Stanford and North Carolina both fell short of meeting expectations this season. Both squads put together solid records, but many thought they were capable of making a run toward the College Football Playoff before the first game.
This should be a fun game featuring two explosive offenses. When two major Power 5 squads get together, there is usually plenty of future NFL talent on display.
Let's go ahead and acknowledge the obvious now. Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey is one of the best prospects on either team, but is sitting out in this one to prepare for the NFL Draft. Is it the right call? Who knows. But it's definitely a big problem for college football.
Here are the top NFL Draft prospects actually playing in the Sun Bowl.
| Rank | Pos | Player | School |
| 1 | QB | Mitch Trubisky | UNC |
| 2 | DE | Solomon Thomas | Stanford |
| 3 | WR | Ryan Switzer | UNC |
| 4 | DT | Nazair Jones | UNC |
| 5 | OT | Jon Heck | UNC |
| 6 | CB | Des Lawrence | UNC |
| 7 | OG | Johnny Caspers | Stanford |
North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky elevated to one of the hottest prospects in the country seemingly overnight. The junior saw limited action in 2015, but NFL Draft scouts have seen enough out of Trubisky's stellar 2016 outing to deem him the top QB when April rolls around. The UNC gun slinger will decide his future after the Sun Bowl, but when you have a chance to be the No. 1 guy, you usually take it. He finished the season with 3,468 yards, 28 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
Trubisky is the big name for the Tar Heels, but Stanford has a major talent that isn't named McCaffery. Solomon Thomas is one of the top pass rushers in college football, and is expected to get his name called late in the first round of the NFL Draft. The Cardinal defensive end closed out the 2016 campaign with 5.5 sacks and a forced fumble. CBS Sports pegs him as the No. 8 defensive end in this year's group. Just watch and learn.
