‘Irish’ Bowl kicks off college season … Of course, the college football season really kicks off next weekend with a full slate of games including several must-see contests such as #1 Texas at defending national champion Ohio State and LSU hosting Clemson; however, there are several games this weekend including one involving ranked teams as#22 Iowa State and #17 Kansas State, a couple of midwestern teams with deep Irish roots, meet in Dublin at Noon ET on ESPN. And while both teams are ranked neither is necessarily loaded with 2026 draft prospects. Indeed, it is highly unlikely that either program will have anyone with even close to a first-round grade next April, although both do have an interesting late second day candidate in ISU DT Domonique Orange (#95, 6-3, 295), a big, physical run-stuffing type NT, and KSU MLB Austin Romaine (#45, 6-2, 245), a tackling machine coming off a 96 stop season last fall. For good measure, both teams are also led by solid, dual-threat junior QBs in Rocco Becht (#3, 6-1, 205) of the Cyclones and the Wildcats Avery Johnson (#2, 6-2, 200), although neither is considered be be much more than a fringe draft prospect.
