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 season to keep you updated on bowl games, college prospects, and the 2023 NFL Draft.
And below we’ll take a closer look at the upcoming bowl game: First Responder Bowl.
Check out Thor’s projections for all college football bowl games 
First Responder Bowl: College Football News, Player Opt-Out Tracker & Game Preview (Memphis vs. Utah State)
- Tuesday, December 27 | 2:15 PM
- Memphis (-7.5) vs. Utah State | Total: 61.5
- ATL: Memphis -17.4 | ATT: 58.5
Memphis
- RB Brandon Thomas (Injury)
- WR Koby Drake (Injury)
- WR Joe Scates (Injury)
- EDGE Warren Peeples (Transfer portal)
- CB Julian Barnett (Unknown)
- DB Joshua Hastings (Transfer portal)
RB Thomas was lost for the season in mid-November. Fortunately, Memphis still has two healthy backs of analogous talent in Jevyon Ducker and Asa Martin, so Thomas’ loss has been mitigated.
WRs Scates and Drake are questionable for the bowl with injuries. Neither are difference-makers, but both see the field when active. CB/S Hastings began the season as starter but hadn’t played since mid-October – PFF panned his work through the first six games (54.5 grade).
Reserve CB Barnett (26 snaps) is out indefinitely for undisclosed reasons. EDGE Peeples only saw 25 snaps in the fall.
Utah State
- QB Logan Bonner (Injury)
- QB Levi Williams (Injury)
- RB Calvin Tyler Jr. (Opt-out)
- RB Robert Briggs (Injury)
- RB John Gentry (Transfer portal)
- WR Kyle Van Leeuwen (Injury)
- WR Xavier Williams (Transfer portal)
- DT Phillip Paea (Injury)
- DE John Ward (Injury)
- CB Ajani Carter (Injury)
- CB Michael Anyanwu (Injury)
- S Luke Marion (Transfer portal)
RB Tyler, who ran for 1,043 yards as USU’s RB1, entered the NFL Draft and will not play. Tyler was the offense’s highest-graded PFF player among those with 200 or more snaps. But if you change the cut-off to 195, he’s actually slightly bested by RB Briggs. Unfortunately, Briggs is injured and won’t play. The Aggies are down to RB3 Pailate Makakona – who took only 48 snaps this year – and RB4 Jordan Wilmore, a Utah transfer who didn’t play in September or October but had seven carries in the finale.
RB5 Gentry didn’t see a snap in the regular season – likely why he is transferring out – but he was a consensus top-750 overall recruit coming out of high school who USU probably could have used in this game. Interestingly, when media asked Tyler Jr. about his breakout season, Tyler credited Gentry as being “the most important teammate this year” due to his practice habits.
The quarterback room is in similar straits. QB1 Bonner is out for the year with a lower-body injury suffered in September. QB2 Williams is almost assuredly out for this game as well following an ankle injury in late-November. Bonner’s play significantly dropped off this fall from his previous three seasons. QB3 Cooper Legas will likely start again. Judged against Bonner’s 2022 regression, Legas is only a slight downgrade. Judged against Bonner’s 2021, Legas is an enormous downgrade. QB Bonner announced he will declare for the 2023 NFL Draft in mid-December.
USU HC Blake Anderson has expressed confidence that starting CBs Carter and Anyanwu, along with second-string DE John Ward, will be able to return from injuries for the bowl game.
WR Van Leeuwen and DT Paea were both lost for the season in September. WR Williams and S Marion were scarcely used in the fall, they’re moving on in search of more playing time.
Coaching News
Memphis HC Ryan Silverfield – rumored to be on the hot seat – was told he will return next season.
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