One Player to Watch for Every Team in the College Football Playoff

In college football, one key saying rings true in the era of the transfer portal and NIL deals.

"You can only go so far with Xs and Os. You need Jimmys and Joes."

Ultimately, while coaching matters, the players on the field -- probably in key moments -- will ultimately decide who wins the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP).

If you've just watched your school every Saturday or missed some of the Group of 5 teams entering the CFP, you might not know the impact players for every school. That's where I come into the equation.

Who are the stars that could be the reason a team lifts this year's National Championship trophy? Let's meet them.

Most Important Players in the College Football Playoff

Oregon: Tez Johnson, WR

For more reasons than just on-field production, Tez Johnson is perhaps the heart and soul of the Oregon Ducks' deep, balanced, and undefeated 2024 squad.

Bo Nix's adopted brother came back for his final year of eligibility and has become Dillon Gabriel's go-to target. He's seen 8.3 targets per game compared to high-profile transfer Evan Stewart's 5.2. Both's overall totals and shares are suppressed when the Ducks rolled over eight teams by at least 20 points.

The big-play threat has posted 11.1 yards per catch with 10 touchdowns this season, and he's Pro Football Focus (PFF)'s fifth-best overall wideout by receiving grade.

Johnson apparently fired up head coach Dan Lanning ahead of the fourth quarter during Saturday's Big Ten Championship Game, speaking to his leadership skills. Players like that could make all the difference in such huge moments to come.

Georgia: Jalon Walker, LB

As has been the case throughout the Georgia Bulldogs' dynastic run in the 2020s, they're led by defense.

I wanted to give this shout to versatile linebacker Jalon Walker, who is a finalist for the Butkus Award this season. Walker plays inside and outside linebacker and has posted 7.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks switching between the two spots.

He's PFF's 28th-ranked pass rusher from the linebacker spot this season and played perhaps his best game in the SEC Championship, totaling eight sacks, three tackles for loss, and three sacks.

An injury to quarterback Carson Beck might mean the Bulldogs will have to grind out low-scoring wins to win it all. Walker is the heartbeat of a defense fully capable of doing so if 4.7 yards per play (YPP) allowed (10th in FBS) is any indication.

Boise State: Ashton Jeanty, RB

If it weren't for a generational two-way player, Ashton Jeanty probably wrapped up the Heisman Trophy in Week 2. He's arguably the best individual player in this year's CFP.

You can pick your favorite Ashton Jeanty stat, but none quite compare to being 837 rushing yards and 6 rushing touchdowns clear of his next-closest peer at the position this season. He really beats the "volume" accusations when his 334 totes have also entailed a whopping 7.3 yards per carry (YPC).

Considering the sample size, it's pretty remarkable he's PFF's highest-graded rusher (97.8) at the position.

No one in the Mountain West brought the requisite run defense to stop Jeanty all season as the Boise State Broncos' lone loss came by a field goal in Eugene against the Ducks.

The million-dollar question for the Broncos is how far he can carry them as Boise's only NFL Draft prospect on the team.

Arizona State: Cam Skattebo, RB

Boise State isn't the only team enjoying a first-round bye on the tails of their lead running back.

By now, you've probably heard the story of Cam Skattebo, who catapulted the Arizona State Sun Devils to the Big 12 Championship despite a defense that ranked 90th in YPP allowed (5.8).

Once a one-star prospect with one offer to Sacramento State, Skattebo followed Kenny Dillingham to the latter's alma mater at ASU and became a monster. He's posted 172.8 scrimmage yards per game this season, which amounts 49.1% of the Sun Devils' total yardage despite missing a game.

Arizona State star wideout Jordyn Tyson suffered a season-ending injury two weeks ago, but Skattebo proved on Saturday that as long as he's in the mix, the Forks should have a decent shot. They're 11-1 in games that athletic quarterback Sam Leavitt has started this season.

Texas: Kelvin Banks Jr., OT

One of the reasons that the Texas Longhorns faltered on Saturday against Georgia was likely the absence of Kelvin Banks Jr.

The stud offensive tackle didn't suit up due to an ankle injury, but an attempt in warmups and the week of rest before the CFP should enable him to get back in the lineup and protect whoever Texas throws out at quarterback. Quinn Ewers has an ankle issue of his own, so could we see Arch Manning?

Ultimately, the foundation for UT winning the national title is their offensive line controlling the flow of the game. They're nominated for the Joe Moore Award as the best line in the country, and Banks -- ninth among all tackles in PFF's pass-blocking grade -- is the cornerstone foundation for it.

Big guys don't get a ton of love on FanDuel Research, but they're the real star for the Horns, who could plausibly win it all with either signal-caller.

Penn State: Tyler Warren, TE

The Penn State Nittany Lions' offense is simply a flow chart. They'll either get the ball in the hands of one of their two dynamic backs, or they'll send it Tyler Warren's way.

The Mackey Award finalist is more of an offensive weapon than just a tight end, posting 191 rushing yards and 4 scores on the ground in addition to his work in the passing game.

He's 17th among all FBS players in target share (31.3%), drawing 8.5 of Penn State's targets on average. He had 94 scrimmage yards against the Ohio State Buckeyes and 86 scrimmage yards on Saturday against Oregon.

