Welcome to the 2025 CFP National Championship.
With the final game of the college football season on deck, we have the perfect opportunity to dive into some player props for Ohio State vs. Notre Dame.
Our college football writers came through with three player props for Monday's game, including picks for Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard, Notre Dame running back Aneyas Williams and Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.
Let's take a look at our college football player props and National Championship picks for Monday, Jan. 20.
College Football Player Props
In the table below, you'll find each of our college football staff's top player prop picks from Monday's national title game. Click on any pick or team logo to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Time (ET) | Player Prop |
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| 7:30 p.m. | |
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Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAF Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | |
Riley Leonard Over 179.5 Passing Yards
Betting on Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard to surpass 179.5 passing yards is the way to go Monday.
Although Leonard is primarily known for his rushing prowess, the scenario as an 8.5-point underdog suggests that he may need to utilize his arm more frequently.
With some competent wide receivers at his disposal, headlined by Jaden Greathouse, he has the potential to rack up yardage and isn’t facing a steep hill at such a low number.
While Notre Dame hasn’t been accustomed to playing from behind, the need to close a gap against a formidable opponent might push Leonard with his arm.
Leonard has cashed this number in two of the last three, fresh off 223 against Penn State.
Leonard completes about two-thirds of his passes this season. He should see an uptick in attempts, as Ohio State allows just 2.7 yards per carry.
Pick: Riley Leonard Over 179.5 Passing Yards (Play to 194.5)
Aneyas Williams 41.5 Rush + Receiving Yards
In 1971, the NCAA allowed Division I college football programs to schedule 11 regular-season games for the first time. It would take another 35 years before the regular season limit was expanded to 12 games. More than a decade later, in 2018, Clemson became the first school to record a perfect 15-0 record in 121 years.
The games required to climb to the top of the ladder in this sport continue to expand, and with a 12-team playoff now in place, it will be commonplace for the national champion to have competed in 16 games when all is said and done.
Why is this important for this particular bet? Because wear and tear comes into play far more often in today’s game than it did two generations ago.
A team could play 10 regular games, receive a five-week vacation and then play in a single bowl back in the 1960s. Now. the gauntlet of games has made college football more like its professional older brother — a game of attrition.
Notre Dame has dealt with its fair share of injuries and demonstrated its depth in response to said injuries. These injuries have also incentivized the Irish to give some of their freshmen the opportunity to contribute.
Aneyas Williams, one of the most prolific ball-carriers in Missouri high school football history, started this season sitting in the back row of Notre Dame’s running back room. The true freshman was lucky to get practice reps, let alone game action.
And that’s how things played out for him in the month of September. Five games into his college career, he’d touched the ball a grand total of six times.
Undeterred, Williams maximized his opportunities in October and November and carved out a receiving role for himself within the Irish offense.
Pete Sampson, the Notre Dame beat writer for The Athletic, was quick to point out that Williams’ ability to pick up blitzers this fall would translate to more snaps down the stretch. His trustworthiness as a third-down back has doubled his average snap count from 12 during the regular season to just shy of 24 during ND’s playoff run.
I feel confident that Notre Dame will feature him on third downs and in pass situations, and given the likelihood that Notre Dame is playing from behind in the second half, I believe that will translate to 25-30 snaps and 7-10 touches for the true freshman.
Ohio State just surrendered 101 receiving yards to Texas’ backfield duo of Jaydon Blue and Quintrevion Wisner, and that wasn’t the first time Ohio State’s opponents used running backs to great effect in the passing game.
Penn State (54 yards) and Oregon (37 yards) also took advantage of Ohio State’s linebackers in space.
If Williams receives four or five targets, he should be able to approach this hybrid total on receiving yards alone. I would play this one up to 45.5 yards.
Pick: Aneyas Williams 41.5 Rush + Receiving Yards (Play to 45.5)
Emeka Egbuka Over 4.5 Receptions
By Stuckey
I do expect Notre Dame to provide extra attention to slowing down stud freshman Jeremiah Smith, especially since that game plan worked so well for Texas. While Notre Dame did leave their cornerbacks on an island at times vs. Marvin Harrison Jr. last season, they also bracketed plenty.
That should open the door for Egbuka to have a big day, which is exactly what has happened in the previous two meetings against Notre Dame. Egbuka finished with 7 for 96 and 9 for 90 in those two contests, with a long of at least 23 yards in each game.
Egbuka is the perfect receiver to try some deep shots with against man coverage, and he's also extremely adept at finding holes in the zone if Notre Dame decides to up its zone coverage rates.
I also expect him to get a handful of easy catches in the screen game, which is why I fancy his receptions over prop.
Pick: Emeka Egbuka Over 4.5 Receptions (-145)
