College football's postseason includes a unique juxtaposition.

For players, any game is meaningful. Every moment on the field is an opportunity to prove—whether to teammates, the coaching staff or even NFL personnel—that a player belongs.

And that, in very basic terms, is why standout performances in bowl season deserve to be celebrated.

Yes, results of most bowls don't necessarily have a long-term impact for a majority of teams. That feeling is different inside the College Football Playoff, of course, but many matchups will be soon forgotten.

Some of these players, though, will always remember their incredible showing in the 2024-25 bowl season.

Each contest in the College Football Playoff is included in consideration, save for the national title, but the performances are viewed as a singular game. Otherwise, the list would likely be entirely made of players from programs with multiple CFP games.

Quarterback and Running Backs

QB: Kyle McCord, Syracuse

Kyle McCord went out with a bang. After upsetting Miami in the regular-season finale, the nation's top passer shredded Washington State in the Holiday Bowl. McCord completed 24-of-34 attempts for 454 yards and five touchdowns, guiding the Orange to a 52-35 victory and a 10-3 record. He's now headed to the 2025 NFL draft.

RB: Cam Skattebo, Arizona State

What a performance from Cam Skattebo in the Peach Bowl, a CFP quarterfinal game. Arizona State struggled to handle a stout Texas defense until Skattebo's fourth-quarter surge. Ultimately, the Sun Devils lost 39-31 in two overtime periods. But he rushed for 143 yards and two scores, caught eight passes for 99 yards and threw a 42-yard touchdown. Skattebo's powerful style was on full display.

RB: Dylan Edwards, Kansas State

In a thrilling Rate Bowl against Rutgers, Kansas State always found an answer with Dylan Edwards. Top rusher DJ Giddens skipped the game to protect himself for the draft, and Edwards capitalized on the opportunity. He scampered for 196 yards on 18 carries, adding two receptions for 27 yards and totaling three touchdowns in a 44-41 victory.

Wide Receivers and Tight End

WR: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

Ohio State's stunning rout of Oregon in the Rose Bowl included a huge performance from Jeremiah Smith. The freshman turned a swing pass into a 45-yard touchdown on the opening drive, then caught a 43-yard score in the second quarter as OSU built a shocking 34-point lead. Smith finished the 41-21 triumph with seven receptions for 187 yards and those two trips to the end zone.

WR: Giles Jackson, Washington

Washington's comeback bid ended with an unsuccessful two-point conversion in the last minute of a 35-34 loss to Louisville in the Sun Bowl. Despite that, Giles Jackson had an incredible day. He snagged 11 passes for 161 yards and four touchdowns, including two scores in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter to give UW a shot to steal a win.

TE: Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green

Bowling Green, similarly, could not quite pull out a victory. Nevertheless, the Falcons saw Harold Fannin Jr. shred a box score one final time before he chases an NFL dream. Fannin, a first-team AP All-American this season, made 17 catches for 213 yards and a touchdown in a 38-31 loss to Arkansas State in the 68 Ventures Bowl.

Offensive Line

The opening game of bowl season featured an outstanding effort from South Alabama's offensive line.

First, the blocking group: left tackle Jordan Davis, left guard Asher Hale, center Malachi Preciado, right guard Kenton Jerido and right tackle Malachi Carney. Ethan Hubbard also logged a few snaps.

South Alabama edged Western Michigan 30-23 in the Salute to Veterans Bowl behind the unit.

Bishop Davenport threw for 271 yards and rushed for 85 more, while Kentrel Bullock raced to 130 yards and a score on the ground. The offense had a near-even split of 271 passing and 266 rushing yards.

Overall, the Jaguars racked up 537 yards at 8.7 per snap.

Defensive Line

DE: Derrick Moore, Michigan

Michigan upset both Ohio State and Alabama in these late-season games because of its defense. Derrick Moore set the stage in the ReliaQuest Bowl, stalling Bama's opening drive with a sack to force a turnover on downs. Moore recovered a fumble on the next possession and added another sack in the second quarter as U-M built an unexpected 16-0 lead in what would be a 19-13 victory.

DT: Brandon Brown, UTSA

UTSA effectively played a road game in the Myrtle Beach Bowl, taking on Coastal Carolina at its home stadium. And it didn't faze the Roadrunners in the slightest. Brandon Brown notched five tackles with two sacks—including one on CCU's first possession—in a 44-15 demolition for UTSA.

