{"id":651395,"date":"2026-01-03T19:11:14","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T19:11:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/651395\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T19:11:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T19:11:14","slug":"5-players-that-stood-out-in-college-football-playoff-quarterfinals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/651395\/","title":{"rendered":"5 players that stood out in College Football Playoff quarterfinals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the two-day celebration bringing in the new year, there were four College Football Playoff quarterfinal games featuring plenty of top prospects for the Kansas City Chiefs<\/a> to consider in the 2026 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n

In case you missed it, Arrowhead Pride analyzed five college players before the first round began<\/a>. Here are 5 more draft prospects to know, including what their most recent performances say about their NFL potential:<\/p>\n

1. DE Rueben Bain Jr, Miami<\/p>\n

\"ARLINGTON,<\/a><\/p>\n

ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 31: Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. (4) pressures Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin (10) in the second quarter as the Miami Hurricanes faced the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on December 31, 2025, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Samuel Lewis\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Bain has been one of the key reasons Miami is one win away from playing in the National Championship. He followed up a dominant three-sack performance against Texas A&M in the first round with one sack and multiple pressures in the Hurricanes\u2019 upset win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Bain is considered one of the best edge rushers in the class, but due to his stocky frame \u2014 listed at 6 feet 3 inches tall and 270 pounds \u2014 there are questions about how high he will be drafted in the first round.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday night against the Buckeyes, Bain displayed a great feel for rushing with speed and power, an understanding of pass-rush angles, an ability to bend arcs and solid hand usage to beat blockers inside after the outside rush is blocked.<\/p>\n

Bain has certainly turned up the intensity in the playoffs. With another big performance, he could be a top-five pick.<\/p>\n

2. DE David Bailey, Texas Tech<\/p>\n

\"MIAMI<\/a><\/p>\n

MIAMI GARDENS, FL – JANUARY 01: David Bailey #31 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders rushes on defense against Alex Harkey #71 of the Oregon Ducks during the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl on January 01, 2026 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Texas Tech might\u2019ve lost to Oregon in the Orange Bowl, but it wasn\u2019t because of the Red Raiders\u2019 defense. The unit lived up to high expectations and held strong on most of its possessions, despite playing from opposing territory for the entire game.<\/p>\n

David Bailey was at the center of the stifling effort; he was constantly in the backfield. He earned his first sack by using the elite bend and explosiveness that make him a highly sought-after prospect, but he\u2019s not just a speed rusher. Bailey has a strong upper body and enough length to crush the pocket with speed-to-power.<\/p>\n

During an impressive all-around performance, Bailey\u2019s awareness stood out. He blew up multiple sprintouts by tracking the ball like a linebacker and deflecting it. He set the edge, but also slipped blocks to get tackles for loss.<\/p>\n

With an impactful performance in the biggest game of his life, Bailey is looking more the part of a blue-chip player. The Chiefs should look heavily at drafting him in April.<\/p>\n

3. WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State<\/p>\n

\"Dec<\/a><\/p>\n

Dec 31, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive back Jakobe Thomas (8) knocks the ball away from Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) during the 2025 Cotton Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Tate entered the playoffs in the running to be the first offensive weapon selected. While other candidates \u2014 like Notre Dame running back Jerimiyah Love \u2014 can rest on regular-season highlights, Tate left a bad impression in his final college game.<\/p>\n

The national audience watched the star receiver produce just 37 yards over three catches on nine targets<\/a>. Some incompletions came on rushed throws due to Miami\u2019s pressure, but Tate had difficulty getting open. His best play was a 15-yard catch and run on a slant route that converted third down.<\/p>\n

Tate\u2019s outstanding 2025 season should not be ignored, nor should Ohio State\u2019s track record of sending receivers to the NFL. However, the Cotton Bowl magnified the biggest questions Tate faces: Can he handle the volume expected of a top NFL wideout? Also, how much did he benefit from playing opposite a generational receiver prospect, sophomore Jeremiah Smith? The younger receiver had a strong game despite Miami\u2019s defensive prowess.<\/p>\n

4. DT Lee Hunter, Texas Tech<\/p>\n

\"Jan<\/a><\/p>\n

Jan 1, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive lineman Lee Hunter (2) and linebacker John Curry (6) react after a defensive stop against the Oregon Ducks during the first half of the 2025 Orange Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sam Navarro-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Texas Tech\u2019s entire defensive line is awesome. The edge rushers Bailey and Romello Height get the most buzz, but Lee Hunter is also essential to the unit. He is listed at 6 feet 4 inches tall and 330 lbs, built to destroy blocks. Nobody can move him in the middle and double teams don\u2019t bother him.<\/p>\n

Throughout the Orange Bowl, Oregon couldn\u2019t move Hunter, leading to a terrible day running the ball. The Ducks\u2019 running backs combined for 36 carries and 89 yards<\/a>, or 2.5 yards per carry. Hunter deserves a ton of credit for holding up against blocks through all four quarters.<\/p>\n

Early in the contest, Hunter blew up a fourth-down sweep play by getting wide and penetrating the line simultaneously. He is an incredible athlete for his size.<\/p>\n

From his first day on an NFL field, Hunter will be a gap plugger against the run, but Hunter also has a quick first step and plays hard. His upside as a pass rusher could be limited, but Hunter will be a quality starting nose tackle that should go within the top-100 after this game.<\/p>\n

5. RT Francis Mauigoa, Miami<\/p>\n

\"ARLINGTON,<\/a><\/p>\n

ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 31: Miami Hurricanes offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa (#61) blocks during the CFP Quarterfinal Cotton Bowl Classic football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Miami Hurricanes on December 31, 2025 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. (Photo by Matthew Visinsky\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n

The enormous Mauigoa dominated the line of scrimmage against Ohio State and led Miami to rack up over 150 rushing yards<\/a>. At 6 feet 6 inches tall and 315 lbs, Mauigoa is a road-grading right tackle who plays with a nasty streak. His large frame, solid core, and good fundamentals in the run game will make him an immediate starter in the NFL, but his mobility could push him into the top-10.<\/p>\n

Despite his large frame, he has nimble feet and clean mechanics in pass protection. His movement skills also help him to climb to the second level and make blocks in space.<\/p>\n

The tackle class in the 2026 draft is a bit weaker than years past, so Mauigoa should climb up draft boards, possibly ending up as the top tackle selected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Over the two-day celebration bringing in the new year, there were four College Football Playoff quarterfinal games featuring…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":651396,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[7,80177,923,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-651395","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-kansas-city-chiefs-analysis","10":"tag-kansas-city-chiefs-draft","11":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115832755750340338","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651395","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=651395"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651395\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/651396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=651395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=651395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=651395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}