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 
Sugar Bowl: College Football News, Player Opt-Out Tracker & Game Preview (Alabama vs. Kansas State)
- Saturday, December 31 | 11:00 AM
- Alabama (-6) vs. Kansas State | Total: 56
- ATL: Bama -4.3 | ATT: 56.5
Alabama
- RB Trey Sanders (Transfer portal)
- WR Traeshon Holden (Transfer portal)
- WR Christian Leary (Transfer portal)
- WR JoJo Earle (Transfer portal)
- WR Aaron Anderson (Transfer portal)
- OG Javion Cohen (Transfer portal)
- OG Tanner Bowles (Transfer portal)
- OT Amari Knight (Transfer portal)
- OT Tommy Brockermeyer (Transfer portal)
- OT Damieon George Jr. (Transfer portal)
- DT Justin Eboigbe (Injury)
- LB Demouy Kennedy (Injury)
- CB Khyree Jackson (Transfer portal/Suspension)
Alabama got hit hard by transfer defections.
But the Tide got sensational news on Dec. 16 when HC Nick Saban announced no player is expected to opt-out of the bowl game. The list of possibilities he was alluding to includes QB Bryce Young, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, EDGE Will Anderson, CB Malachi Moore, S Jordan Battle, and S Brian Branch. Things could always change in the interim, of course, but those players are all taking part in bowl-preparation practices.
OG Cohen – off to TCU – was a starter, and an above-average one at that. WR Holden played 308 snaps as part of the receiver rotation, WR Earle played 223 (Nos. 4 and 6 among the WR corps in snaps). EDGE Eboigbe was the only other portal defection who played over 100 snaps in the fall (117).
DL Eboigbe and LB Kennedy are out for the season with injuries.
Kansas State
- QB Adrian Martinez (Injury)
- WR Malik Knowles (Injury)
- LB Krew Jackson (Transfer portal)
- CB Ekow Boye-Doe (Injury)
- CB TJ Smith (Transfer portal)
QB Martinez is reportedly close to a return, but he hasn’t played in over a month and is likely covered in rust. K-State will likely roll with QB Will Howard regardless. Howard is the clearly superior passer. If Martinez can play, though, watch for him as a running option in sub-packages.
WR Knowles and CB Boye-Doe both suffered injuries in the Big 12 title game. Each is expected to play, however.
CB Smith, who played 201 snaps as a rotational nickel defender, had one of the defense’s worst PFF grades (55.9). LB Jackson was a little-used backup.
Coaching News
Alabama S coach Charles Kelly left to become Colorado’s DC under Coach Prime.
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