NFL Draft Watch: CFB Playoff Quarterfinals Prospect Primer
All Access Football previews the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals with a look at top prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft. Plus, the Miami Hurricanes stunning upset over the Ohio State Buckeyes.
AAF College Football Playoff Quarterfinal NFL Draft Watch Presented By Sports Management Worldwide Senior Bowl Meet & Greet. Join SMWW, AAF and numerous football industry professionals at Veet’s in downtown Mobile on Monday, January 26th. Plus, go inside the film room with Brian Baldinger of NFL Network! Reserve Your Ticket Here.
NFL DRAFT WATCH: CFB PLAYOFF QUARTERFINAL
Welcome to the January 1, 2026 edition of AAF NFL Draft Watch, Happy New Year!
In this edition of the AAF Newsletter, we preview all three of the College Football Playoff matchups on tap for New Year’s Day. Plus, a look at the gritty Miami Hurricanes victory over Ohio State in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, behind a heroic performance by quarterback Carson Beck, whose draft stock is on the rise, again.
As of this post, we are officially 112 days away until the 2026 NFL Draft! Our coverage has just begun to heat up, as we will provide prospect previews for the final bowl season games remaining on Friday. Tune-in for the All Access Football NFL Draft Watch Show this Saturday, as we take an early look at the College Football Playoff Semifinal contests.
Starting this Monday, the all-star game circuit kicks off, as All Access Football departs for Daytona, Florida to bring you boots on the ground analysis from the Altrua HealthShare Hula Bowl. Be on the lookout for our exclusive practice reports and videos throughout the week.
SCOUTING THE LEAGUE: COLLEGE FRONT OFFICE OPERATIONS
Go behind the scenes of college football front office operations with Scouting The League hosts Neil Stratton and Rodrik David, as they discuss the latest coach hirings, personnel departments, impact on the transfer portal and more.
2026 ALL ACCESS FOOTBALL NFL DRAFT HEADQUARTERS
You can find sortable ranked prospects for every Power Four program below, along with rankings, all-star game trackers, latest mock drafts, videos, podcasts and more.
NFL DRAFT RANKINGS: QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C | DT | ER | LB | CB | S
HURRICANES SWEEP AWAY DEFENDING CHAMPION BUCKEYES
The physicality of the Miami Hurricanes was too much for the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes to overcome during the New Year’s Eve Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
It was a party in the backfield for Hurricanes defense, which recorded five sacks on the night and applied constant pressure to Buckeyes freshman signal-caller Julian Sayin. Miami edge rushers Rueben Bain (one and a half sacks) and Akeem Mesidor (two sacks) were as advertised, while safety Keionte Scott made a game-changing 72-yard interception return for a touchdown that Ohio State was never able to recover from.
After squeaking by Texas A&M with just 10 points, Miami posted 24 on Ohio State, which was the most points the Buckeyes have allowed all season. The Hurricanes leaned on running back Mark Fletcher once again, who gained 90 rushing yards on 19 carries. However, the leadership and toughness of quarterback Carson Beck was the main storyline.
It has been somewhat of a roller-coaster season for Beck, who has shown steady poise and confidence through the first two rounds of the College Football Playoff. He worked the short-to-intermediate parts of the field masterfully, finishing up 19-of-26, for 138 passing yards, one touchdown (nine yard pass to Fletcher) and no turnovers. The former backup to Stetson Bennett during the Georgia Bulldogs back-to-back national championships (2021-22), Beck is now in control of his own’ Natty’ aspirations.
“Shoot, I’ve never been on this stage before,” Beck said after the game. “I’ve obviously played at Georgia and played in big games, but I’ve never had the opportunity to be a starting quarterback in the playoffs. I’ve been able to be a part of national championship teams and championship teams, but I’ve never had this opportunity. So for me, I’m taking it in one moment at a time, one play at a time and just giving everything that I have for this football team.”
For Ohio State, they now brace themselves for what is expected to be a significant amount of underclassmen who figure to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. Many of whom are expected to be first round selections, such as safety Caleb Downs, who caused two forced fumbles against Miami, linebacker Arvell Reese, who figures to be a top three overall pick, defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, who registered one tackle for loss and Carnell Tate, the top-rated wide receiver prospect, according to NFL Draft Bible.
One last thought on the College Football Playoff format. Are first round byes actually worth it? Ohio State was off for nearly a month since the Big Ten Championship. The Buckeyes loss brings the record of teams with first round byes during the 12-team playoff era to 0-5 all-time. We’ll see if Indiana, Georgia, or Texas Tech are able to buck that trend today. (photo: Miami Athletics)
DRAFT WATCH: CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL
The College Football Playoff Capital One Orange Bowl is scheduled for noon eastern time on Friday, January 1, 2026 in Miami, Florida.
All eyes will be on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, as the NFL awaits his future draft plans. Should he declare, the Ducks first-year starter would be in contention as the No.1 overall pick. Other Oregon first round candidates include tight end Kenyon Sadiq and defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington.
