The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL - Building the Beast: Did they stay or did they go now?

Episode Date: January 14, 2026

We're on the doorstep of the NFL Draft declaration deadline, and most of the big dominos have fallen. One big one, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, remains at time of the recording of this episode of The Athletic Football Show's Building the Beast. That's precisely where Dane Brugler and Dave Helman began their discussion. The guys also hit on the biggest decisions we do already have answers on, be they guys who are going to the draft or staying in school. Finally, they wrap up with a look at the CFP National Championship Game between Indiana and Miami.Rundown (timestamps are approximate)4:25 Waiting on Dante Moore17:09 Ty Simpson headed to the NFL...for now28:23 Guys headed to the 2026 NFL Draft40:42 Guys staying in school one more year52:22 Indiana/Miami CFP Championship Game previewConnect with The Athletic Football ShowYT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShowPodcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/viewX: https://x.com/TA_FootballShowIG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshowDiscord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowCall us: 847-448-0701Email us: [e-mail]: Dave HelmanCo-Host: Dane BruglerExecutive Producer: Michael BellerVideo Producer: Katy DuffyAudio Producer: Michael BellerSocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Dave on X: @davehelman_Follow Dane on X: @dpbruglerTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to another episode of Building the Beast. I am your host, Dave Hellman. Really great episode today between myself and Dane Bruegler, taking a look at the ever-changing landscape of the NFL draft class. The underclassman deadline is approaching. We talked about some big-name prospects with some big decisions still yet to make. Most notably, Dante Moore, as a programming note, it is Tuesday, as I'm saying this. It's the day before the underclass.

lastment deadline. We did not know Dante Moore's NFL decision as of recording, but talked through all of the options, all of the angles with that. So when he does ultimately decide whether or not he's part of this draft class, we have that covered for you. Talked about some other guys that entered the 2026 NFL draft class as well as a few surprising names, some high profile guys, some very talented players that decided to return to college football for the 2026 season. In addition, obviously Miami playing Indiana in the national championship game took a look at that matchup, those players and what to expect. Really great episode with myself and Dan Bruegler.

Let's do it. Well, Dane, call it a quirk of the schedule, but here in mid-January, building it the beast finds itself smack dab in the middle of no man's land. We've still got, we're recording this on Tuesday, January 13th. We still have six days until Indiana plays Miami in the national championship game. And if that wasn't enough, we are also recording this roughly 24 hours before the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL draft. So we're so close to having a pretty complete picture of this 2026 NFL draft class.

But not close enough. We're stuck right here. So if you're listening to this later, we're going to get into some news that could potentially become obsolete, particularly as it pertains to guys. declaring for the NFL draft, but we're going to do our best to fight through it anyway. And it's, so I have a mock draft coming out this week. And that's always. How's that going for you?

I mean, it's, if mock drafts are annoying regardless, but it's without knowing for sure who's going to be actually in this class and not. Like I think, you know, like the Miami guys, Indiana guys, I think we've know, we have a good idea of who's going to declare. but some of these Oregon players they're able to keep a few and we're still uncertain about a few so

it's we're kind of waiting on that but yeah look for the mock draft on Thursday and for now we'll kind of dance around the uncertainness of some of these guys so let's address that elephant in the room and we'll talk we'll talk about Miami Indiana

before we're done with the show we all very impressive performances from those two teams and I cannot wait for that national championship game. But let's talk about the elephant in the room, particularly as it pertains to the handful of very high profile guys that either have or haven't made decisions over the last week or so. And even though we don't know the answer as we're recording this, I don't think you can start this conversation without Dante Moore.

Oregon, it goes sideways from the very first snap for them in that Peach Bowl against Indiana, another forgettable big game for Dan Lanning's ducks on that stage. And here we are five days later waiting on Dante Moore to decide what he's going to do. And I think you mentioned it very well right there. Oregon, if there's a program that could keep a guy that has big time NFL prospects, it's probably the ducks. They've already done it a couple of times with some members of that roster. and I just I cannot wait to see what Dante Moore decides because even with that performance,

I still got to imagine he is a high high 2026 pick, but I don't know, man, that Nike money could have you rethinking some things. This really just comes down to a short-term decision versus a long-term decision. You know, we saw in that game against Indiana just a lot of the youth of Dante Moore showed, holding the ball too long, some of the mistakes. It's just, he's a very young player and that's, that's okay for a 20 year old quarterback.

But it does with the way that this, the timeline has worked out, he has to make a decision right here and now about, are you ready to go be an NFL player and everything that comes with that? Or are you okay going back to school and getting more development? So the NIL factor of all this changes the math. guys are more willing and accepting of going back to school because they know. I mean, how much would Nike pay Dante Moore to go back to school?

I mean, we're talking probably, what, $5 million? So, you know, a good chunk of change. And we also should mention Dylan Riola, the former Nebraska quarterback, announced that he is committing to Oregon. He's coming off a bad injury. This could be a redshirt situation. This could be, hey, I just need to go to a spot where, I feel like I'm going to be developed and he's not necessarily going where he's absolutely going to start right away next year.

So, but I still have a hard time believing where Iola commits to Oregon without at least knowing or having a good feel for what more is going to do. So yeah, that's an interesting dynamic with that. But with, as it pertains to Dante Moore, I think that it really comes down to short term versus long term. Short term is, hey, you're going to be a top three pick. Yeah, the Indiana game did not go well. And I think there's a, you know, it was a good night to stay out of social media if you're Dante Moore. You're still going to be a top three pick in this draft, whether that's a Jets at two or a team

trading up to two, the Cardinals at three. You're still going very, very high. But does he feel ready for that next jump? Is that something where, yeah, hey, I could go and be a top three pick or I could get another full year under my belt and become a better quarterback. And maybe that second contract's going to look. a lot better and I'll still be the eighth pick next year, whatever it may be. You know, so I think there's a lot of different scenarios to work through here.

