Bowl Game Previews: December 29

Rakim Jarrett

Rob Willette Posted On December 29, 2021

In between the regular season and draft season is bowl season. This is the time of year where we get to watch some interesting matchups between teams who normally don’t play against each other. It always makes for entertaining football. For a lot of the players involved in these contests, this will be the last time we will see them before they enter the draft.

With this being in the early part of the draft season, we are going to get the opportunity to watch some programs that we normally get to watch on a national level. For some of these players, this will be the biggest game of their life. Most of them will not get to play at the next level.

Let’s take a look at some of the top prospects from today’s slate of bowl games.

Fenway bowl

virginia cavaliers vs. smu mustangs

ESPN, Dec. 29 at 10:00 a.m. EST

Nobody would blame you for missing the fact the Virginia Cavaliers were an elite offense in 2021. The Cavaliers lost top receiver Lavel Davis Jr in April to an ACL tear, tempering enthusiasm around the fact Virginia had an experienced quarterback and offensive line returning. Instead of plateauing, the Cavaliers exploded, piling up 516.8 yards per game to finish third in the nation.

Said quarterback – Brennan Armstrong – was brilliant. He threw for 4,444 yards and 31 touchdowns, adding 256 yards and nine scores on the ground. The lefty has announced he is not transferring, either returning to Virginia or entering the NFL Draft. Armstrong deserves more NFL buzz; he has the talent to go higher than people may expect.

Dontaviyon Wicks was a huge beneficiary of the offensive explosion. After catching three passes as a true freshman and missing all of 2020, the redshirt sophomore returned to grab 57 balls for 1,203 yards and nine scores. He was Armstrong’s favorite deep threat, making 20-plus-yard grabs seemingly several times per week and getting vertical with ease. As someone well off-the-radar prior to this season, he is one to watch in this game.

Keytaon Thompson was an equally surprising breakout star. Originally a highly-rated quarterback recruit at Mississippi State, Thompson transferred to Virginia with intentions of playing quarterback, but an injured shoulder left him far behind in the quarterback battle. Instead, Thompson started to master his role as a chess piece. He’s lined up all over the field, posting 990 yards receiving and 247 yards rushing in 2021. A large, athletic human being, Thompson is an appealing developmental prospect, especially given he was able to produce with limited experience at the position.

SMU is nearly as potent as Virginia offensively. The Mustangs finished 12th nationally, with Oklahoma transfers Tanner Mordecai and Grant Calcaterra making major contributions. Calcaterra in particular is interesting. He was one of the nation’s premier tight ends for the Sooners before concussions caused him to briefly put his career on hold. After being cleared, Calcaterra returned to the football field for SMU and didn’t seem to miss a beat, posting a 38-465-4 line in his return to the gridiron. If he opts to enter the draft this spring, he could push to be one of the first few tight ends off the board.

SMU has three notable receivers in Danny Gray, Reggie Roberson, and Rashee Rice. Gray is the most interesting of the bunch, as he has improved dramatically in his two years at SMU following a JUCO stint, showcasing a long, lean frame with smooth acceleration and the ability to get vertical. All three receivers should get an opportunity to impress NFL teams, and they unite with Mordecai to make this an explosive offense. This game could be one of the more entertaining ones of bowl season.

pinstripe bowl

maryland terrapins vs. virginia tech hokies

ESPN, Dec. 29 at 1:15 p.m. EST

The Terrapins have a familiar name under center. Tua Tagovailoa’s younger brother Taulia Tagovailoa enrolled at Alabama and spent a season in Tuscaloosa before transferring to Maryland. In 2021, he became the full-time starter and produced a solid season. He is not the prospect or player his older brother is, but he is a fun quarterback who does some of his best work out of structure.

Rakim Jarrett is this team’s best prospect. The former LSU commit took his game to another level in 2021, leading Maryland in receiving and looking as though he had physically matured as well. Jarrett’s strength is his fluidity and top speed, and he seldom loses any steam when going from receiver to runner. He is poised to be one of the top receivers in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Virginia Tech never really seemed to get out of neutral in the Justin Fuente era. A hire filled with such hope fizzled out and resulted in Fuente’s dismissal following a 6-6 campaign in 2021. The Hokies have always had pieces, yet never seemed to bring it all together. The Hokies won the Coastal Division in Fuente’s first season yet seemed to take a step backwards each year thereafter.

