The Kansas players found out today that they will be playing in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix on Dec. 26 against UNLV. Devin Neal gave his thoughts on offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki taking the same position at Penn State, his NFL hopes, while Rich Miller and Mason Fairchild the importance of playing in front of recruits in Arizona and ending on a high note.

Head coach Lance Leipold was adamant about keeping the focus of his press conference on the bowl game for the time being after Kotelnicki took the job at Penn State and did not comment when asked.

Neal was brief with what he said about the situation as well.

“I was happy for him, at the end of the day I understand and this thing's going to keep moving regardless, with him or without him,” Neal said.

The opportunity for the team to have a bowl game has not been lost on him, and he ready to get moving into the next era of Kansas offense.

“We're super excited just to keep things the main thing, and I have full confidence in our coaching staff that we're going to have a right game plan going to this game and for the future we're going to be right too,” Neal said

Throughout the season, Neal forgoing his last year of eligibility to go to the NFL has been a possibility. As the Jayhawks enter bowl season, Neal has not made up his mind, but it has definitely been thought about

“Just talking to different coaches, talking with my family, just praying about it honestly is really hard,” Neal said. “I have everything here too. So that's one thing that's really important to me and I'm super excited about it as well. So definitely going to weigh the options and see where it's going to go.”

Sitting at 3006 career rushing yards and another 1000 yard season away from being Kansas’ all-time leading rusher, but a potential NFL career looming has Neal in a tough position. He says that he has “two dreams in each hand,” so there are two correct answers for the Lawrence native.

“It's a tough road to navigate, but luckily I have the right guidance in my life with my family, with the coaching staff here too,” Neal said. “So I feel confident in whatever decision I make that's going to be the right one.”

When the Jayhawks go to Arizona, they will have the chance to play in the same state as four of their recruits in the 2024 class. The recruits will have the chance to do something similar to what Miller did when Buffalo played in Detroit for the MAC championship.

“It was great for me to be there and just see them play, see them in person, actually in my city,” Miller said. “I think it's going to be the same way for them.”

Overall, Miller is happy with the location of the bowl game and has enjoyed the time he has had in Arizona before.

“I've been out to Phoenix before, so I know it's going to be a good time, you know, good weather, a great city to be in,” Miller said.

Miller is excited about the younger players already in the program getting some valuable practice time to propel them toward spring ball.

“That'd be great because a lot of the time this year they probably play scout team,” Miller said. “They are probably just giving us good looks. And now they get the chance to play football and have fun again. They get the chance to really go against each other and show the coaches what they've been working on all year.”

Bowl games can sometimes lose some of their meaning depending on the situation. With everything that Kansas has accomplished this season, Fairchild is adamant that this one is important for him.

But that's not the case with Mason Fairchild.

“It's huge because we're going for a nine win season, something that doesn't really happen a whole lot around here,” Fairchild said. “Just trying to build on the success that we've been having, so we're just taking it one step at a time.”

With it being his last game in a Jayhawk uniform, there is plenty of motivation to make this one count. He also stressed the importance of building more momentum for next year, even if he will not be there.

“Sending the seniors out, including myself in the right way, and then to propel the young guys to having a great season into a know, great season,” Fairchild said of his goals in his last game of college football. “So there's a lot of things on the line here.”