The opening round of the College Football Playoff was a mixed bag, to say the least — dramatic Alabama and Miami wins, followed by uncompetitive Ole Miss and Oregon romps.

We’ll have plenty of time to talk about the quarterfinals matchups, but what happened Friday and Saturday already helped fill in some gaps in the 2026 NFL Draft picture. Our draft experts, Dane Brugler and Nick Baumgardner, break down a few of the key performances.

1. We’re still in wait-and-see mode when it comes to Oregon QB Dante Moore’s draft plans. How real is the buzz about Moore as the potential No. 1 pick in this draft?

Dane Brugler: The buzz is very real, and that has been the case for months now. Moore’s performance against James Madison is what we have come to expect from the underclassman quarterback. He is naturally accurate with a smooth stroke and the ability to quickly scan the field.

For much of the season, the feedback from NFL scouts was that Moore was headed back to school. But that started to shift over the second half of the year, and the impending departure of offensive coordinator Will Stein (who’s staying on the Ducks’ sideline for the Playoff before exiting for the Kentucky head coaching job) was considered a needle-mover.

Saturday was just Moore’s 18th career start, and there is no question that he could benefit from another year in Eugene. But there is something to be said for striking while the iron is hot in a weak quarterback class. If Moore plays at this level against Texas Tech’s defense in the quarterfinals, it will make it even tougher for him to bypass the NFL Draft.

Nick Baumgardner: I think Dante Moore has some of the Cam Ward gene, in that he improves his game at a pretty consistent rate. We don’t have proof of that over a long period of time the way we did with Ward, but it’s hard not to see the progress. Moore is still an inexperienced player, so if he declares, goes No. 1 and has to lead a terrible NFL team next year, it probably won’t look great. But the high ceiling here feels very real — when it pops for Moore, it really pops. He doesn’t get rattled, and I think he’d be able to survive a rocky rookie year while continuing to improve.

I don’t know that for sure, though, and it’s pretty much the whole discussion. One more year of college tape would be great. If he stays healthy, we’d be discussing him as the No. 1 pick again for the 2027 draft. It won’t be an easy decision.

Dante puts it on the money and J-Mac does the rest.@dantemoore05 🤝 @jay_mac2481 #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/E5Rwmc3Bf0

— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) December 21, 2025

2. No real surprise, but Ole Miss put on an offensive show against Tulane. Which of their playmakers do you have the most confidence in as an NFL prospect?

Brugler: I have both of the Rebels’ senior receivers (De’Zhaun Stribling and Harrison Wallace III) graded as late-round picks. But I’m most intrigued by redshirt sophomore receiver Deuce Alexander, who led the team in receiving Saturday (seven catches for 87 yards).

Using his body control and athleticism, Alexander finds ways to get open and makes natural adjustments on the ball to make plays. I’ll be eager to see what the Wake Forest transfer decides to do after the season — stay at Ole Miss, transfer or go pro. If he does test the NFL waters, his talent will give him a chance to crack the top 100.

Baumgardner: QB Trinidad Chambliss tends to grow on you, especially in this offense. Ole Miss can (and likely will) get him back for another season, of course, but I’d be interested to see where he would stack up in what is going to be a thin 2026 QB group.

His arm is legit, and he’s an elite athlete. There is plenty of work ahead of him from a processing standpoint — and, like Jaxson Dart, it remains to be seen how his game will translate from the Ole Miss scheme to an NFL system. But Chambliss has potential, despite his lack of size.

If he comes out this year after stacking up a few big Playoff games, it wouldn’t shock me to see him find his way into Day 2.

3. Defense ruled (and kicking did not) in Miami’s slugfest win over Texas A&M. Which prospects on that side of the ball impressed you the most?

Brugler: In my preview of the game, I mentioned Hurricanes defensive back Keionte Scott as one of my favorite sleepers on either roster — and he didn’t disappoint. In his first game back from a late-season injury, Scott posted a team-best 10 tackles plus three tackles for loss, two sacks and a pivotal forced fumble when Texas A&M was in field goal territory.

Scott is the most disruptive defensive back near the line of scrimmage that I saw on college tape this year. He is shorter than 5 feet 11 and weighs only 191 pounds, but he plays so much bigger than he looks, and teams will bet on his closing speed and competitive toughness. For an NFL team looking for an impact nickel, Scott will make sense in the third- to fifth-round range.

Miami’s Keionte Scott has been an “arrow up” NFL prospect all season.

The most disruptive DB near the LOS that I’ve seen this year in CFB. https://t.co/5sBthNvyjG

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) December 20, 2025

Baumgardner: The big boys up front showed up for the Hurricanes when they needed it most. Akheem Mesidor was credited with 11 pressures in this game, and he added 10 hurries, two hits and 1 1/2 sacks. Linemate Rueben Bain Jr. wound up with seven pressures and three sacks himself, along with a critical blocked field goal.

Mesidor (6-3, 280) is a really savvy football player who probably could line up in a few different spots for an NFL defense. He’s a very efficient pass rusher off the edge who also might give guards and centers issues in the right situation. Depending on medicals, Mesidor feels like a guy who could sneak into Day 2 with a bit of a run here.

We’ve discussed Bain quite a bit this season, but really, his story is about the same as Mesidor’s — except he has a higher athletic ceiling. Bain’s lack of ideal length is going to bother some teams, but his power production and overall potential remain hard to ignore. He is a first-round talent, though he won’t be graded that way by every club.

4. Alabama QB Ty Simpson could be in a similar boat as Moore — a strong Playoff run might push him into the NFL Draft. How big of a boost will Simpson get from his performance in Friday night’s comeback win?

Brugler: Welcome back, pre-Halloween Ty Simpson. He didn’t have a perfect night, especially in the first half. But with his (and his team’s) back against the wall, he responded with several signature throws that helped Alabama overcome an early 17-point deficit.

While watching back the tape the next day, three throws stuck with me as the types of plays that will excite NFL scouts. Early in the second quarter, Simpson hit Josh Cuevas on a tight end seam-post for a zone-beating chunk gain. (It was great to see Cuevas back out there, too, because he is essential to the Alabama passing game.) Later, with the score tied at 17, wide receiver Lotzeir Brooks ran a slant-corner route out of the slot and Simpson put the ball on him for a 30-yard, go-ahead touchdown. Then in the fourth quarter, Simpson made a perfect bucket throw on a go route by Isaiah Horton for a 37-yard gain.

There were several plays that supported the idea of Simpson returning to school to gain more experience, as well, but it was good to see him step up and elevate Alabama’s offense against a talented defense.

Baumgardner: This was exactly what Simpson needed. Oklahoma’s defense is a real bear — one of the harder outfits in college football to handle mentally — and Simpson, for most of the night, looked like the guy we talked about back in September/October. He didn’t start out great, but he hung in there and started trusting his eyes (and arm) over the middle and in tight windows.

This type of game is a big deal for a quarterback. It’s a high-pressure situation, against high-level talent and high-level coaching, so we get to see what the player is truly made of. We can nitpick Simpson, and if some teams feel as if they need another year on him before pulling the trigger, I get that. But Friday night’s game showed us he’s got the right stuff, if nothing else.

He’s a resilient player. If he can stack some games to help the Tide go on a run, maybe it won’t be such a tough decision in the end.