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.
Check out Thor’s projections for all college football bowl games 
Gator Bowl: College Football News, Player Opt-Out Tracker & Game Preview (Notre Dame vs. South Carolina)
- Friday, December 30 | 2:30 PM
- Notre Dame (-2) vs. South Carolina | Total: 51.5
- ATL: South Carolina -2.2 | ATT: 53
Notre Dame
- QB Drew Pyne (Transfer portal)
- QB Tyler Buchner (Injury)
- WR Avery Davis (Injury)
- WR Tobias Merriweather (Injury)
- WR Joe Wilkins Jr. (Transfer portal)
- TE Michael Mayer (Opt-out)
- TE Kevin Bauman (Injury)
- TE Eli Raridon (Injury)
- TE Cane Berrong (Transfer portal)
- DT Jacob Lacey (Transfer portal)
- EDGE Isaiah Foskey (Opt-out)
- EDGE Ositadinma Ekwonu (Transfer portal)
- DB Jayden Bellamy (Transfer portal)
- CB Cam Hart (Injury)
TE Mayer and EDGE Foskey are huge, huge losses. Mayer was a matchup nightmare who will go in Round 1 in the spring. Despite consistently drawing double- or even triple-teams this fall, Mayer posted a 67-809-9 receiving line as the only Irish receiving weapon that scared opponents.
Foskey was easily the team’s best pass-rusher with 12 sacks. It was his second-straight season with 11-or-more. DT Lacey had two sacks and five tackles against Cal, but he announced in October his intention to transfer – he ultimately signed with Oklahoma.
QB Pyne’s defection – for Arizona State – leaves the Irish with an uncertain quarterback situation. QB Tyler Buchner, who started the season as starter, suffered what was thought to be a season-ending shoulder injury in September. But Buchner returned to practice earlier this month in a limited capacity. He is said to be slowly ramping up activities. ND HC Marcus Freeman said Buchner could play in a bowl game if he proves he’s healthy enough in practices. If not, it’ll be QB3 Steve Angeli.
WR Davis, a projected starter, was lost for the season before it began with a knee injury. WR Merriweather, who played 68 snaps in the fall, is questionable with a concussion. TEs Raridon and Bauman were both lost for the season with injuries early-on, and TE Berrong has transferred. All three were backups but could have seen more time in the bowl game with Mayer’s defection.
CB Hart was one of the Irish’s two starting outside corners. He has been ruled out for this game with a shoulder injury suffered against Boston College. Though he won’t play in the bowl, Hart said he will return to school next fall.
The Irish have a strong starter on the other side in CB Benjamin Morrison, and also a solid starting nickel CB in TaRiq Bracy. Technically, the top outside-corner backup is Jaden Mickey. Mickey started for Hart against USC and got lit up. Per PFF, Mickey has allowed receptions on 12 of 15 targets this season for an average of 20.3 YPR.
CB Clarence Lewis has been the better player in 2022 – and far better in coverage – but the staff has used Lewis as a rotational fill-in interchangeably in the slot and on the outside as needed. If it was me, I would start CB Lewis on the outside in this game, with CB Mickey coming off the bench to spell the outside corners.
If nickel CB Bracy got hurt, I would shift Lewis inside and bring in Mickey to finish the game at the outside spot he was shifting-in from. But at least as of the USC game, this didn’t seem to be the prerogative of the staff. If Mickey is starting again, I’m hunting the props on the uSC receiver projected to line up across from him.
