Bowl Game Previews: January 2
The college football season is almost over. These final bowl games will give us one last look at some of the top prospects for the upcoming NFL Draft. There are four bowl games on the slate and all of them have interesting storylines. We will be closing the nightcap with a shootout at the Orange Bowl. Both North Carolina and Texas A&M can light up the scoreboard, making it a fun game to watch.
This is a special time of year since these college programs are playing for some extra hardware for their trophy case. With some key players forgoing their bowl games to get ready for the NFL Draft, we could some very entertaining matchups.
It’s time to dig into the matchups to see what’s in store for us.
TAXSLAYER GATOR BOWL
Kentucky Wildcats vs. NC State Wolfpack
ESPN, Jan 2nd @ 12 p.m. EST
2020 has been an unforgettable year. We have a Kentucky team that only has four wins on the season, and they were against Mississippi State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and South Carolina. The team ranks 121st in the country with 124.4 passing yards per game. Kentucky fired their offensive coordinator and quarterback coach just a few weeks ago. They are still transitioning to new leadership. This might be a good time for the team to experiment and get some reps for their younger players.
North Carolina State is on the opposite side of the spectrum. They are entering this game with four straight wins. Their only losses have come against Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and Miami. The Wolfpack is best described as a physical team that is more than capable of putting points on the scoreboard.
Quarterback is currently not Kentucky’s strong suit. Terry Wilson is the team’s starter and he has passed for 1,095 yards seven touchdowns and four interceptions on the season. We could see the team play some of their young quarterbacks to get ready for next season. Sophomore quarterback Joey Gatewood started for the Wildcats against Georgia where he completed 15 of his 20 pass attempts for 91 yards. Beau Allen is the team’s freshman quarterback. He has been used sparingly throughout the season. Rivals rated him as a four-star recruit and ranked him 13th among pro-style quarterbacks. Keep a lookout for him during the next couple of years.
Redshirt sophomore running back Chris Rodriguez might build some steam as a future mid-round draft prospect if he continues to build momentum. Injuries prevented him be able to fully breakout, but he still managed to rush for 701 yards and nine touchdowns. NFL scouts will love his 5-foot-11 and 224-pound frame and his ability to bang out the tough yards between the tackles.
Wide receiver Josh Ali made the best of what he had to work with this season. The senior owned a 37.14 percent market share of the team’s passing offense. He was the only pass-catcher on the team to catch more than 15 passes. Ali will be eligible for the 2021 draft and could be a trendy late-round prospect.
North Carolina State is led by redshirt junior quarterback Bailey Hockman. It’s been an up-and-down year for the young passer. He lost the starting position to Devin Leary who had his season cut short due to suffering a broken leg. Hockman has led the Wolfpack to four-straight wins and has passed for seven touchdowns and three interceptions during those games.
The team likes to implement a committee between junior running back Ricky Person and sophomore Zonovan Knight. Person is the bigger back who can grind out the tough yards where Knight can be more of a homerun threat. Neither running back will overwhelm you with talent, but both hold their own at the college level.
This ball could not have been thrown better by Devin Leary. Heck of a catch by Emeka Emezie too. pic.twitter.com/NGfWVyaXgN
— Dan Siegel (ACC Content) (@ACContent__) October 13, 2020
Emeka Emezie is the team’s leading receiver. He has caught 42 passes for 694 yards and five touchdowns. Emezie is a very underrated prospect who moves well for his size and has a knack for making plays downfield. Another receiver to look out for is redshirt sophomore Devin Carter. He has caught at least two passes he has played in this season. He’s a big 6-foot-4 and 215-pound wide receiver who has the potential to develop into one of the team’s top receivers going into next year.
OUTBACK BOWL
Ole Miss Rebels vs. Indiana Hoosiers
ABC, Jan 2nd @ 12:30 p.m. EST
Ole Miss finished the regular season with a 4-5 record while placing fifth in the SEC West Division. They have won three of their last four games and are looking to knock off the Indiana Hoosiers who are currently ranked 11th in the nation with a 6-1 record. Their best game came during their 42-35 loss to Ohio State. They went toe to toe with one of the toughest teams in the nation and made Justin Fields look human.
Matt Corral is the team’s starting quarterback. His 2,995 passing yards ranked third in the SEC. He was a four-star prospect and was ranked the fourth-best pro-style quarterback by 247Sports when coming out of high school.
