PFF grades are live: College Football Playoff semifinals
- Fernando Mendoza continued his unreal season: The projected No. 1 overall pick diced up Oregon’s defense with a 91.6 PFF passing grade.
- Rueben Bain Jr. was yet again unstoppable: The Miami (FL) star tallied five pressures on a 26.8% pass-rush win rate against Ole Miss.
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Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
Highest-graded players: Offense (non-quarterbacks)
| Name | Team | Pos. | Snaps | PFF Grade |
| Kaelon Black | Indiana | RB | 24 | 84.0 |
| Elijah Sarratt | Indiana | WR | 57 | 83.7 |
| De’Zhaun Stribling | Ole Miss | WR | 47 | 83.2 |
| Mark Fletcher Jr. | Miami (FL) | RB | 53 | 78.6 |
| Dierre Hill Jr. | Oregon | RB | 24 | 77.8 |
| Malachi Toney | Miami (FL) | WR | 84 | 77.3 |
| Cayden Lee | Ole Miss | WR | 38 | 77.0 |
| CharMar Brown | Miami (FL) | RB | 38 | 76.6 |
| Charlie Becker | Indiana | WR | 40 | 75.8 |
| Markel Bell | Miami (FL) | T | 91 | 75.1 |
Highest-graded defenders
| Name | Team | Pos. | Snaps | PFF Grade |
| Rueben Bain Jr. | Miami (FL) | EDGE | 60 | 81.8 |
| D’Angelo Ponds | Indiana | CB | 58 | 79.9 |
| Tyrique Tucker | Indiana | Dl | 51 | 75.1 |
| Jamarious Brown | Ole Miss | Dl | 28 | 74.9 |
| Jakobe Thomas | Miami (FL) | S | 54 | 74.1 |
| Raul Aguirre Jr. | Miami (FL) | LB | 14 | 73.3 |
| Teitum Tuioti | Oregon | EDGE | 50 | 73.2 |
| Dillon Thieneman | Oregon | S | 60 | 73.0 |
| Jadon Canady | Oregon | CB | 55 | 72.7 |
| Chris Graves Jr. | Ole Miss | CB | 77 | 71.6 |
Highest-graded quarterbacks
| Name | Team | Snaps | PFF Grade |
| Fernando Mendoza | Indiana | 61 | 89.7 |
| Trinidad Chambliss | Ole Miss | 63 | 67.8 |
| Carson Beck | Miami (FL) | 91 | 58.6 |
| Dante Moore | Oregon | 70 | 47.3 |
Offensive Player of the Week: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Mendoza continued his torrid postseason and climb to the No. 1 overall pick by dicing up Oregon. Against the Ducks, the Heisman Trophy winner posted a 91.6 PFF passing grade, racking up only one big-time throw but securing an 89.5% adjusted completion percentage. Mendoza was elite in multiple departments, including when blitzed — generating a 91.7 passing grade — and on throws of 10 or more yards — going 17-for-20.
Defensive Player of the Week: EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (FL)
Bain may have had a quieter impact in terms of the box score, but he made his force felt against the Rebels. The projected first-round selection totaled five pressures on a 26.8% pass-rush win rate. Impressively, Bain has produced 23 pressures in his three College Football Playoff matchups.
Offensive Line of the Week: Miami (FL) Hurricanes
The Hurricanes’ excellence in the trenches was proliferated in the Fiesta Bowl. Miami led the four semifinalists in overall PFF grade (67.8) and was especially great in pass protection. The Hurricanes recorded a 79.2 PFF pass-blocking grade as a unit, allowing only one sack and 11 pressures.
Quarterback of the Week: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
See above.
Run Defender of the Week: LB Rolijah Hardy, Indiana
The Hoosiers have stars littered across the field, but the play of those like Hardy is what makes the nation’s top-ranked team so impressive. The unsung linebacker led all players in PFF run-defense grade in the semifinals, producing an 82.7 mark across 18 run-defense snaps. Hardy made two stops and received a 22.2% positive grade rate for his work on the ground.
Pass Rusher of the Week: EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (FL)
See above.
Coverage Defender of the Week: CB D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana
Ponds made a statement right out of the gate, intercepting Dante Moore’s first pass and returning it 25 yards for a touchdown. The star corner parlayed that into a 77.5 PFF coverage grade, surrendering three catches for 57 yards on five targets. Altogether, Moore had a 60.0 passer rating when targeting Ponds.
