100 Best Players of the College Football Bowl Season 2022-2023

Who were the best and brightest stars of the 2022-2023 bowl season? Here are CFN’s 100 best players who stood out from the pack.

Who were the stars of the 2022-2023 college football bowl season? We’ll keep a running tab after each batch of bowls before whittling it down to the final 100 best players in the bowls.

The best players so far – and the way to 100 – were …

CFN 100 Best Players of the Bowl Season (26 so far)

– 2022-2023 Bowl Schedule, Scoreboard, Predictions, Game Previews

26. Malik Shorts, S Southern Miss

The veteran defensive back came up with seven tackles, a half a tackle for loss, and recovered a fumble in the 38-24 win over Rice in the LendingTree Bowl.

25. Nick Haberer, P Washington State

The Washington State offense couldn’t move, and Haberer helped tilt the field averaging 48.2 yards on his five kicks with three put inside the 20 in the 29-6 loss to Fresno State in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl presented by Stifel.

24. KJ Robertson, LB Troy

He made 9 tackles with an interception in the 18-12 Duluth Trading Cure Bowl win over UTSA.

23. Trey Moore, DE UTSA

Moore tied for team-high 6 tackles, 2 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1 broken up pass in the 18-12 Duluth Trading Cure Bowl loss to Troy.

22. Luke Loecher, P Oregon State

He kept the struggling Florida offense pinned deep. He only punted three times, but he averaged 55.3 yards per kick with all three put inside the 20.

21. Jack Colletto, LB Oregon State

The jack-of-all-trades did a little of everything. He ran twice for 17 yards – including converting a fake punt – made four tackles, and blocked a punt in the 30-3 SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl win over Florida.

20. Matthew Salopek, LB Miami University

He made a game-high 15 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery in the 24-20 loss to UAB in the HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl.

19. Dashaun Fenwick, RB Oregon State

Steady, he paced the Beaver offense with 107 yards on 21 carries in the 30-3 SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl win over Florida.

18. Carlton Martial, LB Troy

The all-star tackling-machine came up with a game-high 14 stops in the 18-12 Duluth Trading Cure Bowl win over UTSA.

17. Kyrie Fisher-Morris, LB Oregon State

The game’s leading tackler made 11 tackles – seven of them solo – with a sack and three tackles for loss in the 30-3 SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl win over Florida.

16. Kevorian Barnes, RB UTSA

Taking over the running game, he ran 22 times for 138 yards with one catch for 10 yards in the 18-12 Duluth Trading Cure Bowl loss to Troy.

15. Reddy Steward, CB Troy

Locked in a few key downfield battles, he made 7 tackles with three broken up passes in the 18-12 Duluth Trading Cure Bowl win over UTSA.

14. Carlton Johnson S, Fresno State

The veteran defensive back led the way with a game-high 10 tackles with a broken up pass and a tackle for loss in the 29-6 win over Washington State in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl presented by Stifel.

13. Jermaine Brown, RB UAB

Stepping in for DeWayne McBride – the nation’s leading rusher – Brown ran 24 times for 116 yards and two touchdowns including the game-winner in the 24-20 win over Miami University in the HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl.

12. Devo Bridges, DE Fresno State

Along with 8 tackles – 6 of them solo stops – he tied for a game-high 2 sacks in the 29-6 win over Washington State in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl presented by Stifel.

11. Daylen Gill, LB Southern Miss

All over the place, he led the game with 11 tackles with three sacks in the 38-24 win over Rice in the LendingTree Bowl.

10. Maurice Turner, RB Louisville

The workhorse on the day, he ran 31 times for 160 yards averaging 5.2 yards per carry in the 24-7 win over Cincinnati in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.

9. Jake Haener, QB Fresno State

The veteran closed out his career completing 24-of-36 passes for 280 yards and two scores in the 29-6 win over Washington State in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl presented by Stifel.

8. Trea Shropshire, WR UAB

With six catches for 183 yards – averaging over 30 yards per grab – and a touchdown, he set the tone early and needed attention the rest of the way in the 24-20 win over Miami University in the HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl.

7. Shedeur Sanders, QB Jackson State

He couldn’t come though in overtime, but he got the team there. He completed 30-of-40 passes for 349 yards and four scores and ran for a touchdown in the 41-34 loss to North Carolina Central in the Cricket Celebration Bowl.

6. Ivan Pace Jr., LB Cincinnati

He tried to do it all by himself with a game-leading 16 tackles with a sack in the 24-7 loss to Louisville in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.

5. Jawhar Jordan, RB Louisville

Maurice Turner led the team in rushing yards, but Jordan was more explosive with 115 yards on nine carries with touchdown runs of 49 and 41 yards in the 24-7 win over Cincinnati in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.

4. Davius Richard, QB North Carolina Central

Always under pressure, he completed 15-of-20 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown, and he ran 22 times for 97 yards and two scores in the 41-34 overtime win over Jackson State in the Cricket Celebration Bowl.

3. Jordan Mims, RB Fresno State

With big, gashing runs, he took over with 209 yards and two scores on 18 carries in the 29-6 win over Washington State in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl presented by Stifel.

2. Reynard Ellis, LB UAB

He came up with a team-high 10 tackles with a half a sack, but it’s all about his tenth that saved the game. He stopped Miami University’s Jalen Walker on the two-yard line on the last play in the 24-20 win over Miami University in the HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl.

1. Frank Gore Jr., RB Southern Miss

Fantastic from start to finish, Gore Jr. set a bowl record with 329 rushing yards – the most by anyone this year – with touchdown runs of 64 and 55 yards. He also completed two of three passes for 19 yards and a score in the 38-24 win over Rice in the LendingTree Bowl.