Predicting the Breakout Star of Every 2015-16 Bowl Game
Say what you will about the number of bowl games and the message that's sent by allowing teams with losing records into the mix. Simply put, it provides us with one last burst of college football before the long offseason that follows.
There's not much at stake from a grand scale in most of the remaining contests, outside of the ones associated with the playoffs, but that doesn't take away from the value each game can have to the teams involved. The ability to get in a few more practices ahead of next season could prove to be the difference between a team building off 2015 toward bigger and better things and having a letdown season.
It also creates an opportunity for some new stars to emerge—players who might have been big for their teams all season but hadn't had the proper stage to show this on or those who are finally getting a shot to prove their mettle.
Boise State receiver Thomas Sperbeck had seven catches in the three games leading up to the 2014 Fiesta Bowl. Then, against Arizona, he went off for 12 receptions and 199 yards. Bleacher Report's Brian Leigh wrote that Sperbeck was “the exact type of out-of-nowhere player this program turns into stars,” and in 2015, the junior has exploded with 82 catches for 1,334 yards and eight touchdowns.
Who will make a name for themselves this bowl season? We've predicted a breakout star for all 40 bowls (not including the College Football Championship Game), so check them out and then give us your thoughts in the comments section.
New Mexico Bowl: Arizona vs. New Mexico
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Lamar Jordan, QB, New Mexico
The Lobos run the option and gain 246.6 yards per game on the ground, which is ninth-best in FBS. Three backs share the bulk of the carries, combining for 23 of their 38 rushing touchdowns, but the man who keeps it all together is Lamar Jordan.
The 5'10”, 190-pound sophomore has scored six times on the ground and also has thrown four of the team's five TD passes. His 53.2 percent completion rate isn't anything to rave about, but Jordan seems to have a knack for making the big pass when needed. That's helped New Mexico (7-5) achieve its best record since 2007.
Las Vegas Bowl: Utah vs. BYU
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Joe Williams, RB, Utah
The Holy War rival is being played outside of Utah for the first time ever, which makes for as good a time as ever for Joe Williams to set the table for the 2016 season.
The 5'11”, 200-pound junior took over the starting running back role in mid-November after Devontae Booker's season ended because of knee surgery. In two games, he's gained 308 yards on 60 carries, compared to 19 rushes for 78 yards before that.
Fumble issues kept Williams from getting more touches before the Booker injury, and he lost a fumble early in the season-ending win over Colorado. He rebounded, finishing with 34 carries for 187 yards and a five-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter.
Camellia Bowl: Appalachian State vs. Ohio
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Taylor Lamb, QB, Appalachian State
In two seasons of FBS play, Appalachian State has gone 17-7 but hasn't spent much time in the national spotlight other than a September loss this year to Clemson. That happened to be the worst game of Taylor Lamb's career, when he completed just nine of 28 passes for 95 yards and three interceptions.
The rest of this season, though, he's been huge for the Mountaineers. He has 29 TD passes on just 257 attempts, with only five other interceptions outside of the Clemson game.
Appalachian State is a run-based team behind junior Marcus Cox, who has run for 2,676 yards in two seasons at the FBS level. But when it wants to throw, Lamb has come through with 27 completions of 25 or more yards.
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Cure Bowl: Georgia State vs. San Jose State
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Penny Hart, WR, Georgia State
A third-year FBS program that won one total game in the first two seasons, Georgia State stood at 2-6 in early November. Then the Panthers won four straight to gain bowl eligibility, clinching with a dominant 34-7 win at rival Georgia Southern.
Each of those consecutive victories included a touchdown catch by Penny Hart, a 5'9” freshman who led Georgia State in catches (70), receiving yards (1,085) and TDs. Six of his eight scores came in wins, and he also had nine receptions for 128 yards in a September loss at Oregon.
Georgia State is facing the nation's No. 2 pass defense in San Jose State, but Hart has been on a roll of late and is ready to break through in the bowl.
