CFS Title Game Prospects to Watch for Dolphins

Ohio State and Notre Dame will play for the national title Monday and are loaded with quality NFL prospects

Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts (0) participates in a drill during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It’s already draft season for the Miami Dolphins, and one of the biggest showcase games of the season is tonight. Ohio State will face Notre Dame in the first-ever national championship game in the 12-team College Football Playoff era.

The Buckeyes and Fighting Irish are filled with potential NFL prospects who could help the Miami Dolphins try to get back to the playoffs next season. We poured over the film and considered the Dolphins’ biggest needs to narrow the list down to five players that Dolphins fans should pay extra attention to in the game Monday night.

CFP Championship Players to Watch

Xavier Watts, SAF, Notre Dame

2024-25 Stats: 874 snaps, 6 INTs, 3 PBUs, 62 solo tackles

Safety could be one of the Dolphins’ most significant needs, depending on what happens in free agency. Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer played most of the team’s safety snaps this season but are both scheduled to hit free agency.

Neither had a particularly strong season, so even if one of them returns, this still profiles as a potential need. Watts has been one of college football’s best ball hawks for the past two seasons, intercepting 13 passes in that span, the most in the country.

Watts’ coverage instincts and speed allow him to thrive in deep zones, making him a good replacement for Holland’s role in the defense. The Notre Dame product is a former wide receiver, and it shows in how he attacks different passing game concepts — this is a player who could start immediately in the correct role.

Watts is on the smaller side — listed at 6 feet, 203 pounds — but plays a lot more physical than his frame suggests. He shouldn’t be viewed as a primary run defender, but he’s more than willing to come downhill and tackle ball carriers.

Lathan Ransom, SAF, Ohio State

2024-25 Stats: 733 snaps, 1 PBU, 1 INT, 61 solo tackles, 5 QB pressures, 3 forced fumbles

For all the same reasons listed above, Ohio State safety Lathan Ransom could be a Dolphins target this offseason. However, unlike Watts, Ransom is more of a strong safety who should be viewed as a primary run defender.

Similar to how DeShon Elliott was deployed two seasons ago, Ransom thrives playing in the box and coming downhill to stop the run. He’s a physical tackler who isn’t afraid to engage with offensive linemen and beat them to their spot.

Miami’s safeties, and the defense as a whole, struggled to get ball carriers down throughout last season, so adding a player with Ransom’s skills makes a lot of sense, especially if the Dolphins keep Holland.

Although Ransom can give the Dolphins more physicality on the back end, he’s struggled in coverage across the last three seasons at Ohio State. Asking him to patrol deep zones or cover savvy route runners from the slot will lead to big plays for the offense.

Instead, he should be used in short zones or as a robber in the middle of the field.

Tyleik Williams, IDL, Ohio State

2024-25 Stats: 548 snaps, 20 QB pressures, 2.5 sacks, 24 solo tackles

This list could be five players off Ohio State’s defensive line if we wanted it to be. That’s how good that unit was this season. However, Williams stands out for the Dolphins.

Miami got excellent interior defensive line play from Calais Campbell and Zach Sieler this past season, but the former might not come back next season, which would leave a huge hole up front.

Williams is a stout, productive run defender who would help the Dolphins against some of the AFC’s best teams. If the Dolphins want to win playoff games and eventually make it to the Super Bowl, they’ll likely match up with the Baltimore Ravens or Buffalo Bills in January.

Pairing Williams and Sieler would give the Dolphins a formidable front to stop those teams’ running games.

While Williams is a good run defender, he needs some development as a pass rusher. He’s got solid strength and is quick for his size (6-3, 327 pounds), but he isn’t overly consistent with using his hands to free himself when rushing the passer.

Donovan Jackson, OL, Ohio State

2024-25 Stats: 734 snaps, 2 sacks allowed, 19 pressures allowed

Ohio State’s best offensive lineman is left tackle Josh Simmons, and he would be a perfect fit for the Dolphins’ offense. Unfortunately, Simmons has been out since October with a knee injury. However, that has allowed his replacement, Donovan Jackson, to emerge.

Jackson was the Buckeye’s starting left guard before Simmons got hurt but has been holding down the left tackle spot since Simmons’ injury. Jackson has proven to be a reliable presence as a pass protector and run blocker.

For the Dolphins, Jackson’s positional versatility should be appealing. Starting guards Liam Eichenberg and Robert Jones are scheduled to be free agents and didn’t play well this past season. At tackle, Terron Armstead and Austin Jackson have extensive injury histories.

Donovan Jackson is better suited for a long-term role on the interior, but his ability to play tackle in a pinch is a great option for a team like the Dolphins to have available.

Mitchell Evans, TE, Notre Dame

2024-25 Stats: 39 catches, 369 yards, 3 TDs, 9.5 yards per catch

Tight end isn’t the most significant need for the Dolphins on paper, but upgrading that room could pay dividends for the team’s running game.

Durham Smythe and Julian Hill are the team’s blocking tight ends, and in an outside zone scheme like Miami’s, the tight ends are given more responsibility. Smythe has an out in his contract that would save the Dolphins cap space (he’s also not a good blocker), and Hill’s contract is up after this coming season.

Evans isn’t one of the class’ top tight ends, but he’s been the victim of a poor passing attack this season. He was also recovering from an ACL injury he suffered during the 2023-24 season. Assuming his medicals check out, Evans’ 6-foot-5, 260-pound frame projects well to a heavy blocking role.

His blocking consistency needs some work, but he’s incredibly physical and has the natural strength to clear paths for ball carriers on the outside. His receiving profile would also give the Dolphins something they don’t have — a contested-catch winner.

Evans has long arms, a thick frame, and strong hands, allowing him to make difficult catches over the middle of the field. He would likely be a Day 3 pick and wouldn’t factor much into Miami’s passing offense, but he could be a valuable role player with some development.