The hot stretch of the NFL season is over, and with the Week 18 schedule containing fewer bets outside of the Lions-Vikings, the NFC South and the AFC Wild Card race, we’ll turn our attention to college football as the new year begins – particularly the College Football Playoff and where the remaining teams stand in terms of NFL Draft talent. There’s no better place to start than Boise State, which may have the best overall player in the entire class.

Ashton Jeanty is a first-round running back, period

Don’t bring up the words “positional value” when talking about Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty was the most dominant offensive player in college football this year and would have won the Heisman Trophy if it hadn’t been for a guy named Travis Hunter who won the Bednarik and Biletnikoff awards this year. Jeanty’s accomplishments this season are nothing short of incredible and he is the reason Boise State was able to earn a bye in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.

In 13 games this season, Jeanty managed a whopping 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns! He is now just 131 yards away from breaking Barry Sanders’ record for most rushing yards in a season (2,628 in 1988) and probably would have surpassed it had he not had a few second halves early in the season because of the scoring margin would have missed season. The level of competition is damn high – if it had been that easy to run that many yards in the Mountain West, more players would have done it. There are no qualifying games for Jeanty’s season, even if Penn State eliminates him in the Fiesta Bowl. He is a remarkable running back and simply one of the best players in the upcoming draft class.

There doesn’t really seem to be a glaring hole in Jeanty’s game that would prevent him from quickly becoming a top player in the NFL. He may not hit 4.2 yards for a 40-yard dash, but he has plenty of breakaway speed considering he’s had a run of at least 50 yards in nine of the 13 games he’s played so far – with four Those games featured runs of 70 or more yards. He rarely goes down on first contact, has incredible vision, top-notch close-range quickness and the strength to stretch defenders when attacked. Even against Oregon, Jeanty managed 192 yards and three touchdowns on just 25 carries. It’s not like he’s just beating up the guppies of college football.

Where Jeanty ends up will be a fascinating discussion. In terms of pure talent that translates to the NFL, he has a very strong case to be considered the best player in his class. However, he is a running back and no team will ever use the first pick at that position. With Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson and Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs as top-12 picks, there is at least current precedent for Jeanty to rise to the top, but it will still be interesting to see how he performs at the top in a supposedly weaker class is evaluated.

That will come later, but for now it’s time to enjoy Jeanty in what could be his final college game. Hopefully he can take the record, but he will be carrying the stone for big money for an NFL team very soon.

Where there is a lack of QB play, there is also a lack of trench play

This draft class has been mocked ad nauseam for its lack of quarterback talent. Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, the top two quarterbacks in the upcoming draft, did not make the playoffs. Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, a mid- to late-round prospect, injured his elbow and will miss the Bulldogs’ Sugar Bowl quarterfinal against Notre Dame.

That leaves few NFL prospects at quarterback in the playoffs aside from Texas’ Quinn Ewers and Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard. That may be disappointing to some fans, but most of these teams still in the running for the national championship are showing some real elite talent – that’s worth keeping an eye on in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Georgia vs. Notre Dame

Matchup/Players to Watch: Georgia’s DL Nazir Stackhouse, EDGE/DL Mykel Williams and LB/EDGE Jalon Walker against Notre Dame’s offensive line

Georgia has two likely top-20 picks on defense in Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker, who will have to give it their all to defend against a really strong Notre Dame offense and running game. Notre Dame doesn’t have any star offensive talent in this year’s draft, but they are a good group as always.

Texas vs. Arizona State

Matchup/Players to Watch: Kelvin Banks and Cameron Williams, Texas’ offensive line duo

Kelvin Banks and Cameron Williams both have a chance of being selected in the first round of the draft. They’ve struggled at times against teams with great talent at the top, but Arizona State doesn’t pose quite the same challenge as Georgia.

Oregon vs. Ohio State

Matchup/Players to Watch: Ohio State offensive line vs. Oregon defensive line

In this trench warfare, most future professionals are probably going head-to-head. Oregon has potential first-round pick Derrick Harmon and fellow defensive lineman Jordan Burch going up against Ohio State’s front line, led by Donovan Jackson. Ohio State loves having its two NFL running backs, Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, running the ball. The game could easily be won with this matchup. Oregon also has second-year defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei, who is considered the top pick in 2026.

