Each top 25 team's most indispensable player

Did you see the College Football Playoff championship game? Lawrence completed 20 of 32 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns against a Nick Saban Alabama defense. In his true freshman season, he threw 30 TDs and only 4 interceptions and exuded a poise and calmness about him that was infectious. With the Tigers defense losing much of their experience and an offense that loses some key guys Lawrence will be asked to shoulder a bit more of the load. Defensive coordinators will key on stopping him so his ability to handle the pressure will be key to a Clemson repeat. 

Tagovailoa essentially had two seasons last year. He was a clear Heisman Trophy frontrunner for the first half of the season, piling up ridiculous stats despite barely playing in the fourth quarter. However, his season ended with a dud of a performance against Georgia in the SEC Championship game and being completely outplayed by freshman Trevor Lawrence in the national championship game. There was an outstanding performance against Oklahoma in between those games and he was obviously banged up as the season wore on. Bama is stacked once again but with Jalen Hurts now in Oklahoma this is all about where Tua can take the Tide. Look for a huge chip on his shoulder in 2019. 

Jake Fromm and D'Andre Swift get a bulk of the headlines ... and deservedly so ... but Thomas is the most important player for the Bulldogs. Thomas is an intelligent leader who understands what it takes to win and what his responsibility is to make that happen for the Dawgs. He blocks Fromm's blindside and his ability to dominate as a run blocker frees up space for Swift. In a conference with some outstanding defensive linemen, Thomas will be the engine that keeps Georgia rolling.

Lamb has caught passes from two different Heisman Trophy winners in his two seasons at Oklahoma. Now he'll get to catch passes from Jalen Hurts, who went 26-2 and won a national championship as a starter for Alabama. Lamb has adjusted to whomever is throwing him the ball and continues to be a feared receiver for an offense that is always evolving. 

A new quarterback and new receivers playing for a new head coach means that the offense is in a bit of transition at Ohio State. That means that J.K. Dobbins will be attempt to be the steadying force for a Buckeyes team that is trying to get back to the College Football Playoff. Dobbins did take a slight step back in rushing yards last season but made a much bigger impact as a receiver in an abnormally pass-happy offense in 2018. Dobbins should expect more rushing attempts as the offense calms down and becomes more balanced. 

LSU is known for having elite defensive backs, and Delpit looks to have his name mentioned among those greats. Last season he picked off five passes, recorded five sacks and forced a fumble. Not only does he possess top-level range and coverage skills, but LSU also likes to use him to pressure the quarterback. Having a talented safety like Delpit allows for the Tigers to take more risks with blitzes and coverage schemes.

Could things be breaking right for Michigan? Patterson will benefit from new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, who likes to let his playmakers make plays and should allow Patterson to play with more freedom. The offensive line is solid and there are experienced receivers so Patterson has all the tools to have a huge season. In Jim Harbaugh's tenure in Ann Arbor, a reliable offense has kept the Wolverines from taking that next step. They have the quarterback now. 

Florida wins with their defense and Henderson is a major cog in that. He is a shutdown corner who also can help stuff the run and impacts all facets of defense. He had 38 tackles, two interceptions, three sacks, five tackles for loss and forced two fumbles in 2018.

Book took over the starting quarterback job from Brandon Wimbush early in the season and the Irish just felt different. The offense was much more efficient and potent once Book took over and he arguably has the best arm of anyone during Brian Kelly's decade-long tenure. Not only is he capable of slinging the ball around the field but he's a decent scrambler who can break off a big run. 

Ehlinger burst on the scene with his outstanding performance against Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry (314 pass yards, two pass TDs, 72 rush yards, three rush TDs). Much of the rest of the season was pretty darn good too, including the Longhorns' rematch with the Sooners in the Big 12 title game (349 pass yards, four total TDs). Ehlinger would have some poor showings mixed in, but the potential is there to have a huge season. 

Mond doesn't wow you with his stats...though they are impressive. He is a dual-threat quarterback who is entering his second year with Jimbo Fisher  (the guy who had a similar talent in Jameis Winston win a Heisman for him). He showed his ability to dominate with solid games against Alabama and Clemson (both losses) and he may be more crucial to his team's success than anyone in the top 15. The Aggies are ready to make that jump into elite status, and Mond's performance this season will go a long way to achieving that.

Bryant has made the all-Pac 12 team the last two years and is the unquestioned leader of the Huskies' secondary. Bryant is small (just 5'9) but he has no problem mixing it up as a tackler and helping with stopping the run. He's quick, fast and as a senior experienced enough to read plays before and as they develop. In a conference with some unique and electric offenses, Bryant will be one of the most valuable players in the Pac-12. 

