Before heading to Cleveland for Sunday’s Dolphins game, general manager Chris Grier and multiple team officials stopped in Columbia, South Carolina on Saturday and watched two of the nation’s best draft-eligible quarterbacks and prospects at several other positions.
Grier’s presence at Williams-Bryce Stadium, first reported by ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid, was notable because the Dolphins eventually could face a decision on whether to move forward with Tua Tagovailoa. On Saturday, Grier had an in-person look at South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers and Oklahoma’s John Mateer.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper rates Sellers fourth and Mateer fifth among draft eligible quarterbacks, behind Oregon’s Dante Moore, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Alabama’s Tyler Simpson.
Kiper rated Sellers 21st on his Big Board last week, with this comment: “Sellers has all the talent in the world when it comes to physical traits. The redshirt sophomore has great size for the QB position, a live arm and the mobility to pick up chunks of yardage on the ground (284 rushing yards in 2025).
“I’ve heard comps to Josh Allen and Cam Newton. But Sellers hasn’t translated all those traits into consistent production. His ball location has been erratic, and his decision-making still isn’t there. On top of that, he has taken 19 sacks, seventh-most in the FBS. Sellers is still developing as a prospect, but you can’t teach his skill set. There will be teams that get excited about his potential.”
Mateer, a transfer from Washington State, missed a game this season after sustaining a broken bone in his throwing hand.
Tagovailoa, through six games, is 21st in passer rating (92.1), ninth in completion percentage (69.8), 19th in passing yards (1213), third in interceptions (seven) and tied for sixth in TD passes (11).
If the Dolphins cut Tagovailoa before June 1, the Dolphins’ 2026 dead money cap hit would be $99 million before falling to $67 million after June 1.
Trading him before June 1 would result in a $45 million cap hit on the Dolphins’ 2026 books; trading him after June 1 would be a $13 million Dolphins 2026 cap hit, but would be followed by significant cap hits in future years.
Among other top prospects on the two teams that Grier watched Saturday: South Carolina’s Nyck Harbor (Kiper’s ninth-best draft-eligible receiver) and his defensive back teammates Brandon Cisse (Kiper’s No. 4 cornerback) and Jalen Kilgore (Kiper’s No. 9 safety).
Grier is nearing his 10th anniversary as GM; the team hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2000 season.
Personnel notes
The Dolphins elevated linebacker Quinton Bell and cornerback Kendall Sheffield from the practice squad for the second game in a row. Both are expected to play on Sunday at Cleveland (1 p.m., CBS-4).
Safety Elijah Campbell (quadriceps) is out. Cornerback Storm Duck (ankle) is questionable. Linebacker Tyrel Dodson exited concussion protocol and will play Sunday.
▪ Linebacker Willie Gay Jr. told me that he wasn’t surprised he didn’t play a snap against the Chargers, in the absence of Dodson, “because I know how this game works and that’s not to expect what I wanted, which is to play a lot. When it didn’t happen, I was hurt…because I’m a competitor. I kind of expected it.”
Gay said KJ Britt, who played every snap in Dodson’s absence, is “the natural backup, so that makes sense. Sometimes you get that false sense of hope during the week, Like hey, we are going to send you in this package. The games can sometimes change things up. I’m not stressing. I know I’m ready to play.”
“K.J. Britt played his [butt] off last week,” defensive line coach Joe Barry said, explaining why Britt handled every rep as Dodson’s replacement, which coincidentally kept veteran linebacker Willie Gay Jr. off the field. “I’m a routine, rhythm, preparation guy. I’ve never been a big fan of [rotating] inside linebackers.”
Britt and Gay were supposedly competing to work as Dodson’s replacement last week, but Barry said the team decided to stick with Britt because he’s handled every single snap as Miami’s No. 2 inside linebacker this offseason while Gay has backed up Brooks at weakside linebacker.
▪ Cornerback Jack Jones said he takes no issue with Ethan Bonner getting some of his snaps.
“ED is a good player,” Jones said. “He’s a baller. They said they wanted to get him reps. Whatever we have to do to win a game I’ll all for it. I’m not really worried if I’m on the side or in the game.
“Would I like to be in the game? Absolutely. I’m not going to complain about playing time when we have good corners and we’re not winning. Whatever we can do to win, I’m all for.”
▪ After starting 16 games for Detroit the past five years, Ifeatu Melifonwu joined the Dolphins with the public expectation that he would be a starter. Not only is he not starting, but he has fallen to fourth on the depth chart, behind Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ashtyn Davis and rookie Dante Trader Jr.
“Obviously as a competitor you want to play,” Melifonwu said this week, after playing just two defensive snaps against the Chargers.
Is he surprised he’s not playing a lot?
“I don’t want to comment too much to be honest,” he told me. “As a competitor, you want to play.. That’s all I will say.”
Have coaches told him what they want to see? “I guess so, yeah,” he said. “I don’t really want to say.” He said he’s healthy.
Saban weighs in
Former Dolphins coach Nick Saban, now an ESPN analyst, gets the final word on Tua Tagovailoa calling out unidentified teammates for showing up late -- or not showing up at all -- for player-led meetings.
“I was really shocked that Tua did what he did, when he threw some guys under the bus,” Saban -- who coached Tagovailoa at Alabama -- said on The Pat McAfee show. “Maybe they’re not playing the way they should play, I’m not taking up for the guys, but you don’t say that about your teammate. But I really was proud of the way he came back and took accountability for making a mistake.”
This story was originally published October 18, 2025 at 1:40 PM.