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2016 Las Vegas Bowl: 2017 NFL Draft Prospects To Watch In Houston Cougars Vs. San Diego State Aztecs Game

By Jason Fletcher
Published on: 09:49 PST, Dec 15, 2016

College football’s bowl season begins this weekend with five games kicking off on Saturday. The best matchup of those five games features the 9-3 Houston Cougars from the American Athletic Conference taking on the 10-3 San Diego State Aztecs from the Mountain West Conference.

The Aztecs are coming off of a tremendous season that saw them defeat the Wyoming Cowboys in the Mountain West Championship Game, 27-24, to take home the conference crown. San Diego State was led in the game by running backs Rashaad Penny and Donnel Pumphrey, who combined to rush for 227 yards and three touchdowns on 41 carries.

Houston will enter this game without head coach Tom Herman, who accepted the head coaching position at the University of Texas a few weeks ago. The Cougars will instead be led by their new head coach, Major Applewhite, who was promoted from offensive coordinator just last week.

With a heavyweight showdown coming between two of the best non-Power 5 programs in the country, here are five players in this game to keep an eye on when it comes to the 2017 NFL Draft.

RB Donnel Pumphrey, SDSU – Pumphrey enters the Las Vegas Bowl needing 108 yards rushing to surpass former Wisconsin Badgers running back Ron Dayne as the FBS’ career leader in rushing yards. Pumphrey is a bit undersized at 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, but he has good vision and burst through the hole. CBS Sports currently has the Aztecs’ running back slated to go in the fourth or fifth round.

WR Greg Ward Jr., Houston – On Saturday, you’ll see Ward line up under center as the Cougars’ starting quarterback, but he’s most likely going to play wide receiver at the next level. He has the ability to run in the 4.40s and actually began his career at Houston as a wide receiver. CBS Sports currently has Greg Ward rated as a seventh-round pick or undrafted free agent, but he could definitely improve that ranking with a strong pre-draft process.

G Nico Siragusa, SDSU – Siragusa was named to the Mountain West All-Conference First Team for the second year in a row and was rated by Pro Football Focus as the fifth-best guard in the country and No. 3 run blocker. Siragusa also has not allowed a sack or a quarterback hit in 778 snaps this season. CBS Sports currently has a fourth-round grade on Siragusa.

OLB Steven Taylor, Houston – Taylor is listed as an outside linebacker, but he’s a lot like Jabrill Peppers from Michigan in the sense that the Cougars have him playing a number of different roles on defense. He’s asked to rush the passer, drop in coverage, and also set the edge in the running game. CBS Sports currently has a second-to-third round grade on Taylor.

CB Damontae Kazee, SDSU – Kazee nearly entered the 2016 NFL Draft after winning the Mountain West Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award, but he decided to come back to school after receiving a fourth-round grade from the NFL advisory board. Kazee finished 2016 with 60 tackles, seven interceptions, and eight passes broken up. CBS Sports currently has a fourth-to-fifth round grade on Kazee.

OLB Tyus Bowser, Houston – Bowser is an EDGE rusher who recorded 7.5 sacks in in only seven games in 2016. Bowser missed five games this season with a fractured orbital bone after getting into an off-field scuffle with a teammate. CBS Sports has Bowser with a sixth-round grade, but he could easily end up going higher if he has a solid pre-draft process.

OLB Calvin Munson, SDSU – Munson made the Mountain West Conference All-First Team each of the last two seasons as he racked up 99 tackles, 13 quarterback hurries, and nine tackles for loss in 2016. CBS Sports currently has Munson projected to go in the sixth-round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

[Featured Image by Joe Robbins/Getty Images]

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