Herbert quite possibly would have been the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft had he declared. Instead, he stuck around for his senior season and will attempt to lead Oregon back to elite status and keep the Ducks in the hunt for a Pac 12 and a national championship. His stats don't wow you, but Oregon struggled when he missed several games in 2017 and leaned on him heavily last season. For the first time in his college career, he'll have the same head coach for a second season, which should help create continuity for him and the entire team. 

Gross-Matos is a menace. He is great at overpowering blockers and lives in offensive backfields. He had 20 tackles for loss in 2018 and could be a high first round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Penn State is stacked defensively and this unit (Gross-Matos alongside Mitch Parsons and Shaka Toney) could be the best in the nation. In a Big Ten East division with Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State, YGM is a difference maker.

Look, the Utes are built on their defense and Anae is the best of the bunch. He takes advantage of the great line he lines up with and attacks his blocker aggressively ... putting pressure on the offensive line's blocking schemes. Anae has to be accounted for on every play. 

Auburn's front seven should be problems for opposing offenses, and Brown is the leader of the group. He is huge (6-foot-5 and nearly 320 pounds) and athletic and has the ability to both eat up blockers and still make plays. The Tigers go up against some high-octane offenses this year (Oregon, Georgia and Alabama are some prime examples) and Brown's ability to put pressure in the face of quarterbacks will be a huge key to Auburn's success.

There are a lot of changes happening at UCF so finding some familiarity makes fans feel a bit better. McCrae led the Knights in rushing last year with 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns and the feeling is that he may be leaned on a bit more with the uncertainty at quarterback. McKenzie Milton is still recovering from his horrible knee injury and his replacement Darriel Mack suffered a broken ankle over the summer. That leaves grad transfer Brandon Wimbush as the starter. McCrae was outstanding over the final seven games of 2018, including 181 yards rushing and three touchdowns against rival USF and 208 rushing yards against Memphis in the AAC title game. 

Taylor followed up one of the greatest freshman seasons for a running back with an even better year. He rushed for 2,194 yards and 16 touchdowns and won the Doak Walker Award despite the Badgers having an uncharacteristically off year. Everyone knows he is the focal point of Wisconsin's offense, yet he is so tough to stop. If he ever becomes part of the pass offense (just eight receptions in each of his first two seasons) then he would be lethal.

The Big Ten West is such a volatile division that nearly anyone can win it (see: Northwestern in 2018). Iowa is a contender because of defensive end A.J. Epenesa. Quite simply, this guy gets to the quarterback. He is tall (6-foot-6) and fast and had 10.5 sacks last year for the Hawkeyes in a somewhat limited role. He should be an even bigger factor in 2019 with his ability to disrupt passing plays and his effectiveness against the run.

Willekes is a fifth-year senior that was originally a walk-on for the Spartans. Now he's one of the best pass rushers in college football. He may get off to a slow start as he is coming back from a broken leg he suffered during the Redbox Bowl last December. When he does get back to playing, no one will work harder to give his team a shot at winning.

The Cougars lost their all-everything quarterback and running back so there is some transition going on in the backfield. Lucas (#78, pictured) is an outstanding right tackle who is a phenomenal pass blocker and has a future in the NFL. Washington State's head coach Mike Leach plays a fast break kind of offense so he asks a lot of his offensive linemen. Lucas has worked to bulk up (he's up to 320 pounds) yet remain agile enough to take on edge rushers. 

Who was the only ACC school, besides Clemson, to finish with at least 10 wins in 2018? It was the Syracuse Orange. Cisco, then a freshman, tied for the national lead in interceptions with seven last year and is back to try to scare quarterbacks in 2019. He was everywhere toward the end of the season with nine tackles and a pick against Notre Dame and nine tackles in the Orange's bowl game against West Virginia.

Costello quietly put up big numbers last year (3,540 yards, 29 TDs) for the Cardinal -- his first as a starter. He's got a great arm for Stanford's pro-style offense, completed 65% of his passes and limits turnovers. The Cardinal offense lost the oft-injured running back Bryce Love as well as receivers JJ Arcega-Whiteside and Kaden Smith so it is up to Costello to shoulder a bigger load as the leader of the offense. 

Going into 2018, no one though Purdy would see the field at Iowa State, let alone become the Cyclones' star player. But when injuries hit the quarterback position, he came in, took over and led Iowa State to the Alamo Bowl. He threw for 2,250 yards and 16 TDs. In his first action, he came in on the road against ranked Oklahoma State and led a comeback win ... then the next week threw three touchdowns against No. 6 West Virginia in a win. The Cyclones went 7-2 in games Purdy played in, including a close loss to Washington State in their bowl game. Expectations are sky high in Ames.

How can you not like Paddy Fisher? He is a linebacker that is just everywhere. If there is a tackle, he seems to be in on it. He loves to stick his nose in the action and was an important reason that the Wildcats played in the Big Ten championship game. Tough, tough player.