The dust is still settling from an exciting College Football Playoff Quarterfinals, but the grind on the gridiron continues. The Liberty Bowl, Armed Forces Bowl, Duke’s Mayo Bowl, and Holiday Bowl are each kicking off today. As we soak up the remainder of the college football season, there are still plenty of ways to get in on the action.
This article will look at the top player props on DraftKings Sportsbook for the slate of Friday Bowl games.
Best CFB Player Props 1/2/2026
Eli Heidenreich to Record 30+ Rushing Yards (+109)
Kicking off at 4:30 p.m. ET, Navy will take on Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl. The Midshipmen will be looking to put a bow on a 10-2 season, with Eli Heidenrich establishing himself as a key part of the offense all year. Navy leans on him in multiple roles. On the season, Heidenreich has tallied 67 rushing attempts for 437 yards, 46 receptions for 877 yards, and eight total touchdowns.
The prop line that stood out the most to me is Heidenreich to tally 30+ rushing yards. The senior slot back averages 5.6 rushing attempts per game and has carried the ball at least five times in 10 of the 12 games. He transitions from wide receiver to running back throughout a matchup and is a vital part of Navy’s attack.
Cincinnati offers a vulnerable defense that allows an average of 403.4 yards, with 173.6 of these coming on the ground. They gave up 200+ rushing yards on the ground in six games this season, which should have Navy thrilled for this matchup. Heidenriech tallied 30+ rushing yards in six of the 12 games this season.
While he is sure to make an impact in the passing game as well, I am backing the Navy standout to remain a foundation of the team’s attack, and for Cincinnati’s vulnerabilities in stopping the run to be a key part of the game plan. Expect the slot back to see his expected level of carries and rip off more than 30 yards on the ground for the seventh time this season in the friendly matchup.
Robby Ashford Anytime Touchdown (+105)
Robby Ashford will be hoping for a strong finish to his first season at Wake Forest, and his fourth in college football, as he faces off with Mississippi State tonight. The dual-threat quarterback has completed 59.2% of his pass attempts for 2,169 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and seven interceptions this season, while adding 504 rushing yards and seven scores with his legs.
This ability on the ground especially stands out and will be a weapon in this matchup. Mississippi State allowed 189.5 rushing yards per game, which ranks in the bottom quarter of college football teams. They have also conceded 17 rushing scores on the season. Wake Forest will be without running back Demond Claiborne, who opted out for the NFL Draft. While Ty Clark will see his role in the backfield scaled up, expect more responsibility to be thrown on Ashford’s legs as well.
The Wake Forest quarterback has rushed for a touchdown in seven of his 11 games played this year, including three consecutive games entering this matchup. He is averaging 10.5 rush attempts per game, and has carried the ball at least seven times in all but one matchup. Expect Ashford to continue leaning on his legs at a high rate, and for this to especially come into play in the red-zone. Without Claiborne, count on Ashford taking on more responsibility and running it into the end zone himself for the eighth time on the season.
Kris Hutson to Record 80+ Receiving Yards (-107)
Arizona and SMU will face off in the Holiday Bowl tonight, taking place at Snapdragon Stadium in California. The Wildcats enter on a five-game winning streak, and have a strong passing attack that averages 254.4 passing yards and 2.2 touchdowns per game. This is especially noteworthy as they face off with an SMU roster that has struggled to stop the pass, allowing 284.7 passing yards and 1.9 passing touchdowns per contest.
Kris Hudson headlines the receiving production for Arizona, with 57 receptions for 740 yards and four touchdowns this season. He has especially come on strong to close the season, with 95+ receiving yards in three straight games. The Wildcats count on him for big plays, with 42 of his receptions resulting in first downs this season.
Noah Fifita is completely capable at the quarterback spot, throwing for nearly 3,000 yards and 26 touchdowns this season. Look for him to be ready to air the ball out in this friendly matchup and target Hudson at a high rate. The Oregon and Washington State transfer is averaging 5.2 receptions per game, but pulled in seven or more in each of his final three games. Look for this momentum to carry over into the Bowl matchup and for Hutson to put an exclamation point on his season against a vulnerable SMU pass defense. Expect a few deep pass opportunities to be in the game plan and for Hutson to tally 80+ yards for the fourth straight game.
