Underrated Stars to Watch During 2023 College Football Bowl Season
If you believe that college football has too many bowl games, please pull up a chair. I understand the thought process.
Also, you're missing out.
Short of being a Boise State or UNLV fan—or a college football degenerate like me—Ashton Jeanty or Ricky White may not be familiar names. Troy's Kimani Vidal and Toledo's Quinyon Mitchell likely slipped through the cracks of most football-viewing schedules in 2023.
Bowl season is the moment to reverse that reality. I mean, seriously, what's better than watching Seth Henigan and Memphis on a random Friday afternoon in December?
The following players are high-level performers from the 2023 season and are highlighted for a simple reason: I want you to see them.
Kaidon Salter, QB, Liberty
1 of 8
When: Monday, Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. ET (ESPN)
In theory, Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter will be the easiest player to watch during the postseason.
Next up: Oregon and the Fiesta Bowl.
Salter propelled the Flames to a 13-0 record and Conference USA title. Thanks to SMU's upset of Tulane in the AAC Championship Game, Liberty will represent the Group of Five in a New Year's Six bowl.
To date, Salter has thrown for 2,750 yards at a scorching 10.3 per attempt with 31 scores to five interceptions. He's also scampered for 1,064 yards and 12 touchdown, emerging as an elite conductor of Jamey Chadwell's prolific spread-option offense.
Oregon poses a massive challenge, but Liberty—which put up 31-plus points in 12 of its 13 games—can lean on a dynamic QB.
Seth Henigan, QB, Memphis
2 of 8
When: Friday, Dec. 29 at 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Seth Henigan is preparing for a considerable test against Iowa State, which is 17th nationally in yards allowed per attempt. Only four defenses have more interceptions than the Cyclones' 16 picks, too.
Memphis, though, has an edge: home-field advantage.
Because the SEC didn't have enough bowl-eligible teams, Memphis slid into the Liberty Bowl. It'll be an ideal showcase for Henigan, a three-year starter who's passed for 3,300-plus yards in each season. He's tossed 75 touchdowns to 25 picks in his college career.
After announcing he'll return next season, Henigan has a chance to spark Memphis hype for 2024 with a productive Liberty Bowl.
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
3 of 8
When: Saturday, Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
On the first evening of bowl season, you might want to carve out a few hours to watch the LA Bowl.
Boise State—despite firing head coach Andy Avalos in mid-November—surged to a Mountain West title. That championship meant the Broncos earned the league's top bowl bid, which is a clash opposite a Pac-12 team.
As a result, we'll be treated to versatile back Ashton Jeanty against UCLA's stingy run defense.
The sophomore has rushed for 1,262 yards at 6.2 per carry, snagged 39 passes for 552 yards and totaled 19 touchdowns. UCLA, meanwhile, is third nationally with a meager 2.3 yards allowed per attempt.
Jeanty recently landed second-team AP All-America honors, along with first-team recognition from Bleacher Report.
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Kimani Vidal, RB, Troy
4 of 8
When: Saturday, Dec. 23 at Noon ET (ABC)
The leading rusher in the Group of Five, Kimani Vidal amassed 1,582 yards on the ground for the Sun Belt champions.
Troy leaned heavily on Vidal, who tallied nearly 23 touches per game. The junior running back turned his 280 carries and 17 receptions into 1,780 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns.
In the Birmingham Bowl, timing may benefit the Trojans. They're set to take on Duke, which is shifting from now-Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko to Manny Diaz. Plus, two of Duke's top defensive linemen, Aeneas Peebles and R.J. Oben, have entered the transfer portal.
That transition could help Vidal, the Sun Belt's Offensive Player of the Year and Troy's first AP All-American since 2000, end on a high note.
Ricky White, WR, UNLV
5 of 8
When: Tuesday, Dec. 26 at 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)
As a member of the 2020 recruiting class, Ricky White initially enrolled at Michigan State. He spent two seasons in East Lansing before heading to UNLV, where he's developed into the Rebels' key target.
Last year, White posted team-high marks of 51 receptions and 619 yards with four touchdowns.
As the Rebels put together a breakout nine-win season in 2023, White played an integral role. He grabbed 81 passes for 1,386 yards—the nation's fourth-highest total—and seven scores.
White presents a tough task for a talented, though not always efficient, Kansas secondary in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.
Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
6 of 8
When: Friday, Dec. 29 at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
All-American running back Cody Schrader deservedly caught most of the attention for Missouri's big season. Be careful not to overlook wide receiver Luther Burden III.
If you're a recruiting buff, Burden is familiar. He earned a 5-star billing as part of the 2022 cycle. However, he quietly had 45 catches for 375 yards and six touchdowns during his true freshman season because the Tigers finished 6-7. They didn't capture many headlines, save for a near-upset of Georgia in early October.
But that changed dramatically in 2023.
Missouri rattled off a 10-win record, and Burden recorded top-10 national rankings in both receptions (83) and yards (1,197). He scored eight times for the Cotton Bowl-bound Tigers.
One major question is whether Ohio State corners Denzel Burke and/or Jordan Hancock enter the 2024 NFL draft and choose not to play in the bowl. No matter who OSU aligns opposite Burden, though, he'll be the best receiver the Buckeyes have played this season.
Ricardo Hallman, CB, Wisconsin
7 of 8
When: Monday, Jan. 1 at Noon ET (ESPN2)
On the subject of opt-out decisions, LSU's offense is stacked with questions. Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. are worth monitoring.
Realistically, it'd be reasonable for any of them to skip the ReliaQuest Bowl. Selfishly, I'm hoping they do not.
The appetizer of the New Year's Day slate (hopefully) will feature LSU's star receivers opposite Ricardo Hallman.
Along with his 30 tackles this season, Hallman snared six interceptions—with one pick-six—and broke up five passes. The draft-eligible cornerback secured third-team AP All-America recognition.
Hallman can't cover both Nabers and Thomas, of course, but those one-on-one matchups would be intriguing to follow.
Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
8 of 8
When: Saturday, Dec. 30 at 4:30 p.m. ET (CW)
Unfortunately for Toledo, quarterback Dequan Finn has entered the transfer portal and won't play in the Arizona Bowl. Fortunately for the Rockets, they still have Quinyon Mitchell—for one more game.
The fourth-year corner has received a Senior Bowl invite, a fitting end to a two-time AP All-American career at Toledo.
Mitchell collected five picks and 20 pass breakups in 2022, then snagged one interception with 18 PBUs this season.
Wyoming leans on a run-first offense, yet Andrew Peasley has been efficient while tossing 20 touchdowns to only five interceptions. When he looks in Mitchell's direction, however, there won't be many openings.
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