The first game of the College Football Playoff is a rematch from mid-November, when Oklahoma upset Alabama in Tuscaloosa. We’ll see what, if anything, is different about this matchup Friday night (with both teams, theoretically, fielding healthier rosters).
Here’s what to track from an NFL Draft perspective when the Crimson Tide and Sooners battle:
Prospect matchup I can’t wait to watch
The main attraction for NFL scouts will be Alabama left tackle Kadyn Proctor versus Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas. Because of an injury to Thomas, we didn’t get to see the aesthetic dichotomy of a 6-foot-7, 360-pound dancing bear against a 6-1, 250-pound lightning bolt when these two teams played last month. But it sounds as if Thomas — the lightning bolt, in case that wasn’t obvious — should be good to go this week.
Despite having not allowed a sack or committed a penalty since the season opener in August, Proctor has had an inconsistent junior campaign, especially through the lens of a potential top-15 pick. Talent isn’t the issue — he has rare explosiveness and movements for a player that size, along with the natural strength to manhandle opponents. But his inconsistencies lie in his timing and positional leverage, and they’re the root problems of his negative reps on tape.
NFL scouts’ opinions about Proctor’s projection are all over the map, from top 10 to Day 2. A standout performance, on this stage versus a formidable opponent, would matter.
Thomas, meanwhile, has better point-of-attack strength than most his size and plays active in the run game. But scouts like him as a potential top-40 pick because of his disruptive talent as a pass rusher. Thomas has the explosiveness and flexibility to win on the high side and close with serious burst. He can also be a battering ram converting speed to power, using his leverage to forklift blockers from their spot. Expect Thomas to flash that upfield burst early to set up inside moves on critical passing downs.
SCOOP. STIFF ARM. SCORE.@thomss_r | 📺 ABC pic.twitter.com/GK22uaYanI
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) November 2, 2025
Polarizing prospects who could use a big game
No surprises here — this category is reserved for quarterbacks. Both Alabama’s Ty Simpson and Oklahoma’s John Mateer should be back in college next season for much-needed development, but how this game plays out could be a determining factor in those decisions.
In his first year as a starter, Simpson stacked strong games over the season’s first two months. But it has been downhill since Halloween. It is a tough ask of Simpson to overcome all of the gaffes happening around him on the Alabama offense, but scouts want to see him overcome those challenging situations and, at the very least, take better care of the football (he has five turnovers over the last four games).
Back in September, Mateer looked like a prospect who might factor into the 2026 draft class. Since returning from hand surgery, though, he has thrown more interceptions (seven) than touchdown passes (six). If the Mateer we saw against Michigan returns for the Playoff, the Sooners will have no trouble moving the football against the Tide’s defense. But his willingness to put his body in harm’s way and his knack for turnover-worthy decisions must change.
Prospects who can help swing the outcome
Whenever the Sooners needed a big play this season, wide receiver Isaiah Sategna usually had an answer. The Arkansas transfer has accounted for 18 receptions of 20-plus yards in 2025, tops among all players in the College Football Playoff — although Alabama kept him quiet last month (four catches for 26 yards). A fourth-year junior, Sategna will have a decision to make after the season. Scouts want to see him matched up against Tide senior cornerback Domani Jackson, who has looked more like a late-rounder than an early-rounder this season.
The Alabama offense has been wildly inconsistent over the second half of the season, but wide receiver Germie Bernard is its best part and will need to play a major role for the Tide to win. At 6 feet 1 and 209 pounds with 9 3/4-inch hands, Bernard is a good-sized target and has the versatility to line up across the formation, including in the backfield. He might not be elite in any one area, but he is solid across the board, including as a physical blocker. He projects as a quality No. 2 receiver at the next level.
🦠 got LOOSE! @oti_germie
📺: ABC pic.twitter.com/XoHmlDfoev
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) December 6, 2025
For Alabama’s defense, nose tackle Tim Keenan will be key to controlling the line of scrimmage, though you might not hear his name all that much during the broadcast because of his position. The senior is built like a bowling ball, with the handwork, strength and instincts that will translate well to the next level.
Underrated Day 3 prospects you need to know
Oklahoma had the SEC’s top defense during the regular season (13.9 points and 273.6 yards allowed per game), and improved play at the linebacker level was a key reason for that success. Kendal Daniels, an Oklahoma State transfer who plays a hybrid linebacker-safety position for Brent Venables, has serious pursuit speed at 240 pounds. He was stamped as a late-rounder by scouts in the summer, but he’s now in the mid-round range with a chance to even crack the top 100 if he has a strong pre-draft process.
Daniels’ teammate, linebacker Owen Heinecke, is a former lacrosse player who was barely on the NFL radar four months ago but now is receiving draftable love from scouts.
Alabama tight end Josh Cuevas had his best game of the season (six catches, 80 yards, one touchdown) the last time these two teams played, and his absence has been obvious the last three games. The Tide coaches are optimistic that the banged-up tight end, who is considered a potential early Day 3 draft pick, will be back for the Playoff.
And Oklahoma tight end Jaren Kanak has boosted his draft status this season, too, moving from a low-end free agent to Day 3 projection. At the very least, the former linebacker should be a special teams standout in the league.