But it's, it is an interesting decision that I think is a little more complicated than what we've seen in the past because of NIL and because of this quarterback class specifically. You think it's a slam dunk that Dante Moore is that high of a draft pick if he comes out. And I'm not, I don't say that to shit talk to guy. I just know how this process goes. And it's a long way till April, people will find a way to pick apart any guy that's in the spotlight that way, particularly a quarterback. And typically even, you know, somebody that I respect very much like you, those of us on the outside can still be a step or two behind NFL front offices and how they feel about these guys once they get everybody involved in the process. I guess my counter to my own argument would be the guy's 20 years old and if this is what he's shown you in his, not his first full season as a starter, but a full season as a starter at a program where everything's working right for him.

If this is what he shows in year one, maybe that's a high enough floor that you do feel comfortable with it. But I guess like is top five assured? Is top 10 assured if he's part of this draft class? Do you feel pretty confident about that? I do. I mean, just based off of what I've heard from scouts, like this is, and I'm taking my evaluation out of this,

like what I think of the quarterback, what I think of the player, based off of how NFL scouts talk about him, they still think he's going top three. And I don't, like, I think you're right. Like, it's easy for guys to get chewed up into the, you know, the,

the woodchipper that is the NFL draft process. But it also works the other way where teams, especially quarterback, desperate teams talk themselves into these guys. You know, even they might have some concerns, which is fair. All these guys have their warts, but you talk yourself into it because of X, Y, and Z. And with Dante Moore, yeah, I mean, he's only 200 pounds. And things, the way that things ended, some of his reactions to pressure.

And, you know, there are definitely things that you can ding him on that he needs to get better. But some of the natural accuracy, just the poise that he plays with, I mean, that Texas Tech game, I mean, that wasn't perfect for him by any means, but that's a really good defense. And he played well enough for Oregon to win. It's just, I mean, Indiana, I mean, we got to remember too, Indiana, the Oregon defense couldn't stop Indiana at all. So that game was out of hand quickly. Not all those turnovers were 100% on more as well in that game. So as much as it snowballed and looked, especially the box score looked terrible, I don't think it was as much of a disaster.

just for the quarterback specifically. So, yeah, I mean, if more comes out, I'd be very surprised if he's not a top three pick, you know, similar. And I think it would be similar to when we saw Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud go one, two, that year. I mean, we were talking about, up until the draft, we were talking about C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young and, you know,

could they last the four? Could they be there? Like, we weren't saying absolutely they're going one and two, no doubt about it. But I think this year could be similar where we talk about them, you know, Fernando Mendoza and Dante Mollinger. more as, you know, maybe, you know, because they're not perfect prospects. You know, we talk about and focus on where they need to get better and, you know, where there is reason to have doubt.

But at the end of the day, they have enough where teams are going to feel comfortable rolling the dice and say, let's, you know, let's see if you could be the guy moving forward. If that's the case and Dante Moore's floor is top five, top 10. Like, like if it's really a really good shot that he's a top three pick, then I don't know why you wouldn't just do it. And we've talked about it on the show before. NIL changes things. Oregon has a lot of money available to them, obviously. It's not really about the money for me. It's about the opportunity that you have to be part of this quarterback class instead of the next one. And I get it. I was the one saying we want to learn lessons and we can't just assume the 2027 draft class is going to be 24.

That's not my point. But I do think it is a logical guess that there will be a lot of competition for the top of that draft class with Arch Manning deciding to go back to school. Lenoris Sellers deciding to go back to school. Julian Sayan will be a draft eligible prospect next year. Brendan Sorsby, who we've talked a lot about, is now going to Texas Tech. And we'll have a chance to improve his resume at a at a playoff contender type of program. another guy I wanted to mention who's going back to school, Jaden Mayava at USC.

I'm not saying that they're all going to be big time quarterback prospects because that's not typically the way this works, but go now and be QB2 behind Fernando Mendoza or go back to school and be in a very potentially very crowded quarterback class. It just kind of feels like a no-brainer to me. If you feel rock solid about your evaluations, I don't know why you wouldn't just jump. I mean, I think it just comes down to,

you know, what's your priority? You know, like if your, if your priority is to maximize every cent possible, then by all means, go, go now. But if you feel like you can become a better quarterback with more development, as opposed to, say, no offense to the Jets, but going to New York, and all of a sudden all this pressure is on you to be the guy, and meanwhile, you still feel like you need to get better in certain areas that are the Jets really equipped to help you get better in those areas.

You know, whether it be coaching or way, you know, so like a lot of the, I need are a lot of things that go into this. It's not as simple as, okay, I'll be the second overall pick this year or the maybe the sixth overall pick next year. Like, I don't think it's as simple as that. It's either way, there's risk involved. But let's be honest. If he goes back to school, he's going back to a really good situation with, you know,

Oregon, they just reload every year. We know that. And all of his receivers coming back, the running. back maybe except for Noah Winnington. Yeah, he'll lose Sadiq, but did you see Jamari Johnson, the tight end against Indiana? Like, he's legit. So, I mean, there's no reason why we, to think that, you know, Dante Moore won't be at the top of next year's quarterback rankings, whether that, say, Archmanning one and more two, certainly possible. So, yeah, I think it really comes down to his priorities and what he wants.

You know, when he came out of high school, his priority was, I want to play right away and I want to get paid. And that's why I went to UCLA. He got on the field right away and he got paid handsomely. Now that he has three years under his belt since high school, the priorities might shift a little bit and say, hey, I need to get better as a quarterback. And I need to do this and this. And I'm not saying that's what he should do or shouldn't do. It's just talking to so many players over the years, there's so many different priorities and what they look for. And so I am honestly will not be shocked either way what more decides to do. I get it. It's a good. point and I guess I should take my own advice because everything I said makes sense and like if you feel

good about your draft evaluations it could be a crowded year next year but if you're if you don't have that fear of losing money by going back to school which is not what it used to be right like he will be handsomely compensated no matter what he decides to do then I made there's not as much urgency and if you're 20 years old and the college experience is awesome and you got a high degree of confidence that you're going to win 10 plus games next year. Yeah, it's less scary to roll the dice, I guess. And I think it's a lazy joke to poke fun at the New York Jets. But at the same time, that is a volatile team. And if you don't particularly love the idea of winding up there, maybe you roll the dice and see what the top of the draft order looks like next year. I mean, it's it's more.

defensible than it used to be. That's definitely fair. Well, and we have to remember, he has 20 starts to his name. And again, we've, we've talked about this throughout the year. The list of quarterbacks with under 25 career starts, it's, it's not pretty. I mean, we're talking about, uh, yeah, of every quarterback, the last decade plus who had under 25 starts, the only one that's really worked out has been Sam Darnold. And he's on his, what, 15? I mean, it took a winding road for Sam Darnold to get to this place.

