TEXAS A&M SOPHOMORE QB KENNY HILL

Stats: 214-of-321, 66.7 percent, 2,649 passing yards, 23 passing TDs, 8 INTs, 15 sacks, 154.6 rating

Big-time game: He went to Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia on opening night and started the season off with a bang. On that night, Hill went 44-of-60 for 511 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. After the game, Hill got thrust into the college football spotlight. He was the talk of the nation.

Not his best effort: The Alabama game was the final straw for coach Kevin Sumlin. After a brutal game in which he went 17-of-26 for 138 yards with no touchdowns and one pick, he had an off-the-field situation to boot. He was benched following that 59-0 game against Bama and hasn’t seen the field since. This bowl game and offseason will prove to be crucial for him. If Kyle Allen has a great game, that could spell disaster for Hill in terms of his future as a starting quarterback at A&M.

Improvements: He really regressed as the season went on. He became turnover-prone and got into some off-the-field issues. He had one of the better starts to a season in recent memory, but that success dwindled. He has all the ability and talent. We’ll see what happens in this bowl game and offseason.

Strengths: He has all the tools to be a successful quarterback. He has the arm talent and the mobility. He was still the sixth-ranked passer in the SEC in 2014 and didn’t play the last four games. This bowl game and offseason will be huge for him and Kyle Allen as well.

Weakness: Youth. Other than his youth and how amazing he was to start the season, success sort of went to his head. The QB situation at Texas A&M is a dicey one because Kyle Allen is actually younger than Hill. We’ll see how that plays out over this offseason, but I wouldn’t be surprised if one of these guys ends up transferring. Once he tried trademarking the Kenny “Trill” name, his season went downhill. Hill also seemed to not be very comfortable in the pocket either. When he had the time to sit back there, he was as cool as possible, but when the rush was getting to him he seemed to panic and throw all over the place.

Overall: As the season progressed and we saw how Hill’s season went, we could see his youth as he struggled and was ultimately benched in favor of Kyle Allen. I can’t stress enough how important this bowl game and offseason is for Hill, and Allen for that matter. Hill has the talent to be a special player and I think he learned a lot this season. This will be the best quarterback competition in the offseason and we’ll see who wins. One of these kids won’t be at A&M.