College Football Playoff National Championship: Where every player who accounted for a touchdown in the title game played high school football

Ten different players from the state of Georgia have accounted for a score on college football's biggest stage.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Thomas Frey
By
Jan 5, 2024, 10:00am
Monday's game between Michigan and Washington will mark the ninth championship game since the College Football Playoff was instituted in 2014.

Going back to Ohio State's win over Oregon in January 2015, 52 different players have accounted for a touchdown on the game's biggest stage.

Georgia leads the way with 10 players who participated in high school football in the Peach State, including Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence.

Florida is second with seven players with most of those coming in an Alabama uniform, including Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry. The Sunshine State could be primed to add another player on Monday if Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. of Tampa Bay Tech (Tampa) throws or runs for a touchdown.

Coming in third is California with five players including Brock Bowers, who scored a touchdown for Georgia in both 2022 and 2023.

St. Louis (Honolulu, Hawaii) is the only high school to have two different players on the list. In 2015, Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota threw the first touchdown pass in the history of the College Football Playoff championship game.

In 2018, fellow St. Louis alum Tua Tagovailoa threw a 41-yard walk-off touchdown to DeVonta Smith to give Alabama a 26-23 national title victory over Georgia. The Honolulu school could become the first high school to have three players in this category if Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson finds the end zone on Monday.

In total, 17 states have produced a player that has accounted for a touchdown in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
(Graphic: Ryan Escobar)
(Graphic: Ryan Escobar)
Georgia - 10
Stetson Bennett, Georgia, 2022, 2023, Pierce County (Blackshear)
Kenyan Drake, Alabama, 2016, Hillgrove (Powder Springs)
Justin Fields, Ohio State, 2021, Harrison (Kennesaw)
Jake Fromm, Georgia, 2018, Houston County (Warner Robins)
Wayne Gallman, Clemson, 2016, 2017, Grayson (Loganville)
Mecole Hardman, Georgia, 2018, Elbert County (Elberton)
Trevor Lawrence, Clemson, 2019, 2020, Cartersville
Ladd McConkey, Georgia, 2023, North Murray (Chatsworth)
A.J. Terrell, Clemson, 2019, Westlake (Atlanta)
Deshaun Watson, Clemson, 2016, 2017, Gainesville

Florida - 7
Derrick Henry, Alabama, 2016, Yulee
Jerry Jeudy, Alabama, 2019, Deerfield Beach
Mac Jones, Alabama, 2021, Bolles (Jacksonville)
Jordan Leggett, Clemson, 2016, Navarre
Calvin Ridley, Alabama, 2018, Monarch (Coconut Creek)
Bo Scarbrough, Alabama, 2017, IMG Academy (Bradenton)
Artavis Scott, Clemson, 2016, East Lake (Tarpon Springs)

California - 5
Brock Bowers, Georgia, 2022, 2023, Napa
Najee Harris, Alabama, 2021, Antioch
Byron Marshall, Oregon, 2015, Valley Christian (San Jose)
Kendall Milton, Georgia, 2023, Buchanan (Clovis)
Bryce Young, Alabama, 2022, Mater Dei (Santa Ana)

Louisiana - 5
Slade Bolden, Alabama, 2021, West Monroe
Ja'Marr Chase, LSU, 2020, Archbishop Rummel (Metairie)
Travis Etienne, Clemson, 2019, 2020, Jennings
Terrace Marshall Jr., LSU, 2020, Parkway (Bossier City)
DeVonta Smith, Alabama, 2018, 2021, Amite

Alabama - 4
Jake Coker, Alabama, 2016, St. Paul's Episcopal (Mobile)
O.J. Howard, Alabama, 2016, 2017, Autauga Academy (Prattville)
Justyn Ross, Clemson, 2019, Central (Phenix City)
Henry Ruggs, Alabama, 2018, Percy Julian (Montgomery)

Ohio - 3
Joe Burrow, LSU, 2020, Athens (The Plains)
Cardale Jones, Ohio State, 2015, Glenville (Cleveland)
Nick Vannett, Ohio State, 2015, Westerville Central (Westerville)

Tennessee - 3
Tee Higgins, Clemson, 2019, 2020, Oak Ridge
Adonai Mitchell, Georgia, 2022, 2023, Cane Ridge (Nashville)
Master Teague, Ohio State, 2021, Blackman (Murfreesboro)

Hawaii - 2
Marcus Mariota, Oregon, 2015, St. Louis (Honolulu)
Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama, 2018, 2019, St. Louis (Honolulu)

Missouri - 2
Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State, 2015, Burroughs (St. Louis)
Hale Hentges, Alabama, 2019, Helias (Jefferson City)

North Carolina - 2
Thaddeus Moss, LSU, 2020, Mallard Creek (Charlotte)
Zamir White, Georgia, 2022, Scotland (Laurinburg)

South Carolina - 2
Mike Williams, Clemson, 2017, Lake Marion (Santee)
Hunter Renfrow, Clemson, 2016, 2017, Socastee (Myrtle Beach)

Texas - 2
Jalen Hurts, Alabama, 2017, Channelview
Garrett Wilson, Ohio State, 2021, Lake Travis (Austin)

Arizona - 1
Kelee Ringo, Georgia, 2022, Saguaro (Scottsdale)

Iowa - 1
Max Duggan, TCU, 2023, Lewis Central (Council Bluffs)

Mississippi - 1
Branson Robinson, Georgia, 2023, Germantown (Madison)

Oregon - 1
Keanon Lowe, Oregon, 2015, Jesuit (Portland)

Utah - 1
Cameron Latu, Alabama, 2022, Olympus (Salt Lake City)

Related Content