stock

Matt MillerDec 17, 2025, 06:25 AM ET
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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.

First-round matchup: Bye (will play Alabama-Oklahoma winner in Rose Bowl)
FPI chances to win national title: 25.9%

Round 1: QB Fernando Mendoza*

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.

Round 2: OT Carter Smith*, WR Omar Cooper Jr.*

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.

Elijah Sarratt, CB D’Angelo Ponds*, S Amare Ferrell*

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 4: LB Aiden Fisher, DT Tyrique Tucker*

Round 5: G Pat Coogan, Edge Mikail Kamara, RB Roman Hemby

Round 6: None

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*

Ohio State is loaded with NFL draft prospects and will again be the favorite to have the most players drafted. This tier is dominated by defense and led by Reese, a hybrid edge/linebacker prospect with 8.5 sacks this season. Two other defenders (Downs and Styles) could be considered top-10 talents, even if positional value pushes them down the actual board. McDonald is an anchor at nose tackle and will be a value for teams in the later portion of Round 1. On offense, Tate has emerged as the best wideout in the class with his crisp route running and sure hands.

Round 2: Edge Kenyatta Jackson Jr., CB Davison Igbinosun, TE Max Klare*, OT Austin Siereveld*

Day 2 will also have a heavy Ohio State presence, depending on some underclassman decisions. Jackson had a standout performance against Indiana in the close Big Ten championship game loss and is a top-50-type player. The same goes for Siereveld, who hasn’t allowed a sack in 13 starts this season. Klare — who will be in the running for TE2 in the class — and Igbinosun are seen as well-coached, highly developed prospects who can make a mark quickly in the pros. Igbinosun is especially praised for his alignment versatility and savvy.

Round 3: Edge Caden Curry, G Tegra Tshabola, CB Jermaine Mathews Jr.*

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.

Round 4: DT Beau Atkinson

Round 5: RB CJ Donaldson

Round 6: WR Brandon Inniss*

Round 7: TE Will Kacmarek, Edge C.J. Hicks

First-round matchup: Bye (will play Tulane-Ole Miss winner in Sugar Bowl)
FPI chances to win national title: 11.5%

Round 1: LB CJ Allen*, OT Monroe Freeling*

NFL scouts have talked about the lack of top-end talent at Georgia all season, with one NFC East scout telling me, «It’s a better team this year with less early-round picks.» But Freeling feels like a player who could rise up boards if he decides to jump into this draft class. He has allowed only two sacks this season and has three years of experience at left tackle, which could cause him to rise in a class dominated by right tackles. Allen gets the Roquan Smith comparison often for good reason, given his range and speedy processing working sideline to sideline.

Round 2: WR Zachariah Branch*, DT Christen Miller*, CB Daylen Everette

Georgia might end up with more Round 2 prospects than Round 1, and this group is full of veteran playmakers. Branch, who transferred from USC, is an elusive yards-after-catch wide receiver at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds and also serves as one of the nation’s most dangerous return men. Everette has played 54 games over the past four seasons with five interceptions and 21 pass breakups. Miller broke out this season, and the 6-foot-4, 305-pounder should be viewed as a potential 3-technique with some 5-technique versatility upfront.

Zachariah Branch hauls in game’s first TD for Georgia

Gunner Stockton connects with Zachariah Branch who darts into the end zone for a 7-yard TD vs. Georgia Tech.

Round 3: None

Round 4: WR Dillon Bell, TE Lawson Luckie*, G Micah Morris

Round 5: TE Oscar Delp, K Peyton Woodring*

Round 6: OT Earnest Greene III*, WR Noah Thomas, WR Colbie Young

Round 7: RB Josh McCray, P Brett Thorson

First-round matchup: Bye (will play the James Madison-Oregon winner in Orange Bowl)
FPI chances to win national title: 10.9%

Round 1: Edge David Bailey

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.

Round 2: Edge Romello Height, DT Lee Hunter, LB Jacob Rodriguez

Texas Tech’s defensive backbone rests in its Round 2 prospects. Hunter is a feisty, tough nose tackle who messes up interior offensive line plans with persistent rush moves and power at 6-foot-4, 325 pounds. Height has been the perfect counterpart to Bailey, preventing opposing offenses from sliding protection or investing in double-teams. At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Height is more of a situational rusher, but wide 9 teams such as Detroit or Philadelphia might love his speed and production (nine sacks).

