Bowls are here. This time of year is wonderful. Spending time with family, football on television almost every day. This is also our last opportunity to see college players on the field before the long offseason begins. Even better, these bowls give you an opportunity to watch small school prospects you may not be able to mid-season due to their games not being televised. These previews will give you an idea of which devy players and rookie prospects are playing during bowl season.
Miami (OH) vs Mississippi State
Monday, December 26th 11:00 AM
Senior wide receiver Fred Ross is an interesting prospect. I have seen him projected anywhere from a day 2 pick to a late round flyer. This is another case where I want to see the player on film again before relying just on combine results. Ross had a solid junior season with 88 catches for 1007 yards and while those numbers have decreased as a senior (68 for 873), his touchdowns have jumped from 5 to 12 this year. What the NFL draft says about Ross will shape how I feel come rookie draft time.
Baylor vs Boise State
Tuesday, December 27th 10:15 PM
Baylor wide receiver KD Cannon is shaping up to be a UTH special come draft day. While the size is a bit concerning (listed at 6’0″ 180lbs), Cannon has been a consistent producer all three years at Baylor. This game will be an opportunity for Cannon to enter draft season on a high note. With a solid combine, Cannon could end up as a round 1 NFL pick.
Boise State junior running back Jeremy McNichols has had two solid seasons rushing and receiving since Jay Ajayi left the program. At 5’9″ 212lbs McNichols is short but solid. With just under 100 receptions in his 3-year career, he has the skillset to be a solid contributor for an NFL team if given the opportunity. At this point I consider him to be a late-round flip candidate but if a team reaches in the NFL draft that could change.
Texas A&M vs Kansas State
Wednesday, December 28th 9:00 PM
Texas A&M has a large collection of wide receiver talent. While I love Christian Kirk, my focus will be on juniors Speedy Noil and Ricky Seals-Jones. These players were once highly valued 5-star recruits but have had extremely disappointing years. The potential is there for both, but it may take an NFL team to unlock it. I will be watching to see if there are any flashes to hold onto entering draft season.
