College football bowl game opt-outs: Who's skipping bowls games to prepare for NFL draft?

It's college football bowl season – or in some cases, get ready for the NFL draft season.

With 40 bowl games taking place outside of the College Football Playoff and the national championship game, players not playing for a title and expecting to begin their NFL careers next season will skip out on their team's final game of the season and prepare to make the jump to the professional level.

The decision to skip bowl games has become a hot trend since Christian McCaffrey and Leonard Fournette opted out of their respective bowl games in 2016, as players prioritize their health to ensure they can be be high draft picks come spring.

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Here's a list of high-profile college football players that have decided to skip their team's bowl game this season as they prepare for the 2024 NFL draft:

Joe Milton, Tennessee QB

Joe Milton, a sixth-year senior, is opting out of the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against Iowa to prepare for the NFL draft.

He threw for 2,813 yards and 20 touchdowns this season in 12 games.

Freshman Nico Iamaleava will start for Tennessee in the bowl. Milton will watch the game from the sidelines.

Payton Wilson, NC State LB

Sixth-year senior and star linebacker Payton Wilson announced he will opt out of NC State's appearance in the Pop-Tarts Bowl and begin preparation for the NFL draft.

Wilson was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year after leading the conference in tackles with 138. He also had six sacks, 17½ tackles for loss and three interceptions en route to unanimous All-America honors.

Jayden Daniels, LSU QB

LSU quarterback and 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels is ending his college career.

Daniels will opt-out of LSU's appearance in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Wisconsin on Jan. 1, the quarterback announced on social media on Dec. 18. In a video, Daniels said he is "proud to be a California Bayou boy" and signed off by saying "five out."

The decision to sit out was widely expected, as LSU finished the regular season 9-3 and was not in the New Year's Six picture. Daniels is expected to prepare for the NFL draft, where he could be a first-round pick.

Caleb Williams, Southern California QB

The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner will not play in the Holiday Bowl against Louisville, Southern California head coach Lincoln Riley announced Dec. 4.

Even though it seems skipping out on the bowl game would mean leaving college, Williams, who is the presumed No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, has not yet announced if he will enter the NFL draft.

Drake Maye, North Carolina QB

The North Carolina quarterback announced Monday he plans to skip the Duke's Mayo Bowl against West Virginia on Dec. 27, and will be entering his name in the 2024 NFL draft. The signal caller is being projected as the No. 2 pick in the draft and could overtake Williams as the top selection.

Chop Robinson, Penn State DE

The USA TODAY Sports college football All-America team selection announced on social media he will skip Penn State's Peach Bowl appearance against Ole Miss on Dec. 30. Robinson could be a top 10 pick in next year's draft.

Sam Hartman, Notre Dame QB

The Notre Dame quarterback announced on social media he will skip Notre Dame's game in the Sun Bowl against Oregon State. The Wake Forest transfer finishes his college career with 15,656 passing yards, 134 touchdowns and 49 interceptions.

Laiatu Latu, UCLA DE

The 2023 Lombardi Trophy winner will not play in the LA Bowl against Boise State, UCLA coach Chip Kelly announced Monday. Latu was also named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and could be a top 10 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Nate Wiggins, Clemson CB

Wiggins declared for the NFL draft on social media, and he will miss Clemson's appearance in the Gator Bowl against Kentucky on Dec. 29. Wiggins is projected to be a first-rounder in the draft.

Johnny Wilson, Florida State WR

Wilson told ESPN he will skip the Orange Bowl against Georgia as he is declaring for the 2024 NFL draft. Wilson finishes his college career with 102 receptions for 1,757 yards and eight touchdowns.

Joe Alt, Notre Dame OL

The Notre Dame offensive lineman announced on social media he will also be skipping the Sun Bowl and preparing for the NFL draft. He is projected to be a top 10 pick in next year's draft.

Jawhar Jordan, Louisville RB

Louisville's do-it-all running back announced he will be skipping the Holiday Bowl against Southern California as he enters his name in the NFL draft. Jordan ran 1,128 yards and 13 touchdowns this season while also catching 21 passes out of the backfield for 246 yards and a touchdown.

Trey Benson, Florida State RB

The Seminoles' leading rusher announced on social media that he will not play in Florida State's Orange Bowl matchup against Georgia, and he will instead declare for the 2024 NFL draft.

Benson, a redshirt junior, led FSU to an undefeated season and ACC championship. But the Seminoles were left out of the top four of the College Football Playoff rankings and will not have a chance to play for the national championship. Benson rushed for 905 yards and 14 touchdowns, and he added another score receiving.

Jared Verse, Florida State DE

Another Seminole won't be in the Orange Bowl as Verse announced on social media he will be preparing for the 2024 NFL draft.

One of the leaders of Florida State's defense, Verse could be a top 10 pick in next year's draft.

Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland QB

The younger brother of Tua Tagovailoa will not play in Maryland's Music City Bowl appearance against Auburn, head coach Mike Locksley announced.

Tagovailoa will prepare for the NFL draft, as he finished his college career with several Terrapin records, and became the Big Ten's all-time passing yards leader with 11,356 passing yards.

Tez Walker, North Carolina WR

The North Carolina wideout will also skip out on the Duke's Mayo Bowl against West Virginia, he announced on social media.

Walker's season at North Carolina was a whirlwind after he was initially ruled ineligible to play before he was allowed to compete four weeks after the season started.

Brenden Rice, Southern California WR

The son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice will be entering his name in the NFL draft, he announced on social media. Rice had 791 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns this season for the Trojans.

Audric Estime, Notre Dame RB

Estime announced on social media he will be the latest Fighting Irish star to skip the Sun Bowl against Oregon State in order to prepare for the NFL draft. The star running back rushed for 1,341 rushing yards and had 18 rushing touchdowns, a Notre Dame record.

Braelon Allen, Wisconsin RB

Allen announced on social media his plans to skip the ReliaQuest Bowl against LSU on Jan. 1 and prepare for the NFL Draft. The 19-year-old was third in the Big Ten with 984 rushing yards this past season and was AP second team All-Big Ten.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football bowl opt-outs: Who is preparing for NFL draft?