Top Players, Underrated Stars to Watch During 2022 College Football Bowl Season

College football's bowl season is almost upon us. The first slate of games kicks off on Friday, Dec. 16, and games will go through Jan. 9 for the national title game.

Obviously, with so many games, there are a lot of things to keep an eye on. Check out our ultimate bowl season guide to navigate the best games to watch during bowl season.

Games aside, there are plenty of players that will be exciting to watch, as well. Although several big-name 2023 NFL draft prospects are choosing to sit out of their teams' bowl games to avoid injury ahead of the draft, plenty of talented players will suit up. So for this list, we'll only include players that have not announced they are opting out of their bowl game.

Let's run through the top players to watch during college football's bowl season, along with some underrated stars to keep an eye on.

If Georgia wants to repeat as national champions, Dawgs quarterback Stetson Bennett will have to play well. The good news for UGA fans is that the Heisman finalist has been playing the best football of his career in 2022.

The QB has thrown for 3,425 yards and 20 touchdowns with just six interceptions. In Georgia's SEC Championship Game against LSU, he threw a season-high four touchdown passes and completed 79.3 percent of his passes.

A big reason Bennett has been able to be so successful in 2022? The talent he has around him, including his offensive line. His two leading receivers, Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey, have combined for 1,401 yards receiving, along with 11 touchdowns. His running back, Kenny McIntosh, has also caught 37 passes for 449 yards.

Georgia is also tied for second nationally in fewest sacks allowed, giving up just seven all season long. Granted, Bennett can scramble and does so often—he's rushed for 184 yards on the year—but the QB has plenty of protection when he drops back to pass.

In Georgia's Peach Bowl playoff semifinal, Ohio State's defense might be one of the toughest units Bennett has faced. The Buckeyes rank 13th in scoring defense and 14th in passing defense. Bennett has yet to have a noticeably bad game all season, and he can't afford to have one against the Buckeyes if he wants his team to defend the title.

Horned Frogs quarterback and Heisman finalist Max Duggan is the heart and soul of this TCU team. Through 13 games, the QB has thrown for 3,321 yards and 30 touchdowns with just four interceptions. He's rushed for another 404 yards and six touchdowns, too.

Ahead of TCU's semifinal matchup against Michigan, Duggan will likely be using the overtime loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 title game as motivation. After the loss, Duggan was seen walking off the field with tears in his eyes. When speaking to the media after the game, he was emotional at the podium.

"Yeah, I think guys are upset," Duggan said. "You know, there's a lot of emotion in the locker room. Sorry. But I think Coach [Sonny] Dykes talked about, you know, we still have—wherever we go, we still have a game to play. So, it's going to hurt. Let it fuel you. But we got to get back to work."

Duggan might have to play one of the best games of his career if his team wants to upset Michigan. His best performance of the season came in Week 2 against Tarleton State when he threw for 390 yards and five touchdowns. But he has put up some big numbers in crucial games or come through with significant plays in decisive moments.

In TCU's nail-biting 29-28 win over Baylor in Week 12, he threw for 327 yards and a touchdown and added 50 yards and a score on the ground. Early in the fourth quarter of a crucial road game against Texas on Nov. 13, he threw a 31-yard touchdown pass that ended up being the winning score.

Michigan will undoubtedly be the toughest defense TCU has faced all season; the Wolverines have allowed just 13.4 points per game and 277.1 yards per game. But if Duggan can rise to the occasion, the Horned Frogs have a chance to pull off an upset.

Marvin Harrison Jr., the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison, is having a breakout season for the Buckeyes. Harrison Jr. is the leading receiver for Ohio State, having racked up 72 receptions for 1,157 yards and 12 touchdowns so far this season. He averages 16.1 yards per reception, too.

The sophomore was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's best receiver, and also became Ohio State's first unanimous All-American receiver in 2022. One of his best performances of the season came against Michigan State, where he finished with 131 yards receiving and three touchdowns, matching his career-high three-TD performance in Week 2 against Arkansas State and the Rose Bowl last year.

Harrison having a breakout season came at just the right time for the Buckeyes. Ohio State's projected No. 1 receiver heading into 2022, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, hasn't seen the field much this season.

The third-year receiver was injured early in Ohio State's Week 1 game against Notre Dame and played in just two other games for the Buckeyes. He won't be playing for the Buckeyes the rest of the season due to his injuries, so quarterback C.J. Stroud will keep feeding Harrison, just like he has been all season.

