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          Players skipping bowl games ahead of NFL draft -- Who's in, who's out

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          Greenberg: Players skipping bowl games could cause CFP expansion (1:36)

          Mike Greenberg states that the combination of the diminishing value of bowl games and players skipping out on playing in them could lead to the CFP being expanded to eight teams in an effort to preserve bowl game importance. (1:36)

          • Sam Khan Jr.
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            Sam Khan Jr.
            ESPN Staff Writer
            • Covers Texas A&M and the SEC.
            • Joined ESPN in 2012.
            • Graduate of the University of Houston.
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          • Kyle Bonagura
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            Kyle Bonagura
            ESPN Staff Writer
            • Covers the Pac-12.
            • Joined ESPN in 2014.
            • Attended Washington State University.
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          Dec 18, 2019, 03:00 PM

          The College Football Playoff era has helped usher in a new tradition: players skipping bowl games to limit injury risk ahead of the NFL draft.

          It's a trend that hasn't affected playoff teams, but it's an accepted practice for just about everyone else.

          Here is the status of several high-profile players, along with their NFL draft stock, according to ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, regarding their plans to participate in various non-playoff games this bowl season:

          Dec. 21
          Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl

          Skipping:
          OT Trey Adams, Washington
          Kiper rank: No. 10 OT; McShay rank: No. 41 overall, No. 3 OT

          TE Hunter Bryant, Washington
          Kiper rank: No. 4 TE; McShay rank: unranked

          Participating:
          OLB Curtis Weaver, Boise State
          Kiper rank: No. 21 overall, No. 2 OLB; McShay rank: No. 15 overall, No. 2 DE

          Dec. 23
          Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl

          Skipping:
          QB Brandon Wimbush, UCF
          Kiper rank: Unranked; McShay rank: unranked

          Dec. 26
          Walk-On's Independence Bowl

          Skipping:
          DE Jonathan Garvin, Miami
          Kiper rank: unranked; McShay rank: unranked

          DE Trevon Hill, Miami
          Kiper rank: unranked; McShay rank: No. 42 overall, No. 6 DE

          WR Jeff Thomas, Miami
          Kiper rank: unranked; McShay rank: unranked

          CB Amik Robertson, Louisiana Tech
          Kiper rank: unranked; McShay rank: unranked

          Dec. 27
          Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl

          Skipping:
          DT Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M
          Kiper rank: No. 4 DT; McShay rank: unranked

          Participating:
          RB Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State
          Kiper rank: No. 5 RB; McShay rank: unranked

          San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl

          Participating:
          DE A.J. Epenesa, Iowa
          Kiper rank: No. 20 overall, No. 2 DE; McShay rank: No. 31 overall, No. 3 DE

          OT Tristan Wirfs, Iowa
          Kiper rank: No. 22 overall, No. 2 OT; McShay rank: No. 52 overall, No. 5 OT

          Dec. 30
          Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl

          Skipping:
          OT Mekhi Becton, Louisville
          Kiper rank: unranked; McShay rank: No. 60 overall, No. 7 OT

          CB Cameron Dantzler, Mississippi State
          Kiper rank: No. 10 CB; McShay rank: unranked

          Capital One Orange Bowl

          Skipping:
          CB CJ Henderson, Florida
          Kiper rank: No. 17 overall, No. 4 CB; McShay rank: No. 9 overall, No. 2 CB

          Dec. 31
          Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl

          Skipping:
          WR Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State
          Kiper rank: No. 8 WR; McShay rank: No. 23 overall, No. 7 WR

          RB Cam Akers, Florida State
          Kiper rank: No. 9 RB; McShay rank: No. 56 overall, No. 4 RB

          Valero Alamo Bowl

          Skipping:
          CB Jaylon Johnson, Utah
          Kiper rank: unranked; McShay rank: No. 86 overall, No. 11 CB

          Participating:
          RB Zack Moss, Utah
          Kiper rank: No. 7 RB; McShay rank: No. 109 overall, No. 9 RB

          Jan. 1
          Vrbo Citrus Bowl

          Skipping:
          CB Trevon Diggs, Alabama
          Kiper rank: No. 8 CB; McShay rank: No. 39 overall, No. 6 CB

          LB Terrell Lewis, Alabama
          Kiper rank: No. 3 OLB; McShay rank: No. 34 overall, No. 2 OLB

          Participating:
          WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
          Kiper rank: No. 4 overall, No. 1 WR; McShay rank: No. 3 overall, No. 1 WR

          OT Alex Leatherwood, Alabama
          Kiper rank: No. 23 overall, No. 3 OT; McShay rank: No. 32 overall, No. 2 OT

          WR Henry Ruggs III, Alabama
          Kiper rank: No. 13 overall, No. 4 WR; McShay rank: No. 14 overall, No. 3 WR

          Outback Bowl

          Skipping:
          LB Kamal Martin, Minnesota
          Kiper rank: No. 7 ILB; McShay rank: No. 88 overall, No. 6 OLB

          Participating:
          DT Derrick Brown, Auburn
          Kiper rank: No. 8 overall, No. 1 DT; McShay rank: No. 7 overall, No. 1 DT

          Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual

          Participating:
          C Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin
          Kiper rank: No. 24 overall, No. 1 C; McShay rank: No. 51 overall, No. 1 C

          RB Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
          Kiper rank: No. 2 RB; McShay rank: No. 29 overall, No. 3 RB

          QB Justin Herbert, Oregon
          Kiper rank: No. 6 overall, No. 3 QB; McShay rank: No. 17 overall, No. 3 QB

          Allstate Sugar Bowl

          Skipping:
          OT Andrew Thomas, Georgia
          Kiper rank: No. 9 overall, No. 1 OT; McShay rank: No. 10 overall, No. 1 OT

          Participating:
          RB D'Andre Swift, Georgia
          Kiper rank: No. 16 overall, No. 1 RB; McShay rank: No. 21 overall, No. 1 RB

          Jan. 2
          TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl

          Skipping:
          RB AJ Dillon, Boston College
          Kiper rank: unranked; McShay rank: No. 103 overall, No. 8 RB