Miami vs. Indiana: Top 10 NFL prospects to watch in Monday’s CFP National Championship

The No. 10 Miami Hurricanes (13-2) and No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers (15-0) will face off in Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship in Miami. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m.

Here’s a look at the top 10 potential NFL prospects to watch. This list presumes no players opt out of the game before kickoff:

1. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana, Jr.: The Hoosiers haven’t had a first-round draft pick since 1994 when the Giants selected wide receiver Thomas Lewis with the 24th overall pick. Mendoza is a lock to go No. 1. The real question is whether a team like the Jets, Cardinals, Browns, Dolphins or Steelers will make an offer to the Raiders they can’t refuse for the first pick. The Heisman Trophy-winner has showcased the ability to step up in big moments for undefeated Indiana this season and you’re not going to find a more pro-ready option at the position in this draft class. Mendoza has completed 31 of 36 passes (86.1%) for 369 yards and eight TD passes against no interceptions in two playoff games against Alabama and Oregon.
2. Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami, Jr.: The Hurricanes have had 40 first-round picks since Lewis was selected in the opening round for the Hoosiers, including last year’s No. 1 overall selection (Cam Ward). The 6-foot-3, 275-pound Bain doesn’t have prototypical length, but the ACC Defensive Player of the Year has been a dominant force in three playoff games against Texas A&M, Ohio State and Ole Miss. He had four sacks in those three games and 5½ in his last four.
3. Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami, Jr.: The former five-star recruit is big (6-6, 335), powerful and plays with a mauling mentality at the tackle position. Mauigoa is a three-year starter who has gotten better every season with the Hurricanes. His arm length will be scrutinized during the draft process, much like last year’s top tackle prospect Will Campbell. Also like Campbell, I don’t anticipate it hurting his stock or play once he’s in the NFL.
4. Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami, Sr.: The Ottawa native had 9½ sacks in two years at West Virginia before joining the Hurricanes in 2022. Mesidor is an older prospect (he turns 25 in April), but he’s been highly productive for two different programs, including 10½ sacks and 15½ tackles for loss this season.
5. D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana, Jr.: Ponds is undersized (5-9, 170), but he plays bigger with the tenacity of an old-school middle linebacker. He’s been a standout during the playoffs for the Hoosiers. He earned defensive MVP honors in Indiana’s 38-3 rout of Alabama in the Rose Bowl, and returned a pick-six on the first play from scrimmage in last week’s Peach Bowl rout of the Ducks.
6. Carter Smith, T, Indiana, Jr.: The 6-foot-5, 313-pound Smith is a three-year starter at left tackle, and one of the nation’s elite pass protectors. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s ranked as the second-best offensive lineman in the country with a 93.7 pass blocking grade (minimum 300 snaps), and hasn’t surrendered a single sack this season. Smith has a shot at being a top-50 selection in April, especially if he holds his own against Bain and Mesidor.
7. Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana, Sr.: Sarratt leads the nation in TD receptions with 15, and has scored at least on touchdown in nine straight games. He isn’t a burner, but he has size (6-2, 209), plays with physicality, has strong hands, and has developed a reputation for clutch playmaking (similar to his Heisman-winning QB).
8. Carson Beck, QB, Miami, Sr.: With Dante Moore officially going back to school, the race for QB2 in this draft class is wide open. Signal-callers like Beck, and Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss could benefit greatly from Moore’s decision.
9. Keionte Scott, CB, Miami, Sr.: The Helix High School alum was a two-time junior college All-American at Snow College in Utah before transferring to Auburn in 2022. Scott joined the Hurricanes this season, and earned second-team All-ACC recognition with 61 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions (both returned for a TD).
10. Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana, Jr.: The natural playmaker leads the Hoosiers in receptions (64) and yards (866) and is second to Sarratt in touchdowns (13). Cooper’s combination of compact build (6-0, 201), vision and shiftiness make him difficult to bring down in the open field.

Just missed: Ahmad Moten, DL, Miami, Jr.; Jakobe Thomas, S, Miami, Sr.; Louis Moore, S, Indiana, Sr.; CJ Daniels, WR, Miami, Sr.; Mikail Kamara, Edge, Indiana, Sr.