In today’s modern college football landscape, it’s not uncommon to see top players sit out bowl games because they expect to enter the NFL Draft and be selected highly. However, that’s not going to be the case for Alabama stars Bryce Young and Will Anderson.
Both Young and Anderson are expected to be high draft picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, but that’s not enough to get them to sit out the upcoming Sugar Bowl when Alabama takes on Kansas State.
“Sources: Alabama’s Bryce Young and Will Anderson are both planning to play in the Sugar Bowl,” reported ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Friday.
Sources: Alabama's Bryce Young and Will Anderson are both planning to play in the Sugar Bowl.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 16, 2022
In fact, according to Aaron Suttles of The Athletic, Alabama will not have any opt-outs this year, which is a pretty rare thing these days for teams not in the College Football Playoff.
Ohio State won’t have wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njiigba when they play Georgia in the Peach Bowl, though injuries do play a factor there. There have been some other players opting out of bowl games as well. However, that won’t be the case for Nick Saban’s crew in spite of what might be considered a disappointing finish for the program.
This year’s Sugar Bowl between No. 5 Alabama and No. 9 Kansas State will take place on Saturday, December 31, 2022, in the Caesars Superdome. The game is scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. Central and will be televised by ESPN.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.