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: Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl.
Check out Thor’s projections for all college football bowl games
Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl: College Football News, Player Opt-Out Tracker & Game Preview (Washington State vs. Fresno State)
Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl | Inglewood, CA
- Saturday, December 17 | 2:30 PM
- Fresno State (-3) vs. Washington State | Total: 54.5
- ATL: Wazzu -3.7 | ATT: 43
Washington State
- WR De’Zhuan Stribling (Transfer portal)
- WR Donovan Ollie (Transfer portal)
- WR Renard Bell (Injury)
- OT Jack Wilson (Left team)
- LB Francisco Mauigoa (Transfer portal)
- LB Travion Brown (Transfer portal)
- LB Daiyan Henley (Opt-out)
- CB Armani Marsh (Injury)
The oft-injured WR Bell missed five games this season with injuries and has already been ruled out for the bowl game. WRs Stribling, Ollie, and Bell are Nos. 1, 2, and 4 on the team in receiving yards. Their losses are significant for Wazzu’s pass-happy offense.
Wazzu nickel CB Marsh is expected to play after missing the Apple Cup due to an unspecified injury. That’s notable because Washington picked on his backup and poured on 485 passing yards. OT Wilson, a backup tackle and also a basketball player, left the team to join WSU’s basketball program.
LB Henley, a first-team All-Pac-12 linebacker who ESPN ranks as a top-60 overall NFL draft prospect, is headed to the Senior Bowl. LBs Mauigoa and Brown were the team’s top-two middle linebackers. Wazzu will start two backup LB who’ve never started a game – Ben Wilson and Kyle Thornton – in place of Henley and the Mauigoa/Brown rotation. Depth at the LB position is so bad that HC Dickert said backup SS Jordan Lee shifted to LB for bowl practices to serve as Wilson’s backup in this game.
Fresno State
- DB Cole Sanders
Sanders played the 12th-most defensive snaps for Fresno State this fall and finished with 32 tackles. Sanders had the fourth-worst PFF grade of the 12, so perhaps he won’t be overly missed.
Coaching News
Wazzu DC Brian Ward took the same job at Arizona State.
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