Developing Assets: Bowl Week Two, Part Four

Ryan McDowell

When many fans think about college bowl games, this day, New Year’s Day, is what comes to mind. Today is also the first day of bowl game action in which fans will have some choices to make. We have so many games today that there is some overlap with multiple games occurring at the same time. Whichever game you may choose to watch, here are some players to key in on.

January 1st Bowls

Gator Bowl (12:00, ESPN2)
Nebraska vs. Georgia

This game pits teams from two of the best conferences in America. The Georgia Bulldogs had a disappointing season thanks in part to some crushing injuries. In fact, two of the team’s top dynasty prospects have been out of action for much of the season, namely wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell and running back Keith Marshall. Mitchell, a junior, was expected to declare early for the NFL draft, but suffered a torn ACL in freak injury of the season’s opening game against Clemson. Mitchell was celebrating the long touchdown of teammate Todd Gurley when he suffered the knee injury that ended his season before he even caught a pass. Marshall, the backup running back behind Gurley, also suffered a torn ACL, costing him more than half the season. Finally, starting quarterback Aaron Murray also suffered a torn ACL late in the season, costing him the team’s final game, as well as this bowl matchup. As a senior, he will likely be a late round draft pick and serve as a team’s third quarterback, depending on how his rehabilitation goes this off-season. Despite their injuries, all of these are players should be monitored heading into the 2014 season and I believe Marshall is still worth a devy roster spot in deep leagues.

There are still plenty of players in the game to watch closely. The aforementioned Gurley is potentially the top devy, or underclassman, in all of college football. After rushing for over 1,300 yards as a true freshman, he was limited to 903 this year, mostly due to a stretch of three missed games in mid-season. Gurley’s role as a receiver out of the backfield has improved though as he caught 30 passes for 344 yards, about double what he produced last year in a full season. As I said, if you are in a new devy league, Gurley will likely be the first pick off the board.

The top draft target for Nebraska is talented junior running back Ameer Abdullah. The undersized back now has posted back-to-back 1,000 yard rushing seasons and has been a reliable option as a receiver as well. Recent reports have Abdullah returning to the Cornhuskers for his senior season. At only 5’9” and less than 200 pounds and lacking elite speed, Abdullah’s role in the NFL is unclear.

Heart of Dallas Bowl (12:00, ESPNU)
UNLV vs. North Texas

This is the first choice of the day as this game kicks off at the same time as the Gator Bowl, and while I will opt for the higher profile game, I am looking forward to watching one specific player. Both of these teams have enjoyed surprisingly successful seasons and while each team has some playmakers on the college level, there is that one player I can’t wait to see- UNLV wide receiver Devante Davis. Davis followed up a solid sophomore season by posting seventy-seven receptions for nearly 1,200 yards and fourteen scores this year. He’s boasts ideal size for an NFL wideout at 6’3” and 210 pounds and he ended the season the best way possible. His career game came in the team’s final regular season game against San Diego State, in which he caught eight passes for 171 yards and four touchdowns. If he has another great game on this big stage, he could consider making the leap to the league a year early.

Outback Bowl (1:00, ESPN)
Iowa vs. LSU

The LSU Tigers are another team who will enter the season’s final game without their star quarterback. The team lost quarterback Zach Mettenberger to a knee injury in the regular season finale against the Arkansas Razorbacks and will turn to true freshman Anthony Jennings to lead the team. Mettenberger is a senior and had been gaining some traction as a pro prospect before the injury. Expect him to be a mid-round draft pick and a steal in rookie drafts.

LSU has a few other offensive playmakers that will need to step up if they have a chance against the Hawkeyes of Iowa. They are led by a pair of junior wide receivers who are both rumored to be declaring for the May draft. It seems that every scout or draftnik has a favorite between Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry. You won’t see much separation judging by their stat lines. Both players have over 1,100 receiving yards and eight and ten touchdowns, respectively. Both are also similarly sized with Landry standing 6’1” and 195 pounds, while Beckham is slightly smaller and 6’0” and 187. I question the speed and separation ability of both receivers and see them a tier or two below some of the other top receivers we’ve discussed over the past weeks.

Finally, the Tigers lead tailback is redshirt sophomore Jeremy Hill, who has had a troubling season this year. Following some off-field trouble over the off-season, in which he assaulted a man outside of a bar. Hill was arrested and put on probation. Reports said that LSU head coach Les Miles had no plans to allow Hill back on the team, but ultimately left the decision up to the team, who voted to welcome Hill back. Hill has stayed out of trouble during the season and racked up the yardage, nearing 1,200 even after missing the season’s opening game against Texas Christian. Considering the trouble Hill has had during his two year college career and the relative lack of running back talent in this year’s draft, expect Hill to join his teammates in declaring for the draft early. He could be a first round pick in dynasty rookie drafts.