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.

Round 3: TE Terrance Carter Jr.*

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.

Round 4: WR Reggie Virgil, DT Skyler Gill-Howard

Round 5: QB Behren Morton

Round 6: S Cole Wisniewski

Round 7: G Davion Carter, WR Caleb Douglas, CB Dontae Balfour

First-round matchup: vs. James Madison (7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, TNT/truTV)
FPI chances to win national title: 10.4%

Round 1: QB Dante Moore*, TE Kenyon Sadiq*

Moore, who started five games at UCLA in 2023 before transferring, has been electric after learning the offense behind Dillon Gabriel last season. The 6-foot-3, 206-pound redshirt sophomore could be the No. 1 pick in April if he declares. He has a lightning-fast release, the arm strength to make throws to all tiers of the field and the ability to put those throws in the bucket with great touch. Making his job easier is Sadiq, the clear TE1. A first-year starter, he has exploded this season with eight touchdowns on 40 receptions for 490 yards.

Round 2: DT A’Mauri Washington*, Edge Matayo Uiagalelei*, G Emmanuel Pregnon, OT Isaiah World

Scouts will be heavily focused on Oregon’s trenches during the CFP. World and Pregnon transferred in and have built on their previous tape, combining to allow only three sacks this season. The entire starting defensive front could be drafted in the top 100, but Uiagalelei might be the one who moves up the highest. Washington is a massive nose tackle prospect who could be viewed more favorably by teams looking for run defense help. (DT Bear Alexander would be here, but he is planning to return to school.)

Round 3: S Dillon Thieneman*, C Iapani Laloulu*, Edge Teitum Tuioti*, LB Bryce Boettcher

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.

Round 4: WR Evan Stewart*, OT Alex Harkey

Round 5: RB Noah Whittington, CB Jadon Canady, CB Theran Johnson

Round 6: WR Gary Bryant Jr.

Round 7: WR Malik Benson

First-round matchup: vs. Tulane (3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, TNT/truTV)
FPI chances to win national title: 4.7%

Round 1: None

Round 2: DT Zxavian Harris

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.

Round 3: TE Dae’Quan Wright, LB Suntarine Perkins*

There will be a healthy debate about Perkins’ best NFL position given his 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame, but he’s a playmaker in the middle of the field. Perkins had 10.5 sacks in 2024 but has just two this season, as his role has evolved into more of a traditional ‘backer. Wright finished second on the team with four touchdown catches, and teams are intrigued by the 255-pounder’s in-line and seam-route potential.

Round 4: WR Harrison Wallace III

Round 5: QB Trinidad Chambliss, WR De’Zhaun Stribling

Round 6: OT Jayden Williams, OT Diego Pounds

Round 7: RB Logan Diggs, CB Kapena Gushiken

First-round matchup: vs. Miami (noon ET Saturday, ABC/ESPN)
FPI chances to win national title: 3.1%

Round 1: WR KC Concepcion*

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 2: Edge Cashius Howell, G Trey Zuhn III, G Chase Bisontis*, CB Will Lee III

A&M’s defense is loaded, but no player boosted his stock as much as Howell did. The 6-foot-2, 248-pounder led the SEC with 11.5 sacks and added 39 pressures. He doesn’t have ideal size, but his quickness and bend around the edge are prototypical for a successful pass rusher. Zuhn will move from left tackle in college to the interior in the pros due to a lack of length. It’ll be a battle between him and Bisontis to see who comes off the board first. Lee has long been a favorite of mine thanks to his tough coverage skills — he could see a rise like Trey Amos had in 2025 during the predraft circuit.

Dametrious Crownover, G Ar’maj Reed-Adams, RB Le’Veon Moss, LB Taurean York*

Round 5: DT Albert Regis

Round 6: None

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%

Round 1: None

Round 2: Edge R Mason Thomas, WR Isaiah Sategna III*

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.

