20 players to watch during the College Football Playoff

We all know there’s the debate among fans between quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, but there’s no debate that Kelvin Banks is one of the best offensive linemen in college football. No matter which quarterback starts or which running back ( Quintrevion Wisner, Jaydon Blue or Jerrick Gibson) totes the rock, Banks will keep his defender from laying their hands on them.  This Horns’ offensive line unit is one of the best in the nation. 

When Carson Beck plays well, Georgia may be the best team in the country. But, man, when he has a bad game, it can be spectacularly bad. He truly could make or break the Dawgs national championship fortunes. He threw three interceptions in a loss to Alabama, and threw three picks each in wins over Florida and Texas. He’s had four games this season where he failed to throw a touchdown pass. But then you’ll see him against Tennessee (347 yards, 2 TDs, no interceptions), Georgia Tech (297 yards, 5 TDs) and the second half against Alabama and you see why NFL scouts can be so high on him. He’s talented, but needs to make better decisions. That’s what could be the difference in hanging another banner in Athens. The upper extremity injury is something to monitor, but with a first-round bye, Beck gets some extra time to rest. 

Carter, a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik and Bronco Nagurski awards for a top defensive player, has seamlessly made the transition from linebacker to edge rusher this season. He’s near the top of the nation in sacks and tackles for loss, and his experience as a linebacker allows him to be effective in drop coverage. In the Nittany Lions’ only loss of the season, Carter recorded two sacks against Ohio State. While he’s still learning the nuances of being a lineman, he’s a disruptive force for a very good Penn State defense. 

Ewers has had one of the most unique college football careers in recent memory. He initially committed to Texas before flipping to Ohio State and reclassifying for the 2021 season. While he sat for all of his freshman year, he was one of the earliest beneficiaries of the new NIL era of college athletics. He then transferred to Texas and became their starting quarterback. After a rocky first season, he’s been on the NFL’s radar for two seasons despite having to hold off phenom Arch Manning as his backup. That brings us to this year where Ewers missed time due to injury, allowing Manning to get some playing time and causing a debate among the fanbase about who should be the starter. There is no debate for the coaching staff — it is Ewers — though Manning has a package of plays sprinkled in games.

When Curt Cignetti left James Madison for the Indiana job, having his stout defender join him in Bloomington was key to set the culture he wanted to install. Fisher let the Hoosiers in tackles in his first year as a starting linebacker — he was a standout special teamer at James Madison. His motor and determination was infectious and he became an all-Big Ten player when he got his opportunity. Going up against Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love in the first round, Fisher and that linebacking crew must step up. 

Gabriel has had quite the collegiate career. After two magical seasons at UCF where he threw for over 7,000 yards, 61 TDs and just 11 INTs, he broke his clavicle in the third game of the 2021 season and missed the remainder of the season. After a two-year stint at Oklahoma, he transferred again to Oregon, where he’s quarterbacking the top seed and one of the favorites to win the national championship. This year he’s been outstanding and has been clutch in the two biggest games of the Ducks’ season — Ohio State (23 of 34, 341 yards, 3 total TDs) and Penn State (22 of 32, 283 yards, 4 TDs). His first playoff game will be the 63rd start in his college career. He’s been around so long that he played for Josh Heupel … at UCF. 

Jeanty has had the rushing title sown up for quite a while and if he played for a Power 4 program he may have a better shot at winning the Heisman Trophy. But he’s been one of the most dynamic players in the country and has Boise State in the College Football Playoff. Jeanty enters the playoff just 132 yards behind Barry Sanders’ FBS record for rushing in a single season (Sanders gained all his yards in an 11-game season and his 222 yards in the Holiday Bowl didn’t count towards his total). He’s already tied one record with five 70-yard touchdown runs on the season (LaDainian Tomlinson). 

If Oregon wants to bring home the national championship, Johnson is going to have to have some big games over the next month. Johnson, a fifth-year senior who spent his first three years at Troy before transferring to Oregon, has been nursing a shoulder injury he suffered in early November against Michigan. After missing some time, he returned to the field in the Ducks’ finale against Washington and played in the Big Ten title game. He’s caught at least one TD pass in 8 of the Ducks’ 11 games, including his return to the lineup against Washington and in the Big Ten championship.  

Klubnik entered this season still as an enigma. He was a highly sought-after recruit who hadn’t really become the star that Deshaun Watson or Trevor Lawrence was. After the Tigers were pushed around by Georgia in the season opener (18 of 29, 142 yards, INT), the questions still remained with him. Well, he quieted a lot of that as the season went on. Klubnik threw for 3,041 yards, 29 TDs and just 5 INTs, winning the ACC championship and the game’s MVP. Sure, Clemson sort of snuck into these playoffs — they needed Miami to lose their final ACC game (while the Tigers lost to their non-conference rival) and got a 56-yard field goal at the buzzer to win the automatic bid — but they are in and there is nobody in this field that has the experience that Dabo Swinney and Clemson does in the playoff. Can Klubnik keep this going? 