New Orleans Bowl: Arkansas State vs. Louisiana Tech
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Warren Wand, RB, Arkansas State
Louisiana Tech's Kenneth Dixon is tied for the FBS career lead in total touchdowns scored, with 83, while Arkansas State's Michael Gordon needs one more rushing TD for the school career mark. Both backs figure to play a big role in this underrated matchup, but it will be the littlest guy on the field who ends up getting the most attention.
Warren Wand, a freshman who is listed at 5'5” and 174 pounds, is second on Arkansas State with 641 rushing yards. He averages 6.1 yards per carry, as much because defenders can't find him as for his great speed.
Miami Beach Bowl: South Florida vs. Western Kentucky
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Deatrick Nichols, CB, South Florida
Western Kentucky brings the nation's most prolific quarterback into Marlins Park in senior Brandon Doughty, who has 45 touchdown passes against just seven interceptions in 508 attempts this season. It will be all hands on deck for the South Florida secondary, which has picked off 15 passes including seven in its last three games.
Three of those have been by Deatrick Nichols, a 5'10” sophomore from Miami who has been on fire during the Bulls' late-season surge. He intercepted two passes in the 65-27 blowout of Cincinnati last month, bringing one back for a touchdown, and he's also tied for third on the team with 8.5 tackles for loss.
Nichols is one of the impact recruits brought to South Florida by Willie Taggart, who also recruited Doughty to Western Kentucky when he coached that team from 2010 to 2012.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Akron vs. Utah State
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Jerome Lane Jr., WR, Akron
Akron is making its first bowl appearance since 2005, achieving this feat by making a lot of changes to the team's lineup and approach. That included shifting Jerome Lane, a 6'3”, 220-pound redshirt sophomore, over to offense after he spent his first two seasons as a linebacker and safety.
“We needed some special talent, and he is a special talent,” Akron assistant Jeff Bowden told Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal. “He’s got ability we just haven’t had.”
The move has paid off, as Lane leads the Zips with eight touchdown catches and a 21.43 per-reception average. That ranks fourth-best in FBS.
Boca Raton Bowl: Temple vs. Toledo
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Terry Swanson, RB, Toledo
A 7-0 start that included wins over Arkansas and Iowa State had Toledo looking like a strong candidate to grab the Group of Five bid to a major bowl game. Though that all fizzled out after a pair of November losses, the performance early on still laid the foundation for the Rockets' best record (9-2) since 2001.
Terry Swanson only had one carry in those victories against the power teams, yet over the course of the season, he finished with 870 yards and seven touchdowns with a strong 6.59 yards-per-carry average. In a five-game stretch, he had four 100-yard rushing efforts, and in the other contest, he gained 97 on four carries.
Toledo splits carries among three rushers, most notably senior Kareem Hunt. Swanson, a sophomore, figures to be the player new coach Jason Candle will build around in 2016, so this will serve as a strong audition.
Poinsettia Bowl: Boise State vs. Northern Illinois
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Tommy Fiedler, QB, Northern Illinois
A conference championship game isn't the ideal place to make the first start of a player's career, but a rash of injuries at quarterback forced Northern Illinois to turn to Tommy Fiedler in the Mid-American final on Dec. 5. It didn't go well, as the true freshman was 12-of-28 for 152 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions in the 34-14 loss to Bowling Green.
He'd made his first appearance the week before in relief of the injured Ryan Graham, another freshman who had stepped in after Drew Hare got hurt in early November.
With two-plus weeks of bowl practice to get more acclimated, Fiedler will try to help the Huskies end a three-game bowl skid.
GoDaddy Bowl: Bowling Green vs. Georgia Southern
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Matt Breida, RB, Georgia Southern
It's hard to imagine a player with 3,025 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns the last two seasons at the FBS level would be in need of a stage to “break out” on, but Sun Belt teams don't get much attention unless they're taking power-conference schools to overtime.
And Matt Breida had one of his least impressive performances when Georgia Southern lost in OT to Georgia on Nov. 21, averaging 3.3 yards per carry compared to his 8.19 season average. His other game against a power opponent in 2015, the opener at West Virginia, saw the Eagles get shut out.
