Charlotte, NC – The NJCAA will be well-represented during the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship as 10 association alumni suit up to battle for the title.  The Georgia Bulldogs seek to claim their second consecutive national title while the Texas Christian Horned Frogs look to make their mark on the college football world.

One name that has become well-known over the years in the college football world is none other than the Georgia Bulldogs' quarterback, Stetson Bennett. Bennett began his college football journey as a walk-on at the University of Georgia before transferring to Jones College (MS) as a sophomore. During his journey at Jones, Bennett threw for 1,820 yards with 16 touchdowns and rushed for 148 yards with 4 touchdowns. He finished the season with Jones as the No. 12 ranked quarterback in the NJCAA for passing yards before earning a scholarship back to the University of Georgia and beginning one of the most notable walk-on stories to date. Bennett was a 2022 Heisman Trophy finalist and the 2022 Burlsworth Trophy winner, given to the most outstanding college football player who began their career as a walk-on. During his 2021-2022 season with Georgia, Bennett threw for 2,862 yards with 29 touchdowns and rushed for 259 yards with 1 touchdown to lead the Bulldogs to a CFP National Championship title. 

Joining Bennett on the field as a bulldog will be former Hutchinson (KS) defensive lineman Tramel Walthour, who has 22 total tackles on the season and was ranked as the No. 6 junior college defensive tackle and No. 44 overall junior college prospect by ESPN during his tenure at Hutchinson. 

Although the Horned Frogs are newer to the College Football Playoff spotlight, they are loaded with talented NJCAA alumni. Among this list is starting left tackle Brandon Coleman who was ranked as the No. 7 offensive tackle in the NJCAA during his tenure at Trinity Valley (TX). Former Independence (KS) standout Jamoi Hodge has posted 75 total tackles and 4.5 sacks on the season for TCU. Abe Camara has 50 total tackles on the season for TCU and was named the #No. 1 junior college safety during his time at Coffeyville (KS). Other former two-year college players with the Horned Frogs include Namdi Obiazor, who was named to the 2021 NJCAA First-Team All-America team and helped lead Iowa Western to a runner-up finish in the national title game, former Monroe (NY) defensive lineman, Doug Blue-Eli,  who was named to the 2021 NJCAA Second-Team All-America team, and Daveion Crawford, who had 46 total tackles during his single season at Ellsworth (IA).

Rounding out the list of NJCAA alumni on the TCU squad are Austin Scheets and Chase Curtis who both played baseball in NJCAA before starting their collegiate football journies. Scheets was a right-handed pitcher at Weatherford (TX) and Curtis was an infielder/right-handed pitcher at Neosho (TX). Curtis has 37 receiving yards on the season for TCU.