It takes an entire team’s superb effort to win in college football. But to earn a coveted spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, you’ve gotta have a player who stands out among the rest.

Maybe it’s the quarterback, maybe a running back, or perhaps even a defensive back – every team amid the Lucky 12 has a Most Valuable Player on its roster. And with a week to go before the 1st-round games begin, here is a rundown of each Playoff team’s MVP, with teams listed by seeding.

1. Oregon Ducks

MVP: QB Dillon Gabriel

The X-Factor: The Ducks’ senior signal-caller is headed to New York this weekend for the Heisman Trophy ceremony after an undefeated campaign that included 3,558 passing yards and 28 touchdowns against 6 interceptions. Gabriel transferred from UCF and Oklahoma to Eugene precisely for this opportunity, and Oregon wouldn’t be the No. 1 overall seed without him.

2. Georgia Bulldogs

MVP: QB Carson Beck

The X-Factor: Could the Bulldogs be without their MVP? It’s possible. Beck’s availability for the quarterfinals is a question mark after an elbow injury against Texas in the SEC Championship Game. The senior was among the Heisman candidates earlier in the season, and he is among the Playoff signal-callers who are possible 1st-round choices in April’s NFL Draft. Beck threw for 3,485 yards and 28 touchdowns, though his 12 interceptions were demerits for the 2-loss Bulldogs. 

3. Boise State Broncos

MVP: RB Ashton Jeanty

The X-Factor: The Mountain West champs wouldn’t be sniffing the Playoff picture without their Heisman finalist. A rare junior who hasn’t sniffed the transfer portal, Jeanty torched Broncos opponents for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns on 344 carries. Jeanty turned in 6 200-yard rushing games in 2024, including a 32-carry, 209-yard outburst against No. 20 UNLV in the Mountain West title game.

4. Arizona State Sun Devils

MVP: RB Cam Skattebo

The X-Factor: Winning the Big 12 isn’t easy, but the Sun Devils sure made it look that way behind Skattebo against Iowa State. Skattebo rumbled for 170 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with 1 receiving score, in Arizona State’s 45-19 Playoff-clinching victory. Skattebo’s 2,074 yards from scrimmage (1,568 rushing and 506 receiving) are a single-season Arizona State record.

5. Texas Longhorns

MVP: QB Quinn Ewers

The X-Factor: The junior was a preseason Heisman hopeful, though a midseason oblique injury derailed those hopes. Still, Ewers threw for 2,665 yards and 25 touchdowns against 9 interceptions to help lead the Longhorns to the SEC title game in their 1st year in the league. Ewers might give way at times to backup dual threat Arch Manning, but there is no question Texas is here because of its quarterback.

6. Penn State Nittany Lions

MVP: QB Drew Allar

The X-Factor: The junior hasn’t gotten the same all-caps love as some of the other Playoff quarterbacks, but he has been just as valuable in Happy Valley. Allar threw for 2,894 yards and 21 touchdowns with 7 interceptions, and he also toted the football 72 times for 279 yards and 6 more TDs.

7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

MVP: S Xavier Watts

The X-Factor: Watts returned to South Bend for his senior season after winning the Bronko Nagurski Award as the nation’s top defender, and he turned in another stellar campaign in 2024. Watts anchored a Fighting Irish pass defense that was stingy all season, hauling in a team-high 5 interceptions to give him 12 for the 2-year stretch.

8. Ohio State Buckeyes

MVP: QB Will Howard

The X-Factor: The Buckeyes are into the Playoff by the slimmest of margins, but they wouldn’t be close if not for Howard. The senior threw for 2,680 yards and 27 touchdowns against 8 interceptions and contributed 7 rushing scores. Howard transferred from Kansas State for the opportunity to play in high-profile games, and he has certainly delivered for the Buckeyes.

9. Tennessee Volunteers

MVP: RB Dylan Sampson

The X-Factor: The SEC Offensive Player of the Year, Sampson smashed records in his junior season, rushing for 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns. Sampson somehow wasn’t a Doak Walker Award finalist, but his 22 rushing scores broke the 95-year-old Tennessee record, and the 2024 rushing yards were also a school record. Sampson’s 10 100-yard rushing games in 2024 were a testament to his consistency.

10. Indiana Hoosiers

MVP: QB Kurtis Rourke

The X-Factor: The senior was the offensive linchpin for Indiana’s historic season, throwing for 2,827 yards and 27 touchdowns with only 4 interceptions. The Hoosiers started 10-0 for the 1st time in program history, and Rourke was a big reason why. He turned in only 1 subpar start in 2024, going 8-for-18 for just 68 yards against No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 23, but he rebounded to throw for 6 touchdowns against Purdue the following week to lock down a Playoff spot.

11. SMU Mustangs

MVP: QB Kevin Jennings

The X-Factor: Only a sophomore, Jennings turned in an eye-popping 2024 for the ACC runners-up, throwing for 3,050 yards — the 2nd-most among Playoff quarterbacks — and 22 touchdowns against 8 interceptions. Jennings also chipped in 379 rushing yards and 5 rushing TDs. The Mustangs had trouble at times keeping Jennings upright, as he took 11 sacks in 2024. Jennings also went for 304 yards and 3 TDs in the ACC title game loss to Clemson.

12. Clemson Tigers

MVP: QB Cade Klubnik

The X-Factor: Klubnik was a bona fide star for the Tigers all season, throwing for a Playoff-best 3,303 yards (11th nationally) and 33 touchdowns (3rd nationally) against 5 interceptions. Klubnik passed for 2,844 yards as a sophomore at Clemson, but he came into his own in 2024, also delivering 458 rushing yards and 7 rushing TDs. He passed for 4 touchdowns for Clemson in its 34-31 victory over SMU in the ACC title game.