Penn State vs. Boise State

Matchup/Players to Watch: Penn State’s Abdul Carter, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zane Durant and Dvon J-Thomas against a historically great rushing attack

This is intriguing because Penn State has a clear talent advantage heading into this game when it comes to its defensive line over Boise State’s offensive line. However, Ashton Jeanty is good enough to be a headache for Penn State’s defense, so this group needs to be on the lookout.

Speaking of quarterbacks, Riley Leonard is the top player

For what it’s worth, Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard is the top quarterback prospect playing in the College Football Playoff. He’s not the flashiest quarterback out there when it comes to consistently impressive throws, but he does do a few things well that will ensure he gets drafted a little early in April. Someone has to be a winner when it comes to the lack of quarterback talent in this draft, and Leonard could be the beneficiary.

That’s no small feat, but Leonard is probably the quarterback Josh McDaniels thought he was getting when he selected Tim Tebow with a first-round pick in 2010. Leonard is a strong, mobile quarterback who can run between the tackles and lead in the running game. He also has a strong arm and enough accuracy to get the ball downfield. It’s a good development die roll, especially in this class.

His passing numbers against Georgia or other teams if they win probably won’t be outstanding, but Leonard is just a solid football player that some teams might want to take the time to work with. There’s not much to say about his game yet, so let’s move on to some other players who are also playing for NFL money in the CFP.

For every team, there is an under-the-radar player to keep an eye on

Georgia Bulldogs –CB Daylen Everette

Daylen Everette didn’t have the cleanest career at Georgia, but he played his best ball as a senior and has developed into a reliable playmaker for the Bulldogs. Everette had his best games against Texas this year: totaling nine tackles, three interceptions, two sacks, a forced fumble and recovery and a tackle for a loss in two games against the Longhorns. Georgia’s best defensive plays tend to depend on how he plays, and with another strong run in the College Football Playoff he could significantly increase his draft value.

Notre Dame fights against Irish —DL Howard Cross III

For a team considered one of the best in the country, Notre Dame doesn’t have many talented stars eligible for the draft, but defensive lineman Howard Cross has a chance to hear his name called. He’s not the flashiest or biggest guy, but he does a lot of dirty work on the interior of the Fighting Irish defense.

Boise State Broncos — DB Seyi Oladipo

Boise State doesn’t have much NFL talent other than Jeanty, but defensive back Seyi Oladipo is a player to keep an eye on. Oladipo has 6.5 sacks this season, has been a threat as a blitzer this season and will need another disruptive game if the Broncos want to upset Penn State.

Penn State Nittany Lions —EDGE Dani Dennis-Sutton

Penn State’s front line will be difficult for any team they face moving forward, and defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton is a big part of that. Dennis-Sutton was banged up for a few games this year but was still able to be disruptive, recording 5.5 sacks to this point. He’s a taller edge defender at 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, but he has impressive strength at the rim.

Oregon Ducks – DL Jordan Burch

Oregon has a lot of guys up front, but Jordan Burch is one of the players pushing them forward. He plays more of a classic 3-4 defensive end position and is a liability at the point of attack. He managed to rack up 8.5 sacks while being a strong player against the run. He will be crucial to Oregon’s national championship hopes.

Ohio State Buckeyes – EDGE Jack Sawyer

Sawyer is known for throwing an interception against Michigan this season, but he was a fixture for the Buckeyes’ starting seven. As a pass rusher, he has what it takes to potentially be in the top 50 this year.

Arizona State Sun Devils —DB Shamari Simmons

Running back Cam Skattebo is the best player on this team, but a top draft prospect to watch is Simmons, who has done a little bit of everything for Arizona State this season. According to Pro Football Focus, Simmons had 175 coverage snaps outside the perimeter, 122 in the slot and 74 combined against tight ends and routes out of the backfield.

Texas Longhorns —S Andrew Mukuba

Mukuba has been an absolute enforcer for Texas this season, and labeling him as an under-the-radar safety prospect might do him a disservice. He’s a terror, dealing damage to any weaker player who happens to come his way. He’s also a talented player in coverage and will be out of the picture a few more times before the playoffs are over in Texas.