With Indiana’s win over Miami in the final game of the College Football Playoffs on Monday night, former Tennessee tight end Holden Staes is now officially a collegiate national champion. The Hoosiers defeated former Vol Jakobe Thomas and the 10-seed Miami Hurricanes by a score of 27-21 in Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, FL.
Staes has been a backup tight end this season after transferring in from Tennessee. He’s played in every game this season, including each of the playoff games, with one start. In total, Staes has caught seven passes for 62 yards and two touchdowns this season. He did not record any receiving statistics in Monday night’s championship game, but was involved in a few key plays such as Indiana’s first rushing touchdown of the night.
Staes caught one pass in games against Old Dominion, Kennesaw State, and Maryland. The 6-foot-4 tight end caught two passes in games against Indiana State and Wisconsin. Staes’s two touchdowns this season came in home games against the Sycamores and the Badgers.
Staes began his career at Notre Dame and spent two seasons with the Fighting Irish in 2022 and 2023. He then transferred to Tennessee for the 2024 season. During his lone year in Knoxville, Staes played alongside Miles Kitselman and Ethan Davis at the tight end position. Staes had 15 receptions for 131 yards and one touchdown with the Volunteers.
Staes’ 131 receiving yards with Tennessee were the second-most of his career. He caught a career-high 176 yards on 15 receptions during his 2023 season with the Fighting Irish. Staes has been the backup to tight end Riley Nowakowski this season with the Hoosiers, who has caught 370 yards and two touchdowns during Indiana’s championship season.
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Former Tennessee safety Jakobe Thomas had six tackles in Miami’s losing effort on Monday night. The Tullahoma, TN, native was nothing short of an impact addition to the Hurricanes’ roster after transferring over from Tennessee last offseason. Thomas was a starting safety for the Hurricanes during the 2025 season and finished with the second-most tackles on the team at 69. He also tallied six pass deflections, 3.5 sacks, five interceptions, and two forced fumbles during Miami’s 2025 campaign.
Thomas spent his first two seasons in college football with Middle Tennessee in 2022 and 2023. During that time, he racked up 108 tackles, four interceptions, and one forced fumble. Thomas parlayed that success into a Tennessee transfer before the 2024 season, finishing up his lone year in Knoxville with 22 tackles, two pass deflections, and one sack.
1-seed Indiana defeated 10-seed Miami by a score of 27-21 on Monday night in Hard Rock Stadium to claim the College Football Playoffs National Championship.
