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For some players around this time of the year, bowl games are an unnecessary risk. If you are a lock of a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft, why play in a postseason game that isn’t the conference championship or the College Football Playoffs?
That tune is one many college football fans, players, and coaches now have to deal with it as the past few seasons more and more players have been sitting out in these games to rest up and prepare their future.
Last year Michigan saw a few of their own players sit out of the bowl game to keep themselves healthy for their NFL workouts. This year that doesn’t seem to be a thing as nobody is sitting out unless they are injured, and playing in these games has some beneficial gain for the players just like sitting out does.
It’s another game of tape scouts can look at, and depending on the opponent, the individual’s performance could be looked at differently. Out of all of the teams in college football you could go up against to prove your worth to the NFL, Alabama is the top of the line opponent to go up against in possibly the last game of your career.
While Alabama isn’t playing for a National Championship this year, they are still an impressive 10-2 team that won’t be a pushover and will be a tough challenge for the Wolverines. These five players are either graduating or undecided on their future in 2020, and against Alabama, they have the most to gain out of any of the Wolverines on the team.
1. WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
One of the two wide receivers still undecided on their future with Michigan, Donovan Peoples-Jones has a huge benefit of playing against Alabama. The Crimson Tide will be a huge challenge for him, and while Alabama doesn’t have a dominant defense like years past, playing well against Alabama no matter what is still something to talk about.
So far in his career, Peoples-Jones has 102 catches for 1,293 yards with 14 touchdowns, along with 88 punt returns for 745 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers aren’t as impressive as Alabama’s wide receivers, but if Peoples-Jones can play well against Alabama, he could be deterred to enter the NFL draft. He’s been projected as a second-third round pick, and a good game could boost him to a late first-second round pick.
A bad game against Alabama could hurt his stock, and have Peoples-Jones decide to return to Michigan in 2020. Peoples-Jones could even have a great game and still decide to come back to Ann Arbor. Either way, this game will be watched by multiple NFL scouts and have an impact on his future.