Though the college football odds at FanDuel show PSU as an 8.5-point home favorite over the SMU Mustangs at home in the first round, they'll face some of the better run defenses in college football should they advance. Without a go-to receiver, a lot of Drew Allar's attention will be on Warren if they trail as they did Saturday.

Notre Dame: Xavier Watts, S

I could have presented any member of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish secondary here.

Notre Dame is allowing the second-fewest yards per pass attempt (5.6) in FBS this season despite losing top prospect Benjamin Morrison to a hip injury back on October 12th. Xavier Watts is among the reasons why.

Watts has five interceptions and two forced fumbles, including a 100-yard pick six the last time we saw the Irish on the field against the USC Trojans. Some secondary players make a quiet impact, but the senior is a regular to make noise that changes possession.

As PFF's 21st-ranked safety, Watts heads a trio of Irish defensive backs in the top-125 secondary players. They've been lights out all season as Riley Leonard's improved mobility has buoyed Notre Dame's offense.

Ohio State: Jeremiah Smith, WR

This isn't just another shot at Ryan Day.

Okay, maybe a little.

Day seemed to forget about Ohio State's electric tandem of wide receivers in their disappointing, season-ending loss to the Michigan Wolverines, but we should see more of them as the playoff progresses. That starts at home against the Tennessee Volunteers, who allow just 2.9 yards per carry (YPC) on the ground.

Emeka Egbuka is the impact NFL Draft prospect from the slot, but most are pointing at true freshman Jeremiah Smith as potentially one of the best receiving prospects ever.

Eligible in 2027, Smith has 934 yards and 10 touchdowns at 19 years old. He's the big-play threat (16.4 YPC) that could help a sluggish OSU offense pull ahead in these tight, hotly-contested games.

If Smith puts together a pair of virtuoso performances on national television, the hype train will scream out of the station.

Tennessee: James Pearce Jr., DE

The best pass-rusher in this class is a clear two-horse race. The aforementioned Abdul Carter has a claim, but James Pearce Jr. is no clear second option.

Pearce was eighth in FBS with 52 pressures, converting them into 7.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. He was a one-man wrecking ball for the Vols.

Though Nico Iamaleava and Dylan Sampson are big names on offense, this was a Tennessee team carried by their defense. They were a top-15 school in rushing and passing yards per attempt allowed, finishing as the nation's fourth-best scoring D (14.9 PPG allowed).

If the Vols can get the Iamaleava that was a preseason Heisman favorite, Pearce Jr. and the defense will likely do their part. They're fully capable of bottling Ohio State and Oregon on what is easily the tougher side of the bracket.

Indiana: Kurtis Rourke, QB

Realistically, I could have chosen 10 quarterbacks on this list. If they're playing well, it's probably the standout reason why a team will make the title game.

The Indiana Hoosiers absolutely need Kurtis Rourke to go nuclear to win this year's National Championship. On paper, their defense (5.9 YPP allowed; 97th in FBS) is completely outmatched, and that played out in their one ranked game of the year at Ohio State.

Plus, no IU pass-catcher has earned a target share north of 25.0%, and they don't have a 1,000-yard rusher. They're here on the back of Rourke, who is third in the country in QBR (85.7) while completing a stellar 70.4% of his throws.

Against Notre Dame's elite secondary, Rourke's performance will be vital to Indiana staying competitive in South Bend -- much less winning.

SMU: Brashard Smith, RB

The Big 12 was wide open. Boise State was expected to be a Group of 5 bid contender.

The surprise of the 12-team playoff is the SMU Mustangs, who are led by third-year head coach Rhett Lashlee in the team's first ACC season. They showed an 11-1 record was no true fluke by going to the wire with the Clemson Tigers on Saturday.

I could name a few impact defenders from a defense that was seventh in YPP allowed (4.5), but the catalyst for the offense is undoubtedly Brashard Smith.

Smith trails only Jeanty and Skattebo in rush share (59.1%) and scrimmage yards per game (121.0) among running backs in the dance. He was the engine that saved a rocky transition at QB from Preston Stone to sophomore Kevin Jennings early in the season.

Ohio State ran for 176 yards on Penn State, and Oregon (187) topped that number. It's plausible to say SMU's path to an upset runs through the tailback.

Clemson: Cade Klubnik, QB

Clemson's talented roster isn't a true stunner to be here from the preseason as ACC Champions. It's just the manner in which they got here that was surprising.

The one player that gives the Tigers any hope of competing for the title is quarterback Cade Klubnik. Klubnik turned a corner to post a QBR of at least 64.0 in each of the Tigers' last five games, looking a bit more like the five-star quarterback that Dabo Swinney nabbed from Austin, Texas two years ago. He's accounted for 15 total touchdowns in this stretch.

It's only fitting Klubnik's CFP debut will come in his hometown against high school rival Quinn Ewers at Texas. Is it worth noting he beat Ewers twice at Westlake High School?

Due to Jordyn Tyson's injury and a weak Arizona State defense, the Tigers have a legitimate path to another semifinal game if they can get through the Longhorns. If Klubnik plays to his potential, no one wants a piece of the 12 seed.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.