Bowl SZN: Players to Watch

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is upon us and with an expanded playoff and no shortage of bowl games, there are plenty of prospects - current and future - to keep an eye on this postseason.

	Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty (Fiesta Bowl) With 2,497 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, Jeanty would have ran away with the Heisman Trophy in most other years. The spotlight of the College Football Playoff will give most of the country the chance to see him in action before bedtime - a rarity for the Boise State standout.
	Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter (Alamo Bowl) The best two-way player in recent memory, Hunter went for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns on offense with four interceptions on defense in 2024. He won’t be waiting too long before his name is called in April.
	Penn State DE Abdul Carter (CFP First Round) Wearing No. 11 at Penn State means something and Carter is worthy of the honor. He leads the Nittany Lions with 49 pressures, 20 tackles for loss, 14 run-stops, 10 sacks, and has a pair of forced fumbles on the year.
	Mississippi DT Walter Nolen (Gator Bowl) Nolen declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft but also confirmed his intentions to play in the Gator Bowl. Nolen was a huge get for Ole Miss in the transfer portal last year and became an All-American this fall with a career-high 48 tackles and 6.5 sacks.
	Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel (Rose Bowl) The well-traveled southpaw has taken three different programs to bowl games but has a chance to win a national championship with the Ducks. The spotlight could be pivotal for the undersized Heisman finalist in solidifying his NFL Draft outlook.
	Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders (Alamo Bowl) A strong candidate for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Sanders had his best collegiate season in 2024, completing 74.2 percent of his throws for a career-best 3,926 yards with 35 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
	Georgia DE Mykel Williams (Sugar Bowl) An edge rusher with plenty of big-game experience, Williams is a likely top-15 pick come April. He could solidify that with a strong performance in the College Football Playoff.
	Georgia LB Jalon Walker (Sugar Bowl) Walker won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker after logging 57 tackles (35 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks for the Bulldogs. He will almost certainly be a first-round pick come April.
	Tennessee DE James Pearce Jr. (CFP First Round) The SEC’s leading pass rusher led all conference defenders with 52 total pressures this fall which resulted in 7.5 sacks. He heads into the College Football Playoff having registered at least a half-tackle for loss in eight consecutive contests.
	Georgia S Malaki Starks (Sugar Bowl) One of the top defensive backs in college football, Starks led the Bulldogs with 73 tackles (48 solo) in 2024. He figures to be the top safety off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft.
	Ohio State OL Donovan Jackson (CFP First Round) Jackson’s versatility will make him money come April. The senior lined up at both left guard and left tackle for the Buckeyes this fall, allowing just seven pressures and three sacks all season.
	Miami QB Cam Ward (Pop-Tarts Bowl) Like Dillon Gabriel, Cam Ward has enjoyed quite a journey through college football. That journey began at Incarnate Word and passed through Washington State before Ward’s breakout Heisman-finalist season at Miami, a campaign that likely earned him selection among the top five picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
	Minnesota OL Aireontae Ersery (Duke’s Mayo Bowl) The 2024 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year could work his way into the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft over the next few months. Ersery was a three-year starter at left tackle for the Golden Gophers, earning All-Big Ten honors twice and All-America distinction in 2024.
	Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo (Peach Bowl) Many were disappointed that Skattebo didn’t receive an invite to New York City for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. The senior Sun Devil was the first player in Big XII Conference history to record 1,500-plus rushing yards and 500-plus receiving yards in the same season.
	Texas OL Kelvin Banks Jr. (CFP First Round) Banks has only allowed one pressure so far this season and after starting 39 straight games at left tackle for the Longhorns, projects as a high-end first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
	SMU QB Kevin Jennings (CFP First Round) Timothée Chalamet identified Jennings as a potential 2025 Heisman candidate and with good reason. Jennings led SMU to nine wins as a starter and a College Football Playoff berth while throwing for 3,050 yards and 22 touchdowns on the season.
	Oregon RB Jordan James (Rose Bowl) James’ 1,253 yards and 15 touchdowns in his Big Ten debut flew under the radar in the shadow of Ashton Jeanty’s monster season at Boise State. However, James is one of the better backs in the country and an endzone regular for the undefeated Ducks.
	Notre Dame LB Jack Kiser (CFP First Round) Kiser has played more games for the Irish - 66 - than any player in program history. This year, he leads the team with 66 tackles (37 solo) and has added three tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble for one of the nation’s stingiest defensive units.
	Penn State QB Drew Allar (CFP First Round) Allar announced earlier this week his intentions to return for his senior season in 2025. After passing for 2,894 yards and 21 touchdowns already this fall, Allar figures to be a front-runnner for the 2025 Heisman Trophy and a potential first-round NFL Draft pick come 2026.
	Florida QB D.J. Lagway (Gasparilla Bowl) Lagway is still a couple years out from being an NFL prospect, but the five-star recruit was pressed into service earlier than anticipated and delivered as hoped. The Gators are 5-1 with Lagway behind center, tallying wins over a pair of ranked teams (Mississippi and LSU) and the only loss coming against conference champ Georgia.

There are also a handful of notable opt-outs. Several potential NFL prospects have already played their final collegiate games and will spend this time preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft.

	Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson (Music City Bowl) Johnson earned consensus All-America honors after rushing for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2024. He could find himself as a late first-round pick in April.
	Michigan RB Donovan Edwards (​​ReliaQuest Bowl) The only player in college football history with multiple 40-yard runs in a single national championship game, Edwards got hurt in the Wolverines’ win over Ohio State and opted out of the team’s bowl game. He didn’t enjoy the kind of season he had hoped when he returned to Ann Arbor for his senior year, but still figures to be among the first handful of backs off the board in April.
	Missouri WR Luther Burden III (Music City Bowl) An early and expected opt-out, the Missouri wideout is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. In three years as a Tiger, Burden III caught 192 passes for 2,263 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns.
	San Jose State WR Nick Nash (Hawai’i Bowl) Nash finished the regular season atop the NCAA Division I rankings in receptions (104), receiving yards (1,382), and receiving touchdowns (16). Nash currently projects as a likely day three NFL Draft pick.
	LSU OL Will Campbell (Texas Bowl) A likely top-10 pick come April, Campbell has started every game of his LSU career and is regarded by some as perhaps the greatest offensive lineman in program history.
	Texas A&M DE Nic Scourton (Las Vegas Bowl) Scourton was a positive transfer portal addition in 2024 after spending his first two seasons at Purdue. In 2024, Scourton led the Aggies with 14 tackles for loss and five sacks on his way to becoming a likely first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
	Texas A&M DE Shemar Stewart (Las Vegas Bowl) Stewart played opposite Scourton in College Station and though he lacked the production of his edge-rushing counterpart, certainly possesses the frame and skill-set to be a first-round defensive end.
	South Carolina DE Kyle Kennard (Citrus Bowl) The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner as the top defensive player in NCAA Division I, Kennard led the SEC with 15.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks this season. He currently projects as a late first-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.
	Michigan DT Mason Graham (ReliaQuest Bowl) After setting career-highs with 45 tackles and 3.5 sacks, the consensus All-American is in line to be a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
	Michigan CB Will Johnson (​​ReliaQuest Bowl) Johnson was limited by injury in 2024, but both of his interceptions were returned for touchdowns. A two-time All-American and MVP of the 2024 National Championship Game, Johnson is expected to be selected very high in the 2025 NFL Draft.