The winner of the 2024-2025 College Football Playoffs may not be known for several more weeks, but many players have already decided who the real MVP of the tournament is.
Throughout the past few days, players from various teams have taken the time to praise Jesus Christ for the impact He’s made on their respective athletic careers. Following his team’s Thursday win (23-10) over the Georgia Bulldogs, for example, Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard used his postgame interview to glorify his Lord and Savior for putting the Fighting Irish in a position to advance to the semifinals of the playoffs.
“First of all, I just want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without Him, I wouldn’t be here, we wouldn’t be here as a whole group,” Leonard said. “I’m just so grateful for this opportunity. This is a beautiful thing, and a dream come true.”
The Notre Dame quarterback threw for 90 yards and one touchdown pass during Thursday’s Sugar Bowl. He was subsequently named Offensive MVP of the game for his performance.
Leonard wasn’t the only player to give the glory to Christ during his playoff postgame interview, however.
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard took the time to praise Jesus following the Buckeyes’ dominating Wednesday victory (41-21) over the Oregon Ducks. Howard threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns, ending the game with a total quarterback rating of 97.7.
“First and foremost, I got to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me this opportunity to be on this stage and here in the Rose Bowl,” Howard said.
Christ’s presence was also felt during Wednesday’s matchup between the Texas Longhorns and Arizona State Sun Devils.
In the aftermath of the former’s overtime victory (39-31), Longhorns running back Nik Sanders joined Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo in kneeling for a postgame prayer. Skattebo was named Offensive MVP of the Peach Bowl, racking up 143 rushing yards, 99 receiving yards, 42 passing yards, two rushing touchdowns, a passing touchdown, and a two-point conversion.
Even in defeat, Boise State Broncos personnel eulogized Christ following the team’s Tuesday loss (31-14) to the Penn State Nittany Lions. Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson told media in a postgame press conference, “No matter what — win, lose or draw — I’m going to always give Jesus the glory.”
“I’m so blessed to be the head coach here, and we do serve a champion. And I do know God never says oops,” he said. “As hard as tonight is, as a competitor and as a coach, I do believe we learn and grow from everything.”
Danielson notably gave Jesus “all the glory” after his team defeated the UNLV Rebels to secure the Mountain West Conference championship and first-round playoff bye last month. His profession of faith has seemingly rubbed off on some of his players, one of whom thanked Danielson for bringing him to Christ following Tuesday’s loss to Penn State.
“Coach D, you changed my life. You changed my life,” Broncos defensive end Ahmed Hassanein told Danielson during Tuesday’s postgame presser. “I did not know God until I got to Boise State.”
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
Jesus Christ is King
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