Fiesta Bowl 2016: Ezekiel Elliott Further Boosts NFL Draft Stock

Before the first quarter ended in the 2016 NFL draft showcase—also known as the Fiesta Bowl—two of the game's best prospects were already gone.

But after officials ejected Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa for targeting and Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith went down with a knee injury, another player with first-round potential took over in Arizona.

Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott put up 149 rushing yards and an incredible four touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 44-28 victory over Notre Dame on Friday. He averaged 5.5 yards per touch on the Fighting Irish and added a 30-yard reception in the second quarter.

"With all due respect to all the other running backs in Ohio State history, my first-round draft pick, I'd pick Zeke Elliott," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said, per John Marshall of the Associated Press (via FOX Sports). "He's as good as any running back I've been around."

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Even though he wasn't able to face a completely healthy Irish defense, Elliott's NFL draft stock could only improve after the standout performance—one that featured a tribute to Bosa and his famous shrug after his speedy 47-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

Bosa took notice of the celebration:

"

See you Zeke ❤️

— Joey Bosa (@jbbigbear) January 1, 2016"

Once again, Elliott stood out on the big stage. As Bill Landis of Cleveland.com noted, Elliott scored 10 touchdowns in three postseason games, adding to his breakout performances in the College Football Playoff last season.

That ability to come up big with plenty of eyeballs on him should be a great sign for Elliott's NFL future.

Elliott made it perfectly clear that he would forgo his senior season at Ohio State and go pro after only getting 12 carries in the Buckeyes' lone 2015 loss to Michigan State. (Meyer then made it official in a press conference earlier this week.)

Through the first quarter of Friday's game, it looked like Elliott could have been on the verge of another frustrating day. He only had four carries in the first quarter.

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

But the Buckeyes fed him the ball plenty of times in the final three periods, starring beside starting quarterback and Fiesta Bowl Offensive MVP J.T. Barrett. His first two carries of the second quarter went for a combined 30 yards, and he capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown.

Elliott showcased the all-around game that makes him the No. 1 running back in Bleacher Report NFL draft writer Matt Miller's latest prospect rankings. 

"He's a physical back. He makes his presence known," Notre Dame defensive lineman Sheldon Day said, per Marshall. "He did some special things with his feet today."

According to Miller, Elliott is the "most NFL-ready" running back in this year's class and also has the most potential of all available rushers.

Miller considers Elliott the No. 16 overall prospect, which would put him firmly in first-round territory, and compared him to two NFL greats during the Fiesta Bowl:

Other draft experts took notice of Elliott's big day in the desert, including Yahoo Sports' Eric Edholm and ESPN's Andrew Brandt:

NBC Sports' Josh Norris praised Elliott for his playmaking potential and his ability to keep the pocket clean for Barrett:

Now with his Ohio State career in the books, Elliott will begin the draft process and continue building his stock in events such as pro days and the NFL combine. 

He's helped spark the running back renaissance in college football during his last two seasons with Ohio State, ones that have featured plenty of wins and plenty of highlight-reel plays.

And while Derrick Henry might have the Heisman Trophy to his name, Elliott seems all but guaranteed to finish ahead of the Alabama star in a more lucrative list of names—the selections at the 2016 NFL draft.

Game statistics courtesy of StatBroadcast. Unless otherwise noted, other statistics courtesy of CFBstats.com.

Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.