Top draft prospects have come to view bowl games as meaningless exhibitions, and LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is no exception.
Daniels, the Heisman Trophy winner, confirmed that he isn’t playing against Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl on January 1.
That was expected, as Daniels has played five years of college football (three at Arizona State and two at LSU) and has established himself as a first-round prospect in the 2024 NFL draft. There’s no reason to risk an injury, as a bowl game could do far more to harm his draft stock than to help it.
No draft prospect whose team is in the College Football Playoff has ever prioritized his draft stock over a playoff game, and as the playoff expands to 12 teams next year we may see more of the top draft prospects playing in the college football postseason again. But for now, bowl games just don’t matter enough for draft prospects to risk injury.
