The Ohio State Buckeyes captured the College Football Playoff national championship on Monday night with a 34–23 victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, as Ryan Day and the Buckeyes secured the ninth national title in school history and the first of the 12-team CFP era.
With the first season of the 12-team playoff in the books, here is Sports Illustrated’s All-CFP team.
Offense
QB: Will Howard, senior, Ohio State Buckeyes
Howard concluded a strong playoff run by completing 17-of-21 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 57 yards rushing, to help Ohio State capture the national championship.
RB: Nick Singleton, junior, Penn State Nittany Lions
Singleton rushed for 261 yards and five touchdowns across three games in the College Football Playoff, including an 84-yard, three-touchdown effort in Penn State’s semifinal loss to Notre Dame.
RB: Cam Skattebo, senior, Arizona State Sun Devils
While he played in only one CFP game, Skattebo made his presence felt. In the quarterfinal loss to Texas, Skattebo carried the ball 30 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns. He also had eight catches for 99 yards and threw a 42-yard touchdown pass to help spark a second-half comeback against the Longhorns that ultimately fell short in double overtime.
WR: Jeremiah Smith, freshman, Ohio State Buckeyes
Smith had a muted semifinal in the win over Texas, where he had just one catch for three yards. That performance, however, was an aberration. Here’s what he did in his other three outings:
- First round vs. Tennessee: six catches, 103 yards, two touchdowns
- Quarterfinal vs. Oregon: seven catches, 187 yards, two touchdowns
- National championship vs. Notre Dame: five catches, 88 yards, one touchdown, including the game-clinching 56-yard catch with two minutes left
He’s the best receiver in college football by a mile.
WR: Jaden Greathouse, sophomore, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Greathouse lands on the All-CFP list after posting two huge games in the semifinal and national championship. He should enter the fray next season as Notre Dame’s top pass-catching option after seven receptions for 105 yards and a game-tying touchdown against Penn State, and then hauling in six passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns to help Notre Dame’s failed comeback effort against Ohio State.
TE: Tyler Warren, senior, Penn State Nittany Lions
Warren caught 16 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns in his three CFP outings. The Nittany Lions’ loss will be the NFL’s gain.
OT: Kelvin Banks Jr., junior, Texas Longhorns
Banks returned from injury in the CFP to shore up the left side of the Longhorns’ offensive line. He’ll be a high pick in April’s NFL draft.
OT: Josh Conerly Jr., junior, Oregon Ducks
Speaking of future first-round picks, Conerly is off to the NFL after being named first-team All-Big Ten.
OG: Donovan Jackson, senior, Ohio State Buckeyes
If you love offensive line play, go back and watch the game tape of No. 74 in white in the national championship. Jackson was moving people up front and is a significant reason why the Buckeyes are national champions.
OG: Olaivavega Ioane, redshirt sophomore, Penn State Nittany Lions
Ioane has yet to make an NFL draft decision, but a strong season for the Nittany Lions (that continued in the CFP) has him pondering a leap to the professional game.
C: Jake Majors, senior, Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns will miss Majors in the middle of the offensive line next season.
Defense
DE: JT Tuimoloau, senior, Ohio State Buckeyes
Tuimoloau tallied 23 total tackles and 6.5 sacks in four CFP games. He’s a national champion.
DT: Alfred Collins, senior, Texas Longhorns
Collins recorded 12 total tackles in the middle of the Texas defensive line as the Longhorns made it to the CFP semifinal.
DE: Jack Sawyer, senior, Ohio State Buckeyes
Sawyer made one of the most memorable plays of the season, picking up a fumble by Texas QB Quinn Ewers and returning it 83 yards to punch Ohio State’s ticket to the national championship game. Sawyer also notched 4.5 sacks and 13 total tackles during the Buckeyes’ title run.
Edge: Abdul Carter, junior, Penn State Nittany Lions
Carter, a surefire first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, injured his shoulder in the first-round win over SMU. After missing the quarterfinal matchup against Boise State, Carter returned against Notre Dame in the semifinal and caused plenty of havoc. He had five total tackles against the Irish, including a sack and plenty of pressures on QB Riley Leonard.
LB: Cody Simon, senior, Ohio State Buckeyes
No linebacker played better in the CFP than Simon, who made 38 tackles, two sacks and defended two passes across four games.
LB: Jack Kiser, senior, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Kiser played 70 games across six seasons in a Notre Dame uniform. He made 26 total tackles and notched one sack in four CFP games.
LB: Anthony Hill Jr., sophomore, Texas Longhorns
Hill has been Mr. Reliable throughout his two seasons with the Longhorns. The sophomore recorded 23 total tackles and half a sack in three playoff games.
CB: Leonard Moore, freshman, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Moore held his own in coverage against Ohio State’s Smith in the national championship in a battle of two freshman All-Americans. Moore is just getting started and has a bright future ahead in South Bend.
CB: Christian Gray, sophomore, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The sophomore cornerback got beat on a go route by Ohio State’s Smith in a play that clinched the Buckeyes the national championship. But he also clinched the win against Penn State with an interception of quarterback Drew Allar. You win some and you lose some. Gray is a very good young player who will be one of the top players in Notre Dame’s secondary heading into next season.
S: Xavier Watts, senior, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Watts was all over the field in the CFP, anchoring the Irish secondary. He’s one of the best safeties in the sport and should be highly sought after in the draft.
S: Caleb Downs, sophomore, Ohio State Buckeyes
Downs played an up-and-down national championship game, but notched a strong CFP as a whole. He’s the best safety in college football entering 2025, which is likely to be his final season before going pro.
Special Teams
K: Mitch Jeter, redshirt senior, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Jeter missed his only kick in the national title game as the Irish tried to mount a desperate comeback, but he made 7-of-9 field goal attempts in the CFP, including the winner against Penn State to help the Irish advance to the national title game.
P: Riley Thompson, junior, Penn State Nittany Lions
Thompson averaged 43 yards per punt on 14 attempts in the CFP as the Nittany Lions leaned on their defense to come within one possession of a national title appearance.
AP: Jayden Harrison, senior, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Marshall transfer made one of the key plays of the entire playoff for Notre Dame, running back the second-half kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown against Georgia to give the Irish a commanding 17-point lead in the quarterfinal they would not relinquish.
Honorable Mentions
QB: Riley Leonard, senior, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
QB: Quinn Ewers, junior, Texas Longhorns
RB: Jeremiyah Love, sophomore, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
RB: TreVeyon Henderson, senior, Ohio State Buckeyes
RB: Jaydon Blue, junior, Texas Longhorns
RB: Kaytron Allen, junior, Penn State Nittany Lions
WR: Silas Bolden, senior, Texas Longhorns
WR: T.J. Moore, freshman, Clemson Tigers
WR: Matthew Golden, junior, Texas Longhorns
TE: Mitchell Evans, senior, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
TE: Matt Lauter, junior, Boise State Broncos
OT: Anthonie Knapp, freshman, Notre Dame Fighting Irish*
DT: Tyleik Williams, senior, Ohio State Buckeyes
LB: Drayk Bowen, sophomore, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
LB: Smael Mondon Jr., senior, Georgia Bulldogs
LB: Ahmad Walker, senior, SMU Mustangs
CB: Adon Shuler, sophomore, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
CB: Jahdae Barron, redshirt senior, Texas Longhorns
S: Zakee Wheatley, junior, Penn State Nittany Lions
*Injured in College Football Playoff
SI’s Pat Forde and Bryan Fischer contributed to this reporting.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sports Illustrated’s 2025 All–College Football Playoff Team.
