West Virginia running back Leddie Brown to skip Guaranteed Rate Bowl

Since the inception of the College Football Playoff, bowl season has become a bit of a different beast compared to that of the past. Over the last few years, we’ve seen a trend of NFL prospects doing a bit of risk analysis and electing to skip lower-tier postseason matchups to prepare for the NFL Draft Combine and the All-Star events that lead up to it, such as the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

West Virginia running back Leddie Brown is the latest to make that decision, announcing his decision to focus on preparing for his life long dream of playing in the NFL rather than joining the Mountaineers in Arizona on December 28th for the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

The news isn’t exactly shocking, as it was widely assumed that Brown would be skipping the matchup with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Brown finished his career with 2,888 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns, including back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons, over his four years in Morgantown. He also tacked on 605 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 86 receptions.

In Brown’s absence, redshirt sophomore Tony Mathis Jr. will take the bulk of the snaps at running back. Mathis rushed for 256 yards on 59 carries this season. Justin Johnson Jr. and Jaylen Anderson will vie for the opportunity to backup Mathis.