The college football bowl season kicks off on the same day as the Army-Navy Game with a delicious matchup between the South Alabama Jaguars and the Western Michigan Broncos. In the era of the transfer portal, however, it’s understandable to wonder whether these teams will be at full strength or not.
Find the players who are expected top miss the game from both South Alabama and Western Michigan.
Top South Alabama Players Not Playing in Veterans Bowl
Thanks to the CFN Bowl Game Opt-Out Tracker, we know which players from the Jaguars won’t be in action in the Veterans Bowl.
- Fluff Bothwell, RB
While South Alabama’s list of players may not be big, it certainly is mighty. Star true freshman Fluff Bothwell entered the transfer portal and has drawn a ton of interest. As such, South Alabama lost their leading rusher for the Veterans Bowl.
Bothwell ran for 832 yards on just 11 carries, averaging a whopping 7.5 yards per carry, and torched opposing defenses for 13 touchdowns. He also hauled in 13 receptions out of the backfield as well.
In Bothwell’s place, the Jaguars will likely run QB Gio Lopez on designed carries a bit more, but lean heavily into Kentrel Bullock to carry the load. Bullock rushed the ball 135 times for 701 yards and six touchdowns in 2024.
Top Western Michigan Players Not Playing in Veterans Bowl
Similarly, thanks to CFN’s Bowl Game Opt-Out Tracker, the Broncos expected to miss the game are easy to find:
- Lorenzo Williams Jr., CB
- Razah Townsend, EDGE
- Anterio Thompson, DL
- Jelani Willis, ATH
- Bugs Mortimer, WR
- Corey Walker, EDGE
- JD Davis II, QB
- Blake Bosma, TE
- Sid Kaba, DL
- Angelo Stockstill, DB
And just the opposite of South Alabama, WMU’s list is extensive. However, save for TE Blake Bosma, the offense remains largely intact for Western Michigan.
Bosma hauled in a team-high 37 receptions for 403 yards and six touchdowns. His loss will be felt, but following that, the offensive players to hit the portal don’t quite move the needle for the Broncos.
On defense, it’s a different story. Anterio Thompson racked up a sack and two passes batted down to go with his 29 tackles from the interior of the defense. Corey Walker was the team’s leading sack artist, racking up 5.5 sacks and a handful of tackles for loss to go with those sacks.
The Veterans Bowl will lack some top players on both sides of the ball for both sides of the ball, but it should be noted that both starting quarterbacks are slated to play in this game for each side.
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