Bahamas Bowl: Middle Tennessee vs. Western Michigan
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Brent Stockstill, QB, Middle Tennessee
UCLA's Josh Rosen is the country's best-known freshman quarterback, a high-profile recruit who lived up to the hype with a strong first college season. But his numbers weren't anywhere near what Brent Stockstill put up in starting all 12 games for the Blue Raiders.
Known coming into the season mostly because of his lineage—his father, Rick Stockstill, is Middle Tennessee's head coach—Stockstill has navigated a difficult schedule to throw for 3,678 yards with 27 touchdowns on 66.7 percent passing. That included games against Alabama, Illinois and Vanderbilt as well as Conference USA champion Western Kentucky, when he averaged 246.5 yards with seven TDs.
Hawaii Bowl: Cincinnati vs. San Diego State
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Christian Chapman, QB, San Diego State
Kentucky transfer Maxwell Smith started all 12 regular-season games for San Diego State en route to the Mountain West Conference's West Division title, but he tore his ACL on Nov. 28 and missed Saturday's MWC championship game win over Air Force. His replacement, Christian Chapman, made it so Smith's absence wasn't felt.
The 6'0”, 200-pound freshman was 9-of-14 for 203 yards and a touchdown, throwing for more yards than Smith did in any game in 2015. San Diego State attempts fewer than 19 passes per game, relying more on a strong run attack, though Chapman was able to pick apart the Air Force defense with deep throws.
Cincinnati allowed 892 passing yards and nine TDs in its last three games.
St. Petersburg Bowl: Marshall vs. Connecticut
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Jamar Summers, CB, Connecticut
Connecticut reached bowl eligibility for the first time since 2010, clinching its sixth win with an upset of previously unbeaten Houston. That 20-17 victory wasn't secured until Jamar Summers made an interception with 55 seconds left, his seventh pick of the season.
The week before, Summers, a 6'0” sophomore, returned an interception 67 yards for a touchdown in the Huskies' 7-3 win at Tulane.
With Summers on the back line, Connecticut had the nation's No. 21 pass defense this season.
Sun Bowl: Miami (Florida) vs. Washington State
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Gerard Wicks, RB, Washington State
Gerard Wicks is Washington State's leading rusher with 599 yards, which doesn't sound like much until you realize how little the Cougars run the ball. Their 269 carries this season were 93 fewer than any other FBS team, while their 685 pass attempts were 121 more than the next-highest team.
The output from Wicks, a 6'0” sophomore, is the highest for a WSU rusher since 2011, the year before Mike Leach took over the program. In a Nov. 21 win against Colorado, he ran for 123 yards for the Cougars' first 100-yard rusher since 2010.
WSU's Luke Falk and Miami's Brad Kaaya are both apt to put up big yards in this game, but Wicks' ability to get yards when called on could be the difference.
Heart of Dallas Bowl: Southern Mississippi vs. Washington
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Nick Mullens, QB, Southern Mississippi
The Conference USA title game might have been the first chance for most college football fans to see Nick Mullens, a junior who ranks ninth in FBS in passing yards per game at 318.8 per game and tied for fourth with 36 touchdowns. The Golden Eagles' starter since midway through the 2013 season, he's been key to their rise from 1-11 that year to 9-4 in 2015.
Mullens struggled against Western Kentucky last week, with three interceptions and only a 50 percent completion rate. Earlier in the season, he threw for 311 yards against Mississippi State and a career-high 447 yards against Nebraska.
Washington has only allowed nine TD passes this season, so if Mullens can solve that defense, he'll help Southern Miss to its first bowl win since 2011.
Pinstripe Bowl: Duke vs. Indiana
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Thomas Sirk, QB, Duke
A four-game losing streak dampened Duke's season, which seemed to turn on the controversial lateral-filled kickoff-return touchdown that Miami (Florida) executed against the Blue Devils on Halloween. Before that score, Thomas Sirk had put Duke up with seconds to go on a one-yard run and then a two-point-conversion run.
Sirk followed that with one of his worst games of the season, then missed a loss to Pittsburgh because of injury. The junior has been more valuable as a rusher than a passer this year, with a team-high 648 rushing yards, but he'll get the opportunity to show off his arm against the nation's worst pass defense.
Indiana allows 326.3 passing yards per game along with 31 TDs.
