FRISCO, Texas – Monday’s College Football Playoff national championship game marked the end of the college football season, meaning all eyes now turn to the 2025 NFL draft for collegiate programs and players.

Future NFL talent was all over the field for both Ohio State and Notre Dame, and some players have already been discussed as potential fits for the Cowboys come draft week in April.

All-star games, the combine and pro days are all still on the horizon for these prospects, but let’s look at some early names that might make sense for Dallas in a crucial upcoming draft:

Ohio State’s war chest of skill players

A lot of the buzz for the Buckeyes offense went to true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, and rightfully so, but he won’t be draft eligible until at least 2027. Not to worry though, as Ohio State’s offense still has plenty of talented playmakers that would be welcome additions to the Cowboys offense.

Let’s start with their dynamic pairing of running backs in Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson. Judkins, an Ole Miss transfer, has been a standout ball carrier since his true freshman season thanks to powerful run style that makes him hard to bring down on first contact. Judkins also showed a knack for finding the endzone in the Buckeye’s national title run, scoring seven touchdowns in the last four games of the year.

Judkins wasn’t utilized much as a pass catcher in his collegiate career but has shown the ability to get open out of the backfield as a receiver. The biggest question will be his top end speed and ability to finish explosive runs, including when he was chased down after breaking free on a 70-yard run with no one in front of him and still being chased down.

Speed isn’t an issue for Henderson though, who is known for his breakaway speed and quick feet to change direction. The glowing example there was at the end of the first half against Texas in the Sugar Bowl, where Henderson housed 75-yard screen pass breaking away from everybody.

The aspects to keep an eye on with Henderson is injuries, as he missed time in the 2022 season with a foot injury that required surgery as well as three games in 2023 with an undisclosed injury. When Henderson is at 100% however, he’s been a difference maker and be the same in the NFL if he stays healthy.

Running back has been one of the more talked about positions for the Cowboys after passing on selecting one in the 2024 draft, Rico Dowdle is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Either one of Judkins or Henderson would make sense for Dallas in what looks to be a very deep class at the position, so it boils down to how early the Cowboys want to take a back in April.

Last but certainly not least comes Emeka Egbuka. Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline has an impressive track record when it comes to producing NFL-caliber receivers whose game translates at the next level, with a resume including Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Terry McLaurin and Marvin Harrison Jr. amongst others. Egbuka could very well be next in line in that department.

In Monday’s national championship game, Egbuka became the Buckeyes’ all-time leader in career receptions with 205 to go along with 2,868 yards and 24 touchdowns in 43 games. He’s one of the better route runners in the 2025 receiver class and has great feel for where gaps are at in zone coverage. Egbuka has battled his fair share of injuries as well, but still projects as an attractive potential pairing for the Cowboys alongside CeeDee Lamb.

Notre Dame’s talented secondary pieces

Another area that Dallas may potentially look to is the secondary, an area where Notre Dame was very strong in 2024 as one of the best units in the country at forcing turnovers. A large component of that was their talented defensive backs, most notably safety Xavier Watts.

Watts led the Fighting Irish in interceptions this season with six, including a 100-yard pick-six against USC in the final game of the regular season, and had seven in his junior season. Additionally, Watts was strong downhill and physical against the run in 2024, finishing second on the team in tackles with 83.

Watts projects to be one of the top safeties in the class and rightfully so, and his aggressiveness at bringing ball carriers to the ground is a plus in his skillset. That said, he at times gets a bit too antsy leading to some missed tackles, but there’s still plenty of upside and the potential for a great fit in Dallas learning from a guy like Donovan Wilson who has a similar aggressive play style.

His counterpart in the secondary, Benjamin Morrison, is an equally as intriguing prospect at cornerback. The preseason All-American was however lost for the season with a hip injury that required surgery in October, so his pre-draft status will be important to monitor going forward.

When Morrison was healthy, it was easy to see why he was a projected first round talent. He does a good job of sticking to his receivers in man coverage with great change of direction and like Watts, has an eye for the ball and turnovers. The looming questions will be how that change of direction looks following hip surgery, as well as how much more physical he can play in press coverage and against the run.

The Cowboys were depleted at various points of the season at the cornerback position, and the chance to add Morrison could be a quality depth piece to start with the potential of a future starter and contributor alongside the likes of DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs.

The big fellas in the defensive trenches

The line of scrimmage is the most important aspect of football regardless of what level you play at, and the good news for the Cowboys is that if they’re looking for bodies from last night’s game that could help their game on the defensive line, there was plenty to watch.

We’ll start with Ohio State, known for their strength on the defensive line all season long thanks to two prolific edge rushers in Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau, with Tyleik Williams manning the interior. You can never have enough pass rushers, and both Sawyer and Tuimoloau shined against some of the best in the country down the stretch in their senior seasons.

Sawyer and Tuimoloau aren’t the twitchiest or quickest rushers, but if Dallas is interested, they’ve got that on the other side of the line in Micah Parsons. A strong, physical defensive end on the opposite side could end up being a nice combination up front for the Cowboys if they wanted to beef up their defensive line some more.

And speaking of beefing up the defensive line, Tyleik Williams takes up a lot of space in the middle and has flashes of brilliance with his strength, leading to stopping the run and collapsing the pocket well. However, he’s been inconsistent at times over the course of his career and can be prone to mistakes.

If the Cowboys are wanting to wait for some defensive line additions until day two or maybe even three, then they could look at Notre Dame’s defensive tackle pair of Rylie Mills and Howard Cross III as potential late-round value.

Cross III comes from an NFL family, as his father Howard Cross Jr. played 13 seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants. He comes into the draft with six seasons of experience at Notre Dame, where he showcased strong technique and the versatility to handle several spots on the line. That said, his size (6’1, 288 lbs) is a concern translating to the NFL.

Mills is equally as experienced and versatile, but has the better frame at 6’5, 295 pounds. He’s got a good first step and a nice mix of power and athleticism, showcased especially well in his fifth season with the Fighting Irish tallying 7.5 sacks. Pre-draft process will be important to monitor for Mills, who suffered a knee injury in their first round CFP game against Indiana and did not return the rest of the way.

The Cowboys currently have six total defensive linemen that head into the 2025 offseason as unrestricted free agents, most notably Osa Odighizuwa and DeMarcus Lawrence. Defensive line could be a position where Dallas takes more than one prospect, and Monday’s national championship had plenty of prospects that could make sense.