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Notre Dame's Devyn Ford (center) poses for a photo with Indiana's Aiden Fisher (left) and Shawn Asbury. Before they were in the College Football Playoff, the trio dominated Fredericksburg-area high school football. (Photo by Anthony Ford)

540 in the CFP: Locals light up the grid in pursuit of national championship

by | Jan 9, 2025 | ALLFFP, Sports

The first year of the new 12-team College Football Playoff has made national headlines for a variety of reasons, from a handful of lopsided games to the top four seeds all losing after receiving first-round byes.

Those storylines notwithstanding, the historic tournament has featured a bit of local flavor, with a total of six players from the Fredericksburg area appearing on playoff rosters.

Two of those players are on teams that are still alive entering the semifinal round: Notre Dame running back Devyn Ford and Ohio State defensive lineman Eric Mensah.

“We talk about championships and history a lot at [Notre Dame], so this feels like it’s part of our culture,” Ford said by phone after the Fighting Irish’s practice on Sunday afternoon. “It’s like we’re supposed to be here.”

Ford’s road to the CFP has had some twists and turns.

After rushing for 6,210 yards and scoring 102 touchdowns during a decorated prep career at North Stafford High School, Ford signed with Penn State in 2019. He would appear in a total of 27 contests for the Nittany Lions from 2019-2022, making six starts and running for 666 yards and six scores.

Ford left Penn State after four games in 2022, graduated with a psychology degree, then transferred to Notre Dame with two years of eligibility remaining in May 2023.

Ford has seen limited action behind standout backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price in his two seasons with the Irish, gaining a total of 99 yards on 21 carries. But he’s made an impact in other ways, scoring a receiving TD in 2023 and playing on the Irish’s kick return, kick coverage and punt coverage units throughout his time in the program.

Now, Ford faces a challenge that seems fitting for his final days as a college football player: helping No. 7 seed Notre Dame (13-1) defeat No. 6 seed Penn State (13-2) in the CFP semifinals at the Capital One Orange Bowl on Thursday night in Miami. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

“It’s a very full-circle moment for me,” he said. “It’s kind of like a dream made into reality. I couldn’t ask for anything better than this, trying to get Notre Dame back to the national championship game against my former team.”

While Ford’s collegiate career is winding down, Mensah’s is just getting started. The 6-foot-3, 290-pound true freshman from Mountain View High School played very sparingly in the Buckeyes’ first three contests this season but hasn’t taken the field since then. It’s expected that he’ll use his redshirt, although he’s still dressed for both of Ohio State’s playoff games —blowout wins over No. 9 Tennessee (42-17) and No. 1 Oregon (41-21).

Mensah talked about his experiences from both of those contests when reached by phone after the Buckeyes’ practice on Monday evening.

“To be able to beat a team like Tennessee was amazing, and it was a very loud and exciting atmosphere,” Mensah said of the first-ever December game in Ohio Stadium history. “You had a lot of Tennessee fans and Ohio State fans there, and they both gave so much good energy. … But those Tennessee fans got quiet real fast.

“Going to the Rose Bowl [against Oregon] was so cool,” Mensah continued. “I loved it in California because the weather was very nice and warm. It just felt perfect, and winning it and seeing the fans and my teammates so happy brought me joy.”

No. 8 Ohio State (12-2) will square off with No. 5 Texas (13-2) in the CFP semifinals at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Friday night in Dallas. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

“My thoughts on the Cotton Bowl are that it’s gonna be a very good game,” Mensah said. “But I am excited to see my team dominate play after play.”

Three local players were starters for No. 10 seed Indiana: former Colonial Forge standout Elijah Sarratt, North Stafford graduate Shawn Asbury and Riverbend alum Aiden Fisher.

The Hoosiers (11-2) ultimately lost to Notre Dame 27-17 in a first-round matchup on Dec. 20. But the trio’s contributions to a groundbreaking 2024 campaign that saw Indiana reach 10 wins in a season for the first time in its 137 years of existence are undeniable.

Sarratt, a junior wide receiver, was the preferred target of Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke, posting team-highs of 53 receptions, 957 yards and eight scores.

Fisher and Asbury, meanwhile, were both starters on defense for Indiana. Fisher, a junior, paced the Hoosiers with a team-high 118 tackles from his linebacker slot. Asbury, a senior, tallied 69 tackles, four pass breakups and an interception at safety.

Both Sarratt and Fisher followed Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti from James Madison after he took the Indiana job following the 2023 season.

Sarratt played his final year of high school football at Saint Frances Academy (Md.), then spent one season each at Football Championship Subdivision member Saint Francis University and JMU before landing with the Hoosiers.

“It is pretty special to be here right now,” Sarratt said during a December press conference. “I came from a school with less than 5,000 kids (Saint Francis University) to playing in the College Football Playoff, so I can’t do anything but thank God for where I’m at right now.”

Another local product, Kris Jones, was a true freshman linebacker for No. 2 Georgia this season. The former Mountain View star, who finished his prep career at Fairfax High, did not see any action in his first year with the Bulldogs.

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