Round 3: QB John Mateer*, WR Deion Burks, Edge Taylor Wein*

Mateer was playing first-round football early before a hand injury slowed him. It’s possible he’ll recover some of that stock once teams see him in the predraft process. Burks will be a slot receiver in the NFL with game-changing speed on a 5-foot-9, 188-pound frame. He’s a jitterbug with the ball in his hands and expertly gets in and out of breaks in a hurry. Wein is a wild card. The redshirt sophomore had six sacks in his first season as a starter and has a pro build at 6-foot-4 and 276 pounds, but there’s a strong possibility he returns to Norman next season.

Round 4: DT Gracen Halton, S Peyton Bowen*, LB Kendal Daniels

Round 5: None

Round 6: S Robert Spears-Jennings, TE Jaren Kanak

Round 7: Edge Marvin Jones Jr., DT Damonic Williams

First-round matchup: at Oklahoma (8 p.m. ET Friday, ABC/ESPN)
FPI chances to win national title: 2.6%

Round 1: QB Ty Simpson*, WR Germie Bernard, OT Kadyn Proctor*

It’s not surprising to see Alabama with three first-round-caliber players. Simpson has wowed with his poise and quick decision-making in his first season as a starter but has seen his play stagnate in the past month. A big playoff run could push him into declaring for the 2026 draft despite limited experience (13 career starts). Bernard has been the Tide’s version of Deebo Samuel, making plays as a receiver and on designed runs out of the backfield. He has posted nine total touchdowns this season (seven receiving, two rushing).

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.

Round 2: Edge LT Overton, S Bray Hubbard*, WR Isaiah Horton*

Nick Saban’s defensive pipeline still exists at Alabama, and Overton and Hubbard are prospects recruited and partially developed by the Hall of Fame coach. Overton is a hybrid lineman at 6-foot-2 and 280 pounds, with some inside/outside potential. Hubbard is ranked as the No. 2 safety in the class by most teams thanks to his playmaking (four interceptions, three forced fumbles) and pro size at 6-foot-2 and 213 pounds. Horton has ideal size (6-foot-4, 208 pounds) and great range on 50-50 balls. He has caught eight touchdowns on only 35 catches this season, showcasing his red zone ability.

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.

Round 3: C Parker Brailsford*, S Keon Sabb*

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

Round 5: TE Josh Cuevas

Round 6: None

Round 7: G Kam Dewberry, LB Nikhai Hill-Green

First-round matchup: at Texas A&M (noon ET Saturday, ABC/ESPN)
FPI chances to win national title: 3.2%

Round 1: Edge Rueben Bain Jr.*, OT Francis Mauigoa*

The Hurricanes have a potential top-10 pick on each line. Bain was arguably the most impressive player in the FBS during September and October and finished the season with 4.5 sacks but 50 hurries. He has given scouts a taste of his power and speed coming off the right side of the defense. On offense, Mauigoa is my top-ranked offensive lineman. He has been a picture of consistency the past three seasons, starting 38 games at right tackle and surrendering only one sack the past two seasons. There are scouts who think he might be a guard in the NFL, but he profiles as a plug-and-play right tackle worthy of a top-10 pick to me.

Round 2: QB Carson Beck, Edge Akheem Mesidor, CB Keionte Scott

Miami convinced Beck to withdraw from the 2025 draft and transfer from Georgia, and he threw for 3,072 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Beck is at his best when he’s in a clean pocket where he can pick apart defenses, but he struggles when things get muddy. Teams with a strong play-action attack and good run game could like him on Day 2. Mesidor has been overshadowed by Bain a bit, but the 280-pound senior had seven sacks this season and is a true 4-3 defensive end prospect. Scott is a player who scouts have told me could rise thanks to his blazing speed and length at 6-foot, 190 pounds.

Round 3: None

Round 4: RB Mark Fletcher Jr.*, OT Markel Bell

Round 5: WR CJ Daniels

Round 6: WR Keelan Marion

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%

Round 1: None

Round 2: None

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Round 3: G Shadre Hurst*

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.

Round 4: None

Round 5: None

Round 6: QB Jake Retzlaff*

Round 7: Edge Mo Westmoreland

First-round matchup: at Oregon (7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, TNT/truTV)
FPI chances to win national title: 0.1%

Round 1: None

Round 2: None

Round 3: None

Round 4: None

Round 5: None

Round 6: None

Round 7: WR Nick DeGennaro

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.

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