Tampa - Emmanuel Forbes will be on the field for one last ride when the ReliaQuest Bowl kicks off on Monday.
The AP Second Team All-American cornerback declared for the NFL Draft earlier this month, but unlike many draft entrants we've seen across college football, Forbes will be playing for Mississippi State when they take on Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl Monday.
There was some talk over the past few weeks that Forbes had been practicing with the team despite his intentions for next season, and Mississippi State made things official today.
"Without my teammates, my coaches and the guys that have put in the effort to mold me into the person I am today, I just thought I owed it to them," Forbes said. "It means a lot honestly to represent our state one last time before I go on to the next level. I just wanted to go out here and have fun with my brothers one more time."
The junior from Grenada, Mississippi, picked off an SEC-best six passes this season. He's intercepted 14 passes during his three years in Starkville and set the FBS record with his 6th career pick-six last month.
The 2020 four-star recruit has stood out since he first took the field in Zach Arnett's defense, intercepting five passes as a true freshman and being named a Freshman All-American.
Forbes will look to be the next Mississippi State cornerback to star in the NFL, following in the footsteps of 5-time Pro Bowler Darius Slay. Vikings cornerback Cameron Dantzler and Forbes' former teammate Martin Emerson are also off to good starts in their young careers.
Mississippi State will also have center LaQuinston Sharp, nose guard Cameron Young, and safety Jackie Matthews available for the ReliaQuest Bowl before they head off to the NFL Draft. Outside linebacker Tyrus Wheat and safety Collin Duncan will also head to the draft, but their bowl game status has not been announced.
The Bulldogs will also be without WR Rara Thomas, RB Dillon Johnson and WR/PR Zavion Thomas, who have entered the transfer portal. Rara Thomas committed to Georgia last week, while Johnson and Zavion Thomas remain undecided.
The Illini will also be without some key players as Second Team All-American running back Chase Brown will be headed to the NFL Draft alongside his brother Sydney Brown, a First Team All-Big Ten safety. First-Team All-American cornerback and Jim Thorpe Finalist Devon Witherspoon also has opted out to declare for the NFL Draft.
The ReliaQuest Bowl will kick off on January 2nd at 11 a.m. CST on ESPN, where the 8-4 Bulldogs will hope to reach its first nine-win season since 2017.