He will be slinging the rock to Elijah Moore, one of the best wide receivers in the country. He is almost a lock to be a first-round draft selection in rookie drafts this spring. Moore was very productive this season, catching 86 passes for 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns while owning a 38.45 percent market share of the team’s passing production.
Jerrion Ealy was rated a five-star running back recruit out of high school. He has transitioned into the team’s main running back and has rushed for 745 yards and nine touchdowns on the season. His best rushing performance came against Alabama where he rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns. He shares the backfield with Snoop Coner who may be considered the thunder to Ealy’s lightning. The sophomore running back is listed as 5-foot-10 and weighs 215 pounds. He runs with a lot of power and can deliver significant blows at the point of contact.
Indiana is led by one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the country. Michael Penix displayed excellent ball placement throughout the season. He had a good showing in his toughest matchup against Ohio State. He was one of the main reasons why Indiana was threatening to compete for a Big Ten title.
Stevie Scott is Indiana’s big bruising running back. He is listed at 6-foot-2 and weighs 231 pounds and is the team’s leading rusher with 462 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He broke out as a freshman with over 1,000 yards rushing.
The Hoosiers have some athletes at the wide receiver position. Ty Fryfogle has made some incredible plays throughout the season. He is the team’s leading receiver with 687 yards and seven touchdowns while owning a 38.04 percent market share of the team’s passing production. Whop Philyor is another good wide receiver we need to pay attention to. He is a very explosive athlete who can eat up chunks of yards if he gets the ball in the open field. Philyor is great after the catch and is tough to tackle once he gets up to full speed.
Peyton Hendershot had some off-the-field issues during the off-season. He recorded the most yards ever for an Indiana tight end in 2019. This season, with a new quarterback, he still managed to own a 25 percent touchdown share. If he takes a step forward in his development, he could become a trendy draft prospect for the 2022 NFL Draft.
PLAYSTATION FIESTA BOWL
Oregon Ducks vs. Iowa State Cyclones
ESPN, Jan 2nd @ 4:00 p.m. EST
The Oregon Ducks were able to win the Pac-12 championship with a 4-2 overall record. They have lost two of their last three games. They will be playing an Iowa State team that ranks tenth in the nation with an 8-3 record. Their best wins came against Oklahoma and Texas. Vegas has them favored to win this game by four points.
Oregon had to fill the void left from the departure of Justin Herbert. That being said, sophomore quarterback Tyler Shough has big shoes to fill. He finished the 2021 season with two 300-yard passing performances. He was ranked seventh-best among pro-style quarterbacks by 247Sports along with being rated as a four-star prospect.
CJ Verdell is the running back to watch for Oregon. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons prior to this year. A groin injury caused him to start the short 2020 season off slow. He turned things on during the tail end of the season. The 5-foot-10 and 210-pound running back is currently dealing with an undisclosed injury but is hopeful to play in the team’s bowl game.
Verdell’s roommate out of the backfield is junior running back Travis Dye who has rushed for 1,788 yards and five touchdowns during his three-year collegiate career. He is averaging 7.0 yards per attempt and has double-digit touches in four of the six games that he played in this season.
Oregon’s passing offense evenly distributes the ball among their receivers. Devon Williams leads the team with 264 yards and two touchdowns. He has been dealing with an undisclosed injury which will challenge his availability for this game. The other two wide receivers to watch are Jaylon Redd and Johnny Johnson. Both are seniors who are looking to finish their careers on a high note.
Iowa State is led by junior quarterback Brock Purdy. Going into the season he was pegged as one of the top quarterbacks in the country, but after experiencing some volatile play, his draft stock has dropped. Nonetheless, he has produced some good tape this season and was even better during his freshman and sophomore years. This will be a good time to watch Purdy play against a ranked team on a national stage.
Breece Hall is one of the best running backs in college football. He has 1,436 yards and 19 touchdowns while also catching 21 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns on the year. The sophomore running back has eight 100-yard games and has scored a touchdown in every single game of the season. He is competing to be the top running back selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Charlie Kolar is one of the top tight end prospects in the nation. The 6-foot-6 and 257-pound junior will make big plays downfield. He is also a tremendous option around the end zone with six touchdowns. Kolar has a 30.92 percent market share of the team’s passing production.
