2024-25 All-College Football Playoff Team: Ohio State beats out Penn State, Notre Dame for most selections

Ohio State mauled its way to its first national title since 2014, capping an impressive run through the postseason with a 34-23 win against Notre Dame in Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship. So it should come as no surprise that the dominant Buckeyes lead the way with 11 selections in the CBS Sports All-College Football Playoff team. 

Six of those are on the defensive side, and five play along the line of scrimmage. The Buckeyes were able to dictate the flow of the game in the trenches, protect the quarterback while opening up solid run lanes and keep opposing offenses out of rhythm with a ferocious pass rush and disruptive run defense. 

Think of the All-CFP team like the NCAA men’s basketball tournament’s All-Tournament team — it’s a recognition of standout players from an expanded postseason. And several other teams are well-represented.

Naturally, a majority of the players that made this year’s All-CFP team come from squads that made a run to the semifinal round as they had more time to generate buzzworthy performances. Given the disparity between programs in the first round and the quarterfinal, there weren’t a ton of notable performances from losing teams. 

Here’s a look at CBS Sports’ All-CFP team from the first postseason of the 12-team era. 

Quarterback 

Will Howard, Ohio State 

Howard became the first quarterback to throw for 1,000 yards in the CFP while leading Ohio State back to the mountaintop. Granted, he did have four games to do it, but that shouldn’t discredit his efforts. He had 300-plus yards and five touchdowns passing against Oregon and Tennessee and was efficient against Texas, making NFL throws throughout the entire process. He also used his legs to extend drives — especially against Notre Dame, where he had 14 carries for 59 yards. 

Running back 

Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State; Nicholas Singleton, Penn State 

Judkins’ narrowly beat teammate TreVeyon Henderson on this list thanks to his exceptional national title game performance. He rushed 10 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns and also had a receiving touchdown in the win over Notre Dame, bringing his playoff touchdown total to seven. Singleton was Penn State’s offense in its semifinal loss to the Irish. He had all three of the Nittany Lions’ touchdowns and also logged two big catches for 33 yards in a game where Penn State’s receivers failed to log a single reception. 

Wide receivers 

Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State; Jaden Greathouse, Notre Dame

Smith would be my pick for the overall CFP MVP. With everything on the line, the Buckeyes turned to their freshman phenom in the national title game. His 56-yard catch on third-and-11 with 2:45 left to play effectively salted the game away for Ohio State. Smith’s four-game stat line through the playoff is absurd: 19 catches for 381 yards and five touchdowns. After just one receiving touchdown in the regular season, Greathouse came alive in the playoff. He notched three touchdowns and 233 yards in Notre Dame’s last two playoff games, including two key scoring grabs that cut the Buckeyes’ lead to just one possession with around four minutes to play in the fourth quarter. 

Tight end 

Tyler Warren, Penn State 

Penn State’s do-it-all Mackey Award winner came up huge for the Nittany Lions. He was their leading receiver against Boise State and Notre Dame and caught two of quarterback Drew Allar’s three touchdown passes during the playoff. He also flashed his versatility by rushing for 27 yards on three carries in three games. 

Center 

Pat Coogan, Notre Dame 

Coogan did a great job leading a shorthanded Notre Dame offensive line to some solid performances against strong defensive fronts like Indiana and Penn State. The Fighting Irish also limited Ohio State to just two sacks, its lowest total in the CFP. Coogan didn’t allow a single sack in Notre Dame’s four games.

Offensive line 

Kelvin Banks, Texas; Donovan Jackson, Ohio State; Billy Schrauth, Notre Dame; Ohio State’s guard rotation 

Banks is a legitimate top-10 NFL Draft talent, and he flashed that potential with a strong effort throughout the playoff. Jackson played his way into the first round and looked like the best offensive lineman in the nation during Ohio State’s postseason run. Schrauth was one of the best pass-blocking interior offensive linemen in the playoff and he also recovered a crucial fumble against Penn State in the second quarter when the Fighting Irish trailed 10-0. It may be cheating, but Ohio State’s guard rotation dominated the trenches and all three — Tegra Tshabola, Austin Siereveld and Luke Montgomery — deserve a nod for their efforts. 

Defensive line 

Jack Sawyer, Ohio State; JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State; Tyleik Williams, Ohio State; Abdul Carter, Penn State

Ohio State’s defensive front had a really, really good CFP. Sawyer and Tuimoloau were terrors off the edge, combining for 11 sacks. While Williams didn’t post the flashiest stats, he solidified his status as the best interior run defender in college football. Carter, meanwhile, played just two full games — he left the Fiesta Bowl early with a shoulder injury — and still wreaked havoc with a single good arm against Notre Dame, logging two tackles for loss, one sack and seven quarterback pressures. 

Linebacker 

Cody Simon, Ohio State; Sonny Styles, Ohio State; Anthony Hill Jr., Texas 

Did I mention that Ohio State’s defensive front had a really good CFP? Simon and Styles were all over the field for the Buckeyes, making plays at every level and keeping offenses uncomfortable. Simon had a monster three tackle for loss, a two-sack game against Oregon in the Rose Bowl and also led Ohio State with eight total tackles against the Irish, while Styles had a sack in each of Ohio State’s last two games. Hill stuffed the box score with 23 tackles and one sack while flashing all over the field for the Longhorns. 

Cornerback 

Jahdae Barron, Texas; Leonard Moore, Notre Dame 

Barron, the Thorpe Award winner, predictably showed out for the Longhorns. Though it was ultimately a team effort, Barron played a big part in limiting Jeremiah Smith to just one catch for three yards in the semifinal round. Moore, who also did well matched up against Smith, surrendered six catches for 43 yards on 16 targets through Notre Dame’s first three CFP bouts. 

Defensive back 

Xavier Watts, Notre Dame; Caleb Downs, Ohio State; Zakee Wheatley, Penn State 

Watts was all over the field for Notre Dame and finished its four-game run with 33 total tackles, 2.5 for a loss, three total pass breakups and one interception. Downs made one of the 2024 playoff’s most iconic plays when he stuffed a Texas goal line pitch attempt late in the fourth quarter. He also had the game-sealing interception. Wheatley was a ballhawk for the Nittany Lions, with two interceptions and four total passes defended. 

Kicker 

Mitch Jeter, Notre Dame 

Sure, Jeter missed his only field goal attempt in the College Football Playoff National Championship, but he put forth a great overall playoff effort. He went 7 for 9 overall and hit all five of his field goals against Georgia and Penn State, including a decisive 41-yard boot with less than 10 seconds to play against the Nittany Lions. 

Punter 

James Rendell, Notre Dame 

A special teams sweep for the Irish. Rendell averaged 41.5 yards per punt in Notre Dame’s four playoff games and had seven of his 13 kicks downed inside the 20 yard line. All four of his punts were downed inside the 20 against Penn State. 

All-purpose 

Cam Skattebo, Arizona State

Though he played just one game, it felt like a disservice to leave Skattebo off of this list. He almost single handedly willed Arizona State to the biggest upset of the CFP with his Herculean performance against Texas in the Peach Bowl. Skattebo cooked the Longhorns in almost every conceivable area. He rushed 30 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns and also carried the ball for a pivotal 2-point conversion. He had eight catches for 99 yards out of the backfield. Oh, and he also completed a pass for a 42-yard touchdown. Ultimately, Arizona State fell short in two overtimes, but Skattebo did everything he could.