It’s that time of year again. With another football season winding down, tens of millions of Americans will spend their Monday night tuning into the 2026 College Football National Championship to see who will come out victorious on the biggest stage in college sports.
While the Miami Hurricanes and Indiana Hoosiers are set to face off, the state of New Jersey has ties to the big game, with former high school athletes representing their colleges on both sides. Here is a list of all the New Jersey athletes participating in the 2026 National Championship:
Jaylen Bell– DB, Indiana
The lone Hoosier to be billed from the garden state is Union’s Jaylen Bell. The true freshman hardly saw the field in 2025, but made appearances on both special teams and defense in three games. Playing for Grayson High School, the three-star athlete was rated a top 75 recruit in Georgia and a top 60 defensive back in the nation. Despite moving in 2020, he still identifies New Jersey as his home.
Mohamed Toure– LB, Miami
Mohamed Toure is certainly a familiar name in our neck of the woods. The Pleasantville native spent six seasons at Rutgers and was a star, making 13.5 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss in 37 games. After missing the 2024 season for an ACL injury that also cost him the entirety of 2022, Toure made what was considered a difficult decision to leave his home state, and to spend his final year of eligibility reuniting with former Scarlet Knights linebackers coach and now Miami Defensive Coordinator Corey Hetherman. He found the fresh start he was looking for, being a key member of this dominant Hurricane defense, where he leads his team in tackles with 73.
Alex Bauman– TE, Miami
After three successful years at Tulane, Alex Bauman made the move in the transfer portal to join the Hurricanes for his senior year. The Tight End started 10 games but had been quiet, with 17 receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown on the year. Bauman is from Red Bank, where he was dominant on both sides of the field at Red Bank Catholic, playing tight end and edge rusher. The former high school football’s Shore Conference MVP earned First Team All State as a Tight End twice in his career.
Juan Minaya– OL, Miami
Paramus’ Juan Minaya is currently listed as the third string left guard on the Miami offensive line. The freshman joined the team last season but took a red shirt and sat out. Hailing from Paramus Catholic, the former Paladin was ranked as a top prospect in the state by multiple scouting sites and was awarded All-Bergen County Second Team Honors in 2022 and 2023.
While he may not be from here, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal has a connection with New Jersey that was a key factor early in his career. From 2001-03, Cristobal was a member of the Rutgers coaching staff where Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano took him under his wing. The Hurricanes’ skipper credits Schiano as “the greatest mentor he’s ever had,” noting he’s the reason Cristobal got his start.
