13 NFL Draft prospects who can improve their stock in the College Football Playoff

Each year, a player from a CFP team rises up draft boards with a stellar performance. Here’s who can this year.

We see it every year: the NFL Draft prospect who rises up boards with an exceptional run through the College Football Playoff. TCU’s Quentin Johnston ran 76 yards through the heart of Michigan in 2022, Ezekiel Elliott put the team on his back in Ohio State’s title run in 2014 and plenty more have boosted their draft stock with playoff performances that’ll live in record books.

With the first round of the 12-team playoff beginning Friday, there are plenty of opportunities for prospects to boost their draft stock with a productive and deep playoff run. Here’s who you need to be on the lookout for in the first round of the playoff and for every team in the College Football Playoff.

Friday: Indiana @ Notre Dame

Indiana: Mikail Kamara, EDGE

A transfer from James Madison, Kamara is a bit undersized as an EDGE at 6’1 and 265 pounds, but he plays a rugged style of football. In Indiana’s mint front he’s often playing as a heavy five-technique where he has to take on a lot of double teams, but he holds up fairly well at the point of attack. In the pass rush game, he’s a high effort pass rusher who wins via stunts and pass rush games, but when put on an island on the edge, he shows nice hand usage and closing burst. Notre Dame’s offensive line is very talented and loves to mash people in the run game, so this will be an interesting data point for Kamara and how he holds up against a bigger offensive line.

Notre Dame: Riley Leonard, QB

Leonard has been somewhat of an interesting case as an NFL Draft prospect. After transferring to Notre Dame from Duke, Leonard has quite simply just been…fine. He’s a more than good enough runner who you can scheme up on the ground, and as a passer shows some nice touch and accuracy in the short-to-intermediate areas of the field. After the loss to Northern Illinois, Leonard has been on a tear as the passing offense has improved (and as his health has improved), but this will by far be his biggest test. Indiana’s defense is incredibly disciplined and will throw a lot at Leonard and the Notre Dame ground game, forcing him to take shots downfield. If Leonard can create explosives with his arm, that could change a lot of the perception about him as a prospect.

Saturday: SMU @ Penn State

SMU: Brashard Smith, RB

Smith is a former receiver who transferred from Miami to SMU, and you can see the former receiver in his game. He’s got exceptional footwork and can make a lot of people miss with sick cutbacks. He’s an all purpose player, going for over 1,200 yards rushing while adding over 300 yards as a receiver. He’s got a lot of juice, but as a former receiver, still needs a bit of refinement when it comes to the nuances of playing the position. In a big test against Penn State’s physical, but man-heavy defense, Smith could be in line for a big breakout game.

Penn State: Nick Singleton, RB

It’s a battle of the backs in this matchup! With QB Drew Allar returning to school, Singleton has a chance to be the prospect that boosts his stock the most with a standout performance. Singleton might be one of the most impressive RBs in the entire class from a physical standpoint. At 6’0 and almost 230 pounds, Singleton runs with violence and with an urgency that is good to see. When he hits a lane, he is GONE, with breakaway speed that doesn’t fit a guy that size. He also possesses some really nice receiving chops. In a loaded RB class, Singleton has a chance to jump into the top five (maybe top three) with a good showing in the playoff.

Clemson @ Texas

Clemson: Cade Klubnik, QB

The 3rd spot in this QB class is still largely up for grabs, especially now that Allar is returning to school. A guy like Clemson’s Cade Klubnik could be the one to make a big jump with some standout performances. After the loss to Georgia to open the season, he and the Clemson offense have played well en route to an ACC Championship victory. Klubnik has caught fire during that span, showing off the dual threat ability that made him a highly coveted prospect. The dude can SCOOT—like, not Daniel Jones scoot, like legitimately can add on in the run game—and has enough arm strength to be explosive downfield. Texas’ defense is one of the best in the nation, but showed a bit of a blind spot against dual threat QB Gunner Stockton. If Klubnik’s legs can be a problem against Texas, he could fly up draft boards.