South Carolina
- RB Marshawn Lloyd (Transfer Portal)
- RB Christian Beal-Smith (Injury)
- RB Lovasea Carroll (Injury)
- WR Josh Vann (Injury)
- WR Corey Rucker (Transfer portal)
- WR Jalen Brooks (Unknown)
- TE Jaheim Bell (Transfer portal)
- TE Austin Stogner (Transfer portal)
- TE Traevon Kenion (Retirement)
- TE/WR Chad Terrell (Injury)
- OT Dylan Wonnum (Opt-out)
- DT Zacch Pickens (Opt-out)
- EDGE Terrell Dawkins (Injury)
- EDGE Gilber Edmond (Transfer portal)
- LB Mohamed Kaba (Injury)
- CB Cam Smith (Opt-out)
- CB Darius Rush (Opt-out/Injury)
- CB Joey Hunter (Transfer portal)
- S R.J. Roderick (Transfer portal)
- S David Spaulding (Injury)
- S Tyrese Ross (Transfer portal)
- S Devonni Reed (Opt-out)
QB Spencer Rattler, who is coming off two sensational showings, announced that he will play. That’s the good news. The bad news is South Carolina got hit with the defections of numerous key contributors at other positions.
RB1 Lloyd is an NFL talent who is now looking for a new home. RB2 Beal-Smith was limited in practices as of mid-December, with his right foot heavily taped. I’ve also been told that Beal-Smith has been moving around campus in a walking boot. Beal-Smith’s presence at practice suggests he’s hoping to play. But as of mid-December, he’s clearly nowhere near 100-percent. Backup RB Carroll has been ruled out with an undisclosed injury.
The Gamecocks had an embarrassment of riches with receiving tight ends this fall, but no longer after both TE Bell and TE Stogner entered the portal – they’re headed to Florida State and back to Oklahoma, respectively. Backup TE Kenion was expected to take heavy snaps in the bowl game in their stead – but Kenion announced his retirement from the game in the days that followed.
Keep in mind that TE/WR Terrell was lost before the season to a torn ACL. The Gamecocks are so far down on the depth chart at that position at this point that it’s difficult to guess who will play, just as it’s difficult to guess at whether South Carolina will attempt to write tight ends out of the gameplan for Notre Dame in deference for more receivers on the field. Of course, the Gamecocks have questions at that position, too.
WR Vann is nursing a knee sprain from the regular season finale against Clemson – he’s considered questionable to play. HC Shane Beamer said WR Brooks is dealing with an “off the field issue” but is practicing and will travel to the bowl game – Beamer added that Brooks’ availability for the game has not yet been decided.
Starting RT Wonnum is off to the NFL and won’t play. Wonnum started 40 of 42 career games with the Gamecocks.
EDGE Edmond was another starter, though PFF graded his 2022 work a poor 59.4. DT Pickens declared for the draft and opted-out. Pickens, likely a mid-rounder, started all 12 games and posted 42 tackles, four TFL and 2.5 sacks. EDGE Dawkins and LB Kaba, both little-used backups, are likely out with injuries.
CB Smith was one of the nation’s top cover corners, and a first-round candidate in April. He opted out to begin his pre-draft preparation after declaring for the NFL Draft. Smith had 11 passes defended last season.
Smith’s partner on the opposite boundary, CB Rush, followed-suit by declaring for the draft on Dec. 15. Rush had an additional reason to opt-out – he’s been mending from a hamstring injury.
S Reed, who started his only season after coming over as a graduate transfer from Central Michigan, won’t play after declaring for the draft. The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder had 39 tackles during the regular season.
That makes three secondary starters out for South Carolina. Two regular starting defensive backs will play: Marcellus Dial and Nick Emmanwori. DQ Smith, who started several times in the fall due to injuries, is going to draw another as well.
South Carolina did get good news with the NCAA’s blanket-waiver announcement for bowl games. That means that QB2 Luke Doty and S Spaulding – who began the year as the starting nickel – can play in this game while still using a redshirt for this season. Each had appeared in four games during the regular season. Spaulding has been out for the last two months due to a foot injury, but the program thinks he has a shot to return for the bowl.
Coaching News
South Carolina OC Marcus Satterfield left for Nebraska. Gamecocks HC Shane Beamer said he will not announce an offensive play-caller for the bowl prior to the game.
Whether you’re new to fantasy football or a seasoned pro, our Fantasy Football 101: Strategy Tips & Advice page is for you. You can start with our Beginner’s Guide to Daily Fantasy Football or head to a more advanced strategy — like A Guide to Orchestrating Early Season Trades — to learn more.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
