Bryce Young

Bryce Young was crowned the Sugar Bowl MVP as No. 5 Alabama cruised to a 45-20 victory over Kansas State on Saturday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

In what's widely expected to be his final college game, Young went 15-of-21 for 321 yards and five touchdowns through the air.

The Crimson Tide fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter following an 88-yard touchdown run by Wildcats running back Deuce Vaughn. The Alabama offense subsequently woke up, dropping 35 unanswered points.

Young was the driving factor behind that turnaround.

The turning point came after Kansas State turned the ball over on downs on the Alabama 2-yard line inside the final minute of the first half.

Young completed passes of 28, 22 and 12 yards as his team took a 21-10 lead into halftime. He carved open the Kansas State secondary with surgical precision.

The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner didn't take long to get Alabama on the board in the second half, either. He floated a 32-yard pass in the end zone to Ja'Corey Brooks as the lead swelled to 18 points.

In terms of his 2023 NFL draft stock, Young didn't stand to gain too much by suiting up in the Sugar Bowl. He's the B/R Scouting Department's highest-ranked quarterback and the eighth-ranked prospect overall in this class.

With such an impressive performance, the junior might have firmly planted himself as the top quarterback on the board.

Ohio State's C.J. Stroud has quite the task ahead to match Young's showing Saturday night in the Peach Bowl against reigning national champion Georgia.

Bryce Young couldn't call it a career with Alabama without enjoying one more prolific performance.

The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner went 15-of-21 for 321 yards and five touchdowns as the fifth-ranked Crimson Tide beat No. 9 Kansas State 45-20 in the Sugar Bowl on Saturday.

As you'd expect, Young was singled out for praise on social media. He put on quite the show for prospective suitors in the NFL.

Through it was only the second quarter, Alabama's final scoring drive of the first half might have been the game's turning point.

An incomplete pass by Kansas State quarterback Will Howard turned the ball over on downs at the Crimson Tide's 2-yard line. The Wildcats had nothing to show for a possession that ate 10:30 off the clock.

Meanwhile, Young needed only 51 seconds to march the Alabama offense 98 yards down the field. He hit Jermaine Burton for a 12-yard touchdown pass to put his team up 21-10.

Within the first two minutes of the second half, the Tide's lead had swelled to 25 points thanks to a pair of quick-fire touchdowns. Kansas State had no chance from there.

Any season that doesn't result in a national championship is considered to be a disappointment by many Alabama fans. They'll enjoy Saturday's victory, but the team's emphatic performance might lead even more to wonder what could've been were it not for that Nov. 5 loss to LSU.

If history is any indication, the Crimson Tide will be right back in the hunt for the College Football Playoff in 2023. Young will leave a massive void in the offense, though.

Barring a major addition through the transfer portal, the quarterback battle will likely come down to Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson. Milroe filled in for an injured Young earlier this year, while Simpson went 4-of-5 for 35 yards in his limited action.

Whomever wins the job will have huge shoes to fill.

A national title isn't the only thing Ohio State star C.J. Stroud has to play for this bowl season.

The MMQB's Albert Breer spoke with an NFC executive who compared Stroud favorably to Chicago Bears star Justin Fields but didn't rank him as the No. 1 quarterback in the 2023 NFL draft class.

"I like him better than I did Fields," the executive said. "But he's still third in the group [behind Alabama's Bryce Young and Kentucky's Will Levis] for me."

Stroud has thrown for 3,340 yards, more than 1,000 fewer than in 2021, along with 37 touchdowns and six interceptions this season.

The third-year signal-caller is still on track to be a Day 1 pick this spring, but he might have ceded some ground to the competition. He's the No. 9 overall player and No. 2 quarterback beyond Young on Bleacher Report's 2023 big board.

The postseason was a great showcase for Stroud in 2021. He went 37-of-46 for 573 yards, six touchdows and one interception in Ohio State's Rose Bowl victory over Utah.

A similar showing against Georgia in the Peach Bowl on Saturday is bound to get noticed by NFL talent evaluators.

The Alabama Crimson Tide will have two of their best players available for their Dec. 31 matchup against the Kansas State Wildcats after all.

Quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson Jr. plan to play in the Sugar Bowl, head coach Nick Saban told ESPN's Chris Low on Friday. Saban added the Crimson Tide aren't expecting any players will opt out of the game.

Young and Anderson are both expected to declare for the 2023 NFL draft. Their decision to play in Alabama's non-playoff bowl game is a surprise as many top draft picks over the years have opted out of their respective bowl games to avoid injury ahead of the draft.

With both Young and Anderson in the lineup, Alabama should undoubtedly have the edge over Kansas State.

The Crimson Tide finished the season 10-2 and just missed out on a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Young, who won the Heisman Trophy last season as the best player in college football, is in the midst of another strong season despite missing time with an injury to his throwing shoulder.

The junior quarterback has completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 3,007 yards and 27 touchdowns against five interceptions in 11 games, in addition to rushing for 195 yards and four scores.

Anderson, meanwhile, won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy for the second straight season as the best defender in college football after posting 10 sacks, 51 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, one interception and one pass breakup in 12 games.

The 2022 campaign has been a disappointing one for Alabama. In addition to dropping two games and missing out on the CFP, the Crimson Tide also didn't appear in the SEC Championship Game.

Regardless, they still have the opportunity to close out the season on a high note with a win.

