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The first-ever expanded College Football Playoff begins on Friday with No. 7 Notre Dame hosting No. 10 Indiana. The next games are on Saturday as No. 9 Tennessee faces No. 8 Ohio State in Columbus. No. 12 Clemson has a tough showdown against No. 5 Texas in Austin, and No. 11 SMU faces No. 6 Penn State at Beaver Stadium. The other four teams have byes and won't play until New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. However, there is a ton of NFL talent taking place with these four games this weekend. Among them are future first-round picks and some players who could return for another season, but others are headed for the 2025 NFL Draft.
As it approaches, here are five NFL Draft prospects to watch in the College Football Playoff first round. We chose one from each of the teams facing off in the opening round.
Xavier Watts, Safety, Notre Dame
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard is another player to watch for the Irish. However, Xavier Watts could very well be a first-round choice in April of 2025. The redshirt senior has 12 interceptions over the past two seasons, including a 100-yard pick-six in the regular season finale against USC.
eXcellence#GoIrish☘️ | @xavierwatts6 pic.twitter.com/NnjYDxUb9w
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 1, 2024
Watts has range, versatility, and a knack for the football. He was named a consensus All-American for the second year in a row. Watts becomes the first Notre Dame player with back-to-back honors in 31 years.
Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana
The Indiana Hoosiers have arguably been the best story of the entire season. Curt Cignetti came over from James Madison and turned Indiana into a College Football Playoff team in his first season.
The stellar play of Kurtis Rourke has also been huge for the program after he transferred from Ohio. The Indiana signal-caller finished the regular season with 2,827 yards and 27 touchdowns to go along with an 181.4 QB rating. Rourke threw just four interceptions all year with two of those coming against Maryland at the end of September.
His arm strength isn't the best of the class, but his presence, precision, and ability to take care of the football could be appealing to NFL teams. Bleacher Report has Rourke with a 4th-round draft grade, and that can go up if he plays well in the CFP and performs well in the pre-draft process.
Brashard Smith, RB, SMU
Yes, SMU snuck into the Playoff despite falling to Clemson in the ACC title game. The debate between Alabama and SMU was a popular one and will continue to be in the offseason as the Selection Committee might discuss some potential changes.
Nonetheless, SMU faces off against Penn State as the Mustangs were a serious threat in their first season in the ACC. SMU running back Brashard Smith spent three years with the Miami Hurricanes, totaling just 18 carries for 177 yards and one touchdown.
Out of nowhere, he blossomed into a star for SMU in 2024. Smith rushed for 1,270 yards with 14 touchdowns while adding another 35 receptions, 303 yards, and four scores in the receiving game.
Smith's best game of the year came on November 2 against Pitt, where the SMU RB totaled 161 yards with a pair of scores, including a 71-yard touchdown scamper.
71 YARDS TO THE HOUSE FOR BRASHARD SMITH 😮 pic.twitter.com/BzVEAledtQ
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) November 3, 2024
While the 2025 NFL Draft has a ton of talent at the running back position, Smith could land as a Day 2 or Day 3 pick with a lot of upside.
Abdul Carter, DE, Penn State
Abdul Carter is a true superstar and an easy top-10 NFL Draft pick. The Nittany Lions edge rusher has 32 solo tackles with 10 sacks this season and has a total of 21 sacks and 94 solo tackles in three years with Penn State.
In a recent mock draft by Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports, Carter is projected to go No. 9 to the Chicago Bears, and here's what Trapasso wrote about the Penn State star:
“There's some Micah Parsons to Carter's game, as he can range toward the sideline on run plays and win around the edge with fierceness at the point of attack or bending/dipping around offensive tackles.”
Anytime somebody is compared to Micah Parsons, that's a good thing.
Jake Briningstool, TE, Clemson
The Clemson Tigers suffered an ugly opening week loss to Georgia, 34-3, but they turned it around and made the College Football Playoff by winning the ACC title game in a thriller.
Jake Briningstool might be a lesser-known name nationally, but Clemson fans and ACC fans are familiar with his game. The 6-foot-6 tight end has a total of 111 catches for 1,191 yards and 17 scores in the past three seasons.
Briningstool had 45 receptions for 461 yards and seven touchdowns while setting career highs in every category in 2024. He had a seven-catch, 104-yard, one-score outing against Wake Forest, and his one-handed grab against Georgia had everybody buzzing.
A SWEET one-handed snag from Jake Briningstool to keep the drive alive for Clemson 😯
(via @accfootball) pic.twitter.com/LwzY8J6z7h
— ESPN BET (@ESPNBET) August 31, 2024
Briningstool has the size and versatility that could be very appealing to NFL teams.
Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas
Abdul Carter is a top-10 pick, and so is Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. Sure, Quinn Ewers is another draft prospect (although he hasn't made it official yet). Texas DB Jahdae Barron is another NFL talent, but Banks is the best there is for the 2025 class.
Banks missed the SEC title game vs. Georgia due to an injury, but Steve Sarkisian insists Banks should be good for the CFP first round which is a huge boost to Texas. Many mock drafts have Banks projected as the first OL taken in April, and Trapasso's mock has Banks going at No. 8 to the New York Jets.
When all is said and done, there is a path to Banks even being a top-five pick.
Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
In two years, Ohio State star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith could be a top-five NFL Draft pick. With Smith's buzz this year, people forgot about Emeka Egbuka. He was behind Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2023 and then was overshadowed by Smith this year, but Egbuka is a potential top-10 choice and a surefire first-round talent.
Egbuka caught 60 passes for 43 yards with nine scores this season, and in 2023 he played nine games due to injury. In his 2022 campaign, Egbuka broke out with 66 catches for 1,039 yards and nine scores, so the talent is there for the Ohio State WR.
Emeka Egbuka
Against top-5 ranked opponents this season, in three games totaled:
20 rec, 225 yards, 3 TDs
He is top-3 in 2025 WR class in career YPRR. Top-3 of this WR class overall imo.
— Elite Drafters (@Elite_Drafters) November 23, 2024
Egbuka had a three-touchdown performance against Iowa on October 5, and he is slated to go to the New Orleans Saints at No. 10 in the same CBS Sports mock.
James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
Last but not least is the Tennessee Volunteers. Running back Dylan Sampson is one idea here, but we can't deny the talent of James Pearce Jr. He has a high-motor and a knack for the quarterback. In his days with the Vols, he has a total of 18 sacks, including 7.5 this season as a disruptive force on the outside.
James Pearce Jr. is still my EDGE1.
He’s dominated SEC play and improved MASSIVELY as a run defender since 2023. pic.twitter.com/L6jFGjPJdV
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) November 7, 2024
In the CBS mock, No. 15 to the San Francisco 49ers as the third EDGE in the draft behind Nic Scourton and Carter. Here's what Trapasso wrote about Pearce teaming up with Nick Bosa.
“Pearce looks like a top-15 pick, and the 49ers make him one here. He's long, explosive, deceptively powerful and put together two magnificent seasons in the SEC. He's the running mate Nick Bosa needs.”
There is all types of NFL Draft talent in the first round, and even more coming in the quarterfinal round.