And so there's just no substitute for experience. And that is definitely something that should factor in as Dante Moore makes this decision. It really is his fifth team. Like I knew Darnold went to the Panthers. Is it? I was kind of...

No, he had to stop it. He had to stop at San Francisco. Yeah. Crazy. It is crazy. And he's like 28 years old. So yeah, a lot of time for Dante Moore. There's another guy.

also who as of right now has made the opposite decision. But this, again, we're in no man's land. This is the fun part about the modern landscape. Ty Simpson declared for the draft last week. And as of right now, that stands. But there's an awful lot of chatter about college football programs, trying to lure him back into the college ranks and get him to pull his name out of the draft, which I completely understand if you're a team like Miami and Carson Beck is about to be done with his college career. If you could lure Ty Simpson back to school, it's at least worth trying. But as of right now, he is expected to be part of this draft class. It sure sounds like that's where he's leaning. And as the quarterback musical chairs kind of play

itself out, you know, LSU got their guy. It looks like Oregon has, you know, their plan be ready to go. It's just as as this all kind of pans out, it looks more and more like Ty Simpson will stay in the draft. And, you know, That's, it's what he wants to do. And so by all means, if you feel like you're ready for it, go, go attack it and see what happens. It'll be interesting just with this year's first round and where he lands. I can tell you right now, we're going to, a lot of mock drafts are going to have him at, what, 21 to the Steelers? Like, that's going to be a very popular mock pairing with Aaron.

Every year. Every year there is a name that just gets tied to a team throughout the draft process. and it certainly feels like it's destined to be Ty Simpson and the Steelers right now. Part of it feels like it's Kenny Pickett all over again, really. I mean, but and I don't want to just kind of write it off as that it's just not going to work out. But, you know, if you're the Steelers, you're in the spot where what is your best avenue to a quarterback? You know, it's kind of this, you know, a guy that's not maybe wasn't good enough to go top 10, top 15, but still good enough to go first round. and, you know, is that their best option to address the position that has been really plaguing this team since Rothersberger?

And is Simpson the right guy to do that? That'll be the big question mark. Or does a team in the top 15 fall in love with Simpson and say, you know what? Let's, I think he's worth taking this chance. I'd be surprised. I mean, right now, you know, if like you say the over under is 20, I'm probably taking the over. but that's you know that's what we're not over as in like being picked higher than that right like no sorry picking like 21 22 23 like behind that's sorry that's yes that's what i meant right right confusing lower so

after pick 20 is where you would bet he would go right now yes that that i mean right now that would be my guess based off of just talking to scouts i mean that's but as we know once once he sits down with coaches that could absolutely change um you know gms some of them are feel pressure to, you know, go make a move. And, you know, we'll see how this process plays out for Ty Simpson. But I do think that there's a lot to like about him. Obviously, the first two months of the season, the way that went. He wasn't, you know, completely fully at fault the way things ended in November

and the way things ended against Indiana in the playoff game. But, yeah, this is, Ty Simpson's going to have, I think, a wide range of could go maybe he sneaks in the top 20 maybe he goes 21 of the Steelers could the Rams with their second first round pick whether you know

wherever that ends up being 32 you know whatever it is could that be a landing spot for him does he fall more in the Tyler Shuck range where he's in the 33 to 40 early second round Will Levis range so I think there's a

definitely a wide range of where he could end up going at least at this point as we just kind of get into this process and coaches get to know them and, you know, we go through it. So it'll be interesting to see how it plays out. Maybe Ty is really the guy where what I said about Dante Moore applies, where scarcity could be his best friend.

Like even if somebody is offering him a ton of money to go back to college, it's like I'm already 23 years old. I've been in school this whole time. And if I go pro this year, especially if Dante Moore goes back to school, then there's one quarterback in front of me. And even if you're not in love with Ty Simpson as a prospect, this could be a year where his value gets inflated by the fact that there's just not a ton of quarterbacks

hitting the draft this year, at least not ones that you would want to draft in the top 40. I mean, yeah, there's something to be said about striking while they iron's hot. And we talked about that a little bit last week with Trinidad Chambliss and his decision, which we still don't have a final answer about, We're flying blind here, Dane.

We don't know anything right now. Teams are watching these decisions closely. I mean, it's constantly checking in on, okay, Chambliss was denied his waiver for a six year, but the lawyers are getting involved now. But this has to, the wheels have to move quickly because if he wants to be part of this pre-draft process, that's coming down the pike.

And with, you know, now with Ty Simpson and, you know, his decision and what he's going to be doing, we mentioned it with Dante Moore only having I think he's at 20 starts He had five at UCLA 15 this year Right? I believe it is this year for Oregon So what will Ty Simpson with only 13 start or 14 starts to his name

Or no I guess he had 152 The SEC championship game so but still it's a low number of starts for him One year's a starter The track record of guys with 15 starts We're talking that's the Mitchell Tribeski range. You know, that's the guys that just, there's a very low, I mean, we're talking the few that have worked out, Cam Newton, you know, I mean, I don't even know if you count that because he was a starter at Juko. But, you know, it's a very short list of quarterbacks who had one year of

college starting experience at the FBS level and went on to have NFL success. Mark Sanchez, one of the few. So there are things working against him, but this, talking to scouts, it sounds like this is something that Ty is really coming into the year. He wanted to do it. And it sounds like this is, he's pretty confident about making that jump. It's tough because I wouldn't be mad to see him land back in school and get 12 to 15 more starts and just double the size of that resume. Give us a clearer scouting report, maybe improve your prospects. But like I said, I mean, yeah, the iron might be as hot as it's going to get. And we don't know for sure how good next year's quarterbacks are going to be, but it's got a really good chance to be a lot more crowded than

it is right now. That's that's fair, right? I can say that without being too hyperbolic. I mean, it's just tough because we thought that last year, you know, like NFL teams thought this last year. And I've said it before, but it's not just the media or, you know, that's hyping up next year's class. Like NFL teams thought for sure this draft class was going to be a much better quarterback class than last year. That's what NFL teams thought. And now they're thinking the same thing about next year. And it should be, but there's no guarantee of that, you know, and we'll see how things play

out. You know, I think Arch is going to go into next year as a clear favorite to be that number one overall pick. But then there's definitely some question marks. I mean, Lenora Sellers, who knows, he might take a step back. You know, there's just no guarantees, especially at that position. And as much as that should maybe factor in somewhat. I just, it's, it's a hard thing to predict.