DT: Darius Alexander, Toledo

Toledo and Pitt treated fans to a wild GameAbove Sports Bowl on the day after Christmas. Toledo won 48-46 in a clash that required six overtime periods, and Darius Alexander closed his impressive college career on a high note. He generated six tackles with a sack and returned an interception 58 yards for a score. That takeaway sparked Toledo's 10-point comeback in the fourth quarter.

DE: Jack Sawyer, Ohio State

Jack Sawyer was an absolute nuisance for Texas during the Cotton Bowl. Without a doubt, his highlight-reel moment happened in the fourth quarter with OSU leading 21-14 but needing to stop Texas on 4th-and-goal. Sawyer forced and recovered a fumble that he returned for an 83-yard touchdown, icing the victory and sending the Buckeyes to the CFP national title game. Still, he tallied two pass breakups and two hurries in addition to that clutch play.

Linebackers

LB: Red Murdock, Buffalo

First, a golf clap for Shaun Dolac and Red Murdock. They closed the year as the nation's top two tacklers with at least 156 apiece. Murdock shined for Buffalo in the 26-7 win over Liberty in the Bahamas Bowl, recording 13 stops (2.5 for loss) and taking an interception 23 yards for a touchdown.

LB: Dom DeLuca, Penn State

Penn State's defense served as the backbone of the team's run to the CFP semifinals. During the opening round, Dom DeLuca kick-started the rout of SMU with a 23-yard pick-six and a second interception in a goal-to-go situation. SMU could not recover in that 38-10 loss, while DeLuca added five tackles and contributed on a sack.

LB: Eljiah Herring, Memphis

In the Frisco Bowl, there wasn't much defense. Memphis outlasted West Virginia 42-37 as the teams combined for more than 1,000 yards. Elijah Herring, nevertheless, was a bright spot for Memphis, forcing a fumble on the first snap and snagging a game-sealing interception on the last meaningful play of the game. Herring also had 10 tackles, one QB hurry and a pass breakup.

Defensive Backs

CB: Christian Gray, Notre Dame

Look, many players had more production than Christian Gray. But when Notre Dame needed a stop against Penn State in the Orange Bowl, a CFP semifinal, Gray delivered. He snagged a diving interception with 33 seconds left, setting up ND's winning field goal in a 27-24 victory. Gray otherwise provided two tackles in the game.

S: Jaylon Jimmerson, Sam Houston

In the program's first bowl appearance, Jaylon Jimmerson stole the show. Georgia Southern's first offensive snap ended with Jimmerson taking an interception for a 29-yard touchdown. He soon pulled in a second pick—which set up a 13-yard touchdown drive—in Sam Houston's 31-26 win. Jimmerson also posted 10 tackles (one for loss) for the Bearkats.

S: Adon Shuler, Notre Dame

Another member of the ND secondary had a standout game in the Sugar Bowl. During the first quarter, Georgia had reached the red zone. But as Trevor Etienne picked up a 3rd-and-1, he fumbled on a hit by Adon Shuler. The takeaway prevented ND from facing an early deficit, and the Irish eventually won 23-10. Shuler paced the Fighting Irish with eight tackles and broke up a pass in New Orleans, too.

CB: Tamarcus Cooley, North Carolina State

After a redshirt year, Tamarcus Cooley emerged as NC State's nickelback this season. He punctuated a solid campaign with nine tackles (0.5 for loss) and two interceptions in the Military Bowl. East Carolina ended up winning 26-21, but Cooley—who has since entered the transfer portal—gave the Wolfpack two valuable chances to protect a 21-20 lead.

Specialists

K: Will Ferrin, BYU

Through the CFP semifinals, Will Ferrin is the lone specialist to bury three-plus field goals with multiple 50-yard kicks in the postseason. Ferrin hit 51- and 54-yard attempts in BYU's rout of Colorado in the Alamo Bowl. He also went 3-for-3 on extra points in the 36-14 triumph.

P: Andrew Stokes, South Florida

Not only did Andrew Stokes average 51.0 yards on his seven punts in the Hawaii Bowl, San Jose State did less than nothing with the kicks. Literally. The only return ended in minus-two yards. Stokes blasted a long of 72 yards and didn't have a touchback, either.

KR: Jayden Harrison, Notre Dame
PR: Silas Bolden, Texas

Among the nine players who returned a kick or punt for a touchdown in bowl season, two happened in the CFP. First, it was Texas speedster Silas Bolden taking a punt 75 yards against Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. Then in the Sugar Bowl, Jayden Harrison opened the second half of ND's victory over Georgia with a 98-yard kickoff return.