College football Players and coaches have spoken publicly and on the biggest platforms this season about their faith, and on Monday, the two teams who have led that conversation will face off in the national championship.
Ohio State It's the go-to target in the title game, but for many players, their belief, not stats and analytics, is the driving factor behind their confidence on the field.
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard (18) passes against Texas during the second half of the College Football Playoff Cotton Bowl semifinal game, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
In a series of interviews with Sports Spectrum this season, several Buckeyes players spoke about converting to their faith and how it affected their performance on the field.
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“I would say that over the last couple of years we've kind of — there's been kind of a number of players on the football team who have regained their faith in Jesus Christ. That was a big thing for me my freshman year,” star receiver Emeka Egbuka told the outlet in November.
Igbuka, a graduate student, recalled in his interview the turning point for him. He was invited to attend Mass by his teammates, and said it was the first time he felt a real connection to his faith.
“Since then, my life has changed. I have turned 180, and I have a similar testimony to many of the players on the team. We were praying for some kind of revival like this on our team, and we decided to share with everyone what God has done on our soccer team.”
Egbuka said he opted out of the NFL Draft last season because he felt a “bigger” calling than football.
Emeka Egbuka, No. 2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes, runs the ball during the first quarter of a game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium on October 12, 2024 in Eugene, Oregon. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
“I felt like the Lord was leading me to Ohio State for another year. I felt like the Lord was asking me a question, testing my heart: ‘If you come back for this next year, you're going to have this huge platform, you're going to have a lot of followers, you're going to get these accolades — this name to live up to. And you can do one of two things at that moment, you can either use it to glorify Me or to glorify yourself. “So I saw it as a bit of a challenge and something I had to do.”
Star running back Trevion Henderson told the outlet in a separate interview that despite his outstanding rookie season, which included success and NIL deals, he turned to his faith after the injury.
“He saved my life from going down this path of destruction. He saved me. He put me on this path of eternal life… You see a lot of people on this path of great destruction, but I am so grateful that Jesus saved me from that path and put me on his path.”
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Trevon Henderson (32) scores a touchdown on a 75-yard run against the Texas Longhorns in the second quarter of the Cotton Bowl Classic during the Football League semifinal game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. On January 10, 2025. (Kyle Robertson/The Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
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And just last month, J. Scott Jr. said this season has been highlighted by tremendous change spiritually.
“I would just say that there is a large flock of people who have made the general declaration to surrender their lives to Christ, which I commend very much, because, especially in this age and in 2024, the world we live in now, there are so many things you can allude to Or give your life to it, there are so many things you can give your life to.”
Just this week, Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard He praised both teams for speaking openly about their faith, and believes that's a big reason why the two teams are competing for college football's biggest prize.
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