Notable College Football Players Sitting Out of 2023 Bowl Games
The ever-growing trend of preparing for the NFL draft instead of participating in bowl games has dramatically shifted the look of college football's bowl season.
While nobody has opted out of a College Football Playoff matchup, more and more players have made the understandable decision to not risk injury in a low-stakes game. Jake Butt and Jaylon Smith, among others, stand out as cautionary tales from the past.
Yes, those are worst-case scenarios, but they'll often be mentioned when talking about players who skip a bowl.
The list of absentees for the 2023 postseason is already large, and it'll probably keep growing in the coming weeks.
Before focusing on NFL-bound players, we've also highlighted the 16 programs (and counting) in a bowl tasked with filling a void at quarterback because of the transfer portal.
Transferring QBs
1 of 5
Quarterback is the most important position on the field, so continuity is important. More than a dozen offenses will be leaning on a backup in the postseason, however.
Dillon Gabriel is heading to Oregon, pushing true freshman Jackson Arnold into Oklahoma's lineup in the Alamo Bowl. Kyle McCord is exiting Ohio State, which is preparing to start Devin Brown in the Cotton Bowl.
Those are simply two big names. Time for some quick-hitters.
- Oregon State will be without both D.J. Uiagalelei and Aidan Chiles (to Michigan State) in the Sun Bowl. UCLA will not have Dante Moore for the LA Bowl.
- Kansas State is down Will Howard for the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
- ACC schools Duke and Miami will not have Riley Leonard (to Notre Dame) or Tyler Van Dyke (to Wisconsin) in the Birmingham Bowl and Pinstripe Bowl, respectively.
- Group of Five stars Dequan Finn (Toledo), Kurtis Rourke (Ohio), Jordan McCloud (James Madison), Taylen Green (Boise State to Arkansas) and Chandler Rogers (North Texas to Cal) all entered the portal.
- Athan Kaliakmanis (Minnesota), Aveon Smith (Miami U), Cam Fancher (Marshall) and Austin Smith (Eastern Michigan) are also transferring.
One notable outlier is Utah's Bryson Barnes. Although he's set to transfer, Barnes will start in the Las Vegas Bowl.
NFL-Bound Quarterbacks
2 of 5
Knowing what USC's Caleb Williams and North Carolina's Drake Maye have at stake, it's only logical that neither top prospect will play.
Williams' void pushes Miller Moss into the QB1 spot opposite Louisville in the Holiday Bowl. Earlier that day (Dec. 27), incidentally, Conner Harrell is set to serve as Maye's replacement for UNC's clash with West Virginia in the Duke's Mayo Bowl.
As of now, the final NFL-bound QB to know is Sam Hartman.
The transfer from Wake Forest guided Notre Dame to nine victories this season. Hartman has said his goodbyes to the Fighting Irish, which are turning to Steve Angeli against Oregon State in the Sun Bowl.
Top Offensive Players
3 of 5
So far, the highest-profile player is Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt. He's a potential top-five pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Unfortunately for Oregon State, the advantage it could've had in the Sun Bowl from Alt's absence is offset by right tackle Taliese Fuaga not playing. Alt and Fuaga each landed AP All-America status in 2023.
Oddly enough, the Alamo Bowl has an identical storyline. Arizona left tackle Jordan Morgan and Oklahoma right tackle Tyler Guyton will not play when their programs meet in San Antonio. Both linemen garnered top-50 rankings on B/R's latest draft board.
How about one more for the trend?
Along with Caleb Williams, USC will be without receiver Brenden Rice. Louisville, though, will be down first-team All-ACC running back Jawhar Jordan in the Holiday Bowl clash between the teams.
Wisconsin back Braelon Allen and North Carolina wideout Tez Walker are sitting in the ReliaQuest Bowl and Duke's Mayo Bowl, respectively. Florida State receiver Johnny Wilson won't appear in the Orange Bowl, either.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Top Defensive Players
4 of 5
The best reaction to a draft announcement belongs to Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, who clearly isn't sad that Chop Robinson won't be playing for Penn State in the Peach Bowl.
Troll on, Lane.
Anyway, fellow edge-rusher Laiatu Latu isn't a part of UCLA's preparation for the LA Bowl. Bleacher Report's scouting department recently tabbed Robinson and Latu as top-20 prospects.
Clemson will be without linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and cornerback Nate Wiggins against Kentucky in the Gator Bowl.
Two linebackers, Texas A&M's Edgerrin Cooper and North Carolina's Cedric Gray, will not suit up in the Texas Bowl and Duke's Mayo Bowl. Cooper secured first-team AP All-America recognition this season, while Gray earned his second first-team All-ACC honor.
More to Watch
5 of 5
Decisions of whether to play in the postseason don't necessarily happen immediately.
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is a perfect example. He's been a little busy, winning the Heisman Trophy and all that.
More prospects of his caliber—Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, for example—haven't yet revealed plans for the NFL draft. Those decisions may impact whether they are available for the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl, respectively.
Miami is expected to lose defensive tackle Leonard Taylor and safeties Kamren Kinchens and James Williams to the NFL draft. There's no official word on whether any of them will play in the Pinstripe Bowl.
The same applies to Utah safeties Cole Bishop and Sione Vaki. Their absences are inferred but not certain from NFL declarations.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
