Ad Disclosure
The 2015 bowl season will feature players of all sizes and shapes. Here is a look at some of the biggest and smallest opposing players that SEC teams will go up against in the conference’s 10 guaranteed postseason games.
BIGGEST PLAYERS
All-you-can-eat restaurants shutter when these guys walk through their doors. Some of biggest players per gross tonnage and height that will square off against the SEC this bowl season:
Jack Conklin, Michigan State: 6-foot-6, 325 pounds – Michigan State left tackle Jack Conklin doesn’t just have NFL-size, the junior even has the name of a big, burly throwback football player. Conklin has been plugging up holes all season with his 6-foot-6, 325-pound frame. He’ll have to contend with the Alabama front seven in the College Football Playoff semifinals played on Dec. 31 at the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas.
Victor Salako, Oklahoma State: 6-6, 330 pounds – Oklahoma State picked up a big transfer, literally and metaphorically, with the addition of former UAB left tackle, after the Blazers dissolved their football team last year. The bruising Salako, one of the biggest players the SEC will face in the bowl season at 330 pounds, is tasked with shutting down the pass rush of Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
Paxton Lynch, Memphis QB: 6-7, 245 pounds – Paxton Lynch might not win many sumo wrestling matches against the rest of the players on this list, but the Memphis quarterback has plenty of size at 6-foot-7 — the tallest among opposing quarterbacks in SEC bowl games. The Tigers are hoping the height advantage will behoove their offense against Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl.
Eurndraus Bryant, N.C. State: 6-1, 350 pounds – Eurndraus Bryant comes off the bench for N.C. State, but when he vdoes, his presence is felt along the Wolfpack’s defensive front. The 350-pound freshman defensive end (7 tackles, 0.5 sacks) is just a freshman, so think about what he’ll look like after gaining his “freshman 15.” Bryant and N.C. State lug that girth to Charlotte for this year’s Belk Bowl against Mississippi State.
Rika Levi, Texas Tech: 6-2, 333 pounds – Rika Levi lost 45 pounds prior to the start of this season. Process that for a moment. A “slimmed down” Levi finished with 12 tackles, one of them for a loss, for the Red Raiders this year. The Texas Tech defensive lineman will look to throw his weight around against LSU in the Texas Bowl in Houston.
SMALLEST PLAYERS
If Louisville cornerback Kevin Elijah suits up for Louisville, the junior would be the lightest player to face the SEC this bowl season, (barely) tipping the scales at 156 pounds. If not, that honor belongs to several players at 160 pounds. It’s important to remember that many times, teams will inflate their measurements to make a player appear bigger — meaning some of these guys might actually be smaller than their official school listing.
Here are a few of the slighter players looking to burn SEC teams this bowl season.
Jakeem Grant, Texas Tech: 5-foot-7, 168 pounds – Jakeem Grant makes up for a lack of size with speed and hands. The senior wide receiver leads the Red Raiders into its Texas Bowl matchup against LSU with a team-high 1,143 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Duke Shelley, Kansas State: 5-9, 160 pounds – Duke Shelley stepped up for an injury-riddled Kansas State this year, after originally intending to redshirt this season. The Wildcats’ freshman corner finished with 28 tackles and was second on the team with seven passes defended. The freshman did this, despite one of the lighter frames in the Big 12 conference — and will have to contend with Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis.
Mark Allen, Penn State: 5-6, 181 pounds – Mark Allen is one of two players that SEC teams will face this postseason that stands on 5-foot-6. The shifty Penn State running back has 175 all-purpose yards, including rushing and receiving touchdowns on the year. The Nittany Lions face a tough Georgia run defense in the TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville.
Jeff Carr, Oklahoma State: 5-7, 168 pounds – Jeff Carr wasn’t able to parlay his elusive speed into a big season for Oklahoma State. Still, the Cowboys’ freshman running back is a threat with the ball, tallying 142 yards and a touchdown this year. He’ll look to get on track against Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
Jelani Roberts, Northwestern: 5-8, 160 pounds – Lithe Northwestern wide receiver Jelani Roberts didn’t exactly gel with fellow freshman quarterback Clayton Thorson in their first year together, accumulating just 103 all-purpose yards (48 receiving yards). The Wildcats use Roberts all over the field, however, and could line him up to get some carries, catches and return kicks against Tennessee in the Outback Bowl in Tampa.
Chris Wuensch is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers South Carolina and Tennessee.
