Which 2025 NFL Draft prospects have most to gain in College Football Playoff semifinals?

By / / Sports / 9 minutes of reading


And then there were four.

Between the rosters of Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Texas, there are dozens of 2025 NFL Draft prospects who will be looking to make a statement on the big stage during the College Football Playoff semifinals. While their focus is on trying to win a national championship, prospects also know that all NFL eyes will be on these games.

Let’s examine the top NFL prospects and most underrated players on the final four teams.

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CFP semifinals first look: Previewing Notre Dame-Penn State, Ohio State-Texas

Orange Bowl: Penn State vs. Notre Dame

Penn State’s best offensive prospect: Tyler Warren, TE

There will be plenty of debate the next four months over how high Warren should be drafted. NFL scouts see him more as a player who will go in the range of picks 21-35, rather than as a top-20 TE prospect like Brock Bowers. Regardless of Warren’s eventual landing spot, though, an NFL team will be upgrading its tight end position with an immediate starter.

Warren is a fluid athlete for his size with exceptional catch-point skills. Although he isn’t as consistent of a run blocker as his highlights might suggest, he has the tools of a versatile tight end who can line up across the formation and fill a number of roles.

Notre Dame’s best offensive prospect: Riley Leonard, QB

Were Jeremiyah Love eligible, he would get my vote for the Irish. But among the 2025 draft-eligible guys, Leonard is Notre Dame’s top prospect on this side of the ball.

At 6-foot-3 1/2 and 225 pounds, Leonard is an explosive athlete and NFL scouts are smitten with his “off-the-chart” intangibles. He checks a lot of boxes with his physical talent, but there simply aren’t that many NFL-level throws on his tape and the offense doesn’t rely on his downfield ability to win games — he hasn’t thrown for more than 250 yards in any of his last 22 games. Nonetheless, NFL coaches will want to work with Leonard’s package of tools.

Penn State’s best defensive prospect: Abdul Carter, Edge

This is another easy one. A potential top-five pick in April, Carter has the juice off the edge to completely blow up an offensive game plan. After making the move from linebacker this season, he has shown gradual improvements each game in the details of breaking down blockers and containing the run. Carter suffered an injury in the first half of Penn State’s quarterfinal win over Boise State, which might affect his status for this game.

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Notre Dame’s best defensive prospect: Xavier Watts, S

If cornerback Benjamin Morrison, a potential top-40 pick, was healthy, he probably would get the nod. But Watts is a pretty deserving candidate himself. He has only average size and speed and needs to clean up some of his missed tackles, which is why he has been more of an acquired taste for NFL teams. But with his read-react awareness and ball skills, Watts consistently puts himself in position to make plays — a skill that will translate to any level of football.

Most underrated prospects: Penn State DT Zane Durant and Notre Dame TE Mitchell Evans

Penn State always has a few freak athletes on the defensive line. Everyone knows about Carter, but not enough are familiar with Durant, who spends a ton of time in the opponent’s backfield. On one hand, he is undersized (6-1, 290) for the interior and can be removed from his gap versus power. On the other, he is explosive laterally and downhill, which allows him shoot gaps and blow up plays. Teams will find a role for his freaky talent (if he declares for the 2025 draft).

If your NFL team needs an upgrade at tight end, this will be a key game to watch. Warren is the main attraction, but Evans is a draftable prospect, as well. He tore his ACL on Halloween weekend in 2023, and it appeared he was knocking off the rust throughout much of 2024. But he is a good-sized athlete (6-5 1/2, 265) for a combination tight end, and it won’t be a surprise if he is still playing in the NFL a decade from now.

Prospects who could benefit most from a productive game: Penn State QB Drew Allar and Notre Dame DT Howard Cross III

While Allar intends to return for his senior year, NFL general managers aren’t as convinced and believe he is still very much open-minded about possibly declaring for the 2025 draft class if he has a strong finish in the playoffs. A productive performance against a fast and physical defense like the Irish’s certainly would be a major factor in the feedback Allar receives from NFL teams — and on his ultimate decision to return or go pro.

Cross, meanwhile, earned draftable grades from NFL teams last season but elected to return for a sixth year to prove he should be drafted in the top 100. He has battled some injuries this year (most recently, a left ankle issue) and is viewed as more of an early Day 3 draft pick by NFL scouts, but an impact performance that helps shut down the Penn State offense could move the needle on his draft projection.