Virginia Tech’s most accomplished player may be Raheem Blackshear. What jumps out is his receiving involvement, as Blackshear has posted 121 receptions for 1,208 yards over stops at Rutgers and Virginia Tech. He could carve out a niche as a backup who can do a bit of everything, potentially locking down third-down duties for a team. As unexciting as it sounds, those players can have value, and it makes Blackshear this team’s best.

CHEEZ-IT BOWL

iowa state cyclones vs. clemson tigers

ABC, Dec. 29 at 4:45 p.m. EST

Iowa State is still led by Matt Campbell, even though some major coaching vacancies made it seem as though he’d be a foregone conclusion to move on and take a bigger job. Campbell’s work in Ames is well-respected and for good reason. Ames is not the easiest place to win, and Campbell has taken down some top opponents.

His tenure seems synonymous with the tenure of Brock Purdy. Purdy has been a staple for Iowa State ever since assuming the starting role as a true freshman. He has been generally solid, though he never took the leap to become a premier pro prospect. He profiles more as a quality backup.

Breece Hall is no stranger to the devy community. He has been a top back ever since he stepped in for David Montgomery to become the Cyclones’ workhorse. Unfortunately, from a viewing perspective, Hall is not playing in the bowl game to get his draft preparation underway.

It feels odd seeing Clemson in a second-tier bowl game. They have been a staple of the CFP and really the one team in the way of Alabama most years. It is fair to wonder how Dabo Swinney adjusts in the era of player empowerment, though it is premature to consider the Tigers a program in decline.

A big part of their step back in 2021 was due to quarterback play. DJ Uiagalelei was simply not ready to be the heir apparent to Trevor Lawrence despite a strong two-game audition in 2020. The former five-star recruit averaged a meager six yards per attempt and only tossed nine touchdowns against the same number of interceptions. There is no way to sugarcoat the season; it was a massive disappointment for a quarterback routinely going in the top five picks of superflex drafts.

Clemson did have a breakout performer in 2021, however. Running back Will Shipley arrived as a true all-purpose weapon and showed incredible toughness as he became a between-the-tackles grinder at times. Shipley is a compact runner with a plus receiving profile and has quickly become of the nation’s best devy prospects.

Kobe Pace was an excellent piece in tandem with Shipley, and Phil Mafah is a very capable third back. This backfield is deep and became the centerpiece of the offense when it was clear the passing game was not going to do the heavy lifting.

While the passing game sputtered, we still did see a new face emerge. Beaux Collins was a big play machine down the stretch and may be the heir apparent to Justyn Ross as Clemson’s top target. Ross, of course, was sensational as a freshman and sophomore before having his career thrown into disarray after spinal fusion surgery in 2020. He has already declared, and will not participate in the bowl game after foot surgery.

This is a game between programs who had playoff aspirations at the start of the year before falling well short of preseason expectations. Even with several opt-outs, there is still a lot of talent in this contest.

alamo bowl

oregon ducks vs. oklahoma sooners

ABC, Dec. 29 at 8:15 p.m. EST

The Ducks and Sooners are two strong programs who coincidentally went through the same coaching transition this off-season. Mario Cristobal to Miami made logical sense; Lincoln Riley to USC was a big surprise. Each has new coaches in place, though it is expected interim coaches handle the bowl game.

Oregon has been built along the lines. It is where Cristobal did his best work on the recruiting trail and with player development. It helped Travis Dye rumble for over 1,000 yards after CJ Verdell went down early in the year. Dye has been a productive runner in a timeshare and could earn day three draft capital despite a small frame.

Oregon’s leading receiver is Devon Williams, who doubles as their top receiving prospect. Williams is huge at 6’5” and 207 pounds and plays tough in traffic while making some circus catches. The Ducks have not been an explosive passing offense, which has limited his numbers. He can make some head-turning plays, however, and could be a sneaky good pro.

Oklahoma is led by true freshman Caleb Williams, who took over for the struggling Spencer Rattler. Williams is an elite runner who doubles as a proficient passer of the football. He has two years remaining before he is draft-eligible. While his future is in flux without Lincoln Riley, he is a top-tier superflex asset.

Kennedy Brooks always seems to lead Oklahoma in rushing, even as we root for more explosive players to surpass him on the depth chart. He runs with excellent patience and is a savvy runner who picks his spots to accelerate. He is not going to wow you in any one area, but he does a lot of things well. It would not be surprising to see him exceed expectations at the professional level given he has done so time after time at the collegiate level.

Oklahoma has a balanced passing attack, but it is highlighted by Marvin Mims and Mario Williams. Neither is very big but they’re smooth movers who can make plays when the football is in the air. Assuming Williams returns in 2022, these two should explode next season, and they’re the best receivers in this football game.