If you are a fan of the NFL Offseason and draft process, you’ve definitely heard of the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, East-West Shrine Bowl, and Senior Bowl. Depending on how closely you follow, you may have heard of the Hula Bowl. Not one of the big three of prospect bowl games, but a great time to find some late round and UDFA gems. Here are some of my thoughts from the game:

Jack’s 2023 Hula Bowl Awards:

Offensive Player of the Game: Chris Brooks, RB, BYU

I can’t find an official box score from the game, but I believe Brooks was the only player to surpass 100 total yards for either offense. Brooks is a big, physical, bruising running back who is extremely difficult to bring down. I could see Brooks sneaking into day 2 by draft night, but it will probably depend on how he tests the rest of the offseason. He would be a solid day 3 pick though if not taken on day 2.

Defensive Player of the Game: Jordan Ferguson, DL, Middle Tennessee

Again, I can’t find an official box score, but I believe Ferguson had two sacks. I’m positive he had at least one. Regardless, Ferguson seemed to be the most disruptive defensive lineman of either team. The rate at which he was pressuring the opposing QBs was impressive. Even if he wasn’t able to shed the block it seemed like he was making an impact almost every snap. He showed some power in his rush with a hint of speed. He was inconsistent with his use of hands when trying to shed his block though. 

The Most Impressive Position Groups:

1A) Defensive Line

I already talked about Middle Tennessee’s Jordan Ferguson, but it just seemed like all game long the QBs on both sides when they dropped back were feeling the pressure. Ferguson obviously was the most disruptive as I gave him defensive player of the game, but the other defensive lineman put on a solid performance:

Ami Finau, Maryland

Brevin Allen, Campbell

TK McLendon, Eastern Kentucky

Spencer Waege, North Dakota State

Jeffrey Johnson, Oklahoma

DJ Coleman, Missouri

Brock Martin, Oklahoma State

Caleb Sampson, Kansas

Do I think that they are going to be day 1 or 2 picks? No. I think Jordan Ferguson and possibly Jeffrey Johnson could sneak into the late third round based on how the rest of their offseason goes, but more than likely these are all day 3 or UDFA guys who will have to fight for play time or a spot on the roster. 

1B) Running Backs

I could be wrong, maybe it was a game plan thing from the start, but there were a lot more carries today than passes, or at least that’s what it seemed like. The ground game was also a lot more successful than the passing games. 

I talked about my offensive player of the game, Chris Brooks, already so I’ll skip him, but here were the other backs who caught my eye.

Khalan Laborn, Marshall: Behind Brooks I thought Laborn was the best back. He is by no means the fastest back you will ever see, but he’s explosive. He hits the hole with meaning and there were times he was in the second level before I realized he was past the line. Laborn is probably a late day 3 back.

Toa Taua, Nevada: Unfortunately, Taua was on the same team as Brooks who really was the star of the game. Taua did look pretty in the carries he got though. He seemed to run behind his pads with some power. Taua also hauled in a short checkdown right before halftime and took it 30-40 yards while showing he’s got a little bit of elusiveness in his game. Taua is probably an UDFA with the potential to sneak into the end of day 3.

Calvin Tyler, Utah State: Unfortunately for Tyler he was on the same team as Brooks and Taua. Tyler had a slow start which opened the door for more reps for Brooks and Taua. Tyler looked pretty good late in the game though. Tyler is probably going to be an UDFA who will more than likely end up in one of the other leagues.

Wide Receivers:

Unfortunately for the WRs it was a slow day. It was a heavy run day with the majority of the passing game coming in the short game, primarily hitches and screens.

UAB WR Trea Shropshire scored a 76(I think) yard TD on what I believe was his lone reception of the day. 

Kansas State WR Kade Warner had a couple short catches. It was a small sample size, but it seemed like he was a pretty tough, reliable receiver.

Not that any WR had a spectacular game, but I thought San Jose State WR Elijah Cooks looked the best of the group. Cooks had 3 targets on the day I believe. The first was a really nice catch on a go route with the CB in solid position. The second target, he beat his man, and was open in the endzone for a TD, but was overthrown. The third target was a short route where he sat in the middle of the zone coverage for a completion.

Defensive Backs:

Due to the nature of this game, the DBs like the WRs did not get much of a showcase either. Although I will say on the passing plays they did run, most completions were short routes or plays where the QB held the ball for a decent amount of time while avoiding the rush, so the DB’s must’ve been playing pretty well. Rutgers DB Avery Young was one that stood out to me the most. He primarily played safety where he made a couple nice plays early, but also mixed in as the nickelback. Tulsa CB Tyon Davis also had a couple nice plays early in the game.

Last but not least… Quarterbacks:

Holton Ahlers, East Carolina: Despite Ahlers being named the actual player of the game, I was a little disappointed with Ahlers. He was a prospect I heard some rumblings about as being a mid-late round gem in the QB class, and I saw why when I watched him play the bowl game against Coastal Carolina. Ahlers did not get to sling the ball around much today or take a deep shot, but you can tell he has a pretty good arm with how much zip he can put behind his short passes. I’ve heard he’s not super athletic, and although I agree, he definitely looks like a better runner than they give him credit for. Ahlers did finish the day 10/10 for 57 yards and 1 TD while adding 22 yards on the ground, but he also had a fumble on a botched handoff(not entirely his fault) and another one on a strip sack. Final note I have is that Ahlers seemed comfortable operating the offense both from under center and in the gun. 

Chase Brice, App State: Brice was the first QB the commentators talked about. They were talking about how good his arm was. I was not thrilled with what I saw honestly. I think they were overhyping his arm. The couple deep shots he took looked like they wobbled a bit and the receiver even had to slow down for it. Maybe he just underestimated his WR’s speed? I mean these guys only practice together like 4 days before the game. He looked okay going through his reads, but it looked like he was trying to force throws that just weren’t there early in the game. He looked okay as the game went on.

Adrian Martinez, Kansas State: I thought Martinez was the second best looking QB behind only Ahlers. It looked like he was going through his reads pretty quick, but his throwing mechanics looked awkward on some throws. The big thing that stood out about Martinez was his ability to evade the rush and using his legs to run and extend plays.

Sean Clifford, Penn State: Luckily for Clifford I did not have high expectations for him coming into this game. He did not look good. Clifford was the QB who overthrew Cooks in the endzone. The highlight of his day was when he used his legs to run or extend the play. His passing looked rough.

Tanner Morgan, Minnesota: I don’t have a lot to say about Morgan. He didn’t look great, but he also didn’t look as bad as Clifford. He played okay, probably at the same level as Brice. Morgan was not afraid to stand and make his throw with pressure in his face. I will say though he does not really step into his throw. He threw off his back foot a lot in this game. Last note I have about Morgan is that he used his legs to extend plays a lot more and more efficiently than I would’ve thought.