Thank you for keeping me honest, because that's the number one lesson I want to take away from 2025 is like, stop, stop telling me about future draft classes. Let's just play some football and see what happens. Yeah, especially a quarterback because that's, we know that's something that can fluctuate pretty, I mean,

Garrett and Usmeyer, Drew Aller, like that's, it's less or so with the Jeremiah Smiths of the world and like, you know, but the quarterbacks, yeah, that can fluctuate pretty significantly.

quarterbacks get the top billing but I did want to talk to you about a few other notable names who declared for the NFL this past week as well as some names that maybe we didn't expect to stay in school we'll talk about those guys on the other side of the break all right dane just a handful of names of guys who have underclassmen who have declared for the 2026 draft class that i wanted to talk about with you just not scientific by any means just some names that caught my and personally for me, the number one guy on my list would be Auburn Center Connor Liu

who came into the season highly rated. He was number 21 in your preseason top 50 thought by many people to be the top center in this draft class. Tours ACL in October, just one of the many tragedies that befell Auburn football in 2025. But he's going pro anyway. And in October ACL tear,

I'm not a doctor. All injuries are different, but that gives you a shot to at least contribute in your rookie year, I would say. So not shocking to hear that he would go out, but it's always interesting when a highly regarded prospect who's battling through injury decides to enter the draft. Yeah, and it's especially a guy that was a, he's a three-year player, he's still very young.

He'll be one of the youngest players in this draft. I was a little underwhelmed with what he did put on tape this. year. He's a really good athlete and you know, like I like his tempo on combos and pulls and you know, he can slow down rushers and pass pro. Team captain. Like there's a lot to like about

him, but he can also be overwhelmed by point of attack power. There's just not a ton of voltage in his hands, but you know, that's, the other thing that does worry with, worry me with him is I'm not sure he has position flex either. Like he was pretty much a center only at

Auburn and that's kind of what he was in high school. He played a little bit of left tackle early, but he was really a center. And so coming off the ACL might be a center only. That's something that is going to hurt. And this is not a great center class. There are some good players. But I don't think that he's a lock for the top or the first two days. You know, I wouldn't be surprised if he fell to, you know, early day three because of some of those factors. But for the right team, looking for a good athlete at that position. I think that, yeah, he'll be someone that they consider pretty strongly. You know who does have some position flex who is officially part of this draft class.

My guy Chase Byzantis out of Texas A&M who you were, you talked about it. He's played tackle. He's played tackle in college. And I know that doesn't mean that he can do it at the NFL level, but a flexible player during the course of his of his, of his, of his, college career at least. I'll say this. I think that one of the concerns that I've heard from scouts is he might be a, you know, like,

a left guard only. You know, like there were, there were concerns about, you know, so the opposite, the opposite of position flex is what you're telling you. That was something that came up,

you know, whether or not that's, you know, he could certainly overcome that. But I know like that was one of the arguments for him going back to school because he did, yeah, you're right.

he did play right tackle some as a freshman. He did play some right guard. But the last two years, it's pretty much been exclusively left guard. And that was something that came up talking to scouts was like, you know, the coaches aren't convinced that he can fill in at right guard. You know, and so I think that's, it's more of an unproven maybe than, you know,

he definitely can play three spots or whatever on the, across the offensive line. But I mean, the tape says day two with with Bessontas. I mean, that's something that it wasn't a huge surprise to see. him. I know the coach has made a strong push to keep him around, but the tape says he's going to be a day two pick and I think start pretty early in his NFL career. I was going to say, even if he's not flexible at the NFL level, almost 2,000 snaps at A&M, 30 plus starts, I believe, and was just a mauler. I've talked before about how much I like the left side of that A&M offensive line, Tray Zune as

well. I was I was excited to see his you know to see him throw his hat in the ring. I would be excited to have him on my football team. I thought he was going to declare and then the Miami, the playoff game happened, which is probably his worst game of the season. And I wasn't sure if that how much that one game, you know, that bad taste in his mouth, what might might impact what his decision was. But yeah, not surprised he's coming out. He'll be one of the, you know, top three guards drafted probably. A guy you really like also declaring that's Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling. I believe that that happened relatively recently, right?

But he is declaring or expected to declare. Yep, yeah, he's in this draft, which, you know, I think he'll be a top 50 player. Just the athletic upside is there. He got better and better as the year went on this season. So, you know, he does have some reps at right tackle, but he was mostly a left tackle for Georgia. I know that they were really hoping to keep him around because this leaves a hole for them at left tackle. You know, they obviously have talent that they'll be able to put in there.

But the way Freeling got better this year and really developed and progressed as a player, they were excited what he might look like next year. So, yeah, he's going to be in that top 50 mix as a guy that's going to start games in the NFL, maybe not right away, but at some point probably during his rookie year and then someone that you think can be a long-term starter. you mentioned Kenyan Sadiq while we were talking about Dante Moore and again as of right now we don't know what his NFL decision would be I would imagine he's a top 20 pick but again Oregon could absolutely make him well compensated if they want to I mean if you want to try to get the band back together and run it back for a shot of a natty keeping Dante Moore and Kenyan Sadiq would go a long way yeah no doubt I know he's been dealing with some personal stuff too I think his grandmother, I believe, was put in hospice with cancer. And this is all that was happening this week. And so he's dealing with a lot right now.

But it's funny as I'm going through this mock draft and going through every single team about what they could do, what they might do, what their track record is of drafting certain positions and just looking at contracts, things like that. Like, Sadiq's a tough one to place. because I think like the Chiefs, that's been a pretty popular one at pick nine where I think they're at right now. You know, obviously with our Hall of Fame tight end moving, possibly retiring. Thank you.

