Evaluating college football players can be a challenge. Flashy numbers can be misleading when they come against clearly inferior competition. The asymmetry in strength of opponents and strength of schedules can clearly impact the performances we see from players. Next year, some of these players will be in the NFL, and some will be selling cars.
This year’s College Football Playoff will be the first time the field is expanded to 12 teams. That’s eight more teams that get to play a high-intensity playoff game against high-level competition. We don’t want to overreact to a single game, but how players perform in this situation should be given much more weight than the average regular season game.
In this article, I’ll take you through the 1st round matchups in the 2024-25 College Football Playoffs and highlight the key prospects that may be selected in your 2025 Rookie Drafts.
10 Indiana vs No. 7 Notre Dame
Friday, December 20
On the Notre Dame side, tight end Mitchell Evans and quarterback Riley Leonard are the most likely candidates to have their names called at the 2025 NFL Draft among skill position players. Neither projects to be in the Day 1 or even Day 2 conversations, though. The tight end position is a tough one to evaluate, though, and Evans did have some momentum heading into this season. If he puts together a couple of strong performances throughout the playoffs, he could see his stock rise into fantasy relevance.
For Indiana, quarterback Kurtis Rourke is the only fantasy-relevant prospect in the discussion. He’s currently looked at as a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick. His late projection doesn’t come from poor performance this year, though. He’s currently the 4th ranked quarterback in college football by PFF. He did have some poorer showings down the stretch against tougher competition, but a strong performance against a highly ranked Notre Dame defense would go a long way in boosting his draft stock.
Most Important Player to Watch
Kurtis Rourke (QB, Indiana)
11 SMU vs No. 6 Penn State
Saturday, December 21
SMU doesn’t have any skill position players that are expected to be of fantasy relevance for 2025. Luckily, they play against a Penn State team that has multiple players that could be taken as early as the 1st round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Penn State has two players that should be watched closely by Dynasty managers. First is tight end Tyler Warren. Warren had a breakout season, winning the Mackey Award as the best tight end in college football. I recently highlighted Warren as a top target for the Colts in my series on 2025 NFL Prospect Landing Spots. He’s a versatile player who can lineup in the slot, on the line, or in the backfield.
His steady hands and versatility could have him in consideration for a 1st round selection in the NFL Draft. A dominant showing in the College Football Playoffs could make the 1st round a guarantee for the star-tight end.
Nicholas Singleton is the other prospect to watch in this game. His evaluation may vary the most of any fantasy-relevant prospect in this class. Some see him as a borderline 1st round talent with exceptional athleticism, while others see him as an overrated rusher who hasn’t been able to put together a sufficient production profile worthy of even a Day 2 selection.
I think he falls between those two extremes. He certainly has his flaws, but there are signs that his game will translate extremely well into the NFL. His showing in the playoffs could make or break his draft projections.
Most Important Player to Watch
Nicholas Singleton (RB, Penn State)
12 Clemson vs No. 5 Texas
Saturday, December 21
Tight end Jake Briningstool and quarterback Cade Klubnik are the two players to watch on the Clemson side. Neither is expected to be taken too highly in this year’s draft, but strong performances could move them up boards. Klubnik, in particular, could prove a lot with a strong performance in the playoffs. His production this season has been very good, but most of it came against subpar opponents. If Klubnik can lead Clemson to an upset behind a solid performance, it could have teams viewing him as a Day 2 option in a weaker quarterback class.
Texas has three players that are set to be drafted in 2025. Quarterback Quinn Ewers, wide receiver Isaiah Bond, and tight end Gunnar Helm. Ewers was in the running for top quarterback in the 2025 class early in the season. Over the 2nd half of the season, Ewers failed to keep up that momentum, though. A poor performance in a high-profile game against Georgia significantly damaged his perceived draft stock.
Ewers also failed to succeed in airing the ball out down the field. Quarterback prospects often hold more value through struggles than other positions if they were highly rated coming into college. Ewers could benefit from that reality if he can finish off his college career strong in the playoffs. Especially in a draft that’s fairly thin at quarterback, Ewers could push himself into early Day 2 consideration with a strong playoff run.
Bond, much like Ewers, had a poor 2nd half of the season that spoiled a hot start. Bond simply wasn’t very involved in the offense over the 2nd half of the year. Despite that, Bond’s elite speed will keep him in consideration for an early-round selection in the NFL Draft. Bond would benefit from showing a more diverse route tree in the middle of the field, something that was a development in his game early in the season but failed to transfer to the 2nd half.
Helm was top 10 in receiving yardage among college football tight ends this season. Helm is an athletic tight end that has broken out later in his college career. Tight ends are a tough position to project heading into the NFL, but teams could be interested in his athleticism as a pass catcher at the next level. Strong production in the playoffs could help address some worries about his lack of consistent production throughout his college career.
Most Important Player to Watch
Quinn Ewers (QB, Texas)
9 Tennessee vs No. 8 Ohio State
Saturday, December 21
This is the most important game of the first round for Dynasty implications. There are three running backs that will go in the first couple rounds of most rookie drafts, along with a top receiver. Those players all have a chance to push up their draft stock in the biggest game of their season or see it tumble with a bad performance under the bright lights.
A lot of Tennessee’s offensive success this year can be attributed to Dylan Sampson. Sampson was tied for third among all FBS running backs with 22 rushing touchdowns on the season. His lack of production prior to this season and underwhelming yards after contact metrics have him considered outside of the top grouping of running backs in this class. Another factor is his proclivity for fumbling. Another fumble in an important game could leave scouts worrying about that trend heading into the NFL.
Ohio State probably has the most impressive grouping of 2025 Dynasty prospects of any team playing in the 1st round. Running back duo Treveyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins are some of the top running backs in the class. The Buckeyes are also joined by receiver Emeka Egbuka.
Judkins is generally seen as the better prospect between the two running backs, as he’s regularly mocked ahead of Henderson. While I think Judkins is a great prospect who could push his way into first-round consideration, I have Henderson above him. Henderson was more efficient with his touches this season, averaging 6.8 yards per carry to Judkins’ 5.5.
The difference was maintained after contact as well, where Judkins averaged 3.05 yards while Henderson managed 4.01. Henderson has also shown much more in the passing game throughout his college career. Watching film on the two rushers throughout the season made it clear that while they have different running styles, Henderson is the more well-rounded back.
Judkins is very strong running between the tackles. He has great contact balance and can make quick cuts well to evade defenders without losing speed. Henderson shares many of the same skills, but he also has the ability to bounce a run outside with his elite explosiveness. Add in a more refined pass-catching game and I think Henderson is the more complete back.
Both running backs struggled in their final regular-season game against Michigan. Both rushers finished with 46 total yards on 12 touches in the loss. If one of the backs is able to really stand out as the superior rusher through a deep playoff run, it could push them over the other in draft rankings and lead to 1st round consideration.
To me, Egbuka has solidified his spot as a 1st round receiver. He’s shown reliability, speed, and the ability to get open this season as the top pass catcher for Ohio State. While a standout performance in a big game could have teams in the middle of the 1st round looking Egbuka’s way, I think his standing as a mid-to-late 1st round selection is safe.
Most Important Players to Watch
Treveyon Henderson &
Quinshon Judkins
(RB, Ohio State)