Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett jokes about Leonard Fournette sitting out bowl game

Texas A&M pass rusher Myles Garrett could be the top pick in the 2017 NFL draft. (AP)
Texas A&M pass rusher Myles Garrett could be the top pick in the 2017 NFL draft. (AP)

Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett is in basically the same situation as Christian McCaffrey and Leonard Fournette.

McCaffrey and Fournette, star running backs at Stanford and LSU, have opted not to participate in their team’s bowl games to begin preparing (read: not get injured) for the NFL and its draft process. McCaffrey and Fournette, both juniors, are considered to be potential first-round picks.

Garrett, another underclassman, is even more highly-regarded. He could go No. 1 overall, but said in a statement Monday he will play for the Aggies in the Texas Bowl against Kansas State on Dec. 28.

Garrett was asked Tuesday if he could understand the decisions made by McCaffrey and Fournette. When answering, Garrett took a lighthearted jab at Fournette, saying Fournette has had his eyes set on the NFL “since his sophomore year.”

Fournette, like Garrett, was a five-star prospect in the 2014 recruiting cycle (Garrett was No. 2 overall in the Rivals100, Fournette was No. 4). Both had immediate impacts as freshmen and have carried over that production into this season. Fournette ran for 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns last year, but has been hampered by an ankle injury all season (he rushed for 843 yards in seven games).

Fournette, who has already signed with Roc Nation as representation, pointed…