Independence Bowl: Tulsa vs. Virginia Tech
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Dane Evans, QB, Tulsa
Phillip Montgomery inherited some solid skill players when he left Baylor to coach Tulsa this offseason, and his move to a Baylor-style attack has resulted in one of the nation's most uptempo offenses. The Golden Hurricane averaged 83.3 plays per game, resulting in 502.8 yards and 35.9 points per game.
Dane Evans has thrived in this system, with 3,958 yards and 22 touchdowns, throwing for 400-plus against both Oklahoma and Memphis. Tulsa's only win against a bowl team came in Week 2, against New Mexico, which would make Virginia Tech a great opponent for Evans to finish his junior year against.
Foster Farms Bowl: Nebraska vs. UCLA
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Soso Jamabo, RB, UCLA
Paul Perkins has been UCLA's featured back the past two seasons, leading the Pac-12 in rushing in 2014 and going for 1,275 yards with 13 touchdowns this fall. This could be his final college game, if the junior decides to turn pro.
So while this may end up being Perkins' sendoff, the Foster Farms Bowl can also serve as a coming-out party for his likely successor. Soso Jamabo, a highly regarded true freshman from Texas who committed to UCLA on signing day, has only 66 carries, but he's turned that into 403 yards and four TDs.
His most significant action came in an October win against California, when Perkins was injured early, and he ran for 79 yards on 18 carries.
Military Bowl: Navy vs. Pittsburgh
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Qadree Ollison, RB, Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh's offensive game plan took a major hit when running back James Conner suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opening game against Youngstown State. Conner had led the ACC in rushing and set a school record for touchdown runs in 2014.
Qadree Ollison stepped in and ran for 207 yards and a TD in that same game, the first of five 100-yard games for the 6'2", 230-pound freshman. But he also had four games with fewer than 50 yards, including in the regular-season finale loss to Louisville.
He averaged 35 yards in Pitt's four losses, compared to 126 in the Panthers' eight victories.
Quick Lane Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Minnesota
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Cooper Rush, QB, Central Michigan
A three-year starter for the Chippewas, Cooper Rush is probably best known for throwing the long pass that sparked a lateral-aided touchdown in the final seconds of last year's Bahamas Bowl. Rush threw for 493 yards and seven TDs in that game, both of which were career highs.
His junior season has been his best yet, with 3,703 yards and 25 TDs. He's topped 300 yards in six of Central Michigan's last seven games, helping it to a 5-1 finish and a matchup with a power-conference team.
Central Michigan's losses this year include ones against Michigan State, Oklahoma State and Syracuse. The program's last win against a power opponent came in September 2014 against Purdue.
Armed Forces Bowl: Air Force vs. California
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Timothy McVey, RB, Air Force
Air Force has the nation's third-ranked rushing offense, at 322.1 yards per game. Seven Falcons have carried the ball at least 40 times and gained 300 or more yards, but none makes the most of his touches like Timothy McVey.
The 5'9", 190-pound sophomore has nine touchdowns on 49 carries, averaging 9.09 yards per rush. He's also caught nine passes and turned that into 250 yards with three scores.
California is known as the more big-play offense, but McVey has five catches for at least 25 yards and six runs that have gone 20 or more yards.
Russell Athletic Bowl: North Carolina vs. Baylor
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Johnny Jefferson, RB, Baylor
Baylor's last game was a disastrous one, a home loss to Texas in which it had to turn to a wide receiver to play quarterback after a third passer got hurt. The Bears became almost exclusively a run team, but main rushers Shock Linwood and Devin Chafin were also dinged up and couldn't do much.
That put much of the load on Johnny Jefferson, a 5'10” sophomore who ended up with career highs in carries (23) and yards (158). For the season, he's run for 701 yards, five touchdowns and 6.2 yards per carry.
While Baylor's quarterback situation will depend on whether any of its injured passers can return, the run game continues to show depth. Jefferson could thrive against a North Carolina defense that ranks 110th against the run and has allowed 300-plus yards in each of its past two games.
