Missouri high school stars to shine for Notre Dame, Ohio State in College Football Playoff National Championship

Love, Williams, Gray all had huge impacts for Irish in CFP semifinal

Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) celebrates a touch down in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Missourians have an added reason to tune into Monday's College Football Playoff National Championship game when (7) Notre Dame takes on (8) Ohio State at 6:30 inside Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Six of Missouri’s finest former high school athletes - and some of the biggest names in the game - will be showcased in the historic event, as Notre Dame (4), and Ohio State (2) each have Missouri natives on their roster.

The Irish are led by a tandem of Missouri backs in sophomore Jeremiyah Love (Christian Brothers) and Aneyas Williams (Hannibal), as well as CB Christian Gray (De Smet Jesuit) and DT Gabriel Rubio (Lutheran St. Charles). Love, Williams and Gray all had huge impacts in last week's win against Texas.

Perhaps none of those players had a bigger impact, or made a bigger play, than Gray - a sophomore cornerback.

A 2023 4-star recruit from De Smet Jesuit, the St. Louis native turned in one of the biggest highlights of the entire college football season when he dove in front of a Drew Allard pass with 33 seconds left in the game – video review confirming he caught the ball just before it hit the ground – to give Notre Dame the ball back at the Nittany Lions’ 42.

Irish kicker Mitch Jeter went on to kick a 41-yard field goal with 7 seconds left to seal the 27-24 win and send Notre Dame to the College Football Playoff Final, where they will face the winner of Friday’s other CFP semifinal between Texas and Ohio State.

Facing adversity while down 10-7 early in the third quarter, Love (Christian Brothers, St. Louis) and Williams (Hannibal HS, Hannibal), helped get the Irish into the end zone for the first time on a Riley Leonard touchdown to tie the game at 10 with 10:46 to go in the quarter.

After trading punts, the Irish took the lead when Love, a sophomore and 2022 Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year, scored on a 2-yard run on the third play of the fourth quarter to make it 17-10.

After putting together one of the best high school careers of any running back in Missouri state history at Hannibal (Mo.), Williams, a freshman, is already making his mark in college football history.

Missouri natives key Notre Dame’s game-tying drive in Orange Bowl’s CFP Semifinal

In the third quarter against Penn State, he hauled in a perfect over-the-shoulder pass from Leonard for 36 yards with 12:39 left and followed with a 15-yard run on the next play to set up first down at the Penn State 4. Leonard scored two plays later to tie it at 10.

The drive was a big one for Great Bend and the state of Missouri. Love began the momentum-shifting drive with consecutive runs of six, nine and nine yards to set up Williams’ big plays.

Here's a look at Missouri natives who could play a key impact in Monday's game.

NOTRE DAME

Jeremiyah Love, RB, 6-0, 210, soph., Christian Brothers

After seeing action in all 13 games as a freshman – including one start – St. Louis native Jeremiyah Love has seen his career, and Notre Dame’s offense, strapped to a rocket as a sophomore.

An Under Armour All-American, 2022 Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year and consensus four-star recruit coming out of CBC – where he racked up 1661 total yards and 27 total touchdowns as a senior – Love was second in rushing at Notre Dame as a freshman with 385 yards.

He’s stepped up in a big way as a sophomore. Serving as the lead back while splitting carries with Jadarian Price and quarterback Riley Leonard, Love leads the Fighting Irish with 1,122 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns. He’s also added 232 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

A player with the propensity to pop a big play, Love set the College Football Playoff record for longest rushing touchdown with his game-breaking 98-yard run in the first quarter against Indiana on Dec. 20.

Aneyas Williams, RB, 5-10, 206, fr., Hannibal

After putting together one of the best high school careers of any running back in state history at Hannibal with 7,504 combined yards (4,255 rushing, 3,249 receiving) and 155 total touchdowns, Willaims has taken a bit of Love’s path as a freshman at Notre Dame.

The four-star recruit has seen limited, but valuable time in all 13 games so far, racking up 219 rushing yards on 32 carries (6.3 average) and two touchdowns. He also has 172 yards receiving.

Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Aneyas Williams (20) runs the ball pressured by Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Elliot Washington II (9) in the first half in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

He scored his first career touchdown on a 19-yard run against Stanford on Oct. 19. His biggest game, however, came against Army when he rushed three times for 62 yards, breaking a career-high 58-yard touchdown run in the process.

He had four touches in last week’s Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia.

Christian Gray, CB, 6-0, 189, De Smet Jesuit

A starter at corner and vital part of the Irish defense, Gray was a four-star recruit out of De Smet, where he also starred in track and field.

Gray has the rare distinction of beginning his Notre Dame career in Ireland, as the Irish kicked off the 2023 season, his freshman campaign, in Dublin against Navy on Aug. 26 that year. He went on to see action in 12 games that season with 11 tackles (nine solo), an interception and two pass breakups.

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) attempts to catch the ball against Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Christian Gray (29) in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Like Love, Gray took a big leap in year two. In 13 games so far he has 30 tackles (21 solo), two interceptions, a touchdown, nine pass breakups and forced a fumble.

His career game came on Nov. 30 of this season against USC, when he wreaked havoc with seven tackles – including six solo and one for a loss – two pass breakups and returned a 99-yard interception for the first touchdown of his career.

Gabriel Rubio, DT, 6-5, 316, sr., Lutheran St. Charles

A four-star recruit out of Lutheran St. Charles after registering 40 tackles and two sacks as a senior, Rubio finds himself coming off the best game of his senior season as the Irish head into their game against Penn State.

Against Georgia in last week’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal, Rubio started for the Irish and registered four tackles (two solo) in the win.

He’s also been a vital special teams player for the Irish during his career. So far this season he has 18 tackles (10 solo), a sack and one pass breakup.

OHIO STATE

Jalen Pace, LB, 6-0, 232, sr., MICDS

The son of NFL Hall of Fame offensive lineman Orlando Pace, Jalen joined the Buckeyes as an invited walk-on in 2021.

TE Will Kacmarek, TE, 6-6, 260, sr., MICDS

Kacmarek had 507 yards and two touchdowns on 42 catches at Ohio University before transferring to Ohio State, where he's had six catches for 65 yards.