College Football Championship 2017: Top Breakout Stars from Clemson vs. Alabama

Some of college football's biggest stars came out to shine on Monday, but several unexpected faces emerged during the Clemson Tigers' stunning 35-31 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2017 CFP National Championship.

Deshaun Watson cemented his legend in college football folklore, and Alabama's defensive stalwarts were excellent for most of the night. Yet, new players broke out to give the Tigers the win, and the Crimson Tide had guys step up in a valiant effort to defend their title.

Here are three players that broke out in Tampa, which helped create one of the most memorable football games in recent history.

Rashaan Evans, Alabama

Playing in the shadow of multiple future NFL players and arguably the greatest defensive line in college football history, linebacker Rashaan Evans went from a replacement to a star on Monday.

Evans, filling in for the injured Shaun Dion Hamilton, was all over the field. Tasked, along with Reuben Foster, with shutting down a vaunted Clemson rushing attack that included Watson and Wayne Gallman, Evans finished with 11 tackles and 0.5 sacks. As a team, the Tigers rushed for just 91 yards on 42 attempts.

At 6'3" and 231 pounds, Evans displayed tremendous strength and sideline speed, tracking down Clemson rushers while also cleaning up at the line of scrimmage. Behind Foster, an All-American who is likely to become a first-round NFL pick, Pro Football Focus rated Evans as Alabama's best player Monday:

With one more season of eligibility remaining, Evans could develop into Alabama's next star. He has all of the tools to dominate next season, and he certainly showed up on the grandest of all stages.

Jordan Leggett, Clemson

Similar to O.J. Howard, Jordan Leggett is a matchup nightmare at tight end who failed to put up monster numbers throughout his four-year career. On Monday though, Leggett looked like the star and NFL player that he always seemed to be on the verge of embodying.

The 6'5", 260-pound Florida native entered the game with 39 catches, 641 yards and seven touchdowns. He had never topped 40 receptions in his four years, despite having Mike Williams out of the lineup for practically all of last season. This season, Leggett eclipsed the 70-yard mark just twice in a game.

On Monday, Leggett hauled in a season-best seven passes for 95 yards and took advantage of favorable matchups with linebackers while having star defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick on him for much of the night. He also made a massive catch to put Clemson in the red zone with under 20 seconds remaining.

Leggett has the ability to become a weapon at the next level, especially in a time where tight ends that can run and make difficult catches downfield have become such a commodity. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller certainly believes Leggett can be a steal this spring:

On a night where Clemson needed all of its playmakers to show, Leggett did his part to help Watson have an extraordinary night.

Hunter Renfrow, Clemson

Perhaps no other player became as unlikely a hero in this game than a tiny receiver from South Carolina, as Hunter Renfrow will forever be a Clemson legend.

The redshirt sophomore entered Monday as the fifth option in a loaded receiving group, totaling 34 catches for 403 yards and four touchdowns on the year. While much of the talk focused on how Alabama would defend star Clemson receiver Mike Williams, Renfrow proved to be the difference-maker.

Renfrow led the Tigers with 10 receptions to go with 92 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his scores came in the fourth quarter, including the catch that will be replayed for decades to come, courtesy of ESPN:

He had 10 receptions combined in his previous four games, but he roasted highly touted Alabama nickel corners like Tony Brown and Fitzpatrick while becoming a security blanket for Watson all night.

His performance altered the Crimson Tide's defensive scheme down the stretch, as Renfrow forced Alabama to bring safeties closer to the line of scrimmage to help out the linebackers and nickel corners on the slot receiver. As a result, Williams found more space on the boundary in one-on-one matchups. Leggett also benefitted as Fitzpatrick did not shadow him as often due to Renfrow's production.

Renfrow hurt Alabama last season as well, posting a nearly identical stat line with seven catches for 88 yards and two touchdowns. The speedster seems to save his best for the Crimson Tide, per ESPN Stats and Info:

Without Renfrow, Clemson would be stewing over another national title loss. Now, the Tigers sit atop the college football world.

Offensive statistics are courtesy of NCAA.com, unless otherwise noted. Defensive statistics are courtesy of Clemson New Media Networks.