On Monday night, the college football season came to a close as the top-seeded Indiana Hoosiers took down the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes, 27–21, in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship Game, completing an undefeated 16–0 season.
While I can’t help but reminisce about how amazing the season was, all good things must come to an end. However, that end signals a new beginning for many players: The National Football League.
The College Football Playoff is truly a make-or-break event for those chasing their dreams of being drafted and playing professionally. While some players have seen their draft stock plummet, others have experienced the opposite — something exemplified by several athletes in this year’s playoffs.
Without further ado, here are four of those players whose draft stock soared after this year’s postseason.
Fernando Mendoza, Quarterback (Indiana)
Fernando Mendoza was, without a doubt, one of the most electrifying players of this college football season. After a solid career at Cal Berkeley and transferring to Indiana, he proved thousands of naysayers wrong by winning the 2025 Heisman Trophy and leading the Hoosiers to their first national title in program history.
But going into the playoffs, I admittedly thought that the whole “Heismendoza” persona he developed was all a fluke due to facing relatively weak competition compared to those competing in the SEC.
That was until he led the Hoosiers to a crushing 38–3 triumph over Alabama in the Rose Bowl, a 56–22 victory over Oregon in the Peach Bowl and a 27–21 win against Miami in the national championship game.
Mendoza finished the season completing 273 of his 379 passes for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. His 72% completion rate was complemented by another seven rushing touchdowns, including his gritty 12-yard touchdown run on fourth down against the Hurricanes in the season finale.
With that, Mendoza is slated on many draft boards to be the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. If there was ever any doubt that Mendoza would be a top draft pick, those feelings are sure to vanish after his heroics in the playoffs.
Mark Fletcher Jr., Running Back (Miami)
The runner-up Miami Hurricanes were a team that I never really paid much attention to until the postseason. However, after watching a few games, it’s safe to say that they have a star in their backfield coming back for the 2026 season.
Mark Fletcher Jr., the 6-foot-2, 225-pound running back from South Florida, was spectacular in the final four games for the Hurricanes. Throughout the playoffs, he averaged 127 rushing yards per game, including 6.9 yards per carry. His monstrous frame made it nearly impossible for opposing defenses to tackle him, as displayed by his 112-yard, two-touchdown performance against Indiana.
Though he isn’t ready for the NFL just yet, it’s scary to think about what Fletcher will become after one more season playing for head coach Mario Cristobal in Coral Gables. Without a doubt, Fletcher could be seeing his name called in the first round of the 2027 draft after his stellar playoff performances.
Trinidad Chambliss, Quarterback (Ole Miss)
Trinidad Chambliss has defied all odds.
He transferred to Ole Miss this season after winning a national championship with Division II Ferris State, but sat the bench early in the year behind starting quarterback Austin Simmons.
After Simmons left the Rebels’ Week Two matchup against Kentucky early with an apparent injury, Chambliss stepped into the starting role and shined. He led the Rebels to an 11–1 regular season record and their first College Football Playoff berth in program history.
It wasn’t until after the departure of head coach Lane Kiffin that Chambliss fully caught the nation’s attention.
In just three games, Chambliss threw for 985 yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions. His ability to scramble and move in the pocket was spectacular, put on full display in the Rebels’ stunning 39–34 upset win in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals against No. 3 Georgia.
Although the Rebels’ national championship aspirations were shattered by Miami in the semifinal, Chambliss’ draft stock soared as a result of his performances. He’s opted to return to Ole Miss for a final season in 2026 but is currently in a legal battle with the NCAA over his eligibility.
Should the court rule against him, he won’t have a problem being drafted due to his terrific upside and elusiveness in the pocket. Chambliss is just another prime example of the College Football Playoff benefiting future NFL talent.
Charlie Becker, Wide Receiver (Indiana)
In my opinion, Charlie Becker is the most underrated wide receiver in all of college football. It was easy this year to get dragged into the hype train of Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and USC’s Makai Lemon, but I’d argue that Becker needs to be regarded as equal caliber to those two.
While Becker’s stats weren’t as impressive as Smith’s or Lemon’s, he became one of Fernando Mendoza’s top targets toward the end of the season and was a focal point in the Hoosiers’ aerial attack.
His main attribute was making catches in traffic. Throughout the entirety of the playoffs, Becker was seen coming down with almost every 50–50 ball, giving his team critical success in third-down situations.
The great thing about Becker is that he’s only a sophomore. That means he’ll have a whole extra year to benefit from offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan’s offense and build off the success that he’s already had. Like Fletcher, his draft stock has risen and will only continue to grow because of the Hoosiers’ national championship run.