That is something that, you know, I won't rule that out. It's certainly on the table I would think for them to make that move. But if that doesn't happen, there's not a lot of like obvious, you know, landing spots for Sadiq. Like could Miami do it 11? Sure.

Is that, you know, is the new GM, is that really going to be his first move as a GM in the NFL is to take a tight end and the top 15 picks? I, you know, I'd be pretty surprised, but it's still on the table. You know, what happens with T.J. Hawkinson and Minnesota? Is that a possibility for them there? I wouldn't be surprised if we've seen the last of Dallas Gawdardt in a Philadelphia Eagles uniform. So that's a possibility for the Eagles, you know, picking in the early.

20s. So there's not a lot of like obvious like he's not getting past this spot. Like I wouldn't I wouldn't say that about Sadiq because tight ends in the first round are always a little tricky. But yeah, he's he's got the stuff that you want in a first round tight end. I hear you man.

And we can have a whole conversation about positional value and whether you should. Right. But but NFL GMs love to draft them a tight end if they think he's like up to that caliber. know, I mean, I don't want to, I don't want to compare Sadiq to guys that have come before him. But I mean, look, look through the first round all, all through the last five, six years.

Like if either if you've got like the high end athleticism to be a mismatch in the passing game or if you're well rounded enough where a team thinks you can get on the field quickly, they'll draft you high. And they'll probably, they'll probably piss their fan base off in the process because people have it in their minds that that is not. a, you know, it's not a position where you can expect early dividends, although maybe, maybe we should be changing our opinion about that with what we've seen over the last few years. I mean, just, yeah, Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren, the way they played is both being top 15 picks. Yeah, sure. I mean, I mean, I know he wasn't a, I know he wasn't a top 15 pick, but the guy that I always think about is Sam LaPorta. Like to be able to do that immediately as a second round pick, it still blows my mind. And so, I don't know. If, if the right guy thinks you've got

the right stuff, they will, they will draft you high and high enough, like I said, to, to make people raise their eyebrows a little bit. I mean, I think he goes somewhere in the top 25. I just don't think it's a lock. He'll go top 15, you know, like Brock Bowers went 13 or wherever it was. And I know that was a much stronger draft, especially with quarterbacks, but Sadiq, he could, yeah, definitely, he could sneak in that top 10. Wouldn't be shocked at all. You could absolutely make the argument. He is a, in terms of impact players in this draft, he's one of the top 10 guys. Totally get that.

But I also want to be surprised if he did fall at a 18 or 22 or, you know, somewhere around there with just depending on who's doing the picking and everything like that. Speaking of which, I believe his primary competitor to be tight end one would be Max Claire, who it sounds like he has made his decision, his NFL decision, which I don't get the impression Max Claire would be drafted as. highly as Kenyant Sadiq, but if Sadiq goes back to school, that's, that's probably where the list starts, right? Yeah, probably.

And I don't know if it's public yet, but Max Clare is going to declare. So he'll be part of this class and barring a last second change of heart on his part. But yeah, I don't know that, like, it's hard to watch his film and say, oh, yeah, first round pick, no doubt about it. But he's a really good athlete. He's got yak ability. The games where Ohio State was without Cardinal Tate, without J.J. Smith, that's where they really look to him to fill that void. And he did a nice job.

He had over 100 yards. And he is a good player. And so top 50, I think that's definitely a reasonable range for where he's going to land. Now, you know, does he go, is he the second tight end drafted? or does one of these other guys, whether it's an Eli Stowers or Justin Jolie, one of the seniors, are they get in front of them?

Yeah, I think it'll look different on draft board to draft board, but he's definitely in that mix to be the second tight end drafted and somewhere in that top 50. That's all I've got for guys that have declared over the last week or guys that were waiting on.

But I did, I wanted to spend some time, and I know these guys are officially not our problem until next year, I just wanted to spend some time on some guys who I thought were going to be part of this draft class and now are officially not. And that gives us something to look forward to for 2027, but could also change the complexion of what happens in the early going of this draft. And it's been a theme for the show, but let's just start with Oregon, even knowing what the ducks have available to them from a compensation perspective. I was pretty surprised to hear that defensive tackle Amari Washington and defensive end, Mateo Uiungaleli,

were going back to school just because particularly Washington with the way that his star kind of rose over the course of the year and it sounded pretty likely that you're talking about a top 50, top 40 pick. I was surprised to hear that. And again, it's just my ongoing acclamation to the current landscape of college football that Oregon, was able to hang on to these guys. Washington going back is surprising.

I think he would have been a top 25 pick if he came out. Top 25, yeah. So even more impressive. Yeah. So now he'll have a chance to go back and show that, hey, I should be a top 10 pick. Because he's a really good run defender right now. The pass rush was a little lacking. And so that's what I'll be looking for next year is just how what's the ceiling with him as a

pass rusher? How much better can he get? But guys that are 330 pounds that move like he does. those guys just usually don't fall out of the top 25 picks. But this is another example of, you know, I don't, again, we think about these juniors and, hey, let's maximize every cent we can get. I just think a lot of people value maybe some, you know, experience. And I guarantee you Washington's getting paid over a million dollars.

And so now he's kind of got the best of both worlds. He can go back, be a college kid, be developed, be a better player while still being a millionaire. You know, I'm never going to kill these kids for decisions they make because it's so personal and everyone has different priorities. But, you know, I think it was, it's fair to say that it was a little surprising. Being a millionaire and taking like a couple online courses and just getting to play football with the boys at Otson every Saturday. Not a bad way to live. That does sound pretty sweet. I got to say, Uiangaleli, I know, you know, he was a he was a fall on your updated top 50.

Not that he had a bad season, but maybe didn't live up to the preseason expectation. Is that potentially why you would go back to school here? Yeah, I mean, trying to get better. Yeah, I think that's another one where Oregon made him an offer. He couldn't refuse. And that's good on Oregon for doing it. But keeping that entire defensive line intact was big.

