Future Broncos: Prospects to Watch in 1st Round of College Football Playoff

SB Nation

College Bowl games start today with Boise State and Washington squaring off in the LA Bowl. Over the next week, a handful of other bowl matchups will happen. However, for this installment of Future Broncos,

I thought highlighting the four College Football Playoff matchups that begin next week would be apt. There’s a lot of ground to cover so let’s just do that ahead of time. I’ll talk a little bit about each one and name some prospects to watch for each team. If you’re a fan of any of these teams and I’ve missed some draft eligible players, highlight them in the comments section.

No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide | Friday, December 19

The winner of this matchup gets the chance to take on the #1 seed Indiana Hoosiers in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Count me in as someone who felt Alabama didn’t deserve to make the 12-team playoff and believe Notre Dame got hosed out of a potential spot. Your mileage may vary.

This is a SEC rematch from November where the Sooners toppled the Crimson Tide on the road 23 to 21. I’d expect this game to be another close and hard-fought battle but will give the edge to the Sooners since they will be hosting this one in Norman.

Both teams have a strong slate of prospects, especially on the defensive side of the ball. One of my favorite fits for Denver is hybrid defender Samuel Omosigho. I’m not sure he declares as he has another year of eligibility, but he has been a Swiss Army knife for their defense and has tremendous athleticism and range. With respect to the Crimson Tide, I like LT Overton and Deontae Lawson as defensive prospects of interest for the Broncos.

Oklahoma Top Prospects:

R Mason Thomas, EDGE
Gracen Halton, DL
Robert Spears-Jennings, DB
Samuel Omosigho, Hybrid Defender
Damonic Williams, DL
Kendal Daniels, LB
Febechi Nwajwu, OL
Deion Burks, WR
John Mateer, QB

Alabama Top Prospects:

Kayden Proctor, OT
LT Overton, DE
Tim Keenan III, DL
James Smith, DL
Deontae Lawson, LB
Keon Sabb, S
Parker Brailsford, iOL
Jaeden Roberts, OG
Ty Simpson, QB
Germie Bernard, WR

No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies vs. No. 10 Miami Hurricanes | Saturday, December 20

The winner of this matchup will have opportunity to battle the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl on December 31. This should be a great matchup. Both teams have great offensive lines and some dynamic playmakers on both sides of the ball.

I think there are likely a dozen players or more between both teams who will have their names called in the 2026 NFL Draft. Arguably the top prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, Miami standout pass rusher Reuben Bain Jr. has been nothing short of electric. One could argue Hurricanes offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa is a potential Top 10 selection and could be the first offensive lineman off the board in April.

Over the course of Future Broncos this collegiate season, I’ve talked about a few Aggies including linebacker Taurean York and offensive lineman Chase Bisontis, Ar’maj Reed-Adams, and Trey Zuhn III. If you are looking for potential offensive additions for Denver, running back Le’Veon Moss and wide receiver KC Concepcion are two guys to watch.

Texas A&M Top Prospects:

Taurean York, LB
Cashish Howell, EDGE
Chase Bisontis, OG
Ar’maj Reed-Adams, OG
Le’Veon Moss, RB
Trey Zuhn III, OT
KC Concepcion, WR
Sam M’Pemba, LB
Scooby Williams, LB

Miami Top Prospects:

Reuben Bain Jr., EDGE
Francis Mauigoa, OT
Akheem Mesidor, DL
C.J. Daniels, WR
Mark Fletcher Jr., RB
Carson Beck, QB

No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels vs. No. 11 Tulane Green Wave | Saturday, December 20

The winner of this matchup will take on the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl on New Years’ Day. While the Aggies and Hurricanes game should be quite exciting, I’m not as optimistic about this one. The Rebels decisively beat the Green Wave during the regular season 45-10. I don’t expect much of a different outcome in this one. Ole Miss should win this one quite easily.

Neither team boasts an elite prospect, but the Rebels have a handful of defenders and offensive players who will get picked in April. For Tulane, interior offensive lineman Shadre Hurst has impressed. He was a first-team American Conference selection and will be a Day 3 pick come Spring. A lot of Tulane’s best players are underclassmen and not draft eligible.

Ole Miss Top Prospects:

Suntarine Perkins, LB
Antonio Kite, CB
Princewill Umanmielen, LB
Luke Hasz, TE
Trinidad Chambliss, QB
Cayden Lee, WR
De’Zhaun Stribling, WR

Tulane Top Prospects:

Shadre Hurst, OL

No. 5 Oregon Ducks vs. No. 12 James Madison | Saturday, December 20

The winner of this matchup will battle Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day. The Ducks are the heavy favorites in this one. You can tell that by the variance in the list of prospects to watch below. However, James Madison deserves a lot of credit for how far they’ve come in a short time.

Not too long ago, the Dukes were battling it out in the FCS under the leadership of Curt Cignetti, who now coaches the top-ranked Hoosiers. Fast forward a few years later and Bob Chesney has coached them to 12-1 record overall, an undefeated 8-0 in Sun Belt conference play, and their first appearance in the College Football Playoff just four years into their FBS journey. That’s quite impressive.

Nevertheless, it would be a monumental upset if they were able to takedown the Ducks in Eugene. I don’t see Dan Lanning’s squad dropping this one. Nevertheless, crazier things have happened in college football, and I think this will be a fun game regardless.

Oregon Top Prospects: