I had no idea this song samples Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl. @YouTheReader did you?
Apparently, the sample is played at the 1:00-minute mark. Anyway, I’m not spending too much on Uptown because we got a National Championship to recap, a National Championship to preview, and of course, another Mock Draft to unveil.
LSU’s Jasmine Carson was on an absolute tear from 3, shooting 5 for 5 from deep and scoring 21 points in the first half. Your ‘23 National Champion LSU Tigers shot 11 for 17 (64.7%) from behind the arc which is nearly double what they shot as a team throughout the season at 35.9%. The Tigers this year
It was a very entertaining game to watch and one that many sports fans decided to do so. This National Championship was the most-watched Women’s National Championship of all time. Caitlin Clark showed started off right where she left off on Friday night, scoring 14 points in the 1st quarter and ending up being the leading scorer of the game with 30. Iowa’s game plan defensively was similar to Friday's as they dared their opponent to shoot it. LSU shot it confidently and it burned the Hawkeyes yesterday. Some other commentary I want to add is that the refs did seem to be a bit controlling. They put LSU’s Angel Reese and Alexis Morris (LSU’s stars) on the bench with early questionable foul calls in the first half. In the 3rd quarter, they called a foul on Monika Czinano and gave Clark a technical foul for something that probably could’ve been overlooked given the circumstances, a double whammy that gave Iowa’s top players their 4th personal foul.
I also do want to mention that this game featured LSU Tiger’s coach, Kim Mulkey, who always dresses flamboyantly. She’s the classic college coach who as soon as her team win’s a title says it’s all about the players as she blinds the TV viewers with her shiny outfit. This was Kim Mulkey’s 4th National Championship and she became the first women’s coach to win a national championship at 2 different schools.
The National Championship game ended with Angel Reese taunting Caitlin Clark. As a 28-year-old male, I feel it is best to stay out of two college women’s beef. That said, both women do have NCAA eligibility for at least another year so Week to Week Notes will be rooting for a catfight rematch next year. I’m sure Clark will only be motivated by getting a taste of her own medicine. I do want it Noted that this display was a bit over the top by Reese but she is a National Champion. Going out of your way to show up an opponent in the closing seconds of a championship while the rest of your teammates are celebrating was a very classy gesture. Coming out of this NCAA Women’s Championship, even in a loss, Clark for sure lived up to the billing and should be marketed as the superstar of women’s basketball. Maybe Reese, who has shown she is no Angel, can be marketed as the victorious villain?
@YouTheReader rivalries in sports are important…
Method to the Madness
(5) San Diego State vs (4) UConn
Tonight at 9:20 PM ET on CBS. (@YouTheReader I don’t like the late start time either.)
Aztecs
Matt Bradley got off to a hot start going 3 for 3 from 3 against FAU on Saturday. He ended up with 21 points. I’m sure the senior guard from San Bernardino, CA, who transferred from California is thrilled with his decision. The man who is directly responsible for getting the Aztecs into the National Championship is Lamont Butler. After hitting his buzzer-beater, Butler reflected on his late sister, Asasha Lache Hall, who was tragically shot and killed last year. “I think about her every day. Ever since she passed. She was one of my biggest supporters, and I know she's up there happy right now, watching me play the game that I love. And I think she was with me with that shot. She probably guided the ball in a little bit. I miss her, and I'm just happy I'm able to do this for her. I just truly decided that basketball was going to make me happy again. It was a crazy moment in my life to even hear that my sister had passed. But my teammates and my coaches gave me time to just decide what I wanted to do. They said if I didn't want to come back and play, they were fine with that as well. So they just made me comfortable, and they're also like my second family.”
Brian Dutcher is the only coach in the 102-year history of San Diego State men's basketball to win at least 20 games in each of his first six seasons at the helm of the program and his 119 victories are the most of any first-time Division I head coach who began at their current institution since the start of the ‘17-18 season. This is the first national championship that San Diego State has had in its program’s history.
Huskies
Jordan Hawkins spent the night before his Final Four “sleeping on the bathroom floor.” He barely slept and believes he had food poisoning that kept him throwing up all night. It was a non-COVID illness so I guess we’ve gotten back to the point where we can celebrate flu games again?!?!? Adama Sanogo played last game on an empty stomach for another reason. He is observing Ramadan along with 2 of his other teammates. Sanogo is the first UConn player with 100+ points and 40+ rebounds in a single Men's NCAA Tournament. He is also the 4th player to average 20 points and 65% shooting in the NCAA Tournament entering the title game over the last 40 years, joining the likes of Corliss Williamson (Arkansas) in 1994, Christian Laetrner (Duke) in 1991, and Akeem Olajuwon (Houston) in 1984. (Source: @ESPNStatsInfo)
Jersey City’s own, Dan Hurley, has guided the Huskies on a steady climb back to national prominence. In Hurley’s first season with UConn in ‘18-19 they went 16-17, and now they’re in the National Championship. It shouldn’t be a real surprise that Hurley can rebuild a program. In his first year at Wagner in ‘10-11 he went 13-17, he followed that up in ‘11-12 with a 25-6 season. URI was his next stop. In his first season with the Rams, they went 8-21 in ‘12-13. In Hurley’s last season at URI (‘17-18), the Rams went 26-8. Since 1999, the Huskies have won 4 National Championships, no team has won more in this timeframe. They have never lost a National Championship game.
Prediction: 67-63 San Diego State
The Thought Process: UConn hasn’t really been in a tight one yet and College Kids & Championships usually are a bit hectic. Also, Matt Bradley viewed the @YouTheReader Instagram tag so he saw the Week to Week Notes logo and I accidentally tagged the wrong Jordan Hawkins.
The Scout That Never Was
@FanInsiders you can do a Mock Draft of your own on FanSpeak.com. I only picked the Jets players, a computer-simulated the rest of your football teams. Only featuring certain teams for now. Every player has a hyperlink to a YouTube highlight tape if you want to check out their good tape. We’re switching things up this Monday. Full 1st Round and the Fan Insiders’ 2-5 Rounds. The 6th Round has 1 Jets bonus.
Round 1
**Jets trade Pick 1st Round Pick 13 to the Lions for 1st Round Pick 18 & 2nd Round Pick 24.**
Bryce Young is the only quarterback in Alabama history to throw for 3,000-plus yards in two seasons. Young finished 2nd in program history for career passing yards (8,356) and passing touchdowns (80). In ‘21, he set the Alabama single-season marks for passing yards (4,872) and touchdowns (47) while winning the Heisman Trophy. Bryce Young had elite escapability in college that he likely may not be able to pull off as much against grown men. His size will also be a cause for concern for some NFL teams. That said, if you are taking a QB with the #1 Overall Pick in today’s NFL, you almost have to expect that the QB can both throw and run. Bryce Young was entered into Saban’s starting QB1 role right after Mac Jones and it was as if the Alabama offense didn’t skip a beat, if anything Young’s legs made them that much more lethal.
Anthony Richardson may be the ultimate boom-or-bust prospect of the NFL Draft. He may be one of the most talented QBs to ever enter the Draft, but that said his college production was a bit inconsistent. Richardson closing out his pro day with a cartwheel flip was bold. It’ll either be the stuff of legends or mocked throughout his career if things go sideways. He finished with 2,549 passing yards and 17 touchdowns for an average of 212.42 yards per game, not otherworldly stats by any stretch. He came in 2nd on the team in rushing touchdowns (9) and 3rd in rushing yards (654). He’s drawn comparisons to Cam Newton & Josh Allen and after an expectedly good NFL Combine showing where he ran a 4.44 40-time, comparing him to the former MVP may not be too crazy. (Source: Flordia)
Will Anderson Jr. may be the best player in the ‘23 NFL Draft. An executive for an NFC team told NFL.com, which told me when I read it that, “Power Five players with traits who get sacks in college are going to get sacks in the pros. Anderson is way more likely to succeed than any of these quarterbacks (in the draft). It’s not even close.” Anderson Jr finished his three years at ‘Bama ranked 2nd on Alabama's career sacks list with 34.5 (-201 yards), trailing only Derrick Thomas. He is a two-time Nagurski Trophy winner (Nation’s best defender), which makes him only the 2nd player in the award's history to take home the honors twice. He was the recipient of the Bednarik Award, which is another award presented to the nation's top defender. He was named the Rotary Lombardi winner, which goes to the player that “best embodies the values and spirit of NFL's legendary coach Vince Lombardi.” Not only that but Anderson Jr was also honored with the Lott IMPACT Trophy which recognizes a player for their performance on the field and character off the field. Only Manti Te'o can say he too swept all four awards. Anderson Jr. in 3 seasons at ‘Bama racked up 62 tackles for loss and a Pick 6 as well. (Source: Bama)
C.J. Stroud is a 2-time Heisman Trophy finalist and twice won Big Ten Conference offensive player of the year and QB of the year. He also was named Big Ten freshman of the year for a total of five Big Ten individual awards tying second all-time in conference history with Justin Fields and Orlando Pace and behind only Braxton Miller’s seven. According to PFF College, Stroud led the nation in pass efficiency rating in ‘22 (177.7) and was second in ‘21 (186.6). He ranked 2nd nationally in TD passes in 2’2 (41) and 3rd in ‘21 (44). This made Stroud the 1st QB in Big Ten history to have back-to-back seasons with 30 or more touchdown passes. Former Buckeye and current NY Jets WR (cough, cough, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, cough, cough), Garrett Wilson, has high praise for his former college QB. “Hopefully that wasn’t the last time,” Wilson tweeted, “but just in case… it’s been a pleasure @CJ7STROUD.” This came last March when Stroud threw for his Ohio State WRs that were getting drafted, Wilson & Chris Olave.
Myles Murphy is credited with 139 tackles (37.0 for loss), 17.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, and six pass breakups in 1,543 snaps over 38 games (27 starts) at Clemson. He has drawn comparisons to the #1 Overall Pick last year, Travon Walker. He and Louisville’s Yasir Abdullah as the only two Power Five players to record at least 35 tackles for loss and at least six forced fumbles across the ‘20-’22 seasons. was the only player in the country to produce at least 10 tackles for loss and at least one forced fumble in each of those three seasons. (Source: Clemson)
Tyree Wilson was regarded as one of the nation’s top most-impactful players during his final year as a Red Raider. Wilson turned in an All-American type year to place himself among the top prospects for the NFL Draft. In ‘22, Wilson had totaled 61 tackles (36 solo), including 14.0 for a loss and 7.0 sacks, up to the point where a season-ending injury cut his senior year short to just 10 games. In ‘21, Wilson also had 13.5 tackles for a loss and 7 sacks, so his college production doesn’t make him that much of a projection. At 6’6” & 275 lbs., Wilson has all the look of a physically imposing NFL pass rusher and he should be versatile enough to play both defensive end in a 4-3 front or outside linebacker in a 3-4 front.
Peter Skoronski was a 3-year starter who made an All-Big Ten Team every year. As a junior in ‘22, Skoronski was Unanimous First Team All-American (first ever by an NU player). He was named Rimington-Pace Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year (first ever by an NU lineman). Finished as a finalist for the 2022 Outland Trophy, recognizing the nation’s best college interior linemen on both offense and defense. Finished ‘22 with PFF’s highest pass-blocking grade in the country at 93.0, (also one of highest of all time), allowing only six pressures on 480 pass-blocking snaps. Had the best PFF single-season pass-blocking grade recorded over the last two years. He also finished with a 79.1 PFF run-blocking grade, ranking 5th among all qualifying Power 5 tackles. (Source: Northwestern)
Paris Johnson Jr is a two-time OSU Scholar-Athlete who is majoring in journalism and has written numerous articles that have been published in the school newspaper, The Lantern. (Source: The Ohio State University) Here hyperlinked is something he wrote on the Ohio State baseball team. The 6’6” and 310 lbs. left tackle played mostly guard before moving outside to tackle in ‘22. He anchored the blindside OL line that is sixth nationally in fewest TFLs allowed (37; only 7 sacks allowed). In 757 snaps at the new position, he gave up only 9 QB hurries, no QB hits, and two sacks. Johnson has the prototypical size and athleticism to play tackle in the NFL and also has a bit of a mean street on the field, which is never a bad thing on the gridiron.
Devon Witherspoon became the first Illinois football player in school history to be named a Jim Thorpe finalist. He also became the first football player in school history to be named a consensus first-team All-American. Both of these accomplishments occurred during the ‘22 season when the Dick Butkus Defensive MVP had 17 pass breakups (good for top 6 in all of the NCAA) and 3 INTs. Witherspoon is a very physical and willing tackler who was more importantly graded the #1 in coverage in the nation (92.5), according to PFF.
Bijan Robinson made 28 starts at Texas and was the winner of the 2022 Doak Walker Award (Nation’s Top RB). He ranks 4th all-time in Longhorn history with 3,410 rushing yards and 41 total touchdowns (33 rushing, 8 receiving). Robinson was a unanimous All-American in ‘22, the 4th UT RB to earn the honor, joining James Saxton (1961), Earl Campbell (1977), and Ricky Williams (1997, 1998). He finished 9th in Heisman Trophy voting in ‘22. At Texas, he had 18 career 100-yard rushing games, including a streak of 7-straight games that is the 3rd-longest in program history. His 33 career rushing touchdowns are the 3rd-most in Texas history. Robinson ranks 4th all-time in UT history in tandem yards (4,215), 8th in all-purpose yards (4,231), and 9th in points scored (246). He had 805 career receiving yards, the 3rd-most all-time for a Texas RB, and his 8 career receiving touchdowns are the most ever for a Texas RB. All of these accolades plus his relentlessness, size, power, and speed make him the consensus RB #1 in the ‘23 NFL Draft Class. (Source: Texas)
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is coming off a ‘22 season where he only played 2 games due to injury. His ‘21 Rose Bowl MVP performance where he had 15 receptions, for 3 TDs and 347 receiving yards was the stuff of legends. Injuries and questions over if he is limited to being a slot WR, where he lined up over 80% of his snaps throughout his career, would be the reason he falls.
Jalen Carter was sentenced to probation in a crash that killed a teammate and a team staffer. The crash happened hours after the Bulldogs’ national championship victory parade. Carter has pleaded no contest this past week to the charges he is facing of racing and reckless driving, according to his attorney, Kim Stephens. @YouTheReader the Computer Simulated Carter to be taken here. It remains to be seen how the NFL will handle this whole situation moving forward.
Joey Porter Jr is Joey Porter, the former Pittsburgh Steeler’s son. JPJ was named 1st team All-Big Ten by coaches and AP. He earned the team’s Most Valuable Defensive Player. At 6’2” he has great size for a corner and he obviously already has NFL genes in him.
Asking any rookie WR to step into an offense and immediately become WR#1 is a bit unrealistic, but Quentin Johnston may have some special YAC ability where they can manufacture him touches. Johnston was a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist in ‘22, recognizing the nation's most outstanding WR. He reached 1,069 receiving yards in ‘22 on only 60 catches for the season. That is an impressive average of 17.8 yards per catch. The 17.8 he averaged this past season was actually a career low at TCU as Johnston averaged 19.2 and 22.1 as a sophomore&freshman with fewer targets. Johnston at 6’4” with 4.4 speed should translate in pros.
If it feels like every year Notre Dame has a stud TE entering the draft, that is because they are basically Tight End University. Mark Bavaro, Anthony Fasano, Kyle Rudolph, John Carlson, Tyler Eifert, Troy Niklas, and Cole Kmet, are some of the notable names. Michael Mayer had at least one reception in all 36 games of his collegiate career. That consistency helped make Mayer the school's all-time leader in catches by a TE in an inconsistent offense. Mayer’s 809 receiving yards in ‘22 represented over 30% of Notre Dame’s 2,692 team passing yards. Chargers’ computer simulator is all over Mayer.
Christian Gonzalez is another 6’2” corner. Gonzalez led the Ducks with 4 interceptions, 3rd-most in the Pac-12, and finished with 50 total tackles (35 solo) and one tackle for loss. Totaled 118 return yards on four interceptions, the most by a Duck in a season since ‘01. He tied for 6th in the Pac-12 with 11 passes defended and tied for 9th with 7 passes broken up. Gonzalez earned an 81.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, the best among all Duck defenders and No. 4 among Pac-12 cornerbacks. (Source: Oregon)
Broderick Jones started at LT in all 15 games in ‘22. Jones was named the Associated Press All-SEC First-Team selection. He is entering the NFL Draft as a Redshirt-Sophomore. In ‘21 as a Redshirt-Freshman Jones was named to the Coaches’ Freshman All-SEC Team for playing in every game and starting the last four games of the regular season at LT. When Jones entered college he was ranked as the #11 prospect nationally, the #2 offensive tackle prospect, and the #3 prospect from the state of Georgia. He was an ESPN five-star prospect, the #9 prospect nationally, #1 OT prospect nationally, #5 prospect in the Southeast region, and the #3 in Georgia. (Source: Georgia)
Nolan Smith’s ‘22 season was cut short due to a torn pec. Still, entering the season he was named to preseason watch lists for the Outland Trophy (nation's top interior lineman) and Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nation's top defender). (Source: Georgia) While his career stat line may look a bit underwhelming, 11.5 sacks in 46 games in Athens, NFL scouts may point to Travon Walker from last year as a reason to take Smith in the first two days of the NFL Draft. Like Walker, Smith has some rare athletic traits that could be further developed as he matures as a pass rusher in the pros. Expect scouts to drool over his 4.44 40-time speed, but he’ll need to be coached up some to fine-tune his pass rush moves.
Will Levis has the prototypical size at 6’4” and 230 lbs. that typical NFL Scouts drool over. The Scout That Never Was isn’t really all about size with QBs, for me, it's more about moxie (think Mike White). Anyway, the Wildcat QB will get compared to Josh Allen a ton in the lead-up to the draft because of his size, elite arm strength, and speed (runs a 4.75 40-time just like Allen). Levis was a two-time team captain for Kentucky after he transferred from Penn State. In 24 starts with the Wildcats, he threw for 43 passing TDs and ran in 11 TDs. His 23 career INTs with Kentucky are for sure a Red Flag, however, people forget that Josh Allen coming out of Wyoming had a similar issue with 21 INTs in 25 games. Levis could definitely be considered a boom or bust QB prospect, but when you factor in that less than half of 1st Round QBs manage to ever have a single 4000-yd or a 24-touchdown season, sometimes it’s best to draft the guy with the best tools and hope it works out. Just like the Bills with Josh Allen.
Deonte Banks totaled 38 tackles (25 solo), 8 pass breakups, 1 interception, and a half-sack in ‘22. At 6’2”, Banks has the potential to be a lockdown press corner. He was a starter in his 2 years at Maryland before suffering a season-ending should in ‘21 which cut his season short to just 2 games. He doesn’t miss tackles (only missed one in his 36 tackle attempts) and ranked 4th in the Big Ten with a 43.3% completion rate allowed. (Source: Maryland)
Jordan Addison was the ‘21 Biletnikoff Award (nation’s top receiver) at Pitt before transferring to USC last season. As a transfer at USC, Addison had 59 catches for 875 receiving yards and 8 TDs. He is a natural in terms of route-running, he just knows how to get open. His cutting ability and speed should translate to yards after the catch in the NFL too.
