25 players to watch in the College Football Playoff

One of the more interesting stories of any player in the new-look expanded College Football Playoff. Alford’s college career began at Texas, then over to USC, where he recorded three interceptions in 2021. However, an injury and the NCAA’s since-lifted two-time transfer rule kept him out of the 2022 and ’23 seasons, respectively. Now, Alford finds himself at Arizona State, where he’s under the guidance of a familiar face in defensive backs coach Bryan Carrington, who he played under with the Longhorns and Trojans. This season, Alford became an All-Big 12 first-team performer with 83 total tackles and two interceptions for the ACC-champion Sun Devils.

College football analysts like Penn State’s road to the College Football Playoff national championship game, even as the No. 6 seed. In addition to a seemingly favorable postseason path, Penn State boasts one of the game’s best defenders in Carter. The All-American talent ranks second in the Big Ten with 10 sacks and is the league’s leader with 19 1/2 tackles for loss. Carter is active, disruptive and must be accounted for on every snap because he has the potential to change the game on the defensive side of the ball. 

Clemson’s last-second upset of SMU in the ACC Championship game puts them in the College Football Playoff against a national-title feeling Texas squad. Carter, though, might be the best pro-ready talent on the field in this matchup. An All-American performer, Carter continues to play at a high level with 79 total tackles, 10 1/2 tackles for loss, 3 1/2 sacks and seven passes broken up. That type of production from Carter must continue against the Longhorns.  

The CFP is a time for playmakers to shine. Downs, in his first season at Ohio State after transferring from Alabama, has shown why he’s among the best defenders in the college game. However, he’s also a major threat as a return man. His 79-yard punt return for a touchdown against Indiana was a game-changing moment that led to a Buckeyes rout. Ohio State, with an offense that struggled against Michigan, faces a severe test against Tennessee. It may be in need of another spark from Downs. 

Is Dillon Gabriel the best overall offensive player in the CFP? Well, he’s the leader of the only undefeated team on the field, is the Big Ten’s top passer with 3,558 yards, and has thrown six touchdowns and no interceptions in the last two games — four of which came against Penn State in the Big Ten Championship game. Gabriel’s experience (63 college games in six seasons) and leadership should not be understated at this point in the season. Especially with the likes of Ohio State and Texas possibly in the way of the Ducks playing for a national title. 

The Texas offense is well-known for its potency, but don’t sleep on the Longhorns defense. They boast a highly underrated defensive front, but the star of the show remains Hill, the standout talent who ranks among the SEC leaders with 90 total tackles, a whopping 16 tackles for loss and also eight sacks. He will be a daunting challenge for the Clemson offensive line, as well as its blocking backs and tight ends, to handle when the teams meet in the first round of the CFP. 

When Boise faces either SMU or Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve, a good chunk of the nation will get to see why Jeanty could be the best running back in the country. The nation’s leading rusher with 2,497 yards and tied for the top spot with 29 touchdowns on the ground, Jeanty could very well crack the 5,000-career-yard mark if the Broncos are to make a deep playoff run. However, since they don’t play in a major conference, this could be the first time most casual college football fans see Jeanty play.

Another great CFP story, Johnson was the first ever receiver to earn Big Ten Championship MVP honors after catching 11 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown in the 45-37 victory over Penn State. And, he did it all in front of his biological mother and family attending in Indianapolis. The Ducks will again count on Johnson, who has 78 receptions for 866 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, as they make a run at the national championship. 

Klubnik has made major strides in his second full season as a starter while throwing for 3,303 yards with 33 touchdowns and five interceptions, and also rushing for seven scores. If 1,100-yard running back Phil Mafah is healthy enough to be factor and carry the load, some of the pressure will be off Klubnik, named ACC Championship game MVP with his four TD passes. However, his margin for error against a stifling Texas defense seems very slim for the upstart Tigers. 

Through the first three games of his Notre Dame career this season, Leonard threw two interceptions and no touchdowns. Since then, he’s thrown 16 TDs and been intercepted just three times. Leonard is not a star and wasn’t expected to be one for the Irish, but he’s settled into his role and has the offense humming amid the team’s 10-game winning streak. Now, he’s about to play in the biggest game of his career, Dec. 20, against Indiana to open the College Football Playoff. 

SMU gets a deserved spot in the CFP, but faces a stiff test against Penn State. That will allow more college football fans to check out Nwokobia, the sturdy, high-octane performer who ranks second on team with 96 total tackles, including a program-best 51 solos. Nwokobia, an All-ACC first-team performer, is also tied for the team lead with three interceptions. In order to pull off the CFP upset at Happy Valley, Nwokobia likely must remain a defensive playmaker.

Pearce is projected to be an NFL star, and it’s easy to understand why. An explosive defense talent, Pearce is a physical force that will seriously test an above-average but also banged-up Ohio State offensive line in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Pearce has 7 1/2 sacks this season and is all about disruption. A concept that the Volunteers defense will need to deliver often in order to take down a Buckeyes’ squad that might still be reeling from that loss to Michigan. 

The Hoosiers’ 11-1 dream season continues with an in-state CFP contest against Notre Dame to kickoff the 12-team tournament. While Indiana’s offense, which averages 43.3 points, has been the story of this historic campaign under first-year coach Curt Cignetti, its defense was impressively stout. Only three opponents have scored more than 17 points against the Hoosiers in 2024, and Ponds, a physical defender, is a first-team All-Big Ten performer. He ranks among league leaders with nine passes defended, and also took back one of his two interceptions for a touchdown. He’s also second on the team with 35 solo tackles. 

Indiana’s dream 11-1 season continues with an anticipated matchup at in-state foe Notre Dame to kickoff the CFP playoff. Rourke was a solid quarterback during his five seasons at Ohio, but was essentially reborn in 2024 as a Hoosier under first-year coach Curt Cignetti. Rourke has completed 70.4 percent of his passes for 2,827 yards with 27 touchdowns and just four interceptions while posting a Big Ten-best 181.4 passer rating. However, it will be interesting to see how Rourke handles this monumental challenge at a famed stadium against an Irish defense that allows just 13.6 points per game.  

The SEC Offensive Player of the Year, Sampson enters the CFP with 1,487 rushing yards and 22 ground touchdowns. He was held to fewer than 100 rushing yards twice this season but faces an Ohio State defense at the Horseshoe that allows just 96.8 yards on the ground per contest. That said, the Buckeyes did give up a season-high 172 rushing yards during that 13-10 disheartening home loss to rival Michigan. If the Volunteers are going to pull off the road upset, Sampson and the run must lead the way. 

Talk about fun to watch. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound bruising Skattebo always had talent, as noted with his 1,373-yard season for FCS power Sacramento State in 2022. However, this season, Skattebo established himself as one of the nation’s best, rushing for 1,568 yards with 19 touchdowns on the ground. He’s totaled 494 of those yards in the last three games, including an impressive 170 on just 16 carries with three total touchdowns in ASU’s 45-19 rout of then-No. 16 Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship Game. 

The versatile Smith, who spent most of his three seasons at Miami, Fla., playing receiver, has blossomed into one of the country’s most under-the-radar running backs as a Mustang. Smith earned All-ACC first-team honors while rushing for 1,270 yards with 14 touchdowns. He also caught 35 passes and registered four TDs via the air. If SMU is win at Penn State, it must be all hands on deck and Smith needs to be a consistent factor. 

The freshman Johnson was expected to have an immediate impact for the Buckeyes this season. And, he has not disappointed with 57 receptions for a team-leading 934 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns that are tied for the most in the Big Ten. However, Smith has totaled 69 receiving in the last two games combined/ So, if Ohio State is to make a deep playoff run, Smith must return to his big-play form that accounts for 16.4 yards per catch in 2024.

Georgia’s uncertainty at quarterback after Beck suffered an elbow injury during the SEC Championship Game. The Bulldogs are the No. 2 seed and don’t play until New Year’s Day. Beck is a proven winner (24-3 the last two seasons), but if he can’t go, which has been reported to be the case, then Stockton is the man. The redshirt sophomore has played in seven college games but went 12-of-16 and also showed his ability to run against Texas in the league title contest. Of course, he threw a key interception that allowed the Longhorns to force overtime. This will be the biggest storyline to follow leading up to New Year’s Day.

The Big Ten season leader with 10 1/2 sacks (plus 12 1/2 tackles for loss) in 2024, Uiagalelei is a force that the Ducks will need to remain active after he was a complete non-factor against Penn State, which often had its way offensively, during the Big Ten Championship game. Even with a vaunted defensive front, Oregon managed just one recorded sack against the Nittany Lions. Uiagalelei and Co. need to be much more productive as the games get more important. 

Boise’s Ahmed Hassanein has been causing havoc on opposing offenses for some time now, but teammate Virgin-Morgan certainly made a name for himself this season. A first-team All-Mountain West Conference performer, Virgin-Morgan leads the Broncos with 10 sacks and 15 1/2 tackles for loss. Boise State’s offense get plenty of attention, but if the program is to make a deep postseason run, Virgin-Morgan and the defense must be at its best.

With the uncertainty at quarterback, the onus likely falls even more on Georgia’s talented defense to dictate how its quarterfinal matchup plays out. The Bulldogs’ defense is loaded with elite talent like potential top-10 NFL pick Mykel Williams, linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. and star defensive back Malaki Starks. However, the versatile Butkus Award-finalist Walker might be the key to the entire operation with team highs of 10 1/2 tackles for loss and 6 1/2 sacks, plus two interceptions.

Penn State’s go-to guy on offense, Warren is dependable as they come. Which, obviously, is important when in a playoff situation. Warren leads all power conference tight ends with 88 receptions and is one of two players nationally at the position to crack 1,000 receiving yards (Big Ten-record 1,062) this season. Warren has scored 13 touchdowns in the last two seasons, so he has a knack for the end zone. He’s also rushed for 191 yards with four touchdowns on 23 carries in 2024, meaning Warren will be a key factor when the Nittany Lions open CFP play against SMU.

Putting everything together and looking at the complete package, Watts is Notre Dame’s best overall defender regardless of position. And, it will be fun to see how he — and the rest of the stout Irish defense — handles a potent Indiana offense to open the CFP. Watts leads the Irish with five interceptions and nine pass breakups while also posting 49 tackles, including 30 solos. He’s a defensive standout with a game-changing ability that comes in handy this time of year.

Texas has plenty of offensive stars — quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, tight end Gunnar Helm and receivers Isaiah Bond and Matthew Golden. However, if the Longhorns are to stick around in the CFP, it will need to effectively run the ball. The shifty and versatile Wisner (863 rushing yards, 4.9 per carry) is the man of the hour in the Texas backfield. He totaled 204 yards in the Longhorns’ final two scheduled regular contests versus Kentucky and Texas A&M, but was held to only 51 on 19 carries in the SEC title-game loss to Georgia. Wisner must likely be a consistent factor for the Longhorns to thrive in the Playoff.