I have mixed feelings on this. A few players have announced they will skip their team's bowl game to focus on the NFL draft. The big ones so far are Leonard Fournette of LSU (vs. Louisville in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl) and Christian McCaffrey of Stanford (vs. UNC in the Sun Bowl).
I understand it from the players' perspective. Last year Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith suffered a severe knee injury in the bowl game that dropped him from a likely Top 5 pick to a 2nd rounder. Injuries completely cut short former South Carolina RB Marcus Lattimore's career in the NFL; a guy who would have probably been a 1st round pick had he been eligible for the draft after his freshman year. What's the point of Fournette or McCaffrey playing in a game that will only expose them to further, potentially serious injury? According to NFL Draft expert Todd McShay, both Fournette and McCaffrey are 1st round picks. There is no incentive for these guys to play. And it's not like either is playing in the CFP, NY6 game, or even a "top-tier" bowl game. Neither Fournette nor McCaffrey have anything to play for and nothing to further prove as a college player. A good showing at the Combine is most imperative to McCaffrey's draft stock, rather than another 250 total yards against North Carolina on December 30th.
On the other hand, it's a bit of a slap in the face to their respective universities and fans. Those universities have shelled out hundreds of thousands of dollars and helped further develop the players' natural talent. It is a selfish move to essentially say, "You helped get me here, but now I'm going to abandon you for my own benefit." Star players skipping pointless bowl games, such as the Citrus and Sun Bowls, is likely something that will become more common in the future. I get it from the player's point of view and as a former athletic trainer, but as a fan of college sports I'm not sure if I'm ok with it.
I understand it from the players' perspective. Last year Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith suffered a severe knee injury in the bowl game that dropped him from a likely Top 5 pick to a 2nd rounder. Injuries completely cut short former South Carolina RB Marcus Lattimore's career in the NFL; a guy who would have probably been a 1st round pick had he been eligible for the draft after his freshman year. What's the point of Fournette or McCaffrey playing in a game that will only expose them to further, potentially serious injury? According to NFL Draft expert Todd McShay, both Fournette and McCaffrey are 1st round picks. There is no incentive for these guys to play. And it's not like either is playing in the CFP, NY6 game, or even a "top-tier" bowl game. Neither Fournette nor McCaffrey have anything to play for and nothing to further prove as a college player. A good showing at the Combine is most imperative to McCaffrey's draft stock, rather than another 250 total yards against North Carolina on December 30th.
On the other hand, it's a bit of a slap in the face to their respective universities and fans. Those universities have shelled out hundreds of thousands of dollars and helped further develop the players' natural talent. It is a selfish move to essentially say, "You helped get me here, but now I'm going to abandon you for my own benefit." Star players skipping pointless bowl games, such as the Citrus and Sun Bowls, is likely something that will become more common in the future. I get it from the player's point of view and as a former athletic trainer, but as a fan of college sports I'm not sure if I'm ok with it.
