It’s about that time! The 12 team college football playoffs are here and off with a bang! We are now down to 8 teams, and Georgia players are a big reason why. I am here to tell you about every single player (on the active roster) from Georgia in the CFP Quarterfinals. This one being Oregon vs Ohio State in a rematch of a thrilling 32-31 game in the regular season.

Oregon is the number 1 seed, and the only undefeated team left in the country. Behind a dominate Big 10 championship game, Oregon confirmed their first-round bye after a 45-37 win over Penn State. The distance between Eugene, Oregon and Atlanta is 2612 miles. This means that there is usually not many players from Georgia at Oregon. This season is no different with Noah Whittington being the only Georgia born player at Oregon.

Noah Whittington is a 5’8, 200 pounds, running back from Fort Valley, and he played his High School ball at Peach County. Coming out of High School, Whittington did not play running back and was actually a 3-star Wide Receiver (ESPN). He chose to commit to Western Kentucky over offers from Army and South Alabama. This is where the Hilltoppers moved him to running back, and in his first season, he had 16 carries for 39 yards. The following year was when he truly broke out, rushing for 617 yards on 101 carries, leading Western Kentucky to a Conference USA championship appearance and a 9-5 record. Following the season, he would transfer to Oregon, where in his first season, he ran for a career high 779 yards. Unfortunately, he would miss most of last season after an ACL tear. This season, he has run for 537 yards and 5 touchdowns, including a season high 82 yards and a touchdown in the Big 10 championship. The Ducks will look for Whittington to make a big impact in the College Football Playoffs.

Ohio State advanced to the Quarterfinals after a dominate 42-17 win over Tennessee. The Buckeyes have 6 players from Georgia on the current roster. This does not include Freshman QB Air Noland (Langston Hughes) or Junior WR Kojo Antwi (Lambert), since they entered the Transfer Portal earlier this month. The 6 players are Caleb Downs, Jordan Hancock, Jelani Thurman, Seth McLaughlin, Bennett Christian, and Eddrick Houston.

Since his time at Alabama, Caleb Downs has been one of the top defensive backs in the entire country. Downs played at Mill Creek High School and played on both sides of the ball (playing defensive back and wide receiver). He won a state championship in his senior season. Downs finished High School as a 5-star recruit in the 2023 class and committed to Nick Saban and Alabama. Downs made an immediate impact, being named the SEC Defensive Freshman of the Year and led the Tide to another SEC Championship and the College Football Playoffs. Following Nick Saban’s retirement (after the season), Downs became one of many Alabama stars to head to the Transfer Portal. He committed to the Buckeyes shortly after, where he has continued his dominance, and was named a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award (nation’s top defensive back). He will have a big task ahead of him against Oregon’s dominant passing attack.

Like Caleb Downs, Jordan Hancock has developed into one of the top defensive backs in the country. He played at North Gwinnett High School and won a State Championship during his tenure. He finished as a 4-star recruit and committed to the Buckeyes after decommitting from the Clemson Tigers. Hancock delt with injuries in his first two seasons at Ohio State, but broke out last season as a Junior. He helped lead Ohio State to an 11-1 record with 41 tackles and 2 interceptions. This season, Hancock has 34 tackles and an interception to his name. This is his senior season, and he is currently a projected 6th round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft (NFL Draft Buzz).

Jelani Thurman was born to play sports; his mom was a two-time WNBA Champion, and his dad played in the NFL with the Bengals. As for himself, Thurman played at Langston Hughes High School (with Air Noland) and won a State Championship his Senior Season (6A) in 2023. He appeared in 5 games his freshman year and 12 games this season, catching 6 passes and a touchdown.

Seth McLaughlin has become one of the top Centers in the entire country over the past few years. Before that, he was a 3-star prospect from Buford, that committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide. He played the next 4 years at Alabama (being redshirted one year), he piled up accolades including an SEC Championship, a National Championship, and a Campbell Award Semifinalist (Nation’s top center). Similarly to Caleb Downs, he would transfer to Ohio State after Nick Saban’s retirement last season. He has been a key part of the Ohio State offensive line. He is currently projected to be a 6th round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft (NFL Draft Buzz).

Bennett Christian is a 6’6 tight end from Allatoona High School. He finished as a 3-star recruit and was the highest ranked recruit in Allatoona history. He committed to Ohio State over Tennessee in 2020. So far in his 3 seasons (one redshirted) at Ohio State, he has appeared in 14 games (12 this season) and has caught one touchdown (vs Western Michigan this season).

Eddrick Houston, a defensive end, played at Buford High School with many future college players including fellow CFP Quarterfinalist K.J. Bolden (UGA). He was ranked as high as a 5-star recruit (Rivals) and was the 18th ranked prospect in the nation in the class of 2024. In his true freshman year at Ohio State, he has appeared in 9 games (including in the first round of the playoffs vs Tennessee), recording 5 tackles. He still has 3 years of eligibility left.

This article used information from ESPN, On3 Sports, Rivals, NFL Draft Buzz, 247 Sports, and Ohio State and Oregon football’s official websites. The cover image is via the Gwinnet Daily Post.