Xavier Hutchinson leads the team with 726 receiving yards. At 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds, he’s a big-bodied wide receiver who knows how to box-out defenders at the catch point. Hutchinson is another player to pay attention to in this game.
CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL
North Carolina Tarheels vs. Texas A&M Aggies
ESPN, Jan 2nd @ 8:00 p.m. EST
This should be a very fun game to watch. Vegas has this game set with a 65.5 over/under with Texas A&M favored to win by 7.5 points. This will be a high-scoring affair with both offenses being able to drive up and down the field. The Aggies currently have an 8-1 record while placing second in the SEC West. Their only loss was to Alabama and their best wins came against Florida, LSU, and Auburn.
They will be playing with a very underappreciated North Carolina team that is very skilled on the offensive side of the ball. They rank seventh in the nation with 42.8 points per game. The Tarheels are strolling into this game with an 8-3 record while placing fourth in the ACC. They’ve had big wins against Virginia Tech, North Carolina State, and Miami.
The Aggies are led by senior quarterback Kellen Mond. He has shown flashes of greatness off and on throughout his career. On the season, he has passed for 2,050 yards and 19 touchdowns. Mond will be thought of as a developmental quarterback prospect heading into the 2021 NFL Draft. Dynasty managers will need to focus on his rushing production. His rushing ability will elevate his floor in fantasy if he can develop into a starter at the next level. Mond’s 1,572 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns are very encouraging from a fantasy football standpoint.
Texas A&M Isaiah Spiller among SEC RBs:
▪️ 6.9 yards per carry (1st)
▪️ 256 yards after contact (1st)
▪️ 17 forced missed tackles (1st)pic.twitter.com/1Ri8KjZn7G— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 12, 2020
Isaiah Spiller is one of the top running backs in the nation. He showcased his talent as a freshman last season but has turned into a dominant force in 2020. At 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, Spiller has a perfect blend of size, speed, and burst. He profiles as a three-down workhorse at the next level. The sophomore running back moves laterally very well for his size. Dynasty aficionados need to keep a steady eye on Spiller this weekend.
Ainias Smith is the pass-catching back on the roster. He has caught 37 passes for 439 yards and six touchdowns on the season. Williams could develop into a PPR fantasy back if he continues to develop his skill sets.
Jalen Wydermyer is one of the best tight ends in college football. He leads the team with 502 receiving yards and six touchdowns while owning a 23.80 percent market share of the team’s passing production. Wydermyer will be draft-eligible for the 2022 NFL Draft.
Freshman wide receiver Chase Lane leads all wide receivers on the team with 28 catches for 382 yards and two touchdowns. He is a player to watch in this game just in case he turns into a key asset in the future. Demond Demas is the wide receiver to pay attention to from the offense. He was a five-star recruit going into the season. Demas hasn’t recorded a catch all season and has been dealing with an undisclosed injury. We are more than likely not going to see him play in this game, but he’s the wide receiver to hitch your wagon to from this offense.
North Carolina is fortunate to have elite level quarterback play. Sam Howell is a future first-round draft selection and is eligible to walk the stage for the 2022 NFL Draft. This has been a very good season for Howell, passing for 3,352 yards and 27 touchdowns while tossing just six interceptions. He throws dimes all over the field and is one of the most accurate passers in college football.
Never forget the Javonte Williams beastquake
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 26, 2020
No running back in the country experienced the boost in draft value that Javonte Williams earned this season. He is now considered one of the top running backs in college football. Williams is in the mix to be the first running back off the board in this year’s draft. Unfortunately, for us, he opted out of playing in the Orange Bowl to enter the 2021 NFL Draft. He will be competing against Najee Harris and Travis Etienne for the top spot. It’s debatable and possibly due to preference, but he’s considered the best three-down back in this year’s field of running back prospects.
The Tarheels are blessed with two very good wide receivers. Dyami Brown is finishing his junior campaign by posting his second straight 1,000-yard season. He will be forgoing the Orange Bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft.
With Brown being out of the lineup, this will allow Dazz Newsome to showcase what he can do on a national stage. Finishing his collegiate career with a good performance in the Orange Bowl will put him in the right direction for draft season. Young wide receivers Khafre Brown and Emery Simmons will be looking to spread their wings with Brown out of the lineup.
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