The Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl probably isn’t must-see TV for sports fans, and even one of the game’s star players is blowing it off.
LSU running back Leonard Fournette won’t play in the game against Louisville, according to Pro Football Talk, so he can focus on preparing for the NFL draft.
Fournette ran for 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2015, his sophomore season. He was hampered by injuries this season and ran for just 843 yards in seven games, but averaged 6.5 yards per carry for the second straight year.
A mock draft on CBSSports.com has the Panthers taking Fournette with the No. 7 pick. Fournette’s draft stock can’t get much higher, but it can plummet if he suffers another injury in the Citrus Bowl. So while it’s understandable that Fournette would sit out when all LSU has to play for is pride, this could become a trend.
It’s difficult to see college football becoming like college basketball, where players stop by for a year before turning pro. But the product could become watered down if pro prospects start sitting out bowl games or even late-season games.
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