K-State, Alabama extol the virtue of opting in

Unlike other college football bowl games in which star players have opted out because of injury risks, both Kansas State and Alabama expect to have their front-line players on the sidelines when they meet in the Sugar Bowl Saturday.

December 30, 2022 - 11:40 AM

Kansas State Wildcats running back Deuce Vaughn (22) is flipped over after having his legs taken out from him by TCU Horned Frogs safety Millard Bradford (no pictured) during the first half of the Big XII Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, December 3, 2022. Photo by Tom Fox / TNS

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In an age of opt outs in college football, the best NFL prospects for Alabama and Kansas State are opting in at the Sugar Bowl.

Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. have high-first-round draft grades and could have minimized exposure to injury by sitting out Saturday’s game in the Superdome.

For Kansas State, standout players including running back Deuce Vaughn and defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah are risking their draft stock as well.

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