College Football Playoff 2018: 4 players you need to know immediately

Who are some of the top players to watch for in the 2018 College Football Playoff?

We now know the College Football Playoff participants. It will be Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama fighting it out for the National Championship this January. All four teams took different pathways to get here, but the goal remains the same for all. Everyone wants to be in Atlanta, and everyone wants to be hoisting the trophy on Jan. 8.

By now, you probably know all the stars on these teams. Baker Mayfield is a household name. You’ve likely heard of Nick Chubb and all of the Georgia running backs. The world knows about Alabama’s stars. And National Championship hero Hunter Renfrow is still catching passes for Clemson. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t players you should know about as we go into the CFB Playoff.

There are unheralded stars all over the place; it’s not just one-man shows. No, these teams made it here for good reason. They got contributions from stars, X-factors and youngsters alike. We’ve picked four players in particular, one from each team. These are the ones you should know right now, who might wind up making a huge impact in the CFB Playoff.

Clemson Tigers: Travis Etienne

Pop quiz: Who led the Clemson Tigers in rushing yards, yards per attempt and rushing touchdowns this year? The answer is freshman tailback Travis Etienne. He may be a youngster, but Etienne has been outstanding for Clemson. The Tigers had to replace the great Wayne Gallman, and did so with Etienne and Tavian Feaster to another extent. The 5-foot-10, 200-pound back has been dynamite this year, with 744 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.

Etienne only has 23 carries over the past three weeks. But, Etienne has made the most of it. Etienne amassed 127 yards on those 23 carries, which is good for a gaudy 5.52 yards per carry. In all, Etienne hasn’t really been the feature back, only totaling 103 carries this year. The fact that he’s averaging a clip of 7.2 YPC is astounding, especially for a freshman.

The Alabama defense will be the one of the best that Mr. Etienne faces this season. He didn’t play in Week 2 against Auburn, so it’s arguable that he hasn’t faced as good of a defense that Alabama has all year. With that said, he’s as explosive as he is deft. Alabama will have to have all their eyes locked in on Travis Etienne. Otherwise, the freshman from Louisiana could have himself a huge homecoming.