The 5-7 Minnesota Golden Gophers will play the 7-5 Bowling Green Falcons in the 2023 Quick Lane Bowl. How many NFL Draft prospects will play in this game, and what are their projections at the next level?
Quick Lane Bowl Prospect Preview
The Golden Gophers’ 5-7 record in 2023 tied their lowest win total under P.J. Fleck, but by the numbers game, they were able to make it into the bowl lineup.
Fleck won the Quick Lane Bowl against Georgia Tech in 2018, with Mohamed Ibrahim winning MVP. This year, the Golden Gophers won’t be at full strength after quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis entered the transfer portal.
Nevertheless, impact players like Daniel Jackson, Aireontae Ersery, Quinn Carroll, Danny Striggow, Jah Joyner, and Justin Walley announced their returns to Minnesota in 2024.
The Golden Gophers also have several high-caliber 2024 NFL Draft prospects who have yet to opt-out and who could help them pull away from their MAC opponents.
Minnesota NFL Draft Prospects
Tyler Nubin, S
As of this writing, it’s unclear whether or not Tyler Nubin will play in the Quick Lane Bowl. He’s a respected team leader who could very well choose one last ride with his teammates, but he also has a case to opt-out, being one of the top safety prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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At 6’2″ and 205 pounds, Nubin has an incredibly complete NFL profile. He’s smooth and instinctive in coverage, a proactive playmaker at the catch point (five interceptions in 2023), and a tenacious, quick-reacting support defender. A starting role is in his future.
Brevyn Spann-Ford, TE
In 2023, Brevyn Spann-Ford didn’t come close to matching the 42 catches and 497 yards he accumulated in 2022 — but that’s more a reflection of the passing offense as a whole.
At 6’7″, 270 pounds, Spann-Ford has proven his mettle as a seam and back-shoulder boundary threat. He’s also one of the most aggressive and reliable blockers in the class. With a Senior Bowl showing on deck, he’s a potential riser.
Kyler Baugh, DT
Kyler Baugh transferred to Minnesota from Houston Baptist in 2022, and in 2023, he had a career-best year with 40 tackles, including three sacks, 5.5 total tackles for loss, and three pass breakups.
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At 6’2″, 304 pounds, Baugh has exceptional leverage and strength as a nose tackle, but he also has the twitched-up energy and motor to disrupt on passing downs. He could be a sleeper in the 2024 NFL Draft class.
Tre’Von Jones, CB
Tre’Von Jones made the most of his lone year at Minnesota after transferring from Elon, racking up two interceptions and six pass deflections in coverage.
While he can be prone to coverage busts, Jones is an acrobatic playmaker at the catch point, with flashes of impressive zone awareness and coverage mobility.
Bowling Green NFL Draft Prospects
Darren Anders, LB
Bowling Green’s top 2024 NFL Draft prospect is Darren Anders — a 6’0″, 235-pound LB who amassed 359 tackles, 29.5 TFLs (including 10 sacks), a pick, nine pass breakups, and five forced fumbles in five years with the Falcons.
Anders almost transferred out in 2023 but instead chose to return, and he put up a career-high 10.5 TFLs with his instincts coming downhill.
Davon Ferguson, CB
Underclassmen Jalen Huskey (who’s since transferred out) and Jordan Oladokun shined for Bowling Green at cornerback in 2023, but they had help from sixth-year veteran and Kansas transfer Davon Ferguson.
Ferguson can play the nickel spot and is a playmaker in both phases. In 2023, he had 6.5 TFLs, including 2.5 sacks, two picks, and six pass deflections.
Odieu Hiliare, WR
Odieu Hiliare burst onto the scene with a 58-catch, 747-yard, six-touchdown 2022 season, which featured a 248-yard outburst against Toledo. His 2023 was less productive, but the 6’0″, 190-pound pass catcher still has ideal route-running building blocks and stellar body control working beyond his frame.