Texas: Matthew Golden, WR

While WR Isaiah Bond gets most of the attention, it’s Golden who might be the better receiver for the Longhorns from the draft perspective. While he’s not as fast as Bond, Golden is a great separator at the top of his routes, is a smooth route runner and his concentration when the ball is in the air is very good as well. I think both the Texas receivers have lapses in play where they look like they’re not on the field, but against Clemson’s defense that plays a lot of man coverage, Golden has a golden opportunity (pun intended) to make a lot of progress in the eyes of scouts.

Tennessee @ Ohio State

Tennessee: Omarr Norman-Lott, DT:

Norman-Lott is an explosive defensive tackle, in a class loaded with some great defensive line talent. He’s got violent hands and is a major reason why the Volunteer defense has ascended to be among the nation’s best in 2024. He’s so quick off the ball as a penetrating three-technique that it catches offensive linemen off guard, and also has massive arms to convert speed to power. He’s gotta be better at finishing plays, but against an Ohio State front that struggled to block DTs Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, Norman-Lott could be in for a big day.

Ohio State: Jack Sawyer, EDGE

The emotional heart and soul of this Buckeye team, Sawyer has seen his draft stock go all over the place this season. While I don’t think he’s a supremely explosive athlete, Sawyer wins with a high motor and using speed to power as a pass rusher. He’s good in the run game, using powerful hands to displace linemen and crash in off the edge. He also flashes some potential as a dropper in zone coverage. Against Tennessee’s offense that is much more ground-based this season, he’ll have the chance to improve his draft stock if he can string together some nice plays in the pass rush department.

Teams with first-round byes:

Oregon: Tez Johnson, WR

The Oregon offense is one of the most dynamic units in the nation, and Johnson is arguably their best receiver. While he’s on the slighter side (listed at 165 pounds by the Oregon team site), Johnson plays with exceptional burst and long speed, a home run threat every time he touches the ball. I’m not sure what his role can be in the NFL outside of a deep pass specialist, but this playoff run can go a long way in helping prove that he’s more than just a vertical threat.

Georgia: Oscar Delp and Benjamin Yurosek, TEs

Sorry, I couldn’t just do one of the tight end prospects for the Bulldogs, I had to get them both in there. With QB Carson Beck more than likely not playing in this CFP run, Georgia needs their supporting cast to step up, especially the tight ends. Delp was a highly rated recruit coming out of high school and Yurosek was a highly coveted transfer from Stanford. Delp intrigues me a lot with his receiving profile and how talented he is as a blocker. Yurosek also blocks his ass off and has shown potential at Stanford to be a threat in the receiving game. Both could use big time performances in the playoff to help boost their stock in a LOADED tight end class.

Boise State: Ahmed Hassanein, EDGE

We all know what Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty is. The surefire lock as RB1 and potentially a top-15 draft pick is a multifaceted, dynamic threat on the ground. So let’s focus on the other side of the ball with Hassanein, the powerful EDGE for the Broncos that’s second on the team in sacks. He’s been incredibly productive in his career with the Broncos, and while his numbers have dipped a bit this year, he’s opened up a lot more opportunity for his teammate Jayden Virgin-Morgan (who is also a guy to keep an eye on). The Bronco defense will be tested by teams who think they can push them around, and Hassanein is going to play a big role in making sure that doesn’t happen.

Arizona State: Cam Skattebo, RB

One of the feel-good stories of the year, Skattebo transferred to Arizona State from Sacramento State and had one of the best single season rushing performances I’ve seen. He ran for 1,568 yards and 19 touchdowns as the engine behind a resurgent Sun Devil football team. He plays very similarly to the Chiefs Isaiah Pacheco, showing off amazing contact balance and power to run through tackles in a compact 5’11, 215 pound build. I’m not sure what his long speed is, but if he breaks tackles like he did in the regular season, it might not matter.