Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and University of Southern California head coach Clay Helton take a photo with the Cotton Bowl trophy on Dec. 28 in Dallas, Texas. Credit: Jack Westerheide | Photo Editor
DALLAS — College football players sitting out bowl games in order to prepare for the NFL has become a trend in recent years. Last year, Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey sat out the Sun Bowl and LSU running back Leonard Fournette did not play in the Citrus Bowl.
The trend has not reached this year’s Cotton Bowl.
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and USC head coach Clay Helton said they both anticipate all their athletes to play in the game.
“We anticipate we’ll be full, ready to go play,” Meyer said. “Everybody’s playing.”
Ohio State has multiple players who will enter the NFL draft after their senior seasons, including defensive ends Tyquan Lewis and Jalyn Holmes, center Billy Price and left tackle Jamarco Jones. Others will forgo their final season or two to leave for the NFL. Defensive end Sam Hubbard and cornerback Denzel Ward are likely candidates to become NFL draft early entrants.
The Trojans also have a selection of players who will enter April’s NFL draft. Quarterback and potential No. 1 overall pick Sam Darnold and running back Ronald Jones might decide to enter the draft, but opted to play in the Cotton Bowl.
“I think each case is in its own individual nature,” Helton said. “But I’m so thankful in this realm of having made decisions whether to play or not play, we’re going into the second year of this and being able to say, ‘You know what? Every guy that has the ability to play is going to be out there playing.’”
No player on either Ohio State or USC has sat out a bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft in recent years.
Though the trend of players skipping bowl games has not extended to the Cotton Bowl, other games this year were affected. Texas offensive tackle Connor Williams and cornerback Holton Hill sat out the Longhorns’ victory against Missouri in Wednesday’s Texas Bowl. Florida State safety and likely top-10 NFL draft pick Derwin James did not play in the Seminoles’ Independence Bowl, and Oregon running back Royce Freeman opted not to suit up for the Las Vegas Bowl.
