This year's rendition of the Cotton Bowl is loaded with future NFL talent as USC and Ohio State are slated to do battle.
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COMPARE: Sam Darnold vs. Josh Rosen | Jerome Baker vs. Thomas Barber
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The biggest question right now is this: Will two of the top prospects from the Trojans and Buckeyes go pro? If they do, especially the signal-caller from Los Angeles, it could make for an even more exciting first round than usual.
Check out the top 10 NFL Draft prospects to keep an eye on during this year's Cotton Bowl showdown, which you can watch live on ESPN at 8:30 PM ET on December 29.
| RANK | PLAYER | POS | TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Darnold | QB | USC |
| 2 | Jerome Baker | LB | Ohio State |
| 3 | Billy Price | C | Ohio State |
| 4 | Cameron Smith | LB | USC |
| 5 | Rasheem Green | DE | USC |
| 6 | Denzel Ward | CB | Ohio State |
| 7 | Sam Hubbard | DE | Ohio State |
| 8 | Ronald Jones | RB | USC |
| 9 | Reuben Peters | FB | USC |
| 10 | Jalyn Holmes | DE | Ohio State |
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Sam Darnold
Darnold has yet to declare for the draft, and some rumors have him staying in school so as to avoid getting drafted by the Cleveland Browns.
If he does decide to leave USC, the 6' 4", 220-pounder from Capistrano Beach, California, will be coming off of two straight seasons of 3,000-plus-yards passing and at least 57 TDs through the air with the chance to add to his totals against Ohio State.
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Jerome Baker
Another potential NFL prospect in this year's Cotton Bowl is Buckeyes' linebacker Jerome Baker, who is currently deciding if he wants to jump to the next level.
Another potential NFL draft pick at Ohio State shoots down possibility of missing Cotton Bowl. Jerome Baker: “Even if I decide to leave, I’m playing regardless. I can’t leave my brothers behind.” pic.twitter.com/cf14P8nNSM
— Austin Ward (@AWardSports) December 15, 2017
If he does decide to go pro, Baker seems to have a knack for the big play, which includes both an interception and fumble recovery for a touchdown during this three years at Columbus.
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