Capital One Bowl (1:00, ABC)
Wisconsin vs. South Carolina

We’ve got another SCE and Big Ten matchup here along with a handful of prospects to check out. Both teams will lean on the running game and your dynasty teams will benefit from checking out the four backs that will likely see action in this battle. First, South Carolina is led by running back Mike Davis, who has enjoyed a breakout year as a sophomore, rushing for over 1,100 yards and placing himself right in the middle of that strong group of talented sophomore backs. That group is making the running back class of 2015 look like one of the best we’ve seen in over a decade. Davis rushed for over one hundred yards in six of his first seven games this year before struggling down the stretch, which is not a surprise in his first season as the starter. Meanwhile, Wisconsin employs a trio of backs who all have NFL potential. Redshirt sophomore Melvin Gordon has had a breakout year and rank as the lead back for most of the season. His numbers are video game statistics as he’s totaled nearly 1,500 rushing yards with an even more impressive eight yards per carry clip. Late in the season though, the Badgers have turned to senior back James White, who also has well over 1,300 rushing yards on the year. This pair will lead the team, but talented freshman Corey Clement should also steal some carries. Many have already declared that Clement is a better NFL prospect than White. Clement entered college a bit under the radar, so he should be available in almost all devy drafts and makes a strong target. Gordon’s strong play had dynasty owners hopeful that he would make the leap to the league following this game, but it seems that he’s decided to stay in Wisconsin one more season. His decision has left the running back class cloudy and somewhat weak.

Each team also has some pass catchers that will be future NFL players as well. Wisconsin’s top wide receiver is the reliable senior Jared Abbrederis, while South Carolina junior Bruce Ellington is considering making the leap. He leads the Gamecocks with only 635 receiving yards. Neither of these players has me excited and I think both could be better NFL wide receivers than they are for fantasy owners.

Finally, this will likely be the final game in the career of South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Again, I’m no IDP expert, but it’s safe to say Clowney will be the top defensive player off the board in many leagues, as well as being a top five NFL pick.

Rose Bowl (5:00, ESPN)
Stanford vs. Michigan State

Each of these teams is led by their strong defenses and although both teams will focus on a smash mouth running scheme, Stanford does have some playmakers that could land in the league someday. Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan is a redshirt sophomore and technically eligible to declare for the draft, though there has been little talk that he will actually leave the team. Instead, Hogan will likely be part of the stacked quarterback class of 2015, where he could be the third or fourth signal caller off the board. He’s been very inconsistent this yea, but his skills have been somewhat tough to judge in that run heavy offense. Speaking of their running game, Tyler Gaffney leads the team with over 1,600 rushing yards in his first season back with the team. Stanford lost their top two runners from a season ago and were left with questions about the position until Gaffney left a professional baseball career to rejoin Stanford as the starting running back. He’s likely a late round draft pick, but has really carried the team, especially in the second half of the season.

Fiesta Bowl (8:30, ESPN)

Central Florida vs. Baylor

The New Year’s Day finale features two teams playing in their first BCS bowl following the best season in school history for each. While the previous game was all about defense, this one is for the fans of highflying offense and great quarterback play. While UCF sports one of the fastest rising quarterbacks in terms of draft stock in Blake Bortles, Baylor counters that with Bryce Petty and his pals in a record setting offense. The Bears nearly broke the all-time FBS record for both points scored per game and total yardage per game. They have proven nearly impossible to stop, and therefore have been one of the most fun teams to watch this season. They also have the attention of scouts and dynasty owners. Where do we begin?

In his first year as the starter, Petty erupted for over 3,800 passing yards and thirty touchdowns. Reports are that Petty is likely to remain in school for his senior season and while his play has been unreal, I am always hesitant to select players in the traditional high-scoring offenses as my devy players. What happens when those players arrive in the NFL and don’t have that same pass friendly offense?

Another player likely to return for his senior season is wide receiver Antwan Goodley, who has been Petty’s favorite target with sixty-seven receptions and over 1,300 yards. He’s a bulky but speedy wide receiver in the mold of a former Baylor wideout, Kendall Wright.

The Bears also have a pair of running backs that play a big role in their offense. Starter Lache Seastrunk will likely declare for the draft following this game and is considered the top running back by many dynasty players. He could be a top three rookie pick after two consecutive 1,000 yard seasons. I have heard some concern that Seastrunk does not catch passes, which is true. But, Baylor does not throw much to their backs at all. I can see Seastrunk being used as a receiver out of the backfield much more in the NFL than he has been with Oregon. Freshman running back Shock Linwood is next in line and has been getting plenty of touches as Seastrunk’s backup. He’s an explosive player, but I question his role next season as the likely starter. If he can prove to hold up under many more carries, he could be the next Maurice Jones-Drew type player, but I have some doubts.

Central Florida also has a quarterback/running back duo that will land in the NFL sooner or later. The quarterback Bortles has been recently mentioned as a potential first round NFL draft pick and could be the second quarterback drafted in dynasty leagues. Bortles is a big passer and has been compared to Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger. He is an able runner, but only when necessary. Junior running back Storm Johnson is not as likely to leave a year early, but he is coming off his best season and eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards, adding another 261 as a receiver. Johnson transferred to UCF from Miami and finally got an opportunity at extended playing time after playing behind Latavius Murray last season.

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