That's something that I know was one of the main priorities for the Ducks. and they were able to make it happen. So that's in this world of NIL, I was good for that coaching staff and that fan base that they were able to do it. One name that did not surprise me, but I think is worth mentioning, ever since his brother committed to play basketball for Texas,

it felt fairly likely that Texas offensive tackle Trevor Gooseby might go back to school, and that's exactly what happened. And this just feels like a case where again, so his brother commits to the UT basketball program. So they get a year to hang out on campus. And again, what a dream to go to school with your brother for a year while you're getting well compensated to do it. But I'm going to call my shot and say, if this guy isn't the preseason favorite to be OT1 next year, he's going to be on a very short list.

he just has all the hallmarks of first real year as a starter at UT. 13 of his 15 starts happened this season. Good year, but maybe not a great year, especially with this, you know, the Texas offensive line being what it was. And so, yeah, this clearly feels like a situation where it's like, okay, you could be very likely a day two pick if you come out this year. But spend a season playing and hanging out with your bro.

and then when you go pro in 2027, it feels like a guy who's got a shot to be top 15 pick if everything goes right next season. Yeah, no, I agree. Aside from Arch, Goosby was priority number one for Sark and Texas this year or to retain for next year. And you watch that offensive line for the Longhorns this year.

It was a mess for a good chunk of the year. But Goosby, the way he played at left tackle, getting better and better and better. He looked like a first round pick at the end of the year. So getting him back, that's huge. I think you're right about as we look for towards next year, going to 2027 draft. He will be, if not at the very top, right there, two or three.

But Texas as a whole, they've been killing it in the portal. Cam Coleman at receiver, he's got special talent. And, you know, next season, Ohio State, they go to Austin. So if you want a receiver, check out that game because you're going to have Jeremiah Smith, Cam Coleman, almost certainly will be the first two receivers drafted both in the top five, top seven picks. They'll be on the same field together, which will be a lot of fun to watch. And then they also, Texas, they stole Hollywood Smothers from Alabama, which he had transferred from NC State to Tuscaloosa. He was there for about five minutes, and he flipped to Texas. And we know that running game, how much of a train record was for Texas this year, and how much of a train record was for Texas this year, and how much.

that just put everything off schedule for that offense. They went in, they get Relique Brown from Arizona State, then they go and bring in Hollywood Smothers. That offense is going to be a lot of fun to watch next year. Thank you for reminding me that Relic Brown landed at Texas. One of my sneaky favorite players from this season. I was pretty excited about that. This is not my opinion because I pay attention,

but I just know already the average college football fan in July of next year is going to be so annoyed at the Texas hype. But I think it's going to be pretty justified based on who's coming back and what they've done. Just, yeah, replacing some of the, or getting better on some of the other places on the offensive line. And a few holes they need to fix on defense. But yeah, there's no reason why Texas should not be, you know, ranked in the top five. And a team we're talking about as a national title contender. and that is definitely coming and people say, oh, we did this last year.

But this year, I think it's a little more warranted based off of the moves that Texas has made here in the last few weeks. Yeah, if this year was early, then the 2026 hype feels like it's going to be pretty justified. Two edge rushers I wanted to mention your guy, Quincy Rhodes, who you were high on this year, one of the few bright spots for Arkansas football in 2025. He's staying in school as well as, well, he was a Missouri edge. Damon Wilson, he's currently in the transfer portal. I did a double take. LSU hosted him last week.

And I was like, Damon Wilson's going to stay in school? He was top 20 in sacks across all of FBS. I would have guessed he would take a shot. But it sounds like he's going to, again, be another guy that tries to improve his draft stock next year. Yeah. And I mean, we saw when, you know, Zion Young and Damon Wilson, like, that's, that's just good of a one-two punch at edge rusher that, you know, I think we've, we saw this year in

the SEC. Wilson definitely had some love in the league because he's got juice off the edge. And I'm a little surprised that he's going back to school and not testing the NFL waters. I mean, I think he would have been a pretty solid day two pick. But, yeah, I'm very. interested to see where he lands because he's one of the better portal guys still available out there. Two more names that I wanted to touch on briefly. Justice Haynes, the Michigan

running back. Again, I believe he's in the transfer portal right now. We'll see where he lands, but he is staying in school. And a guy, again, I remember talking to you about this. There were a ton of really good football players on Auburn heading into the season. Obviously, did not go the way they envisioned. And Eric Singleton, not going to the draft, but he transferred to Florida. So he will have a chance to be part of John Summerall's first team there at UF. Yeah, as far as I know, Haynes is still in the portal.

I know how LSU was talked about, maybe A&M. A couple of teams that could have a need at running back. And Haynes, if he's healthy, he's a good player. Not a first round player, but just a really solid running back. And so hopefully no matter where he goes, he can just stay healthy for one more year before he makes that jump to the NFL. And then, yeah, Eric Singleton, he accepted a senior bowl invite. It looked like he was going to the pros. And it was a little surprising because it was just such a down year for him.

But he's a 4-3 athlete. And we know those guys can go pretty early. I still think he probably would have gone on day two with that type of speed. the quarterback situation is really what held him back this year at Auburn. So he's going to Florida, which kind of has a quarterback question right now. So I'm just hoping that it's not going to be a similar situation for him where he's going to be held back by the lack of a passing game. But we won't really know about that until next year gets going. I'm going to need a PowerPoint presentation to just get myself up to speed on all of this.

But from here on out, we can worry about all of that in 2026 and just focus on these guys that are going to be part of the draft class. That'll be pretty much finalized by the next time we record. So we will dive into all that when we get the opportunity. After we take this break, we are going to talk some Miami, Indiana. All right, Dane, at long last, we have reached the end of this college football season. Monday night. It feels like a lifetime from now where we're recording this.

But Indiana, Miami. I think we've laid out. Just like we anticipated, right? I don't say this. I'm not talking smack because I would have never. And like who could have possibly been expected to predict this? But like go look at the preseason expectations versus what we've got in this game right now.

It's been. It's been a very fun season. I'll say this for the college football playoff. Like I didn't, I didn't think 12 teams was necessary, but it does, it does introduce a level of uncertainty that, that's been refreshing, I would say, compared to watching the same three to five programs switch off every,

every other year. Right. It felt like when we got the Rams Bengals Super Bowl, you know, like it was like, oh. Yeah, just new logos. New uniforms. We can do this. Like, oh, okay.

