Top 10 players to watch in the College Football Playoff

The college football season will hit its pinnacle on New Year’s Day, with Alabama and Michigan meeting in the Rose Bowl along with Texas and Washington facing off in the Sugar Bowl in this year’s College Football Playoff.

Before Monday’s kickoff, here are the 10 best players taking the field in the 2024 CFP semifinals.

Last year’s 51-45 loss to Texas Christian in the College Football Playoff semifinal seemed to be Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s breakthrough. It was his career high in passing yards (343) and the first time he was forced to beat teams with his arm as opposed to leaning on the running game.

A year later, questions linger about just how good McCarthy is as a passer, especially over Michigan’s last four games. In his first nine games, McCarthy averaged 237 passing yards, throwing 18 of his 19 touchdowns this season in that time. With games against Ohio State, Penn State, and Iowa in three of Michigan’s last four games, McCarthy threw for 496 yards total, good for 124 yards per game with one passing touchdown and one interception.

The dual-threat ability and arm talent is evident for the junior signal caller, but to beat a tough Alabama team, McCarthy likely will need to be more dynamic as a passer. He has first-round talent in the 2024 draft, but potential that has not been realized. A big performance Monday night could strengthen his case to make the NFL leap.

All the buzz in Alabama’s secondary coming into the season was on Kool-Aid McKinstry, the potential top cornerback in the 2024 draft class. However, Terrion Arnold, playing opposite McKinstry, has blossomed into a ballhawking, shutdown corner, making teams pay for throwing to his side of the field.

The redshirt sophomore has five interceptions this season, tied for the SEC lead, and 11 pass breakups. His fluidity turning his hips in coverage and closing speed to break on passes could make him a first-round pick if he chooses to enter the draft. To slow down Michigan’s dynamic receiving trio of Cornelius Johnson, Roman Wilson, and Colston Loveland, Arnold will need to continue his high-level play.

A double feature here to ensure the trenches are shown plenty of love, considering how physical and talented Washington’s Troy Fautanu and Alabama’s JC Latham are as offensive tackles. Not many linemen are as nimble and athletic as Fautanu is on the edge. His ability to recover in pass protection and work in space as a run blocker is an unmatched combination.

Latham has impressive mobility for his size (6-foot-6, 360 pounds) and plays with an edge as a run blocker. Latham has a chance to show how dominant he can be against an outstanding Michigan defense.

T’Vondre Sweat is a rare combination of a true run stuffer with the upside as a pass rusher, and his value could cause issues for Washington’s offense Monday night. The fifth-year senior finished this season with career highs in tackles (42), tackles for losses (eight), and sacks (two). He has heavy hands and quickness to not only push the pocket on passing downs but gash offensive lines for stops in the backfield.

To make Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. uncomfortable, Sweat will need to provide interior pressure to get the explosive Huskies offense out of rhythm.

After a quiet start to the season, Alabama outside linebacker and edge rusher Dallas Turner has turned it up a notch. In a five-game stretch against Mississippi, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Arkansas, and Tennessee this season, Turner racked up 8½ tackles for losses and 5½ sacks. The production hasn’t been quite the same down the stretch, but his ability to generate pressure with his speed and length forced quarterbacks to rush throws.

Monday’s game is a chance for Turner to cement his status as one of the top pass rushers in the 2024 draft class, if he decides to enter it.

Transferring to Texas from Georgia in the offseason has done wonders for Adonai Mitchell’s draft stock and the Longhorns’ passing game. Mitchell had just three games of 100 or more receiving yards this season but is averaging almost 16 yards a reception and 82.4% of his catches have gone for a touchdown or first down.

His smooth route-running ability stands out most for Mitchell, who forms one of the best wide receiver duos in the country with teammate Xavier Worthy. If Texas has success in the vertical passing game against Washington, expect Mitchell to play a big part.

No player has made more in-season progress than Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, who was briefly benched earlier this season. Milroe played his best football over Alabama’s final five games, accounting for 17 touchdowns (10 passing, seven rushing), including a thrilling 32-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal with the Crimson Tide’s season hanging in the balance against Auburn.

While Milroe is still developing as a passer, the redshirt sophomore could be the biggest X factor of any player on this list. If he continues playing at a high level, Alabama could be holding the CFP trophy in a few weeks.

» READ MORE: Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe raves about Jalen Hurts, his ‘true inspiration’

Washington’s Rome Odunze has a strong argument as the best wide receiver in the country, even with Philly’s Marvin Harrison Jr. winning the Fred Biletnikoff award this season. A master of route pacing, ball tracking and catching the ball in traffic, Odunze is an all-world talent and wins with his speed and elusiveness.

With nine games of 100 yards or more receiving this season, Odunze will be a focal point in the College Football Playoff, although Washington’s receiving room has two other players (Ja’Lynn Polk, Jalen McMillan) who are viable future draft selections. If Texas can’t slow down Odunze, it will be a long game defensively for the Longhorns.

In Michigan’s biggest games this season, running back Blake Corum has been the key in getting the Wolverines over the hump. Against Penn State, Corum rushed for 145 yards and two scores. Corum accounted for 88 yards and two touchdowns against Ohio State. Then he added two more scores against Iowa in the Big Ten championship.

He may be small in stature (5-8, 213) but his vision and ability to make defenders miss in the open field makes him hard to corral. Corum having success in the trenches helps open up the Wolverines’ passing game and allows Michigan to control the game. If Corum struggles against Alabama, it could mean a third straight playoff appearance in which Michigan failed to run the ball successfully on the biggest stage.

The Heisman runner-up is arguably the most important player to his team of the four remaining. The lefty, who transferred from Indiana to Washington last year, leads one of the most dynamic passing attacks in college football. Penix has excellent deep-ball accuracy and does a nice job attacking all areas of the field with his dynamic wide receiver trio of Odunze, Polk, and McMillan.

The country’s leading passer (4,218 yards) will need to dissect a well-rounded Texas defense, which should be up to the challenge.