If Ohio State wants to upset Georgia, Harrison making plays in space against the Dawgs' secondary will be key. The Bulldogs rank 51st in passing defense, so it'll likely come down to whether or not Stroud has enough protection to make plays downfield. We'll see how Harrison can do against this Georgia secondary.

If you haven't seen much of Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. play this season, you've got a great opportunity to do so this bowl season. The Huskies will be taking on the Texas Longhorns in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29.

Penix is the nation's leading passer, having thrown for 4,354 yards and 29 touchdowns with seven interceptions. The former Indiana Hoosier averages 362.8 yards per game and has completed 66 percent of his passes this year.

Penix and Huskies' first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer have familiarity with each other. DeBoer was Indiana's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach during Penix's 2019 season in Bloomington.

This is one of Penix's first full seasons he's been able to stay healthy. Per The Seattle Times, the signal-caller has had to endure some significant injuries:

The redshirt junior quarterback has not made it through more than six games in a college season — thanks to torn ACLs in 2018 and 2020, a sternoclavicular joint (connecting the clavicle to the sternum) injury in 2019, and an AC joint shoulder issue in 2021. The talented lefty has missed 25 of a possible 51 games." 

It's been fun to see the quarterback have such a successful season. And Penix is returning to Washington for the 2023 season. The QB announced he'd be returning earlier this month. The video of his teammates' and DeBoer's reaction to Penix telling the team was very cool to see:

After the season he's had, Penix will likely be a big name in the 2024 NFL draft class.

LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. is having an impressive season as a true freshman. The former 5-star prospect out of Cypress, Texas, was the No. 1 overall linebacker from the class of 2022, per 247Sports. He's been making an immediate impact on LSU's defense.

Perkins is third in the team in total tackles with 70, and his 7.5 sacks for 58 yards lead the team. He's forced three fumbles, defended four passes and has an interception, as well.

His most impressive game was against Arkansas in mid-November, when he finished with four sacks, two forced fumbles and eight total tackles. After the game, LSU head coach Brian Kelly gave his star linebacker the game ball.

"Just his athletic ability, his ability to consistently make plays," Kelly said via On3 after the game. "Listen, getting him in position to make plays, too, as a true freshman. I think [defensive coordinator Matt] House has done a great job of utilizing him. Sometimes, you have a great player like that, and you don't utilize him the right way. I think our staff and Coach House has done a great job of using him to make an impact like he did today here at Arkansas."

Although LSU's SECCG wasn't close against Georgia, Perkins still finished with eight solo tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

The Tigers will face off against Purdue in the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 2. The Boilermakers have given up 24 sacks so far this season, so Perkins could have a pretty big day against Purdue's offensive line.

South Carolina's Spencer Rattler has had a journey of a collegiate career. Coming out of high school, Rattler was a 5-star quarterback prospect and was the No. 1 overall pro-style QB from the class of 2019, per 247Sports. As Oklahoma's starter in 2020, Rattler threw for 3,031 yards and 28 touchdowns, rushing for another six scores.

After struggling early in the season in 2021, Rattler was benched for backup Caleb Williams during Oklahoma's game against Texas. After leading the Sooners to a come-from-behind victory, it was Williams' job moving forward.

Rattler transferred to South Carolina after the 2021 campaign. He won the starting job entering the season but had turnover issues early on. Through the Gamecocks' first six games, Rattler threw for eight interceptions and five touchdowns.

But Rattler's performance in the last two games of the regular season has been crucial in the Gamecocks getting a pair of upset victories. First, against then-No. 5 Tennessee on Nov. 19, Rattler threw for a career-high 438 yards and six touchdowns while completing 81.1 percent of his passes.

The next week against then-No. 8 Clemson, Rattler threw for 360 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another score in the upset 31-30 win over the Tigers that knocked them out of the playoff. South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer has been impressed with how Rattler has performed late in the season:

South Carolina's offense will face a unique challenge, playing Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl on Dec. 30. If the QB can play like he did the last two weeks of the season, he could have a big day against the Fighting Irish defense.

Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins made his mark as a true freshman, rushing for 1,476 yards and 16 touchdowns. In five out of his last six games of the regular season, Judkins rushed for over 100 yards and had at least one touchdown.

