Joel KlattNov 19, 2025
Klatt said Texas will not make the College Football Playoff, picked Oregon to beat USC by 10-13 points, predicted Lane Kiffin will leave Ole Miss for Florida, and forecast big NFL draft outcomes for Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs and Fernando Mendoza.
Said on air or in an interview · The Herd with Colin Cowherd (podcast)Hear the original
What Joel Klatt said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromMendoza is going to be easily a top three pick, maybe the top pick in the entire NFL draft.
- Where it was said
- The Herd with Colin Cowherd (podcast)
- The episode
- THE HERD - Hour 2 - NFL Playoff Predictions, Joel Klatt Discusses Controversial College Football Playoff Rankings
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
The page this came from has changed since we captured it on Aug 5, 2026. The quote and evidence here are from our capture, not from what the page says today.
- SaidNov 19, 2025
- GradedOct 1, 2026
- 1Fernando Mendoza to be picked “top three pick, maybe the top pick” (picks 1–3)“Mendoza is going to be easily a top three pick, maybe the top pick in the entire NFL draft.”
- 2Arvell Reese to be picked “top three pick” (picks 1–3)“I think rvel Reese is playing himself into a top three pick in college in the NFL draft”
- 3Caleb Downs to be picked “top ten pick” (picks 1–10)“Downs is still behind him, who's probably a top a, top top tick, top ten excuse me pick in the NFL draft”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernando Mendoza to be picked “top three pick, maybe the top pick” (picks 1–3)1 | Mock Draft Picks | Went 1 | 100 | 50 | — | |
| Arvell Reese to be picked “top three pick” (picks 1–3)2 | Mock Draft Picks | Went 5 | 91.7 | 50 | — | |
| Caleb Downs to be picked “top ten pick” (picks 1–10)3 | Mock Draft Picks | Went 11 | 95.76 | 50 | — | |
| 3 calls · 3 hits · all settled | 95.8 | 50 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naive3 checkable claims — 3 mock draft picks — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 3 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
All 3 have settled, averaging 95.8 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Their call against what happened
overall pickTheir call against what actually happened.
1Mock Draft PicksFernando Mendoza
Fernando Mendoza to be picked “top three pick, maybe the top pick” (picks 1–3)
What happenedWent 1100Hit · naive 50Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- player:
- Fernando Mendoza
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 1
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 100
- predicted pick:
- top three pick, maybe the top pick (picks 1–3)
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- only one pick — no order to score
Arvell Reese to be picked “top three pick” (picks 1–3)
What happenedWent 591.7Hit · naive 50Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- player:
- Arvell Reese
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 91.7
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 5
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 91.7
- predicted pick:
- top three pick (picks 1–3)
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- only one pick — no order to score
Caleb Downs to be picked “top ten pick” (picks 1–10)
What happenedWent 1195.76Hit · naive 50Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- draft:
- 2026
- naive:
- a shuffled mock scores 50
- player:
- Caleb Downs
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 32
- accuracy:
- 95.76
- baseline:
- 50
- actual pick:
- 11
- difficulty:
- 1
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- pick accuracy:
- 95.76
- predicted pick:
- top ten pick (picks 1–10)
- weeks left when called:
- 0
- mock ordering score:
- only one pick — no order to score
- All
The take as a whole
the average of 3 settled calls, each counted once
95.8naive 50
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Ross Jackson · Mock Draft Picks · Caleb Downs · Hit 88
Jackson predicts the Saints will stay put and pick at No. 8 overall rather than trading up, and after Mickey Loomis' press conference they now lean toward New Orleans taking a defensive back there — either LSU cornerback Mansoor Delaine or Ohio State safety Caleb Downs — while still viewing Miami edge rusher Ruben Bain Jr. as a likely selection.Jaime Eisner · Mock Draft Picks · Arvell Reese · Hit 88
A seven-round Jets mock draft projecting New York to take Ohio State's Arvell Reese at No. 2 and Arizona State receiver Jordyn Tyson at No. 16, followed by Ty Simpson, Brandon Cisse, Jalon Kilgore, Tyreak Sapp, Kaelon Black, Fernando Carmona and Trebor Pena.Danny Parkins · Mock Draft Picks · Caleb Downs · Hit 92
Danny Parkins presented their one-and-only 2026 mock draft, including trades: Mendoza at 1 to the Raiders, David Bailey second to the Jets, the Cowboys trading up to No. 3 for Arvell Reese, the Bears trading up to 16 for Kadyn Proctor, and Ty Simpson going to Arizona at 32 at the end of round one.
More mock draft picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Chris Simms · Mock Draft Picks · Malachi Corley · Miss 11
Simms named the Bears the NFL's best overall offense and best rushing offense, the Bengals the best passing offense, Seattle the best total defense, Minnesota the best pass defense and Tampa Bay the best run defense; they also called Tristan Wirfs the league's best offensive lineman, projected Miami's Malachi Toney as a top-15 pick, and predicted a 30-14 Jaguars win in Baltimore.Philip Hughes · Mock Draft Picks · Kyle Kennard · Miss 34
Evaluating edge rusher Kyle Kennard ahead of the draft, the account projected them as a Day 2 selection.Blaine Grisak · Mock Draft Picks · Brian Thomas Jr. · Hit 84
Grisak argues the Rams should not trade a second-round pick for Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr., calling it too great a risk and too high a cost. In an embedded tweet of their own from the 2024 pre-draft period, they suggested the Rams could select Thomas at pick No. 19.Charlie Campbell · Mock Draft Picks · Xavier Williams · Miss 0
Campbell's draft stock report projects Indiana WR Charlie Becker as a top-10 pick in 2027, Mississippi State CB Kelley Jones as a first-rounder, Tennessee DT Xavier Gilliam as a top-15 pick, and Texas OT Trevor Goosby as a top-10 pick, while suggesting Arch Manning could still be a first-rounder if they declare.