The College Football Playoff officially begins Friday night, with Indiana taking on Notre Dame.
On Saturday, there are three more games. SMU and Penn State start the day at 11 AM CT, followed by Clemson and Texas at three before Tennessee and Ohio State cap the day at seven.
The playoff is the first of its kind. After a decade of a four-team playoff, college football expanded to 12.
LSU didn’t make it this year. The Tigers are regearing in hopes of making a push in 2025. However, a couple of former LSU players are getting their chance at a national title run.
Starting for Tennessee at left tackle is Lance Heard, a former five-star recruit who signed with LSU in 2023. He played one year with the Tigers before joining the Vols.
For SMU, former Tigers cornerback Jaelyn Davis-Robinson is a rotational piece in the secondary.
Here’s a closer look at both players before they make their College Football Playoff debut on Saturday.
Tennessee LT Lance Heard
Lance Heard is one of the top offensive linemen recruits to ever come out of Louisiana. He was the No. 22 overall recruit in the class of 2023 and the No. 4 ranked tackle in the country.
He signed with LSU and saw limited action as a freshman, but with Will Campbell and Emery Jones returning in 2024, there wasn’t a chance for Heard to start at tackle.
That brought him to Tennessee, where he earned the starting job.
Year one in Knoxville wasn’t without struggles. According to PFF, only three tackles in the SEC posted a lower offensive grade than Heard. His run-blocking grade ranked last among SEC tackles.
In the passing game, Heard allowed 19 pressures. He’s still young, but the talent is there. He’ll have his hands full with a good Ohio State defensive line on Saturday.
SMU CB Jaelyn Davis-Robinson
Davis-Robinson was a member of Brian Kelly’s first signing class at LSU, joining the Tigers in 2022 as a three-star corner. Like Heard, he only lasted one year with the Tigers.
Davis-Robinson transferred to SMU in 2023 and was immediately a factor in the secondary. He played 336 snaps on defense last year, and his 47.3 passer rating when targeted was one of the best marks in the conference.
Davis-Robinson hasn’t replicated the same success in 2024, but he’s remained in the lineup. He missed the ACC title game with an injury, but reports expect him to return for SMU’s meeting with Penn State.