Judkins broke the Ole Miss single-season records for both rushing yards and touchdowns, passing Kayo Dottley's 1949 record of 1,312 yards and 14 touchdowns.

His best game of the season came on Nov. 19 against Arkansas, when he finished with a career-high 214 yards and one touchdown. Unsurprisingly, Judkins took home the SEC Freshman of the Year Award for the 2022 season.

What's more impressive is how far up the Ole Miss all-time rushing ranks Judkins has already climbed. He currently ranks 18th in Ole Miss' career rushing yards after just 12 games.

Judkins was a former 3-star recruit from Ole Miss' class of 2022. He was the No. 46 ranked running back in the class and the No. 25 overall prospect out of his home state of Alabama, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Judkins received an offer from several big-name programs, but Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin saw something in Judkins, and the running back committed in Sept. 2019. In fact, this picture of Kiffin in the stands watching one of Judkins' high school games by himself went viral this year:

Ole Miss will play Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 28. The Red Raiders rank 90th in the nation in rushing defense, so Judkins could put up some big numbers to cap off his breakout sesaon.

The Holiday Bowl on Dec. 28, featuring North Carolina and Oregon, will have an intriguing quarterback battle. The Ducks' Bo Nix and the Tar Heels' Drake Maye can both put up some huge numbers, so this game should be a treat to watch if you like dueling quarterbacks.

Maye has been having a sensational season as a redshirt freshman. He leads the nation in total offensive yards, having accounted for 4,768 yards, and 42 total touchdowns. He took home the ACC's Player of the Year Award, Rookie of the Year and ACC Offensive Player of the Year awards at the end of the regular season.

There was some speculation as to whether or not Maye would transfer after the 2022 season, but he has made it clear on Twitter that he will remain a Tar Heel. That's good news for North Carolina fans, as the Tar Heels will have a legitimate shot to play for the ACC title again in 2023 with him running the offense.

Meanwhile, Bo Nix has put together an impressive season in Eugene after spending three seasons at Auburn. He put together the best numbers of his collegiate career at Oregon, where he reunited with his Auburn OC Kenny Dillingham from 2019. Nix threw for 3,388 yards and 27 touchdowns and rushed for 504 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Given the numbers Nix has put up throughout his career, he will be a major prospect in the upcoming 2023 NFL draft. Despite speculation that Nix would sit out to avoid injury, he announced earlier this month that he would be playing in the Holiday Bowl.

That's good news for fans like us that want to see what should be a thrilling quarterback battle.

These guys may not be playing in marquee bowl games, and they might not be huge names in next year's draft class. However, they are talented guys worth keeping an eye on this bowl season.

UAB RB DeWayne McBride

UAB has a star in running back DeWayne McBride. The junior set Blazers records by rushing for 19 touchdowns and an FBS-leading 1,713 yards. Thanks to his efforts, UAB's offense ranks fifth nationally in rushing offense. UAB will play Miami (OH) in the Bahamas Bowl on Dec. 16.

North Texas QB Austin Aune

Austin Aune, the Mean Green's 29-year-old signal caller, has had an interesting career. In 2012, he was drafted by the New York Yankees as the 89th overall pick. He spent six seasons with the Yankees' minor-league system before joining Arkansas' football team in the spring of 2018. He then transferred to UNT the same year and redshirted that season. He's had his best campaign yet in 2022, throwing for 3,309 yards and 32 touchdowns—a school record for passing TDs.

Houston WR Nathaniel Dell

Houston will play Louisiana in the Independence Bowl on Dec. 23. Although he has already declared for the 2023 NFL draft, Cougars receiver Nathaniel Dell will play in one final game for Houston. Dell is currently third in the FBS in receiving yards with 1,354 and is tied for first with Tennessee's Jalin Hyatt at 15 receiving touchdowns.

Cincinnati LB Ivan Pace Jr.

Keep an eye out for Cincy linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. during the Bearcats' Fenway Bowl game against Louisville on Dec. 17. The junior linebacker leads the AAC with 120 total tackles, averaging 10 per game, and has nine total sacks, too. He made history for Cincinnati as the first unanimous All-American the school has ever produced.

Fresno State QB Jake Haener

Jake Haener will be looking to end his Bulldog career on a high note in the LA Bowl vs. Washington State. Last season, Haener finished second in the Mountain West with 315.1 yards per game. Although he missed several games this season due to injury, he still managed to throw for 2,616 yards and 18 touchdowns.