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The bowl season is the perfect time for a player to put his name in the national spotlight.
Think back to Jadeveon Clowney’s Outback Bowl performance a few years ago. Everyone knew he was great, but when he sent a Michigan player’s helmet flying into the outer reaches of the galaxy, he sent his perception and expectations up to a whole new level.
Who are the candidates to do that during this year’s bowl season?
Derrick Henry, Alabama
Everyone around the SEC already knows Henry’s name. Just about every school in the Southeast chased the Florida native, wanting to add his massive frame and blazing speed to their backfield. Alabama won the recruiting battle, but it wasn’t until his sophomore year that Henry started to tap into his massive potential. He put one foot up on the national stage in the SEC title game, crushing Missouri with powerful runs in the fourth quarter. Henry is the guy Alabama will turn to late in games, and with a dominant performance against Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl he would set himself up for a huge junior year. T.J. Yeldon could be turning pro after this year, leaving Henry as the bell cow for next season. He put himself fully in the national spotlight on New Year’s Day.
Kendell Beckwith, LSU
LSU’s defense went from a porous unit to one that shut down just about everyone down the stretch, and the flip commenced when Beckwith moved into the middle linebacker role. Beckwith is huge, fast and explosive, and while he didn’t single-handedly plug up the Tigers’ issues against the run, he had a huge hand in it. Despite only starting for about half the season, Beckwith finished second on the team in total tackles. When he dominates against a struggling Notre Dame team, people will recognize the sophomore as the leader of a young, terrifying defense.
Texas A&M’s young passing attack
Few players need a big game like Kyle Allen. The touted freshman quarterback was up and down after taking over the starting role toward the end of the year, and he’ll have major competition in the fall with former starter Kenny Hill and incoming freshman Kyler Murray. A strong bowl game would give him a leg up, and he’ll have a chance to perform well against a mediocre West Virginia pass defense. Speedy Noil and Ricky Seals-Jones, both as highly regarded as Allen, could go a long way to helping him establish himself. The two freshmen will have to step up next year with Malcome Kennedy gone, and both have the raw physical skills to dominate a West Virginia secondary that might not have enough size to compete.
Maty Mauk, Missouri
Mizzou gets no respect, and part of it has to do with Mauk’s inconsistency. The sophomore had some brilliant moments leading last-minute scoring drives, but he wasn’t always good. He threw a cluster of interceptions early in the season before cleaning up those issues, but his scramble-heave-and-pray passing method finally failed him against Alabama. Mauk faces a Minnesota pass defense that was mediocre in the run-heavy Big Ten. If Mauk puts up a good performance on the big stage, Missouri should earn some strong preseason rankings going into 2015.
Tony Conner, Ole Miss
The former five-star recruit had a strong sophomore season for the Rebels, playing a key role as nickel defensive back. He was second on the team in tackles, often playing close to the line of scrimmage. He’ll be needed against a potent TCU passing attack that finished seventh in the country in yards per game. With Cody Prewitt and Senquez Golson heading to their diplomas after this season, Conner is going to be the star of the Rebels’ secondary next year, along with Mike Hilton, who played the Husky role and led the team in tackles. Ole Miss is going to be hit hard losing their two All-SEC performers, but Conner should be ready to step up.
A former freelance journalist from Philadelphia, Brett has made the trek down to SEC country to cover the greatest conference in college football.
