The 5 best draft prospect performances from the national championship

The following players made their mark throughout the college season. On Monday night their performances stood out in the national championship. On college football’s greatest stage, each of these pro prospects will likely see some form of draft boost due to their performances.

Fernando Mendoza

What more can you say about Mendoza? Curt Cignetti, widely considered the driving force for Indiana’s rise, trusted his transfer signal caller in the biggest moments of this game. Mendoza faced pressure more often in this game than he had all season. It did not matter. He showed perseverance and toughness to stay in the game mentally. On multiple occasions he came back to the things that got Indiana to this game. He trusted the success and talent of his playmakers. With the game on the line on 4th and 5, Mendoza’s legs were the difference. He will be the number one overall selection.

Omar Cooper Jr

Cooper showed toughness after the catch and agility that should translate to the NFL. Miami’s defense pursued ball carriers well in this game. Cooper was tasked with catching the ball in space and being efficient with his touches. Not only did he manage, he became a reliable drive starter all night for the Hoosiers.

Rueben Bain

Carter Smith is returning to school for Indiana but he was considered a possible Day 2 selection. Rueben Bain made it a tough night for Smith. All Miami could ask from its best player was his best performance. Bain certainly made that a reality. Miami’s pass rush provided the spark for the entire team to rally in the second half. First-step explosion into quick pressures was something I wanted to see more from Bain. On Monday night, we saw exactly that.

Akheem Mesidor

While Bain was providing quick pressure for Miami’s defense, Mesidor cleaned up the plays. His two sacks on the night killed an Indiana drive in the second half. He continued to show pocket pushing ability and quickness to disengage from the edge into run gaps. Mesidor’s ceiling may not be as high as Bain’s, but he’s shown a consistency worth valuing.

D’Angelo Ponds

The final few games from the undersized Ponds on Indiana’s championship run were reminiscent of Mike Sainristil’s in 2023. He was fully lock-down on the outside against multiple athletic big-bodied receivers. The versatility to play inside and outside are still important to Ponds’ overall professional development, but he’s done nothing but prove himself on the outside. This is a competitive player who fears no opponent.