You know, like, it doesn't have to be, you know, just the chiefs or just, you know, whatever. You know, it's easy to kind of recycle, especially in college football where there's less parity. And, you know, it's the Alabama's in Ohio States and LSUs. And, you know, it's a lot of the same teams. But, yeah, it is refreshing to have an Indiana and a Miami. And I'm really eager just the next two, three years to see, is this the new normal? where, you know, you were going to have the top 12 every year is going to look a little bit differently.

And then it's just just get into the tournament. Because once you do, you have a shot. And there's just a lot more talent spread out. Like Ohio State has lost like 30 guys in the portal over the last few weeks because, you know, obviously Ohio State, they recruit at a high level. And when maybe you're blocked on the depth chart and you're not a guaranteed starter next year, you're going to go say, hey, I can go make, you know, half a million dollars. going at somewhere else where I'm on a different starter.

So I think that the talent pool is more spread out to all these different programs. And it's just, I don't know if it's good for the game, but I know it's more interesting and more entertaining in terms of getting more teams involved in this. And so, yeah, Indiana, Miami, in Miami and all the Fernando Mendoza ties to Miami, that's fascinating. so we'll hear about that nonstop over the next week leading up into the game and then during the game

Indiana is a touchdown favorite a little more than a touchdown favorite it's up to it's up to eight and a half now okay yeah and the way they played against Oregon I you know how do you dispute that you know and I I get it Miami's defense is a different animal especially if they're

firing on all cylinders but I'm I don't think there's much that could happen in this game that's going to stop Fernando Mendoza from going number one overall. Like, you just,

you would have to be a real prisoner of the moment to all of a sudden say like, oh yeah, we're not taking them number one. But I think the thing about Mendoza and his coaches, they're so good at preparing for their opponents and then adjusting in the game.

And that's going to be so key in this one. That's really what killed Ohio State against, Miami. I mean, you look up at the scoreboard and all of a sudden it's the fourth quarter and you're out of time, you know, making these adjustments to what they're throwing at you on defense. And you look back to, you know, against Alabama, Indiana. They went three and out with two sacks on that opening drive. Then they made the adjustments, scored on six of the next seven possessions.

And then, you know, I think the, so if you're Miami, the key for you is just going to be, can you get Indiana behind the sticks, force them in those third and longs where you can just let your pass rush do what they do. And it's not just the edge rushers, Mesodor and Bain. It's the different simulated pressures and the blitzes and bringing Kiante Scott flying like a banshee from different angles. Can you get to third and long obvious passing downs where it's just going to put Indiana in a bind? That's what, I mean, I think that's what Oregon they couldn't do against Indiana. They would get Indiana in the third down situations, but it was like third and four, third and five. And Indiana converted 11 of 14 of their third down conversions.

If that's seven of 14, five of 14, all of a sudden, it's a very different game. And so for the Miami defense, specifically those pass rushers, can they get enough heat on the quarterback where you're going to put them behind the sticks? I'm going to say something. And I need you to, I need you to listen to me because I'm not. I'm not comparing the talent level. And everybody, everybody does this. Every time,

every time a team just starts to beat the crap out of people, the 2019 LSU comparisons are going to follow. And it happened again during, it happened again during the Indiana, Oregon game. I don't want to compare the rosters. And it was a different era of college football. And that's,

I was going to say, I used to think that we didn't need a bigger playoff because in the, in the old era, where eight programs could stockpile 90% of the top tier talent, there weren't more than three or four teams capable of winning a national title. That's clearly not the case anymore. Like you said, the talent is so much more spread out.

So I'm not comparing the rosters, but the way this season has gone for Indiana does remind me of 2019 LSU in the sense that they are so locked in. And if you go back and look at it, it's easy to forget this. Like, LSU that year did not look like this infallible team all the way through the season. Like Texas scared the daylights out of them. They were in a dog fight with Florida late. Bo, Nix, Auburn came very close to upsetting them in Death Valley.

They had a game for the ages against Alabama. And once they got past Alabama, they kind of had a lull in November after that game. but from from late November on the whole program just locked in to an insane degree. The defense started playing at a higher level than it had all year. And Burrow did what he did. And they beat the shit out of everybody they played over the last month, even though it hadn't always looked that consistent at the beginning and in the middle of the year. And that's what Indiana reminds me of where once you get past Ohio State in a very

tightly contested game and you beat that team with all of that talent, it just feels like it unlocked something in them. And Mendoza's been playing his best ball. The defense has been flying around at a level that I would argue wasn't always the case, at least not week to week, across the course of the season. And I don't know, they just, they have a look about them that suggests that the whole program is in lockstep. And that feels, that feels like it's going to be tough for Miami to overcome. It's a fair point because, yeah, Ohio State was a chip shot field goal away from tying that game.

That was, yeah, that was a tightly contested game. Very, very much so. And, you know, who knows if they hit that field goal, you know, Indiana might still very much win that game. But it was a tight game. And up to that, I mean, up to that point, that was the best defense in Indiana had seen.

all season and it still might be. You know, we'll see how Miami, what kind of effort they put up in the national title game. But yeah, I mean, LSU, when they got to the playoff that year, just steamrolled Oklahoma. And then against Clemson, it wasn't as, it wasn't a blowout, but it just, I think LSU separated themselves in the second quarter

and it just felt like, yeah, this one's over. So Indiana, the way they played against Alabama, the way they played against Oregon, again, Mendoza, his stats in those two games, he has like, what, five in completions and eight touchdowns? It's just unbelievable to see what they're doing. Can they do that against a Miami team that has been, I've been really impressed with, especially the coordinators, you know, some of the play calling and then on defense especially

and then even on offense, they just, they have a good plan ready to go. And these guys are up to the challenge. At least they were against Ohio State, and they were against Ole Miss. And so it's, I'm hoping for an entertaining game. And look, there's going to be a lot of prospects in this game. You know, we mentioned obviously Mendoza. We mentioned Akeem Mesidor and Ruben Bain, the pass rushers. And then some of the guys that have, they're going to have decisions to make after this year,

or after this game, I should say. And like for Indiana, you know, your left tackle, Carter Smith, your receiver, Omar Cooper Jr. Elijah Surratt will be, you know, this is his last game, but some of the underclassmen, DeAngelo Pons,

from Indiana, who I expect to go. I mean, he's not going to get any bigger with another year. By the way, I did get verified on DeAngel Pons. So he's listed.

