Football
The College Football Playoff quarterfinals put four 2026 NFL Draft quarterback hopefuls under the brightest lights of their careers, with first-round implications hanging on every throw.
The 2026 NFL Draft quarterback class hasn’t produced a consensus QB1. Instead, it has featured a tighter race at the top, and the CFP quarterfinals will serve as the final audition for several prospects trying to separate themselves from the pack.
Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore, Ty Simpson, and Carson Beck all take the field this week with varying degrees of draft stock on the line. How they perform against elite competition could determine where they hear their names called in April.
Football Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson Square Off an NFL Draft QB Showdown at the Rose Bowl
The Rose Bowl delivers the marquee quarterback matchup of the quarterfinals when Heisman Trophy winner Mendoza leads the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers against Simpson and the No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide.
Mendoza enters as the odds-on favorite to be the first quarterback selected in April. The 6’5″, 225-pound signal-caller led the FBS with 33 touchdown passes against just six interceptions while completing 71.5% of his throws.
He’s the most pro-ready passer in the class, a timing-based quarterback who dissects coverages pre-snap and delivers the ball with precision. A dominant performance against Alabama’s defense would all but lock up QB1 status.
Simpson’s draft trajectory has been more volatile.
MORE: Ole Miss vs. Georgia Prediction: Can the Rebels Cause a Rematch Upset?
Through the first nine games, he looked like a legitimate challenger to Mendoza, throwing just one interception while flashing serious arm talent and downfield ball placement. Then came four picks in his final four regular-season games, including a disastrous SEC title game appearance.
He bounced back in Alabama’s first-round comeback victory over Oklahoma, playing clean football in a 34-24 road win.
The Rose Bowl gives Simpson a chance to silence concerns about his late-season regression. A Heisman winner and a likely first-round pick trading punches on New Year’s Day: this is what the expanded playoff was built for.
Football Dante Moore’s NFL Draft Ceiling and Carson Beck’s Redemption Arc Collide
Oregon’s Moore might be the most talented quarterback in this NFL Draft class. The problem is he’s also a redshirt sophomore with just 16 career starts, and his consistency has wavered at times this season. Moore completed 72.4% of his passes for over 3,000 yards with 28 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2025.
His struggles against Indiana and Wisconsin raised questions about his readiness, but he responded with a four-touchdown showing against Rutgers. Evaluators love his poise, arm talent, and touch accuracy. PFSN Analyst Ian Cummings compares him to CJ Stroud coming out of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
A dominant Orange Bowl performance against Texas Tech’s elite pass rush, which ranks fourth in PFSN’s College Defense Impact metric, would cement Moore as a top-five pick. He hasn’t decided whether he’ll enter the 2026 draft or return for another season in Eugene, but a playoff run could force his hand.
Carson Beck’s journey has been the opposite of Moore’s steady rise. Once considered the preseason QB1 after his decorated 2023 campaign at Georgia, Beck’s stock cratered following a turnover-prone 2024 season and an elbow injury that ended his time in Athens. He transferred to Miami seeking resurrection.
MORE: Dante Moore Return Rumors Increase as Oregon QB Austin Novosad Hits the Transfer Portal
The results have been mixed. Beck started hot behind Miami’s strong offensive line, but a four-interception disaster against Louisville reminded scouts why some don’t view him as a starting-caliber NFL prospect. He’s bounced back with eight touchdowns and zero picks in his last three games heading into the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State.
Beck’s opponent won’t provide much draft intrigue. Julian Sayin has been spectacular for the Buckeyes, but won’t be eligible for the NFL Draft until 2027 as a redshirt freshman.
Still, Beck facing Ohio State’s eighth-ranked pressure rate represents a final chance to prove he can handle heat and protect the football. A clean game against the Buckeyes could push him back into Day 2 territory. Another turnover-filled outing might relegate him to a late-round afterthought.
The quarterbacks in the Sugar Bowl, Georgia’s Gunner Stockton and Ole Miss transfer Trinidad Chambliss, aren’t major 2026 draft considerations, especially as the Rebels’ passer fights for another year of eligibility.
For Mendoza, Moore, Simpson, and Beck, the next week could determine more than College Football Playoff survival. It likely shapes their professional futures.
Read More Matthew Cannata