Arizona Bowl: Colorado State vs. Nevada
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James Butler, RB, Nevada
The slightly better half of a two-headed rushing attack for Nevada, James Butler is a 5'9”, 200-pound sophomore who has seven 100-yard games as part of his 1,156 rushing yards this season. But he's coming off his worst effort in 2015, with just 20 yards on eight carries against Mountain West champion San Diego State.
Butler and senior Don Jackson have combined for 2,182 yards and 16 TDs, making them one of two sets of 1,000-yard rushing teammates in FBS (along with Southern Mississippi's Jalen Richard and Ito Smith).
Colorado State ranks 106th against the run.
Texas Bowl: LSU vs. Texas Tech
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Derrius Guice, RB, LSU
Many of the reactions to the pairing of LSU and Texas Tech in this game revolved around fearing for the Tech defenders who would have to deal with stopping LSU running back Leonard Fournette. The nation's top rusher in yards per game would be going up against the third-worst run defense in FBS.
But Fournette likely won't be the only Tiger running all over the Red Raiders. If Les Miles is wise, he'll spread the carries around to other backs, which means Derrius Guice is in line for a huge bowl debut.
The 5'11", 222-pound freshman has 397 yards and three touchdowns this season, and last time out, he had his second-most carries (10) in the win over Texas A&M. That included a 50-yard TD run that gave LSU the lead in the third quarter.
Birmingham Bowl: Auburn vs. Memphis
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Carlton Davis, CB, Auburn
The hiring of Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator was supposed to make for big improvements this season, yet Auburn only allowed 0.6 fewer points per game. Muschamp has since left, now in charge of South Carolina, and the players he worked with for less than a season are left to prepare for one of the top quarterbacks in FBS in Memphis' Paxton Lynch.
The pressure will be most on Auburn's defensive backs, led by Carlton Davis, a 6'1" true freshman whose three interceptions lead the team. He also had eight pass breakups, including two against Alabama in the Iron Bowl.
Belk Bowl: Mississippi State vs. North Carolina State
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Jaylen Samuels, TE/FB, North Carolina State
North Carolina State lost its top two running backs during the season. Shadrach Thornton was kicked off the team, and Matt Dayes got hurt. The Wolfpack also had to start fresh in the receiving corps when top 2014 pass-catcher Bo Hines transferred in the offseason.
Jaylen Samuels managed to help in both areas, serving as the team's leading receiver and one of its most reliable options in the run game. The 5'11", 236-pound sophomore scored seven rushing touchdowns and had a team-high seven receiving TDs.
He caught his first career TD pass in last year's St. Petersburg Bowl and figures to play a key role in NC State's attack in another postseason game.
Music City Bowl: Louisville vs. Texas A&M
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Speedy Noil, WR, Texas A&M
An injury knocked him out of two games, a suspension for another. In between, Speedy Noil has not had the kind of sophomore year that many expected after his strong performance in 2014.
It hasn't helped that freshman Christian Kirk has emerged for the Aggies as their fastest and most explosive weapon, taking away many of the opportunities Noil had last year when he had 46 catches for five touchdowns and was also a regular punt and kickoff returner.
Noil has 21 catches for 226 yards and two scores this season, so he's due to break out, and there's no better time than in a bowl game.
Holiday Bowl: USC vs. Wisconsin
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Ronald Jones II, RB, USC
Known as the “Texas Tesla,” Ronald Jones is the most promising freshman running back USC has had in years. His speed and strength fit perfectly in the revamped Trojans offense since Clay Helton took over as coach, resulting in 560 yards and five touchdowns in his last seven games.
The 6'0", 185-pound Jones shares carries with junior Justin Davis, which has kept him from getting to 1,000 yards. He's only 60 away from being USC's first freshman to reach that mark since Anthony Davis in 1972.
He'll have earned it, since Wisconsin ranks fourth in FBS in run defense at 97.9 yards allowed per game.
Peach Bowl: Florida State vs. Houston
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Steven Taylor, LB, Houston
A key piece of the Houston defense for three seasons, Steven Taylor is one of many players on the Cougars who have garnered more attention this year thanks to their 10-0 start and American Athletic Conference title. But any previous exposure pales in comparison to getting to face one of the nation's top power programs in a major bowl game.