Kansas State finished second in the Big 12 this season with a 10-3 record, sitting behind 12-1 TCU, which is set to play in the College Football Playoff.

Will Anderson Jr. remains the top prospect in the 2023 NFL draft, according to ESPN's Todd McShay.

The Alabama pass-rusher made the Associated Press All-America First Team for the second straight year after tallying 10 sacks this season, and he should hear his name called early in the upcoming draft.

Crimson Tide teammate Bryce Young is also a contender to go No. 1 overall as McShay's top quarterback available.

Here is the top of McShay's big board heading into bowl season.

1. Will Anderson Jr., OLB, Alabama

2. Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

3. Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia

4. Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech

5. C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

6. Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas

7. Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

8. Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson

9. Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson

10. Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State

Quarterback rankings will see significant debate leading up to the draft, but McShay sees Young as the top player at the position and the second-best player in the class.

The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner's numbers declined this season, although he remained productive with 3,007 passing yards and 27 touchdowns with only five interceptions.

He stays ahead of Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, who dropped two spots in McShay's overall rankings.

Stroud has 37 touchdowns with only six interceptions this year, but he struggled in his last game against Michigan's elite defense with two picks in a 45-23 loss. The pressure is on him to improve his play in the College Football Playoff against Georgia.

Kentucky's Will Levis remains the third quarterback on the board (13th overall) while Florida's Anthony Richardson is fourth (32nd overall). Neither player had a great year by the numbers, but both display traits that impress NFL scouts.

McShay's rankings differ significantly from those of ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., who lists Levis as the top quarterback in the class and No. 3 overall.

Bleacher Report's Scouting Department ranks Levis fourth among quarterbacks behind Young, Stroud and Richardson.

Texas running back Bijan Robinson also rose on McShay's big board, climbing from eighth to sixth overall. Though teams might not prioritize running backs in the draft, Robinson is hard to ignore after totaling 1,580 rushing yards, 314 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns.

Based on the current order for the 2023 NFL draft, ESPN's Todd McShay is projecting three of the first six picks will be quarterbacks.

In his latest mock draft released Tuesday, McShay has Alabama's Bryce Young going No. 1 overall to the Houston Texans. He projects the Detroit Lions will use the No. 4 pick on Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, with Kentucky's Will Levis going to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 6.

Young's size has become a talking point as we get closer to the draft, but McShay cited several other areas in which the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner excels that make him an elite NFL prospect.

"Scouts will knock Young's frame (he's listed at 6-foot), but there is no debating his high-level processing ability, excellent ball placement to all three levels of the field and mobility when forced to go off schedule," McShay wrote. "He has regularly lifted a lackluster offensive supporting cast in Alabama this season, and he can do it again with the Texans."

The Texans' roster is in such dire straits they could almost go in any direction, and it would make sense. But having the No. 1 pick in a year when it looks like there are multiple quarterbacks worth taking at that spot should make their decision easier.

The Lions face a potentially interesting dilemma. They have put themselves into playoff contention with five wins in their last six games. Jared Goff is playing at a high level with 3,352 passing yards and 22 touchdowns and is surrounded by a wealth of talent on offense.

If the Lions want to ride with Goff, who has two years remaining on his contract, they could look to add help to a defense that is allowing the second-most points per game (26.7).

But the Lions are also playing with house money right now because the No. 4 pick they have is from the Los Angeles Rams as part of the Matthew Stafford trade. They also have their own pick, which is currently at No. 16 overall.

If Stroud is the second-best quarterback in the class and is on the board when the Lions make their first pick, why not take the shot? He will be walking into a situation with a great offensive line to protect him and wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams on the outside.

Levis and the Falcons are an interesting pairing because we're still waiting to see what Desmond Ridder can do in head coach Arthur Smith's offense.

Ridder was the second quarterback taken in the 2022 NFL draft at No. 74 overall. He is set to take over as Atlanta's starter in Week 15 against the New Orleans Saints.

Even though it will only be a four-game trial run for Ridder, the team could alter its draft plans if he shows the talent that made him the top-ranked quarterback in the 2022 class for some draft analysts.

McShay noted Levis "still needs some developing, especially when it comes to decision-making, but the traits are outstanding."

It seems unlikely Levis will make it out of the top 10 at this point. Despite a lackluster senior season with 2,406 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, his skill set is proving to be tantalizing for NFL teams.

Tennessee's Hendon Hooker and Georgia's Stetson Bennett were named as the All-SEC Team quarterbacks for the 2022 season, leaving Alabama's Bryce Young on the outside looking in.

Young, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, spent much of the middle part of the season dealing with injuries and was not considered a serious contender to repeat. He finished with 3,007 yards and 27 touchdowns against five interceptions while adding 195 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

Hooker outperformed Young in nearly every statistical category while also winning a head-to-head battle in Knoxville. Bennett threw for fewer touchdowns and threw one more pick than Young, but it would be hard to justify leaving off the quarterback leading the nation's best team.

It's also worth noting that Bennett is a Heisman finalist.

Of course, this is likely to have absolutely zero bearing on Young's future. He's a future high first-round pick and could be the first person to hear his name called in next April's NFL draft.

The vast majority of quarterbacks taken high in the first round have made their all-conference team before being drafted. The last Power Five quarterback to not do so was...well, it was Justin Herbert. Suffice it to say the Los Angeles Chargers are perfectly fine with him having never made an All-Pac-12 team.