With several opt-outs, blowouts, and what some have deemed unappealing matchups, the 2023 college football bowl season has widely been derided. Dive behind general opinion, however, and you’ll find a plethora of pulsating performances that are worthy of much more than belittling across the social media landscape.
We scoured the entire bowl schedule to find the most impressive performances of the last month, bringing you the very best of the best. The result is the CFN 2023 All-Bowl Season College Football Team.
2023 All-Bowl Season College Football Team Honors
Bowl Season Offensive Player of the Year: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
Among a slew of incredible quarterback performances, Michael Penix Jr. ensured that the very best was saved for last. Throwing for 430 yards and two touchdowns in the Sugar Bowl win over the Texas Longhorns, the Washington QB led the Huskies to the promised land of the College Football National Championship Game with another showing that sizzled right from the start.
Bowl Season Defensive Player of the Year: Bo Richter, LB, Air Force
The Air Force Falcons came into the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl riding a four-game losing streak and faced Sun Belt standout James Madison Dukes. While the offensive bullied their way to a 31-21 win, linebacker Bo Richter brutalized the Dukes’ offensive line repeatedly.
In the end, Richter logged three sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble in an unparalleled bowl game showing.
Bowl Season Special Teams Player of the Year: James Burnip, P, Alabama
So close yet so far for Alabama, but wouldn’t have been anywhere near the title game without punter James Burnip.
The Australian stud kept the Crimson Tide in the game by consistently pinning Michigan deep in their own half. Burnip ended the Rose Bowl with seven punts for a 50.3-yard average. Five were downed inside the 20. Zero were returned for gain.
Bowl Season Head Coach of the Year: Craig Bohl, Wyoming
There were several contenders here, and it’s difficult to look past what Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer has achieved this year.
MORE: College Football Bowl Game Standings by Conference
However, the manner in which Craig Bohl announced his retirement but stuck around to guide Wyoming to one last win — ensuring a nine-win season for the first time in his tenure — on the back of a defensive slugfest vs. Toledo was pure poetry.
First-Team All-Bowl Season Offense
QB: Michael Penix Jr., Washington
RB: Rickey Hunt, Ohio
RB: Freddie Brock, Georgia State
WR: Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
WR: Jacob Cowing, Arizona
WR: Luke Grimm, Kansas
TE: Caden Prieskorn, Ole Miss
OT: Troy Fautanu, Washington
G: Tyler Cooper, Minnesota
C: Duke Clemens, UCLA
G: Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
OT: Earnest Greene III, Georgia
Honorable Mention All-Bowl Season Offense
- Caden Veltkamp, Western Kentucky
- Miller Moss, USC
- Seth Henigan, Memphis
- Kyle Monangai, Rutgers
- Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech
- Emmanuel Michel, Air Force
- Darius Taylor, Minnesota
- Phil Mafah, Clemson
- Isaac Guerendo, Wisconsin
- Javon Baker, UCF
- Tez Johnson, Oregon
- Rashod Owens, Oklahoma State
- Will Pauling, Wisconsin
- Jamal Pritchett, South Alabama
- Javon Foster, Missouri
- Micah Morris, Georgia
First-Team All-Bowl Season Defense
EDGE: Bralen Trice, Washington
EDGE: Jack Sawyer, Ohio State
DT: Deone Walker, Kentucky
DT: Aeneas Peebles, Duke
LB: Bo Richter, Air Force
LB: Brian Holloway, Texas State
LB: Chandler Martin, Memphis
CB: Samy Johnson, Arkansas State
CB: Chandler Rivers, Duke
CB: Matthew McDoom, Coastal Carolina
S: Jaheem Joseph, Northwestern
S: Jaylon Carlies, Missouri
Honorable Mention All-Bowl Season Defense
- James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
- Jah Joyner, Minnesota
- Bradley Weaver, Ohio
- Amier Washington, Texas Tech
- Paul Fitzgerald, Utah State
- Josiah Stewart, Michigan
- Kam Arnold, Boston College
- K.C. Ossai, Louisiana
- Ben Bell, Texas State
- Barrett Carter, Clemson
- LaMareon James, Old Dominion
- Micah Abraham, Marshall
- Cameron Oliver, UNLV
- Daquan Evans, USF
- Kenny Logan, Kansas
- Jaylon Smith, USC
- Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
- Kendal Daniels, Oklahoma State
First-Team All-Bowl Season Special Teams
Kicker: Jon Hoyland, Wyoming
Punter: James Burnip, Alabama
Returner: Beanie Bishop Jr., West Virginia
Miss any action from the top college QB Rankings during the 2023 football season? Want to track all the movement with the college football’s transfer portal? College Football Network has you covered with that and more!