Share them if you got them. Yeah, he's listed at 58-173, and that's pretty spot on what he is. He's 5082, so 58 and a quarter, 174 pounds, 29 and 5-8th's arm,

which is not great. You know, there are some teams that if you have below 30-inch arms, they just won't even consider you. So it does bother me a little bit that Pons, he's been almost exclusively an outside corner for them, like doesn't have a lot of nickel snaps where he's lined up against a slot receiver. And I think that might be his best position at the next level.

So it's a little more of a projection. But with all that said, Pons is a top 10 corner in this draft. should absolutely be a day two pick. He won't be for everybody because of the size, but someone's going to get a dog. I mean, someone's going to get a guy that's just wired the right way, the mentality, the competitiveness. And that's something that I think will show in this game.

If you're 510, 511, I get why it makes sense to fudge the numbers a little bit. But if you're 58, I don't know if there's a whole lot of hiding that you're going to do from NFL evaluators. So I applaud him for. for being pretty straightforward. I'm, hey, give me, give me the good football player. And if,

if the length and height affects, you know, if he falls a little bit because of that, I understand it. But yeah, like to be completely scared off of the guy, no thank you. I'll,

I'll take him. Even if, even if it's going to be like at the back end of round three, I can live with that. Yeah. I mean, he should be a top 75 guy.

And if he runs in a four threes, I don't, don't, don't let this guy get out of the, the second round. Oh, wow. Mike Tomlin just announced he's stepping down. Crazy.

I want that we might be recording an emergency pod in a few minutes then. All right. Well, I'll worry about that in a minute. But yeah, DeNjo Pons is like this is a corner class where there's, you know, like we both really like Mansour Delane, Jermon McCoy coming off the injury is a good player. But then I think it's kind of pick your flavor. You know, what do you, what type of corner are you like? And, you know, the corners that I'll be drafted between 20 and 75,

there's not a ton of separation between those guys and DeAngel Ponds right there in that mix. So in this game, I've got as many as seven or eight prospects that I think have a shot to go top 100. Am I, do you think that's about right or am I undershooting it a little bit? No, I mean, okay, let's just go through it, Indiana. Fernando Mendoza, Carter Smith, left tackle. The two receivers, Surat and Cooper. As much as I love my guy, Riley Nowakowski, a tight end. He won't be a top one hundred guy, but he'll be a steal on day three.

So what's at that? Four guys. That's four. I included ponds in my list for the losers. Yeah. And that's probably it. I mean, Aiden Fisher, I really like a linebacker, but he's more of an early day three guy. So yeah, so five for Indiana.

And then for Miami, I think both pass rushers. Kianti Scott, third, Maui Noah, obviously, at right tackle. So that's four. So we're up to nine at this point. And then it becomes a question, okay, does Carson Beck with how he's played? Does he get into the top 100? I think it's possible. I don't think like the evaluation has changed all that much with Carson Beck.

He's a backup grade, spot starter, upside, that type of player. I don't think he's ever going to be a consistent. an NFL start or at least one that you're winning with in the NFL. Now, maybe he'll make me look very wrong for that evaluation, but that's what I see with Carson Beck. But we've seen, you know, guys with backup grades or spot starter grades sneak into the top 100. So Carson Beck, you know, I wouldn't rule him out,

especially if he plays well in this game as a guy that could get into that third round. Plenty of prospects to watch. I'm going to ride with Indiana Dane. Miami's been proven people wrong for three weeks. And I am really excited to see if this front can prove everyone in the world wrong. Because it's an eight and a half point spread in the national title game. Clearly a lot of people are on the Hoosiers. If there's going to be a unit that dispels that, it's going to be a ferocious pass rush.

Like I do think you can't discount what that could do for Miami. I'll still take the Hoosiers to win the national title, but I'll just, I'll keep saying what I've been saying. I think Miami will make this more of a game than the spread indicates. I do think at the very least, this will be stressful in the second half for Indiana, which hasn't been the case so far in these playoffs.

I mean, just as someone who likes good football, I'm kind of hoping to see a competitive game all the way of the end. Whichever way it ends up, whatever the result, hopefully it is more of a competitive game than what we got with Indiana and Oregon. But no matter what, whoever wins, there's going to be interesting storylines, you know, especially with Indiana, obviously, with, I don't know if we've ever seen a turnaround like this for a program that just was a historical dormant program in terms of football and just the way it was turned around in two years, back-to-back playoff appearances,

what Kurt Signetti has done. I mean, it'll go down as one of the craziest finishes in our lifetime, no doubt about it. So, yeah, be eager to talk about it next week when we record next and kind of react to everything that happened in the game. You're crazy if you think I'm just making a pick on my own out here. Like, you got to come out on this done with me. Thought I'd slip that right by you did not. You're not asleep. I'll stick with the Big Ten.

I think they're, you know, the way Miami's been playing, If they play like they did against Ohio State, they'll definitely be in this to the end. But I just, the way Indiana's coach, the way they're so buttoned up with their execution and their design, the way they adjust midgame, I, and as long as you have that quarterback, you have a shot. And so I will give Indiana the edge and think they come out on top. You're so right, though. It's either going to be the greatest rags to Rich's story in college football history or the revitalization, the return of. the most exciting program in the sport. I mean,

you could finally say the U's back. I mean, there have been a couple times where they've teased it and people have said, oh, the U's back. Not until they throw that parade

is the U back and they have a chance to do that. Very exciting either way. And when it's over, we will not be in no man's land next week because not only will the deadlines have passed, but we will be recording the day after the game. So plenty to talk about next week on Building the Beast.

And we'll start to look forward to the All-Star games and the real beginning of the draft process. I know you're getting out on the road soon. Plenty to talk about. Stick with us. We appreciate it. We'll talk to you all next week.