Ad Disclosure
Big Ten teams face everything from a run-based option offense (Georgia Tech) to a trio of pass-happy Pac-12 attacks in this bowl season.
School record holders, big maulers and a couple of All-Americans dot our list of top 10 offensive players the B1G teams will face this bowl season.
Auburn’s Ryan Davis, the school’s all-time leading receiver, is questionable for the Music City Bowl against Purdue with an injury or else he’d be on this list.
As it stands, here are the top 10 offensive players B1G teams must deal with in the next few weeks:
10. KR Juanyeh Thomas, Georgia Tech
Thomas was named to the Freshman All-America team after a season in which he returned two kickoffs for touchdowns — both in the past two games, one against Virginia and one against Georgia. For good measure Thomas, a free safety, returned his lone interception 95 yards for a score.
9. OL Martez Ivey, Florida
The Gators senior was a consensus second-team All-SEC selection in 2018, a year in which Florida improved from 110th to 47th in total offense from last season. The left tackle has started 45 games for the Gators including 23 in a row — but he and his teammates face a tough task against Michigan’s defense in the Peach Bowl.
8. K Matt Gay, Utah
The senior was a third-team All America choice by the Associated Press (after making the first team last season) and was consensus first-team All-Pac-12. Gay has hit all 83 career extra points and made 24 of 29 field goal attempts this season. He leads the conference with 115 points heading into the Holiday Bowl against Northwestern.
7. G Parker Braun, Georgia Tech
Braun was named consensus first-team All-ACC this season. The junior was a key cog in a Yellow Jackets attack which leads the nation at 335 rushing yards per game heading into the Quick Lane Bowl against Minnesota. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, center Jahaziel Lee said of Braun: “He has a motor out of this world.”
6. QB Jake Browning, Washington
Browning was the quarterback all four years in Washington’s best stretch for a generation. Browning, a senior, was 15th nationally in yards per attempt (8.6) this season. After the Rose Bowl against Ohio State, Browning will leave as the school’s all-time passing leader in yards (11,983 with the one game left), TD passes (94) and completions (923).
5. WR Dillon Mitchell, Oregon
Mitchell led the Pac-12 in receiving yards with 1,114 this season, blossoming into the top target for quarterback Justin Herbert. The junior set career highs with 14 catches for 239 yards against Stanford on Sept. 22 and had five other 100-yard receiving games in 2018.
4. QB Justin Herbert, Oregon
Unlike Mitchell, Herbert was a known quantity for the Ducks entering the season. This season Herbert had 28 passing touchdowns, tied for 10th nationally, and threw for 2,985 yards. He’s tied for third on Oregon’s all-time list for passing TDs with 62. The junior seems likely to turn pro after the Redbox Bowl against Michigan State.
3. G Bunchy Stallings, Kentucky
Stallings was a first-team AP All-America selection, quite a distinction considering Kentucky’s No. 100 ranking in total offense (it’s also remarkable that such an offense would produce two of the top three on this list, but they’re deserving). Stallings, barely a 3-star prospect in high school, has helped propel the Wildcats to a Jan. 1 Citrus Bowl date against Penn State.
2. RB Benny Snell, Kentucky
Snell needs just 107 yards against the Nittany Lions to become Kentucky’s all-time leading rusher, and he’s only a junior. He was named a third-team All-American by AP and was a consensus All-SEC first-team selection after finishing the regular season second in the league with 1,330 rushing yards. Snell already has 3,754 career rushing yards in three seasons but might skip his senior season to turn pro.
1. RB Myles Gaskin, Washington
Gaskin was only second-team All Pac-12 this season and is barely in the top 10 of NFL running back prospects according to thedraftnetwork.com rankings. So why is he No. 1 here? Consider it a lifetime achievement award. Gaskin, at just 5 feet 9 and 191 pounds, gained 1,147 yards rushing this season, the only season in which he has not reached 1,300 (of course he has the Rose Bowl remaining to try to reach that mark). The senior is 16th on the NCAA’s all-time rushing list with 5,202 yards.
Longtime newspaper veteran Jim Tomlin is a writer and editor for saturdaytradition.com and saturdaydownsouth.com.