It is almost the end of the holidays and that unfortunately means that the end of bowl season is fastly approaching. There are only three more games left until the National Championship game but there is still very much a good enough reason to watch. Today will see not only perhaps the greatest name in bowl history (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl) but today’s game will also bare witness to some intriguing talent. There is a Canadian quarterback, a notable offensive tackle prospect and a few defensive backs to monitor.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Nevada vs. Ohio – 3:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
Ohio has always been a team that catches my attention and that is mainly because of their quarterback play. For much of the last three years, Ohio has relied on the Canadian born Nathan Rourke. The senior prospect was one of Canada’s top recruits many years ago and now he will have a chance to play at the next level.
Rourke has been fairly consistent for Ohio, his passing yards has fluctuated between 2200-2600 yards but most importantly his number of interceptions has never been higher than 8. There are going to be some size concerns with Rourke, he is just 6’1 after all but he could make his way onto an NFL roster towards the end of the draft. Another area that cannot be ignored is his running ability as Rourke has rushed for 2547 yards throughout his career.
The Ohio quarterback and Canadian native has been a hot name in Canadian football for quite some time, so I thought it would be fair to share what he is all about. Below is a very accurate downfield pass from Rourke.
Here is Rourke showing off some incredible toughness as he hangs in there and finds his running back for a modest gain.
Seriously, Rourke is as tough as nails.
Safety Javon Hagan has been a pretty effective in the box safety for Ohio as he has racked up an abundance of tackles year after year. He led the Bobcats in tackles this season with 99. Hagan also shows some ball skills as he has recorded six career interceptions though he was unable to get his hands on one this season.
Nevada will be without one of their biggest playmakers on defense as defensive back Daniel Brown will miss the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl due to a suspension. Brown is coming off a season in which he grabbed four interceptions and had five passes defended.
On offense, Nevada will likely try to get the ball in the hands of receiver Elijah Cooks. The junior receiver has excellent size at 6’4 and is coming off his best season yet. Cooks caught 62 passes for 729 yards this season. In a deep receiving class, there is a good chance that Cooks returns to school for another year.
Nevada’s best prospect is offensive tackle Jake Nelson. The senior tackle has been a starter for the last three seasons now and will likely be selected during the middle portion of this year’s draft.