Texas Tech signal-caller Behren Morton will be in the upcoming draft, having exhausted his college eligibility and figures to be a solid mid-to-late round prospect. However, the Red Raiders have made it this far due to a swarming defense led by edge rusher David Bailey and linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.
We have provided complete team prospect reports and player evaluations below.
Oregon Ducks — NFL Draft Watch Report — Includes 24 draft-eligible prospects for 2026, plus 14 scouting reports.
Texas Tech Red Raiders — NFL Draft Watch Report — Includes 22 draft-eligible prospects for 2026, plus 18 scouting reports, along with two ‘Future Watch’ players.
VIDEO: CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL PROSPECT PRIMER
AAF NFL Draft Watch Show check-in on the draft status on key prospects in the Orange Bowl between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Oregon Ducks.
AAF REPORT: COTTON BOWL PRIMER, FCS COMBINE & POWER RANKINGS
DRAFT WATCH: ROSE BOWL PRESENTED BY PRUDENTIAL
The College Football Playoff Rose Bowl Presented By Prudential is scheduled for 4:00pm eastern time on Friday, January 1, 2026 in Pasadena, California.
While Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza receives all the headlines, the Hoosiers actually run the ball 55% of the time behind a one-two punch combination of dynamic running backs Roman Hemby and Kaelin Black. On defense, linebacker Aiden Fisher is one of the more underrated players and cornerback D’Angelo Ponds has drawn major buzz.
Meanwhile, Ty Simpson truthers continue to keep draft hopes alive. The Alabama gunslinger has picked up steam in recent weeks, mimicking his early season success. A win over Mendoza could reshape how talent evaluators view this QB Class. Other top-rated Tide prospects include wideout Germie Bernard and cornerback Domani Jackson.
We have provided complete team prospect reports and player evaluations below.
Indiana Hoosiers — NFL Draft Watch Report — Includes 23 draft-eligible prospects for 2026, plus 19 scouting reports, along with two ‘Future Watch’ players.
Alabama Crimson Tide — NFL Draft Watch Report — Includes 21 draft-eligible prospects for 2026, plus eight scouting reports.
VIDEO: ROSE BOWL PRESENTED BY PRUDENTIAL PROSPECT PRIMER
AAF NFL Draft Watch Show discuss top pro prospects in the College Football Playoff Rose Bowl matchup between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Indiana Hoosiers.
NFL DRAFT WATCH: MORE BOWL SEASON MANIA COVERAGE
DRAFT WATCH: ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL
The College Football Playoff Allstate Sugar Bowl is scheduled for 8:00pm eastern time on Friday, January 1, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Ole Miss is not as talent-laden as some of the other programs still standing but they have chemistry working for them with Trinidad Chambliss, the magician. The Rebels tend to spread the ball around to their playmakers such as wideouts Trey Wallace and De’Zhaun Stribling, along with tight end Dae’Quan Wright. On defense, defensive tackle Zxavian Harris holds a strong Day 2 grade.
For Georgia, just call Gunner Stockton the Rodney Dangerfield of College Football Playoff quarterbacks. Despite accounting for 3,133 yards and and 31 touchdowns, Stockton gets no respect from the mainstream pundits. Top target Zachariah Branch figures to be the fastest player on the field and is very reminiscent of DeSean Jackson. Bulldogs linebacker CJ Allen is one of the top prospects at his position.
We have provided complete team prospect reports and player evaluations below.
Ole Miss Rebels — NFL Draft Watch Report — Includes 19 draft-eligible prospects for 2026, plus eight scouting reports.
Georgia Bulldogs — NFL Draft Watch Report — Includes 17 draft-eligible prospects for 2026, plus 12 scouting reports.
VIDEO: ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL PROSPECT PRIMER
AAF NFL Draft Watch Show gets into the nitty gritty with a deep dive look on top prospects in the College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl matchup between the Ole Miss Rebels and Georgia Bulldogs.
SCOUT NOTEBOOK: NFL DRAFT BIBLE HOT 100 & LATEST NFL DRAFT BUZZ
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OFFICIAL 2026 NFL DRAFT BIBLE (COMING IN APRIL)
The Official 2026 NFL Draft Bible is used by all 32 NFL teams and is the preferred draft guide for professional leagues around the globe. Compiled by REAL scouts, the Draft Bible delivers in-depth evaluations with boots on the ground analysis.
[The Official 2026 NFL Draft Bible — Included With All Access Football Annual Pass]
Scouting Reports: Detailed evaluations on draft-eligible prospects, with an equal emphasis on small school players from the mid-majors, FCS, DII and DIII ranks.
Projections & Rankings: The most accurate NFL Draft projections made available to the public. Over 1,000 players listed for the 2026 & 2027 NFL Draft Classes.
Official Measurements: True measurements and performance metrics from the NFL Scouting Combine and all-star game circuit, plus verified pro day numbers.
Background Reports: Learn about the players off the field with our background reports, which includes character, medical, high school profiles and stats.
Exclusive Interviews: On location across the nation, we gather quotes from players, coaches, general managers, scouts and various football industry professionals.
Final Mock Drafts: Our ultimate draft forecasts from the AAF scouting department.