Houston's finish as the top non-power-conference champion in the playoff rankings landed it a spot in the Peach Bowl, its most high-profile bowl since the 1985 Cotton Bowl. Taylor heads into the matchup with Florida State with nine sacks, 16 tackles for loss and two interceptions this season.
The 6'1", 225-pound junior must contend with Florida State running back Dalvin Cook, and if he can prevent Cook from exploding, it will draw even more eyes toward him.
Orange Bowl: Clemson vs. Oklahoma
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Jordan Leggett, TE, Clemson
Top receiver Mike Williams suffered a neck injury in Clemson's opener against Wofford, knocking him out for the remainder of the season. The Tigers needed another player to rise up and keep sophomore Artavis Scott from being double- and triple-teamed, and early on that player was Jordan Leggett.
The 6'5", 255-pound junior had six of his seven touchdowns during the first half of 2015, before young receivers such as Deon Cain, Ray-Ray McCloud and Hunter Renfrow emerged. His role has changed back to more of a possession receiver down the stretch, but he's shown the capability to still be a deep threat for Deshaun Watson when needed.
Oklahoma has intercepted 19 passes this season, which is tied for seventh most in FBS, though it might not have someone who can match up with Leggett and his size.
Cotton Bowl: Alabama vs. Michigan State
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Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama
Those who have watched Alabama closely this season know how valuable Calvin Ridley has been, a true freshman who essentially took over for Amari Cooper as the Crimson Tide's top receiving target. But despite having team highs in receptions (75) and yards (893), he has yet to have one of those huge games that stands out from the pack.
Enter Michigan State, which is 109th in FBS in long pass plays allowed. The only time Iowa was able to do anything against the Spartans defense in Saturday's Big Ten title game was when it threw deep, such as the 85-yard touchdown pass that Tevaun Smith caught in the fourth quarter.
Ridley has three 100-yard games, including 102 on eight catches in the SEC championship. His best game was a nine-reception, 140-yard effort against Arkansas on Oct. 10.
Outback Bowl: Northwestern vs. Tennessee
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Preston Williams, WR, Tennessee
Preston Williams made a heck of splash on signing day when he rocked a white suit with an old-school Tennessee helmet as a hat. There hasn't been much else to report on this freshman since then, as injuries limited him to just seven games and seven catches.
Williams had two touchdown receptions against FCS Western Carolina in mid-September, but his last catch was on Oct. 10. If fully healthy, he's the kind of receiver who could help stretch Northwestern's stodgy defense, according to ESPN's Greg McElroy.
“He has the length that you really want at wide receiver,” McElroy said. “I think he's poised for not only a big bowl game but also a huge 2016.”
Citrus Bowl: Michigan vs. Florida
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Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan
Outside of the playoff semifinals, the rest of the bowl games are basically meaningless exhibitions that shouldn't dictate whether a season was successful or not. In that respect, a lot of teams will throw in new wrinkles on offense since it's the last game of the year.
Translation: trick plays and wildness, such as throwing passes to 400-pound linemen or letting defensive tackles carry the ball.
Michigan has involved Jabrill Peppers on offense several times during the second half of the season but not to where he's a main part of the attack. That could change in a one-off bowl scenario, and Jim Harbaugh's willingness to use him might make for some explosive plays on New Year's Day.
Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame
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Tyquan Lewis, DL, Ohio State
There's so much future NFL talent set to battle in the Fiesta Bowl that it's only fitting the game is being played in University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals. Bleacher Report's Adam Kramer figures the bowl could have “seven (or more) 2016 first round draft picks playing their last college game.”
All of those draft-eligible players will be wanting to make one last splash either before graduating or turning pro, and that can also provide a younger standout to break through with a major performance.
Tyquan Lewis has had a few big games in his sophomore year, registering seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss, a good foundation for next season when Joey Bosa and Adolphus Washington are no longer around.
Rose Bowl: Iowa vs. Stanford
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George Kittle, TE, Iowa
Iowa's passing game isn't one that's known for a lot of explosiveness, which made the long touchdown catch that Tevaun Smith had against Michigan State in the Big Ten championship so surprising. Usually when the Hawkeyes needed a big play through the air, it was George Kittle getting the call.
