Seattle Seahawks fans should keep close tabs on these draft prospects from the two national championship teams.
The first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff will conclude on Monday, Jan. 20 in Atlanta. Notre Dame and Ohio State have reached the finals with different narratives. The Buckeyes have grown a lot in the playoffs, playing dominantly as expected from them since the beginning of the year. The Irish, on the other hand, reached the finals after a tough game against Penn State.
In this article, we will discuss some possible prospects for the Seattle Seahawks with the 2025 Draft in mind. It is worth remembering that Jan. 15 was the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the Draft. However, this deadline is postponed for players who are playing in the finals. In other words, there is a possibility that some of the players in the text will decide not to declare.
Let’s go!
Jack Sawyer, DE, Ohio State
Since the Bosa brothers left, Ohio State has been waiting for a great pass rusher. Several candidates have emerged over the last few years. Sawyer was one of them. However, his year fell short of expectations created before the season. Things changed in the playoffs. Sawyer has posted 4.5 sacks and consistently terrorized opposing linemen. In fact, against Texas, Sawyer forced a strip-sack of Quinn Ewers and returned it more than 80 yards for a game-sealing touchdown.
Riley Leonard, QB, Notre Dame
If you came to this article looking for a QB, I don’t have good news for you. Leonard has a good history, managing to lead Duke to good campaigns. He transferred to Notre Dame, a more notable program, but he hasn’t been able to make the leap in production that was expected.
The Irish offense isn’t a standout and Leonard has been quite inconsistent passing the ball. However, he is a dual-threat QB capable of stretching plays and diversifying the offensive playbook. Leonard was also quite decisive against Penn State and Georgia, showing up late in the game to clinch the win.
Xavier Watts, DB, Notre Dame
If I could pick one player from this final (among those eligible) to be a Seahawk next season, it would be Watts. He is the top safety in the class, right behind Nick Emmanwori (we will have a future look at him). Watts may be viewed as undersized by some, but his instincts shine through snap after snap. He is everywhere on the field and is a leader for the defense. He has good range in depth and good closing speed to get to the line of scrimmage.
He has 13 interceptions over the past two seasons during All-America campaigns. During the CFP, Watts has posted 25 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and another interception. With OSU’s strong receiving corps, Watts will play a key role in helping the CBs.
Howard Cross, DL, Notre Dame
Several injuries have plagued the Irish’s DL, most notably Rylie Mills, who will be out. Cross was a standout last season but decided to return for a sixth year. He has also been plagued by injuries, but he is one of the standouts on the defensive line.
Donovan Jackson, OL, Ohio State
Josh Simmons suffered an injury that caused him to miss the year and Jackson had to step in as LT after playing left guard. He gave up five pressures and two sacks in his first start against Penn State but has since allowed only two pressures and zero sacks across the entire College Football Playoff.
TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
Henderson has a history of injuries and still decided to return for another year after a subpar season. The Buckeyes brought in Quinshon Judkins through the Transfer Portal and it seemed like Henderson’s production would be limited because of that. However, the RB had a standout season, producing more with 20 fewer attempts.
Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
Ohio State’s WRs will be a challenge for Notre Dame, which runs a man-to-man defense. Egbuka has been a standout since his JSN season, which is also Egbuka’s best pro comp. He reached almost a thousand yards and had 10 TDs.
Mentions for the future
The goal of the text is to bring prospects for the next Draft. However, each team has at least one piece with a lot of talent for the future.
Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
Smith posted 13 catches for 290 yards and four touchdowns in the playoffs and made the Texas team change its scheme to double-team him on every play. He’s just a freshman, but his talent is incredible, and he’s expected to be a #1 in his class.
In case you didn’t know, Smith has a cousin in Seattle. Yes, Geno Smith, our QB is Jeremiah’s cousin and even shows his support for him in almost every game.
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Notre Dame’s attacking powerhouse is the trio of Love, Jadarian Price and Riley Leonard and Jadarian Price. Love is the biggest threat, and his best games are also the ones in which Notre Dame’s offense has had the least problems. He’s put up 474 yards and six touchdowns on an unreal 10.7 yards per carry. Love has been limited in the last two CFP games with a knee injury, but some time off before the title game should do him some good. The Fighting Irish need him to be at his best.