Cotton Bowl: Ohio State vs. Texas

Ohio State’s best offensive prospect: Emeka Egbuka, WR

The best offensive prospect in this game is true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who would be the No. 1 pick in 2025 if he were eligible.

Three months ago, I would have said the Buckeyes’ top offensive prospect aside from Smith was left tackle Josh Simmons, but post-knee surgery, his draft projection is in limbo until we know more about his rehab. So, Egbuka gets my vote here. He doesn’t have flashy speed, but he’s a very quarterback-friendly target with his ability to attack the leverage of coverage and finish at the catch point. Egbuka would shred NFL defenses in a Rashee Rice-like role.

Texas’ best offensive prospect: Kelvin Banks Jr. OT

Although I don’t see the top-10 hype, Banks is a really talented player who plays to his strengths and minimizes negative reps. Teams are split on whether he should be a tackle or a guard in the NFL, but he looks like a plug-and-play starter. While most scouts see him as a prospect who should land in the back half of Round 1, he could go higher in this class.

Ohio State’s best defensive prospect: Tyleik Williams, DT

Like with Smith on offense, Ohio State’s top prospect on defense is another non-eligible underclassman: safety Caleb Downs. In fact, the Buckeyes realistically could have 10 defensive starters drafted in April — Downs being the lone starter who has to wait another year.

There will be no shortage of future NFL defenders in this game, period, with Ohio State’s pair of edge rushers and Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron among the contenders for the “best defensive prospect” honor. But the top two draft-eligible defensive prospects might be at defensive tackle.

For Ohio State, it’s Williams, who has been one of the best run defenders in college football this season. He deconstructs blocks with pop at contact and quickly reads the blocking scheme to burst through gaps and chase the football.

Texas’ best defensive prospect: Alfred Collins, DT

And Collins is Texas’ standout at defensive tackle. A monster at the position (verified 6-5 5/8, 319 with 34 3/4-inch arms and an 84 3/4-wingspan), Collins doesn’t play with a ton of range, but he is disruptive with his ability to create movement with his hands. He has put himself in the top-50 range for several NFL scouts.

Most underrated prospects: Ohio State OT Donovan Jackson and Texas S Andrew Mukuba

I don’t think Jackson is “underrated” in the sense that people aren’t aware of his talent, but he doesn’t receive enough credit for the impact he’s had since kicking out to left tackle — a position he hadn’t played since high school — in mid-October. The Buckeyes’ offensive line situation looked grim without Simmons, one of the best left tackles in the country, but Jackson settled in at the blindside and has been the unsung MVP of Ohio State’s season. He’s still likely to be a guard in the NFL, but the versatility and mental toughness he has shown at left tackle will only help his chances of being drafted in the top 50.

Barron is the star of the Longhorns’ secondary, but Mukuba transferred in and is having (by far) his best college season. Though he flashed early in his career at Clemson, the inconsistencies in his game made him a late-round or free-agent prospect for NFL scouts after his junior season. The Austin, Tex., native has flipped the narrative with his new team as a senior. His size will always be an issue, but Mukuba has the instincts and drive quickness that will play in the league.

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Prospects who could benefit most from a productive game: Texas QB Quinn Ewers and Ohio State edge JT Tuimoloau

Ewers had a shaky performance in the Fiesta Bowl against Arizona State, but he was at his best when it mattered most. The inconsistencies in his game are why NFL scouts are lukewarm on him as a prospect, but NFL decision-makers are also looking for experienced winners. Ewers, now in his third season as a starter, could make a major statement against one of the best defenses in the country.

Tuimoloau has been solid all year and leads the Buckeyes with 10.0 sacks; in two playoff games, the first-round hopeful has combined for 14 pressures and 4.0 sacks. Can he keep up that pace while matched against Banks? Ewers thrives when on-schedule but shows cracks when the pocket gets heated up. If Tuimoloau creates consistent disruption, it will greatly improve Ohio State’s chances of winning — and it would boost Tuimoloau’s projection in the eyes of NFL scouts.

(Top photo of Tyler Warren: CFP / Getty Images)





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About The Author

Avatar of Christi Melton
Christi Melton is a writer from The Newspring. She writes about lifestyle, books, sports, education and technology. Her hobbies include reading and playing tennis.

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