For many players, the bowl season is the final chance to show NFL scouts what they have on the field before months of interviews and workouts in shorts. For fans, it's the last chance to take a look at the prospects that will make up the majority of the 2014 NFL Draft.
On Wednesday, there are six bowl games: The Gator, Heart of Dallas, Outback, Capital One, Rose and Fiesta Bowls. Here are the prospects that should be paid the most attention:
Gator Bowl - Nebraska vs. Georgia, 12 p.m.
# | Player | Pos. | Height | Weight | Proj. via NFLDraftScout.com | |
UGA | 88 | Arthur Lynch | TE | 6-5 | 254 | 3rd |
NEB | 16 | Stanley Jean-Baptiste | CB | 6-2 | 220 | 4th |
UGA | 68 | Chris Burnette | G | 6-2 | 315 | 7th |
UGA | 56 | Garrison Smith | DT | 6-3 | 299 | 7th |
NEB | 31 | C.J. Zimmerer | FB | 6-0 | 230 | 7th-FA |
NEB | 18 | Quincy Enunwa | WR | 6-2 | 225 | 7th-FA |
UGA | 72 | Kenarious Gates | OT | 6-5 | 327 | 7th-FA |
Heart of Dallas Bowl - UNLV vs. North Texas, 12 p.m.
No prospects projected to be drafted by NFLDraftScout.com.
Outback Bowl - Iowa vs. LSU, 1 p.m.
# | Player | Pos. | Height | Weight | Proj. via NFLDraftScout.com | |
LSU | 3 | Odell Beckham Jr.* | WR | 5-11 | 193 | 1st-2nd |
LSU | 9 | Ego Ferguson* | DT | 6-2 | 309 | 2nd |
LSU | 80 | Jarvis Landry* | WR | 6-0 | 195 | 2nd |
LSU | 70 | La'el Collins* | OT | 6-5 | 315 | 2nd |
IOWA | 86 | C.J. Fiedorowicz | TE | 6-6 | 265 | 2nd-3rd |
LSU | 90 | Anthony Johnson* | DT | 6-2 | 295 | 3rd |
LSU | 33 | Jeremy Hill** | RB | 6-1 | 235 | 3rd |
LSU | 6 | Craig Loston | S | 6-1 | 209 | 3rd-4th |
IOWA | 20 | Christian Kirksey | OLB | 6-2 | 235 | 4th-5th |
LSU | 18 | Lamin Barrow | ILB | 6-1 | 232 | 4th-5th |
LSU | 44 | J.C. Copeland | FB | 6-0 | 270 | 5th-6th |
IOWA | 44 | James Morris | ILB | 6-1 | 240 | 7th-FA |
Capital One Bowl - Wisconsin vs. South Carolina, 1 p.m.
# | Player | Pos. | Height | Weight | Proj. via NFLDraftScout.com | |
SC | 7 | Jadeveon Clowney* | DE | 6-5 | 274 | 1st |
WIS | 4 | Jared Abbrederis | WR | 6-1 | 190 | 2nd-3rd |
WIS | 44 | Chris Borland | ILB | 5-11 | 246 | 2nd-3rd |
SC | 99 | Kelcy Quarles* | DT | 6-3 | 298 | 2nd-3rd |
SC | 27 | Victor Hampton* | CB | 5-10 | 202 | 2nd-3rd |
WIS | 20 | James White | RB | 5-10 | 195 | 6th |
WIS | 79 | Ryan Groy | G | 6-5 | 320 | 6th |
WIS | 48 | Jacob Pedersen | TE | 6-4 | 240 | 6th-7th |
SC | 14 | Connor Shaw | QB | 6-1 | 209 | 7th-FA |
SC | 90 | Chaz Sutton | DE | 6-4 | 263 | 7th-FA |
WIS | 12 | Dezmen Southward | S | 6-1 | 210 | 7th-FA |
Rose Bowl - Stanford vs. Michigan State, 5 p.m.
# | Player | Pos. | Height | Weight | Proj. via NFLDraftScout.com | |
STAN | 93 | Trent Murphy | DE | 6-6 | 261 | 1st |
MSU | 31 | Darqueze Dennard | CB | 5-11 | 197 | 1st |
STAN | 54 | David Yankey* | G | 6-5 | 314 | 1st |
STAN | 11 | Shayne Skov | LB | 6-2 | 245 | 2nd |
STAN | 90 | Josh Mauro | DE | 6-6 | 282 | 3rd-4th |
STAN | 25 | Tyler Gaffney | RB | 6-0 | 226 | 5th |
MSU | 9 | Isaiah Lewis | S | 5-10 | 208 | 5th |
MSU | 40 | Max Bullough | ILB | 6-3 | 245 | 5th |
MSU | 28 | Denicos Allen | OLB | 5-11 | 218 | 5th |
STAN | 85 | Ryan Hewitt | FB | 6-4 | 246 | 7th-FA |
Fiesta Bowl - UCF vs. Baylor, 8:30 p.m.
# | Player | Pos. | Height | Weight | Proj. via NFLDraftScout.com | |
UCF | 5 | Blake Bortles* | QB | 6-3 | 230 | 1st-2nd |
BAY | 68 | Cyril Richardson | G | 6-5 | 340 | 1st-2nd |
BAY | 25 | Lache Seastrunk* | RB | 5-9 | 210 | 2nd |
BAY | 6 | Ahmad Dixon | S | 6-0 | 205 | 2nd-3rd |
BAY | 16 | Tevin Reese | WR | 5-10 | 170 | 6th-7th |
UCF | 8 | Storm Johnson* | RB | 6-0 | 215 | 7th |
BAY | 18 | Jordan Najvar | TE | 6-6 | 265 | 7th-FA |
* Junior
** Draft-eligible sophomore
New Year's Day features more bowl games than any other in the year and it will likely feature more prospects that will populate the 2014 NFL Draft than any other day between now and May. While the Heart of Dallas Bowl won't have many, if any, prospects on display, games like the Rose Bowl, Capital One Bowl and Outback Bowl have as many as 10 players that will likely have their names called.
The prospect of the day is likely South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who has been revered as a top NFL Draft prospect since his freshman year. While he only has three sacks in 2013, he has transcendental talent and will almost certainly be a top five selection in the likely case that he foregoes his senior season.
The other player that will draw eyes on Wednesday is UCF quarterback Blake Bortles. The Baylor defense has had a pretty solid year, holding opposing quarterbacks to a 46.9 completion percentage, which will provide Bortles with a test that he didn't see often in the AAC.