Texas high school stars to watch in Notre Dame vs. Ohio State College Football Playoff National Championship game

12 native Texans, including key starters, could play in Monday's national championship

Ohio State senior offensive lineman Donovan Jackson - a Texas native who attended Episcopal in Bellaire - is one of the top offensive linemen in the country and a key cog to the Buckeyes offense. / Cody Thorn

While there’s still plenty of bitter feelings across the state regarding Texas’ ouster from the College Football Playoff, Texans still have plenty of reason to be invested when the College Football Playoff National Championship game between No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 8 Ohio State kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Monday from Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Twelve native Texans will represent the Lone Star State (six on each team), and most are likely to see action in the game. Of those players, Notre Dame receiver Jaden Greathouse (Austin Westlake), running back Jadarian Price (Denison) and cornerback Leonard Moore (Round Rock) are all starters for the Irish, while offensive lineman Donovan Peoples and kicker Jayden Fielding are impact starters for the Buckeyes.

Here's a look at the Texas natives you might see in Monday’s game.

Notre Dame

Jaden Greathouse, WR, 6-1, 215, soph., Austin Westlake

A two-sport star in basketball and football at Westlake - where he won three state titles - Greathouse finished as the most prolific receiver in school history, and one of the most prolific in Texas high school football history, with 4,035 receiving yards in his prep career – 15th most in state history.

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Jaden Greathouse (1) runs the ball against Southern California Trojans defensive end Devan Thompkins (98) during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

While the Irish do most of their damage on the ground, Greathouse has become one of Riley Leonard’s top options. Greathouse enters Monday’s championship leading the team in receiving with 464 yards and two touchdowns on 36 catches.

Jadarian Price, RB, 5-10, 206, jr., Denison

A four-star recruit at Denison, Price rushed for 4,990 yards and had 587 receiving and scored 55 touchdowns during his high school career.

Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Rolijah Hardy (21) and linebacker Aiden Fisher (4) tackle Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jadarian Price (24) during the second half of a game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in first round of the College Football Playoff on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in South Bend. Notre Dame defeated Indiana 27-17. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

So far, he’s done nothing to disappoint the Fighting Irish. After missing his freshman season at Notre Dame with an injury, Price started all 13 games as a sophomore and is part of their three-headed monster along with Jeremiyah Love and quarterback Riley Leonard.

Price has rushed for 774 yards and seven touchdowns on 117 attempts this season.

Loghan Thomas, DL, 6-4, 224, fr., St. Edward (Ohio) / Katy Paetow

Thomas began his high school career at Paetow, where he won a 5A state championship in 2021 and was named the team’s Newcomer of the Year.

A four-star recruit, Thomas spent the final two seasons of his high school career in Ohio at St. Edward. He has seen action in 14 games this season as a defensive reserve and special teams player as a true freshman, recording six tackles and 1.5 sacks.

KK Smith, WR, 6-0, 178, soph., Frisco Reedy

A three-star recruit, Smith had 832 yards and seven touchdowns on 59 catches during his senior season in 2022.

While he didn’t see action at Notre Dame last season, Smith has played in six games as an offensive reserve and special teams player this year – catching three passes for 38 yards.

Leonard Moore, CB, 6-2, 191, fr., Round Rock

A four-star recruit by Rivals, Moore was a District 25-6A Co-Defensive Newcomer of the Year at Round Rock. He had 40 tackles, four interceptions, a sack and 11 pass breakups as a sophomore, 31 tackles, three picks, two forced fumbles and nine passes defensed as a junior and 21 tackles and an interception in six games as a senior.

Oct 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Leonard Moore (15) intercepts a pass intended for Navy Midshipmen running back Eli Heidenreich (22) in front of linebacker Jack Kiser (24) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Seeing action in all 15 games as a true freshman starter this season, Moore has amassed 43 tackles (two for loss), two interceptions, 10 pass breakups, one quarterback hit and two forced fumbles. He’s expected to play a prominent role in Monday’s national championship.

Kedren Young, RB, 6-0, 229, fr., Lufkin

Splitting reps with Jermiyah Love, Riley Leonard, Jadarian Price and Aneyas Williams, Young has seen action in six games, rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.

Ohio State

James Peoples, RB, 5-10, 203, fr., San Antonio Veterans Memorial

A four-star prospect, Peoples was named the No. 4 running back in the country after rushing for 1,904 yards and 21 touchdowns on 191 carries as a junior at Veterans Memorial, where he averaged more than 10 yards per carry each of his final two seasons.

Sharing time with star running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins this season, Peoples is third on the Buckeyes in rushing with 197 yards and two touchdowns on 49 carries.

Calvin Simpson-Hunt, CB, 6-0, 204, soph., Waxahachie

A standout in football and track and field, Simpson-Hunt earned a four-star ranking in football and was the No. 19 player in Texas after recording 29 tackles (five for loss) with one sack and one interception as a junior.

He added 20 tackles (five for loss), recovered a fumble and batted down three passes as a senior.

He saw action in five games with Ohio State as a true freshman, playing primarily on special teams. He has two tackles this season for the Buckeyes.

Payton Pierce, LB, 6-2, 223, Lovejoy

Pierce was fierce at Lovejoy, where the four-star prospect was named a Butkus Award finalist for the nation’s top high school linebacker. As a senior, he had 181 tackles, (40 for loss), eight sacks, forced four fumbles and blocked two kicks.

During his junior season he had 131 tackles (21 for loss), six sacks and forced five fumbles, earning him a nod in the All-America Bowl.

He joined Ohio State in January 2024 and spent the spring rehabbing an injury. He has four tackles (one solo) this season.

Jayden Fielding, K, 6-0, 175, jr., IMG (Fla.) Academy / Clear Creek

Fielding was a standout in soccer and football at Clear Creek High School where he developed into one of the best kicking prospects in Texas. He then transferred to the acclaimed IMG Academy in Florida to finish out his high school career.

Jan 10, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes place kicker Jayden Fielding (38) in action during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Ohio State Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Rated the No. 7 kicking prospect in the Class of 2022 coming out of IMG, he walked on at Ohio State and won the starting job in 2023 – leading the team in points that season with 97. In his third year with the Buckeyes, he is a two-year letterman.

Morrow Evans, LS, 6-1, 205, fr., Bellaire Episcopal

A preferred walk-on with the Buckeyes, Evans was one of the best long snappers in the nation at Episcopal. He played in the All-American Bowl in 2024, was a finalist for the Chris Rubio Award, named an Adidas All-American and was the rated the No. 2 long snapper in the nation as a senior.

Donovan Jackson, OL, 6-4, 320, sr., Bellaire Episcopal

He began his high school career as a freshman starter at Houston Christian before transferring to Episcopal, where he became a consensus five-star recruit and Texas’ No. 1 overall prospect and No. 17 in the nation in 2021.

He hasn’t slowed down at Ohio State, earning multiple All-Big 10 awards and being recognized as one of the top offensive linemen in the country. He would’ve been selected in the NFL Draft last season but chose to return to Ohio State for an opportunity at Monday’s championship.