Best College Football Player Props for Ohio State vs. Notre Dame

Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) runs the ball in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions  in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) runs the ball in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

It’s the National Championship and with that comes plenty of number crunching to get in on the player prop action! 

In big games, Emeka Egbuka has been the steady force to the Ohio State offense, and I expect no different in the title game as this matchup sets up Egbuka nicely. Further, look for Notre Dame to put the ball in Riley Leonard’s hands plenty both as a passer and a rusher, which can open up a prop for the veteran quarterback as well as an emerging running back. 

Here are three player props for the National Championship Game. 

Best College Football Prop Bets for Ohio State vs. Notre Dame 

  • Emeka Egbuka OVER 57.5 Receiving Yards
  • Aneyas Williams OVER 24.5 Receiving Yards
  • Riley Leonard OVER 14.5 Rushing Attempts

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Emeka Egbuka OVER 55.5 Receiving Yards

Egbuka got Ohio State off to a hot start on the first drive of the Cotton Bowl, catching three passes on a touchdown drive, before finishing with a solid five-catch, 51-yard game. 

However, this number has come down too far after closing in the low 60s following 153 yards in the first two postseason games. 

Egbuka has caught 15 of 19 passes in the College Football Playoff playing primarily out of the slot, which is the weak point of the Notre Dame defense, which typically lines up Jordan Clark in that position. 

While Clark has been able to shut down limited passing games, we saw him exposed against USC (41.3 PFF coverage grade) when slot receiver Makhii Lemon caught three of four targets for 37 yards as well as Duce Robinson and Kyle Ford each caught 20-plus yard passes against him.

I imagine Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden looks to limit Jeremiah Smith yet again by taking a piece of the Texas gameplan and continuing to throw wrinkles at Will Howard, which should set up Egbuka for more success. The veteran receiver doesn’t see his target share drop much depending on the coverage, which is what I’m looking for in a prop bet that is lined in the mid-50s. 

Aneyas Williams OVER 21.5 Receiving Yards

With Jeremiyah Love battling a knee injury and playing limited reps, Williams played a key role in Notre Dame’s offensive gameplan. 

The freshman has been limited as a ball carrier, but is a great pass blocker and is explosive catching passes out of the backfield. He is fresh off a five-catch 66-yard outing in the Orange Bowl against Penn State that included a 36-yard haul. 

I’m going back for more with Williams. The volume has been there of late, catching all four of his targets against Indiana for 15 yards and two of three passes for five yards against Georgia. With a total this low, I’m looking at the fact that he is getting the ball more than only going over in one of three games. 

Most importantly, Ohio State has been willing to concede passes to running backs. In the Cotton Bowl, Jaydon Blue and Quintrevion Wisner combined for 11 catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns. 

Against Oregon, Noah Whittington and Jordan James (who got hurt in the first half) combined for six catches for 37 yards. Tennessee didn’t factor in the running backs in the game plan as the team’s game plan went out the window when star tailback Dylan Sampson got hurt early, but Penn State’s leading receiver in the team’s regular season was Nicholas Singleton, who had six catches for 54 yards. 

Love may be closer to full strength, but Williams has proven his worth as a pass catcher. Despite this number trending up in the week leading up to the game, I think Williams can smash this number.

Riley Leonard OVER 14.5 Rushing Attempts

The best part of Notre Dame’s offense is the ability for Riley Leonard to be a threat in the run game. On short-yardage situations, Notre Dame hasn’t taken any chances, running Leonard with a mix of quarterback power to move the chains. 

In the final game of the season, I expect Mike Denbrock to waste no plays for Leonard in what will likely be a negative game script. Leonard ran the ball 18 times against Penn State and 14 against Georgia while adding 11 against Indiana. The number continues to climb and his season-long numbers are holding down this mark. 

Further, sacks count for rush attempts in college football. If Leonard takes a sack, that’s a rush attempt, which is impactful against a formidable Ohio State defensive that was 15th in sacks in the regular season and Notre Dame is down at least one starting offensive tackle heading into this one. 

The Fighting Irish love to deploy Leonard as a rusher, and with the National Championship on the line as a double-digit underdog, I’ll go back to this over. 


Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Reed Wallach
REED WALLACH

Reed is a Senior Editor at SI Betting. He grew up in New Jersey and graduated from the University of Wisconsin. His passion lies with the Brooklyn Nets, but is always hunting for an edge.