Thor Nystrom tracks players opting out of upcoming bowl games as well as the coaching changes around the college football landscape. Thor will update the article through the remainder of the bowl season to keep you updated on opt-outs and 2023 NFL Draft prospects. 

News note: On December 16, the NCAA approved a one-time blanket waiver to exempt this year’s bowl games from counting against 2022 redshirt status. Numerous programs went public with their requests. This will allow numerous players who have appeared in four games this season who otherwise would have been withheld to play.

Numbers note: My adjusted spreads (ATL) include home-field modifiers, and consider the value-drop from inactive regulars to their projected fill-ins. My adjusted totals (ATT) also take into consideration opt-outs.

Check out Thor’s projections for all college football bowl games

CFP National Championship | Inglewood, California

• Monday, January 9 | 6:30 PM
• Georgia (-13.5) vs. TCU | Total: 63
• ATL: UGA -10.7

TCU

• RB Kendre Miller (Injury)
• WR Quincy Brown (Injury)
• WR Caleb Medford (Transfer portal)

RB Miller tweaked his right MCL against Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl but said after the game that he expects to be ready for the national title game. Miller was shaken up late in the first half, received treatment at halftime, but ultimately left the game after playing in the first series of the second half. Miller’s bullish postgame comments were encouraging. But we’ll have to monitor his status in the lead-up to the game. He’s a crucial piece to TCU’s explosive offense.

WR Brown has been out since early-September with a season-ending knee or ankle injury. He and WR Medford combined for only 44 snaps this fall.

Georgia

• TE Arik Gilbert (Transfer portal)
• TE Darnell Washington (Injury)
• DT Bill Norton (Transfer portal)
• EDGE Nolan Smith (Injury)
• LB Chaz Chambliss (Injury)
• S Dan Jackson (Injury)

WR Ladd McConkey returned to play a solid 39 snaps in the semis against Ohio State after leaving the SEC title game with a knee injury. That was the second-highest snap-count for receivers on the team.

TE Washington exited the Ohio State game ​​with a left ankle injury in the first quarter. After the game, HC Kirby Smart said Washington was being evaluated for a potential high-ankle sprain. UGA TE Oscar Delp soaked up most of Washington’s snaps off the bench in the Bulldogs’ two-TE system. We’ll monitor Washington’s status in the lead-up to the natty – consider him questionable for now.

RT McClendon, who suffered a knee injury in the SEC title game, dressed in the semifinal game, but didn’t start and ended up taking a mere one snap off the bench. His replacement, RT Amarius Mims, played well. It’s unclear if McClendon will be healthy enough to be a full-go for TCU, or if Georgia will want to swap Mims out even if he is.

OLB Chambliss needed help leaving the field in the semifinal game against Ohio State just prior to halftime with a left knee injury. His status for the natty is unclear.

TE Gilbert, a former vaunted LSU recruit, scarcely played for Georgia over two seasons after transferring over. The No. 113 recruit of all-time per the 247Sports Composite, Gilbert is looking for a new home in the portal.

EDGE Smith was the team’s best edge-rusher. He suffered a pectoral tear against Florida and is out for the season. Smith was Georgia’s second-best defender to DT Jalen Carter by any measure you choose – PFF grade, NFL scouts’ words, the eyeball test, et al.

S Jackson is out for the season with a foot injury. He had posted a sterling 80.7 PFF grade in 126 snaps before going down in October.

DT Norton played only 46 snaps off the bench this fall – he transferred to Arizona.

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