Love has gotten hot at the right time for the Fighting Irish. He has rushed for a touchdown in every game this season, including twice in three of the Irish’s last five games. He had a field day against Army a few weeks ago, rushing for 130 yards on just 7 carries, scoring two TDs on the ground and also catching a TD pass. In recent weeks, he’s popped off runs of 64, 68 and 76 yards and giving Notre Dame a big play threat that can switch momentum in a flash. The sophomore from St. Louis can create a quick highlight anytime he touches the ball. 

Pearce is one of the best pass rushers in the nation. While his frame may be a little light (he’s 242 lbs while standing 6-foot-5) his speed and quickness allows him to scoot around blockers and get to the ball carrier. He’s especially good at getting pressure on the quarterback and disrupting the timing of the offense. Vols’ head coach Josh Huepel may be known as an offensive guru, it may be Tennessee’s defense that ignites a run deep into the playoff. 

You have to feel good for players like Kurtis Rourke. He tore it up in his fourth season at Ohio (25 TDs, 4 INTs) before tearing his ACL late in the season. After another season with the Bobcats, Rourke transferred to Indiana this season after his fifth year. He’s performed well on the big stage as one of the more efficient passers in the Big Ten for one of the biggest surprises in the nation. 

Sampson leads all Power 4 schools with 22 rushing TDs and is in the top ten nationally in rushing yards. He’s had nine games of at least 100 yards rushing and has scored in every one of the Volunteers games this season except for their finale at Vanderbilt. He has been breaking school records all season (including the single-season touchdown mark) and is having a historic season that puts him among legendary SEC names like Derrick Henry, Najee Harris, Tre Mason, and Tim Tebow. Tennessee has been using tough defense and a strong ground attack behind the workhorse Sampson to reach their first College Football Playoff. Going up against an Ohio State team that struggled against the run vs Michigan should highlight Sampson’s importance. 

Simon is the leader for arguably the nation’s top defense. He’s second on the team in tackles and a terror in the backfield for a defense that is at or near the top of the nation in points allowed, yards allowed, rushing yards allowed and passing yards allowed. As they say, defense wins championships and the Buckeyes’ defense is worthy of that kind of praise. With so many potent offenses Ohio State must deal with on their path to their first national championship since 2014, Simon … a fifth-year senior … will be a disruptive force that could carry them through. 

Skattebo blew up in his sophomore season at Sacramento State (1,372 yards, 10 total TDs) and then transferred to Arizona State. He played well in 2023, but this year he stepped it up. He’s rushed for 1,568 yards and has 2,074 yards from scrimmage — a school record — while piling up 22 touchdowns. Skattebo is a physical runner who can break loose when he gets into open space. In the Big 12 championship win over Iowa State, he busted out runs of 47 and 53 yards and scored three TDs. 

Smith is one of the most versatile players in this playoff. After three years as a wide receiver at Miami, he transferred to SMU and became … a running back? After just 18 rushes in his Hurricanes career, Smith carried the ball 217 times for 1,270 yards and 14 touchdowns this season for the Mustangs. Oddly enough, 2024 was also his best statistical season as a receiver as well, setting career highs with 35 receptions and 4 touchdowns (his 303 yards was just five off his top season). Smith can be used in a multitude of ways for SMU, which makes their fast-paced offense all the more dangerous. 

Smith may be (or already is) the next great wide receiver at Ohio State. The true freshman has already 52 receptions for 934 yards and 10 TDs (he’s also rushed for a touchdown). He’s already shown he can perform when the brightest lights are on as he caught 9 passes for 100 yards and a TD in a October loss to Oregon and caught Ohio State’s only TD in the loss to Michigan. One of the top prospects in the Class of 2024, Smith has delivered. 

Starks is once again a finalist for the Jim Thorpe award for the nation’s top defensive back and one of the people in life you really root for. As a kid, his family found themselves bouncing around from place to place trying to avoid homelessness. His parents kept working hard and eventually were able to find stability for their family, traits that Starks holds to this day. He’s always working, always improving and willing to help his teammates in any way he can. Starks was one of 11 players named to the 2024 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, a team made up of FBS players who have made vital contributions to their community. On the field, his hard work earned him a starting nod as a freshman in 2022 (a rarity at Georgia) and has turned him into a likely high NFL Draft pick. The Bulldogs under Kirby Smart will always be known for their defense, and Starks is a big reason Georgia could win their third national championship in four years.

Warren may be the best tight end in the nation. He leads the Nittany Lions in receptions — and it is by a wide margin. He leads Penn State in touchdown receptions and has also totaled four rushing TDs and even threw a touchdown pass. He won the Big Ten’s award for top tight end and is a finalist for the John Mackey Award. Warren has become a bigger threat due to his addition to the running game — he’s had 23 carries this season after having just six in his first three seasons in Happy Valley … and all of those came in 2021. He very well may be the first tight end drafted next April. 

Watts leads the Irish with five interceptions, including a 100-yard pick-six against USC in the season finale. In fact, he was everywhere against the Trojans — nine tackles, six solo tackles, a couple of key fourth down stops and that touchdown return. He is a high-energy player who uses physicality to cover receivers and attack the run. Notre Dame’s defense will be key if they want to advance in the playoff.