College Football Championship 2020: Top Breakout Stars From Clemson vs. LSU

The abundance of talent on the LSU Tigers depth chart forced some of their top contributors out of the national conversation.

In Monday's 42-25 win over the Clemson Tigers in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, a few of those under-the-radar players made some of the game's most important plays. 

Tight end Thaddeus Moss, the son of NFL legend Randy Moss, produced a touchdown in each half. Defensively, Patrick Queen stood out the most from a collection of potential NFL talent. 

The contributions of both breakout stars allowed LSU to pull away in the second half and win its first national title since 2007. 

Top Breakout Stars

Thaddeus Moss, TE, LSU 

Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press

Moss doubled his season touchdown total Monday by snagging a pair of scoring throws from Burrow. 

The tight end entered the game with two receiving touchdowns, one of which occurred in the Peach Bowl against the Oklahoma Sooners. 

Moss finished with five receptions for 36 yards, which was the fewest yards among LSU receivers, but he tied JaMarr Chase for the most touchdowns. 

Winning the national championship in the Superdome was significant to Moss and his family, as his father lost his final NFL game inside the stadium in Super Bowl XLVII as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, per ESPN.com's Heather Dinich. 

"It's crazy how everything comes full circle," Moss said. "That was his last football game, he lost the Super Bowl here, and I was able to win a national championship here and have a big game."

Moss' first touchdown catch came with 10 seconds left in the second quarter that helped open up an 11-point advantage. 

His second scoring play produced a double-digit lead that LSU would hold on to for the remainder of the SEC vs. ACC showdown. 

The 6'3", 249-pound junior tallied nine catches for 135 yards and three touchdowns in the two College Football Playoff contests. 

Although the NC State transfer was not LSU's top receiver in the two-game span, he played an important role in both contests that thrust a larger spotlight on him because of his numbers and his famous last name. 

Patrick Queen, LB, LSU 

Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Queen earned Defensive Player of the Game honors for racking up eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. 

The linebacker, who finished third on the LSU roster in season tackles, was overshadowed a bit in the buildup to the game because of the NFL talent behind him in the secondary, led by safety Grant Delpit. 

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman pointed out Queen's terrific game, which included a huge tackle on Clemson running back Travis Etienne. 

Queen's performance may have been a surprise to some, but he was effective all season in pass coverage. 

Before the national championship game, Pro Football Focus College Football noted the junior allowed 165 yards in 355 coverage snaps. 

Queen and his teammates contained Etienne's production out of the backfield, as he had five receptions for 36 yards. 

While the 6'1", 227-pound Queen walked away with most of the accolades for his defensive showing, the entire LSU defense deserves credit for putting Trevor Lawrence under pressure. The Clemson quarterback went 18-of-37 with 234 passing yards and zero touchdowns.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.