As bowl season rapidly approaches, we’re slowly beginning to hear from some of the best players in the country regarding their bowl games and whether they will play. Yesterday, coach Brian Kelly revealed that LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is not yet decided on his future as it pertains to the ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Wisconsin.
Coach Brian Kelly reveals most players as being decided on ReliaQuest Bowl appearance
One of the newer aspects of college football is the concept of bowl game opt-outs. Not long ago, this wasn’t even a thought, and players were simply assumed to play in their bowl games at the end of the year.
However, since the College Football Playoff was first introduced, we began to see players make the decision to not play in the postseason as they prepare themselves for the upcoming NFL draft.
For many, it’s to avoid injury. For others, it’s simply a matter of being happy with the game tape they’d shown up to that point.
Regardless of the reasoning, it is something that fans and coaches alike need to think about now. As it pertains to LSU football, it sounds like the team is beginning to get a feel for who we could see on New Year’s Day in the ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Wisconsin.
“I think we have a really good sense of the players that will be available for the bowl game,” coach Brian Kelly said on Tuesday. “For me to stand here and tell you exactly what those players are, I couldn’t do that. I will say that we spent all of last week doing exit interviews with our players. So, last week was really about our players.”
For the Tigers, they have some time to make final decisions on this subject, as they don’t play their game until 2024 on New Year’s Day.
Still, it’s often better to make these decisions sooner rather than later. Not only does it give the coaching staff additional time to build a game plan for their upcoming game, but it gives the players additional time to prepare for their future.
The LSU head coach added we should be getting the majority of said availability over the next week or so.
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels unsure of ReliaQuest Bowl future
While there are plenty of players the Tiger fan base is likely anxiously awaiting a decision from, few are as anticipated as LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The star signal-caller was just announced as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and is arguably the most impressive player in college football right now.
When asked whether we’d see him in the upcoming ReliaQuest Bowl, coach Brian Kelly revealed that he doesn’t yet know, but could be coming to a decision soon.
“He has not,” the Tiger head coach revealed about his star quarterback. “He unfortunately had a death in the family and was gone for a few days. I spoke with him yesterday. He clearly knows the pros and the cons of this decision. I do too.”
While being respectful and understanding of whatever decision he ultimately comes to, there’s no doubt about where his preferences lie.
“Who wouldn’t want him to play? I mean everybody would love to see Jayden Daniels play one last time. I’m a fan. I’m his coach, but I’m a fan of Jayden Daniels. But he’s gotta make a decision, and clearly I see both sides of it. So, we’ll provide him with all the things necessary for him to make an informed decision, but he hasn’t got to that level yet.”
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