College Football Championship 2021: Top Breakout Stars from Ohio State-Alabama

As expected, Alabama's top stars shined during its resounding 52-24 win over Ohio State in Monday night's College Football Playoff National Championship at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. And those players were key reasons why the Crimson Tide easily rolled to victory.

Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith, the Heisman Trophy winner, had 12 receptions for 215 yards and three touchdowns—and he didn't even have a catch in the second half after leaving with a hand injury and not returning. Quarterback Mac Jones went 36-of-45 for 464 yards and five touchdowns, while running back Najee Harris had three total touchdowns (two rushing and one receiving).

None of those performances were surprising. That trio was among Alabama's best players all season.

However, there were also some strong showings for breakout players on Monday night, performances that may not have been as expected as those from Smith, Jones and Harris (who all finished in the top five in Heisman voting this season). Here's a closer look at three of those players.

Christian Barmore, DL, Alabama

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Barmore got off to a bit of a slow start in 2020, but he took his game to another level when the stakes were the highest. He had four sacks over Alabama's final three games of the regular season, including five tackles and a forced fumble against Florida in the SEC Championship Game and five tackles and a sack against Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl.

In the CFP National Championship, Barmore earned Defensive MVP honors by collecting five tackles (two for a loss) and a sack, while constantly pressuring Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields and consistently getting into the Buckeyes' backfield.

Barmore's biggest play of the game came at the end of the third quarter. Ohio State faced a 4th-and-1 at its own 45-yard line, trailing by 21 points, and it decided to go for it. But Buckeyes running back Master Teague III got stuffed by Barmore for a loss of two yards and Ohio State turned the ball over on downs. Alabama scored a touchdown on its ensuing possession to stretch the lead to 28 points.

"We came in here to play physical and strong, and we came to dominate," Barmore said during a postgame interview on ESPN's coverage of the trophy ceremony.

A redshirt sophomore, Barmore could decide to enter the 2021 NFL draft. One thing that would work in his favor is that it looks a weak defensive-line class, so his value could potentially be higher now than if he returned for another season at Alabama and went to the NFL in 2022. And after Monday night, a lot of people are likely impressed by the 6'5", 310-pound defensive lineman and excited to see what he'll do next.

Master Teague III, RB, Ohio State

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Ohio State was likely planning to give a bunch of carries to graduate senior running back Trey Sermon on Monday night. Over the Buckeyes' previous two games, he had rushed for 524 yards and three touchdowns, playing a key role in getting them into the CFP National Championship.

However, Sermon had only one rushing attempt before suffering an apparent collarbone/shoulder injury that led to him leaving to go to the hospital (per ESPN's Maria Taylor on the game broadcast). So, Ohio State had to turn to Teague early to try to establish its running game and keep up with Alabama's offense.

And when the game was still competitive early, Teague had an impressive showing. He scored the Buckeyes' first two touchdowns of the game, both of which tied the score—an 8-yard scoring run with 4:55 to go in the first quarter and a 4-yard scoring run with 11:43 to go in the second.

As Ohio State fell behind, it was forced to pass more. But Teague still ended up with 65 carries on 15 attempts, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. That showing came after the redshirt sophomore missed the Buckeyes' Sugar Bowl win over Clemson due to a concussion.

Teague is eligible to leave for the NFL, but if he returns to Ohio State for the 2021 season, he could potentially build off his strong showing this past season. He had three two-touchdown games (including Monday's) and went over 100 yards twice.

John Metchie III and Slade Bolden, WRs, Alabama

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Smith may be leaving, but Alabama is still set up to have a strong receiving corps in 2021. And the Crimson Tide got a glimpse of two playmakers who will likely play key roles for their offense next season on Monday night.

Metchie, a sophomore, had a career-high eight receptions for 81 yards. It was a strong finish to a season in which he had six touchdowns and twice went over 100 yards. Next season, with Smith and Jaylen Waddle likely both gone, Metchie should produce at an even higher level.

As for Bolden, he entered Monday night with only 21 receptions for 254 yards this season. And on Monday, he only had three catches for 16 yards. However, the redshirt sophomore's performance was notable because he got into the end zone for the first time in his college career.

Bolden caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Jones in the third quarter, extending Alabama's lead to 45-24. Less than four minutes before that, Ohio State had cut its deficit to 14 points. And with Smith out of the game, the Crimson Tide needed to keep the Buckeyes from getting back into it, so Bolden's score proved to be important.

Metchie and Bolden will surely have bigger roles in 2021, and with 5-star quarterback Bryce Young set to take over for Jones, Alabama's offense could put up impressive numbers again next season.