It's the first Saturday of the College Football season. Take a look at your favorite 49ers players playing college football.
The University of Indiana and the University of Utah are set to square off in the 2016 Foster Farms Bowl on Dec. 28 at Levi's® Stadium.
Utah (8-4) finished the season as the 19th-ranked team in the nation and placed third in the Pac-12 South. Indiana (6-6) finished fourth in the Big Ten East.
CBS Sports draft expert Rob Rang has provided 49ers.com with scouting reports for the top five NFL prospects who are eligible for selection next year. Be sure to follow Rang on Twitter @RobRang for top flight coverage of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Here are Rang's scouting reports for the prospects you should get to know before kickoff.
Utah
- OT Garett Bolles, Junior (6-5, 296)
Rang: Following in the footsteps of Michael Oher of "The Blindside" fame, Bolles is one of this year's best stories. A former juvenile delinquent who spent two years after high school fixing garage doors, he's turned around his life, focusing on academics and football first at Snow College – where he emerged as a five-star junior college prospect – and this season as the Utes' star left tackle. Though his technique is still lacking a bit, Bolles' raw talent is undeniable. Bolles shows legitimate NFL-caliber athleticism along the tapered frame and requisite arm length to remain outside at tackle. He possesses the light feet and balance to mirror edge-rushers, plays with the brawling mentality sure to endear him to NFL offensive line coaches. Bolles only has one year of play at the FBS level but he is older than most prospects already (24), has a wife and child and is one of the few tackles in this year's class worthy of top-64 consideration. As such, the Foster Farms Bowl may very well be the junior's final college game.
- DE Hunter Dimick, Redshirt Senior (6-3, 272)
Rang: Given that he led the Pac-12 over the regular season in both tackles for loss (20) and quarterback sacks (14.5) Dimick has an argument as the most under-appreciated edge-rusher in the 2017 draft class. Despite a short, stubby build that frankly appears better suited to playing guard rather than defensive end, Dimick emerged this season as the most productive pass-rusher in school history (29.5 career sacks) and has an NFL future, though scouts are divided as to where he will fit best at the next level. What Dimick may lack in height and arm length, he more than makes up for with his initial burst and awareness. Dimick times the snap as well as any defender in the country, often leaving tackles scrambling to recover and shows much better flexibility and efficiency in scraping the corner to close on quarterbacks than his frame would indicate. He is hardly just a pesky pass-rusher, routinely slicing upfield to set the edge in the running game and force ball-carriers back inside. Overcoming big odds is nothing new for Dimick, a former three-star recruit who was the first football player from his high school to ever earn a D-I scholarship.
- DT Lowell Lotulelei, Junior (6-2, 310)
Rang: Though an inch or two shorter and perhaps 20 pounds lighter, Lotulelei is well on his way towards following his older brother, Star, as a future early round NFL draft pick. Like Star, the No. 14 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers back in 2013, the latest Lotulelei is a classic run-stuffer whose square frame and power make him virtually impossible to move off of the line of scrimmage. He's been a standout since stepping onto the field for the Utes as a true freshman, earning all-conferences accolades from coaches each of the past three years. Though he is certainly highly regarded in the Pac-12, NFL teams may be hesitant to invest a first round pick in Lotulelei because he offers little as a pass-rusher, generating "just" 8.5 sacks, one pass broken up (as well as zero blocked kicks) in three years.
- FS Marcus Williams, Junior (6-0, 195)
Rang: Though the majority of the talent in the Foster Farms Bowl plays closer to the line of scrimmage, the playmaking Williams is a clear exception. He earned First-Team All-Pac-12 accolades as a true sophomore in 2015 with five interceptions and despite missing a few weeks early this year due to injury, he's proven just as much of a ball-hawk as a junior, recording four interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in just 10 games. Williams looks bigger than his listed 195 pounds, sporting broad shoulders and a tapered, athletic build. His best assets, however, might be his range in coverage. Williams shows terrific awareness, agility and speed to operate as a classic centerfielder in the middle, limiting passing windows for quarterbacks to exploit. He is also a reliable open-field tackler with a knack for timing his hits just as the ball arrives. Williams may lack much name recognition outside of the Pac-12 but he is a potential top 50 pick should he opt to declare early for the NFL.
Indiana
- OG Dan Feeney, Redshirt Senior (6-4, 305, 5.09)
Rang: The Hoosiers may only have one player among the top five NFL prospects playing in the Foster Farms Bowl but Feeney may very well wind up being the first one drafted. Feeney is the top-rated interior offensive lineman in the draft, possessing very good initial quickness and agility for a man with his square-ish frame. He delivers a powerful jolt to defenders and keeps his feet moving through contact, clearing easy lanes for future NFL running backs Tevin Coleman (Atlanta Falcons) and Jordan Howard (Chicago Bears). He is described as a coach on the field by the Hoosiers staff and was voted a team captain each of the past two seasons. Though Indiana's up-tempo offense and skill position talent has certainly aided his cause, the statistics speak for themselves with Feeney, who has allowed just two sacks in 45 career starts, all but the final four of which came at right guard. His recovery from a concussion early this season which sidelined him for four games will be closely investigated by NFL doctors at the Combine. Injuries to teammates pushed Feeney out to right tackle over the final month of the season but his NFL future lies back inside.