Do Kentucky’s NFL Draft prospects plan to play in the upcoming bowl game?

Bowls in warm, happy locations beckon, but players headed for the NFL Draft often have to think about more than just fun in the sun with their teammates in a postseason game.

After a 56-10 victory over Louisville at Cardinal Stadium on Saturday night, three Kentucky players discussed whether or not this was their last game in a UK uniform.

Coach Mark Stoops said he expects everyone to play in the bowl game.

“I’ll have some conversations with these guys, but we’ve had some ongoing — I do” expect they will play, he said. “If somebody chooses not to, we’ll address it at the time.”

For outside linebacker Josh Allen, a potential top-10 pick in the NFL Draft, he said he’ll go through the same process on deciding about the bowl as he did deciding whether or not to come back for his senior season.

“I have a whole month to decide what I want to do,” Allen said. “I want to do what’s best for myself, my family and my team. So it’s going to be a decision I have to make, but we’ll see when the bowl game comes around.”

For running back Benny Snell, a junior who is still deciding whether or not he’s ready to make the leap to the NFL, he’d like to play.

“Still a decision process, but Benny Snell as of now, will play with my team again,” he said.

The running back, who needed 207 yards on Saturday to break Kentucky’s all-time career rushing record, fell short with just 100 yards. The idea that he could grab that record still might help make the decision.

“I’m not done yet,” he said, adding later. “I need 100 more and a bowl game will help me with that.”

When asked why he might want to stay beyond this season knowing that running backs only have a set number of carries and hits in their careers, Snell said, “With Benny, he’s a guy that if he’s not satisfied with the way his play is or a goal he hasn’t reached that goal, that’s bottom line. It really just depends on the things I want for my future.”

And when people tell him it’s time to get paid to play, Snell hears that, too, but added: “Listen, I’m 20 years old. I play “Fortnite,” “Call of Duty,” I’m not a kid, but I’m still having fun right now. I don’t even want to think of that right now. But it’s a decision I’m going to have to face eventually.”

When asked about future NFL players playing in bowl games, C.J. Conrad did not realize he was being asked about himself.

Once it was explained that the question was for him, the tight end said: “I can definitely see myself playing in that game. Obviously, we’ll have conversations with Coach (Mark) Stoops just like everyone in the country. But I feel very comfortable in playing in that game.”