The College Football Playoff semifinals kick off tonight, with No. 6 Ole Miss taking on No. 10 Miami (FL). The action continues on Friday night, when No. 1 Indiana faces No. 5 Oregon in the second matchup of the year between the two Big Ten powerhouses.
As one could expect by each team’s postseason success, there are several players on each team worthy of getting selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. As of this writing, I have 373 prospects on my board for this year’s class. It’s a number that will surpass
400 by the time I get through all of the announced Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl-invited players, and my goal is to reach 500 players by the time I release my draft guide on my Patreon.
Of those 373 players, 33 of them come from the four schools who are still standing in the College Football Playoffs. That’s a pretty condensed portion of talent to come from just a handful of schools, which speaks to how talented each of these rosters are.
The biggest glaring exception from my list right now is Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who recently posted a waiver to obtain another year of NCAA eligibility. Should that waiver fail, I anticipate he’ll get a draftable grade on my board. That said, until he gets clear feedback one way or the other, I’m prioritizing watching prospects who have either run out of eligibility or have already declared for the draft.
Other players among the four semifinalists I have on my watchlist that I haven’t gotten around to yet are as follows:
- Diego Pounds, OL, Ole Miss
- Wesley Bissainthe, LB, Miami (FL)
- David Blay Jr., DT, Miami (FL)
- Malik Benson, WR, Oregon
- Keionte Scott, CB, Miami (FL)
Here are a few quick write-ups of a couple potential Bears targets to keep an eye on in the coming days, followed by full ranking of every prospect I’ve watched between Indiana, Oregon, Ole Miss, and Miami.
Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
A standout safety at Purdue for his first two seasons, Dillon Thieneman has since made the jump to Oregon swimmingly. He finished as a first-team All-American in 2025, and he’s tallied eight interceptions over his three years in college.
Thieneman brings the versatility that NFL defensive coordinators will enjoy working with. He’s capable of covering as a deep safety, in the box, or in the slot at a high level. His versatile nature speaks to his football intelligence, which is also apparent in how quickly he processes route concepts and how he times his jumps onto a route. He won’t amaze you as a raw athlete, but he maximizes what he has with his quick mental trigger and high motor. Thieneman’s a physical downhill tackler, as well.
Matayo Uiagalelei, EDGE, Oregon
Dennis Allen has seemingly prioritized big-bodied edge rushers over his time in the NFL. Listed at 6’5” and 272 pounds, Matayo Uiagalelei certainly fits that bill. The standout junior has been a reliable force off the edge for the Ducks, tallying 16.5 sacks and 22.0 tackles for a loss over his last two seasons.
Uiagalelei has good short-area acceleration coming off the snap, but it’s his power and refined skill set that really shines on tape. He has a sturdy anchor that helps him set the edge well against the run, and he can convert speed to power well with that lower-half strength and his powerful jabs. He also demonstrates a deep arsenal of pass-rushing moves with good finesse and the ability to string moves together. Uiagalelei might not test out of this world, but he’s a rock-solid football player with strong EDGE2 value at the next level.
A’Mauri Washington, DT, Oregon
The biggest physical freak on this list, A’Mauri Washington sat behind the likes of Derrick Harmon and Jamaree Caldwell to start his collegiate career but always showed impressive flashes. Once a starting opportunity opened up for him in 2025, he took full advantage. He’s been quite efficient with an 80.2 PFF grade, an 83.4 run defense grade, and a 70.6 pass-rushing grade.
At 6’3” and 330 pounds, Washington fits your type nose tackle build but can also rush as a 3-technique at the next level if need be, judging off his tape this year at Oregon. He’s a powerful interior defender with tremendous raw weight room strength and good pad level that helps him distribute his weight properly. For someone as big as he is, his first step off the snap is seriously impressive. His plan as a pass rusher is still a work in progress, but he’s a pro-ready run defender with freakish tools and upside to grow into something special if coached up properly.
Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami (FL)
I’ve been following Akheem Mesidor’s collegiate career for quite some time, and while I knew there were always intriguing tools in his game, I didn’t think he’d be able to take advantage of them the way he has this season. He led the ACC with 10.5 sacks and added 15.5 tackles for a loss to the mix, finally breaking out as an early-round prospect after looking the part of a Day 3 talent for a lot of his six-year collegiate career.
Mesidor’s age will surely be a factor in how high he gets drafted. That said, his experience works to his benefit in that he’s a lot craftier than the average edge rusher prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft. He has a refined use of his hands that allow him to string moves together, work counter moves off his blockers, and identify which moves to use to exploit the weaknesses of each lineman he goes against. Mesidor is also a stout, powerful defender with the versatility to kick inside on passing downs, as well. He’s just an okay athlete but has a pro-ready skill set that should be high in demand.
Amare Ferrell, S, Indiana
Indiana has far too good of a roster for me to leave off this list entirely, though some of their early-round prospects aren’t exactly at dire positions of need for the Bears. That said, I come away impressed with Amare Ferrell just about each time I watch Indiana’s defense, and with Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker both projected to hit free agency, Chicago will likely be in the market for another safety.
Ferrell is a well-built safety at 6’2” and 200 pounds with a large wingspan for his position. He’s an intelligent zone coverage defender who feels the quarterback’s progressions well and identifies route concepts quickly. He demonstrates proper willingness and precision in his movements as a downhill tackler, and he brings good ball skills to the table. I think he’s not as good of an athlete and a little more stiff than Thieneman, who ranks higher despite having similar strengths and weaknesses. That said, Ferrell has a high floor with the ability to become a solid starter in the NFL if given the chance.
