NFL Draft Watch: Projecting Bowl Game Performance of Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter on Saturday

While the 2025 NFL Draft may be months away, today will be the final time we see three of the best players in college football, after their teams came up just short in the race for the College Football Playoff.

First, Cam Ward will suit up for the last time on Saturday afternoon when the Miami Hurricanes take on the Iowa State Cycles in the Pop Tarts Bowl from Orlando. Then later tonight, Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter will be on full display the in Valero Alamo Bowl against the BYU Cougars, as they look to light up the scoreboard and conclude their rollercoaster careers at Colorado.

All three stars are expected to be going full tilt today, refusing to opt-out and looking to put on one final show for the NFL scouts and try to rearrange the order atop the 2025 NFL Draft board.

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Iowa State vs. Miami: Pop Tarts Bowl Preview

Iowa State and Miami will duel in the Pop Tarts Bowl on Saturday afternoon as part of an eight-game bowl slate on December 28th. Miami is a 4-point favorite, and the total is soaring over 60 as it continues to rise.

Iowa State vs. Miami Date, Time, and Where To Watch

• Date: December 28, 2024
• Time: 3:30 pm ET
• Where To Watch: ABC

Iowa State vs. Miami Prediction: How will Cam Ward perform?

After coming up short against Syracuse when the defense blew a 20+ point lead in the final week of the season, the Miami Hurricanes missed out on the playoffs. It seemed extremely unlikely after they started the season 9-0, but two road losses to ACC opponents in their final three games was the nail in the coffin.

Now, Cam Ward will have to boost his draft stock on Saturday afternoon in the Pop Tarts Bowl instead of the College Football Playoff. To his credit, he didn't opt out of this game like other top quarterbacks tend to do, and he is currently being eyed as a top-5 pick in this year's NFL Draft.

It is basically a two-man race with Ward vs. Shedeur Sanders for the top quarterback and most analysts hold Sanders in a slightly higher regard at this point. Ward has incredible poise in the pocket, which has enabled him to throw for over 4,000 yards and 36 touchdowns for Miami this year. He came in after transferring from Washington State, and was immediately comfortable in this offense, bringing the Hurricanes their most prolific season in well over a decade.

Ward has an over/under of 300 passing yards in today's game, something he's done in three of his last four games, and 10 of 12 games this year. The difference here today is that Iowa State is rolling in with the fifth-best passing defense in the country, allowing only 165 yards per game through the air to many high-powered Big 12 offenses. They'll be looking to make a statement after getting blown out by Arizona State in the Big 12 Championship, and will be keying in on Ward to slow down his aerial attack.

Our oddschecker+ AI is taking that into account, projecting Ward to go slightly under that number with an estimated 292 passing yards. Ward also has +115 odds to throw 3+ passing touchdowns, but our AI is projecting him further down at only 2.2 touchdowns. This defense will play a roll in slowing him down, combined with the massive NFL pressure on his back after the team came up short of their ultimate goal. Ward is not likely to have one of his best games of his season today.

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BYU vs. Colorado: Alamo Bowl Preview

BYU and Colorado will meet in Texas on Saturday night in a ranked matchup for the Alamo Bowl crown. The two Big 12 foes never faced off in the regular season, and both came up just short of the championship appearance after strong starts. Colorado is favored by 3 points and the total is 54.5.

BYU vs. Colorado Date, Time, and Where To Watch

• Date: December 28, 2024
• Time: 7:30 pm ET
• Where To Watch: ABC

BYU vs. Colorado Prediction: Will Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter Raise Draft Stock?

Shedeur Sanders will lead the Colorado Buffaloes against BYU in the Alamo, part of a Colorado unit that is fully intact with their regular season roster. It is an impressive feat by coach Deion Sanders, who prevented players from opting out for the draft or other reasons to finish the season strong.

Travis Hunter's receiving total is 102.5 yards tonight, but our oddschecker+ AI is expecting that to be a bit high. We have him projected at 89 yards tonight, but do expect him to get a touchdown. Hunter has the best odds to score at -230 anytime TD, as well as the best odds to score first at +460.

But once again, BYU has one of the better passing defenses in the country, ranking in at 22nd-best with 186 yards per game allowed in the air. Sanders is seeing a 313.5 passing total, with our AI seeing him near there at 306 yards. Additionally, his over 2.5 passing touchdowns is -114, while we project him a bit lower at 2.3.

These Colorado stars won't hesitate to light up the stat sheet, even against a good BYU side. Sanders and Hunter are fighting to see who can climb higher in the top-five, with Sanders currently projected as the No. 1 overall pick to the New York Giants. He will have to avoid making any major mistakes or getting injured tonight, while Hunter looks to prove he's the most well-rounded athlete in the draft that can play on both sides at the next level.