The 6'4", 235-pound junior only had 20 receptions this season, but six of those went for TDs. His 35-yard scoring catch against Purdue on Nov. 21 helped break open a close game, and a week later, he opened the scoring at Nebraska with a 10-yard TD reception.
Sugar Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Oklahoma State
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Akeem Judd, RB, Ole Miss
Ole Miss' run game showed a little bit of improvement from last year but not as much as the Rebels would have hoped. Having a mobile quarterback in Chad Kelly helped offset the lack of a consistent rusher.
Maybe the Sugar Bowl would be a great opportunity for Akeem Judd to live up to the promise he showed as the top-rated junior college running back (according to 247Sports) in the 2014 recruiting class. He redshirted last season and this year has 382 yards with three touchdowns, averaging 5.38 yards per carry.
Only three of Judd's 71 carries have gone for 20 or more yards, though if he gets the chance, he might erupt against an Oklahoma State defense that has allowed 278.8 rushing yards per game and given up 14 TDs on the ground over the last four games.
TaxSlayer Bowl: Georgia vs. Penn State
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Terry Godwin, WR, Georgia
The Georgia passing game left a lot to be desired this season, ranking 103rd in FBS in yards per game and tied for 108th with just 12 touchdowns. These results were as much a product of the play-calling from first-year offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer as because of the quarterbacks he had to work with.
Some talented receivers didn't get many opportunities to show off their talents, and Terry Godwin's contributions as a freshman were particularly unimpressive. The highly regarded prospect caught just one TD among 31 receptions, averaging 11.1 yards per catch.
Godwin will compete for Georgia's No. 1 receiver spot in 2016, when Kirby Smart takes over the program. Smart will be watching this game, though, and the 5'11”, 174-pound Godwin can use the bowl to show his new coach what he's capable of.
Liberty Bowl: Arkansas vs. Kansas State
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Deante Burton, WR, Kansas State
The senior duo of Tyler Lockett and Curry Sexton were arguably the best receiving tandem in FBS in 2014, but they and quarterback Jake Waters all graduated after last January's Alamo Bowl. A year to the day of that contest, the wideout who was expected to fill at least part of Lockett and Sexton's void has a chance to finally come through in that capacity.
Deante Burton, a 6'2", 205-pound junior, was the Wildcats' leading receiver this season but with only 34 receptions and four touchdowns. K-State didn't throw nearly as much this year because of the youthfulness of its overall offense, though had Burton been able to perform as hoped, this might have been different.
Arkansas had the eighth-worst pass defense in the country in 2015, so this matchup figures to provide Burton with an opportunity to shine.
Alamo Bowl: TCU vs. Oregon
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Darren Carrington, WR, Oregon
A failed drug test kept Darren Carrington out of the national title game last January against Ohio State and on the shelf for the first six games of 2015. His absence in the championship was noted, particularly after he'd had 291 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the Ducks' two previous games.
Had the 6'2”, 195-pound Carrington been available to start this season, Oregon might not have found itself 3-3 and without an effective pass game when quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. was hurt. Since he's come back, he's worked to get back into the flow, though after three straight 100-yard games, he's averaged 52.7 yards per game over the last three.
A deep threat whose speed will be hard for the TCU secondary to contend with, Carrington is poised to have a performance like he did against Florida State in last year's Rose Bowl (seven catches, 165 yards, two TDs).
Cactus Bowl: Arizona State vs. West Virginia
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Kareem Orr, DB, Arizona State
Arizona State is playing in a bowl game for the fourth time in as many seasons thanks to a win over rival Arizona last month, a game that it clinched late in the fourth quarter when Kareem Orr returned an interception 21 yards for a touchdown. It was the team-leading fifth pick for the 5'11", 195-pound freshman, who followed that up with a career-high 10 tackles against California.
But that game saw Cal's Jared Goff torch Orr and his ASU teammates through the air, to the tune of 542 yards and five TDs. Ott is looking to redeem himself, and the Cactus Bowl will be the last chance to do so this season.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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