Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 23
-
Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins has been in a platoon situation this season, but he is a unique talent with starting ability for the NFL. When it mattered the most, the Buckeyes leaned on him to lead them to their National Championship victory.
In the first quarter, Judkins showed power, pushing through a few tacklers on a short touchdown run. Late in the second half, Judkins got wide open in the end zone after getting lost in college, and he caught an easy six-yard touchdown catch. In the first few seconds after halftime, Judkins went up the middle and cut back to slash across the field for a 70-yard gain. A Notre Dame defensive back caught him from behind to set up a first-and-goal. A couple of plays later, Judkins plunged over the goal line for his third touchdown. Judkins finished with only 11 carries, but totaled 100 yards with two touchdowns and two receptions for 21 yards and a touchdown. This tape will definitely help Judkins’ draft grade with pro evaluators.
For the NFL, Judkins looks like a bell-cow back with three-down starter ability. Judkins is a big back who is fast and explosive. He has the speed to hit the hole with a second gear to accelerate into the secondary. He has pretty good instincts and vision to set up blocks while weaving through the defense. At Ole Miss, Judkins showed nice receiving ability as well. On some plays, like the 70-yard run, Judkins looks like Todd Gurley. As a pro, Judkins could be an Isiah Pecheco-type back.
-
Ohio State defensive ends J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer have been on a tear to end their collegiate career and help the Buckeyes advance to the National Championship. On the first play from scrimmage, Tuimoloau fought into the backfield to get a tackle for a loss. Later in the second qurarter, Tuimoloau went around the left tackle to get a near sack of Leonard. On other plays, Tuimoloau and Sawyer came close to sacks with good pressure around the corner. In the fourth quarter, Tuimoloau powered through the left tackle to get a coverage sack of Leonard. However, Tuimoloau injured his ankle while tackling Leonard and had to get help from trainers. While they were not dominant, this was a solid tape for each of them.
Both ends could grow into starters in the NFL. According to team sources, Tuimoloau might sneak into the first round, but even if he is a second-round pick, he could be a solid base end for a 4-3 defense. Sawyer was quiet at times in 2024, but he has been on fire the last few games, so that could cause him to rise into being a second-rounder during the lead-up to the draft.
-
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard is not an early-round prospect for the 2025 NFL Draft, but he is a dangerous running quarterback who could be a third-string candidate. Leonard gave more proof of that against Georgia, had a mixed game against Penn State, but he stepped up and had his best performance against Ohio State in the National Championship.
On the opening drive of the game, Leonard used his legs to pound the interior of the Buckeyes offense, gashing them up the middle. He made a nice conversion with a rollout throw to find a tight end open in zone coverage, and then Leonard finished the drive with a short touchdown plunge. In the fourth quarter, Leonard made some completions to move the Irish in position for points. He lofted in a beautiful pass for a 30-yard touchdown to Jaden Greathouse. Leonard finished completing 21-of-30 passes for 238 yards with two touchdowns. He ran for 40 yards and a touchdown.
According to some team sources, Leonard could be a third-string quarterback for the NFL. They view him similar to Jeff Driskel as a backup with running ability but limited as a passer. Leonard (6-4, 216) is a good runner and athlete but team sources had some doubts that he would be able to get big enough to be a Taysom Hill-type tight end in the NFL. However, they felt that a team Leonard would probably be happy to have Leonard as a third-string or practice squad quarterback.
