GLENDALE, Ariz. — As with any sequel, Alabama-Clemson II will have some new characters and fresh plot lines.

The top-ranked Crimson Tide and No. 2 Tigers will meet in Tampa, Fla., next Monday night in the College Football Playoff national championship game. Last year, they played a wild 45-40 game won by 'Bama. It gave Nick Saban a fourth national title with the Tide and fifth overall.

The rematch is a chance for Saban and Alabama to add to an already unprecedented run of four national championships in seven years. For Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, it's another opportunity to beat his beloved alma mater and end a title drought for the Tigers that stretches back more than three decades.

Deshaun Watson is back. The Clemson quarterback was so good last season against the Tide that Saban compared him to Cam Newton.

O.J. Howard returns for Alabama, the tight end who had a career game in last year's final. Both teams once again feature fearsome defensive lines, even though some of the stars have changed.

But there's plenty new this time around:

Hurts so good: Alabama's Jalen Hurts is a victory from becoming the first true freshman quarterback to lead a team to a national championship since Jamelle Holieway did it with Oklahoma in 1985. Last season, Jake Coker was the Tide's quarterback, a drop-back passer who threw for 335 yards on 16 completions, including five for 208 to Howard.

Hurts is more talented than Coker, but if Alabama needs to trade scores with Clemson again, can he make the plays in the passing game that Coker did?

Top target: Welcome to the national title game, Mike Williams.

Clemson's top wide receiver is 6-foot-3, 225 pounds and a few months away from becoming an NFL millionaire. He missed just about all of last season while recovering from a neck injury and returned this year to become Watson's favorite target, catching 90 passes for 1,267 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Men in the middle: The newest defensive line terror for Clemson is also the biggest. Freshman Dexter Lawrence is 6-5 and 340 pounds and has played like an All-American this season.

At least partially responsible for moving Lawrence will be 319-pound center Bradley Bozeman, who stepped in for first-round draft pick Ryan Kelly this season to lead Alabama's offensive line.

Bo-Dozer: Derrick Henry, the Heisman Trophy winner who ran for 158 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries against Clemson last season, is gone, but Bo Scarbrough, at 6-2 and 228 pounds, does a pretty good Henry impersonation.

The Tide unleashed Scarbrough on Washington for 19 carries and 180 yards.