Josh Downs finished his career with 2,483 yards receiving, the 4th-highest total in UNC history. He had 22 career touchdown receptions, 2nd most in school history. Downs is one of three players in UNC history with over 200 career receptions, finishing third on the school’s all-time list with 202. He is one of two players in Carolina history with two 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Downs finished First-Team All-ACC in both ‘21 & ‘22. (Source: UNC)
Isaiah Foskey was named a team captain for the ‘22 season. Played in 12 games, making 12 starts before opting out of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Finished the season with the 5th most tackles on the team at 45. Led the team with 11 sacks for the 2nd straight season and recorded 14 tackles for loss. Foskey also led the team with six quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. He earned himself to be named a Consensus All-American in ‘22. In ‘21, Foskey led the team in sacks with the 3rd most in a Notre Dame single season (11.0). He recorded a sack in 9 of 13 games, including 2 multi-sack performances, and finished T-11th with 0.85 sacks per game. Foskey tallied six of the team’s 13 forced fumbles on the season and collected two fumble recoveries. He ended with 12.5 TFLs to lead the defense. Foskey was an extremely productive player for the Fighting Irish and had a very good showing at the Senior Bowl by all (Twitter) Accounts. (Source: Notre Dame)
Brian Branch in ‘22 started every game at Nick Saban’s “star” position. He earned 1st Team All-America honors as the defensive back from CBS Sports and ESPN.com and at the flex position by PFF. He was selected as a 2nd Team All-American by the AP. He recorded 90 tackles, good for 3rd on the Tide’s defense. As a DB, he impressively finished 2nd on the team with 14 tackles for loss, including 3 sacks while adding in 7 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, and a pair of QB hurries. Branch also returned a punt for a 68-yard TD. He can play all over the defensive backfield. His 4.44 40-time gives him the range to play CF as a safety and his hard-hitting tackling ability allows him to also blitz or be a pseudo linebacker. (Source: Roll Tide)
Cam Smith as a starter in ‘21 and ‘22 showed 1st Round NFL talent. He had 6 career interceptions at South Carolina, 4 of which occurred in his final 2 years at SC. In ‘21 he had 9 pass breakups with a 36.5 QB rating when targeted and in ‘22 6 pass breakups with a 71.3 QB rating when targeted. One of his best game tapes is when he went up against Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt, the nation’s fastest WR, and only allowed 65 receiving yards on the day. Despite being tall for a CB, he is twitchy enough as a defender to play both the nickel and outside. (Source: South Carolina)
Bryan Bresee is a former #1 recruit in the country that lived up to the billing. He burst onto the college football scene in ‘20 as a Freshman All-American. Became the second ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in Clemson history, joining Dexter Lawrence (‘16). Credited with 64 career tackles (15.0 for loss), 9.0 sacks, four pass breakups, an interception, a forced fumble, and a safety in 26 games (21 starts). He also contributed offensively to Clemson’s jumbo package. Bresee tore his ACL in ‘21 so this previous offseason he was spending most of it rehabbing the injury. This should not really weigh much into NFL GMs decisions as he appears to be fully recovered. His athleticism and versatility as a defensive lineman would make him an easy fit for any potential football team. (Source: Clemson)
Darnell Wright is a talented and powerful offensive tackle who has positioned himself as one of the top offensive line prospects for the ‘23 NFL Draft. He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the nation’s top 10 prospects coming out of Huntington High School in West Virginia. Wright can play tackle or guard and dominated at right tackle for the Vols in ‘22 earning first-team All-SEC honors. He concluded his career without allowing a sack in 19 consecutive games. Played in 47 games and made 42 starts – 27 at right tackle, 2 at right guard, and 13 at left tackle. Wright saw action on 2,746 offensive snaps in his four seasons. (Source: Tennessee)
Anton Harrison in ‘22 played 447 pass block snaps, allowed only 1 sack, gave up no QB hits, and had an 83.3 PFF pass block grade. (Source: @PFF_College) Harrison has experience in both OT positions.
Dalton Kincaid started his college career at San Diego State before transferring east to Utah. As an Aztec Warrior, Kincaid led the nation’s TEs in yards per catch in ‘19 (18.98), ranked 2nd in the nation among TEs in receiving yards (835) and receiving yards per game (69.6). With the Utes, Kincaid continued his impressive college career by becoming the active career leader among tight ends in the FBS with 2,484 receiving yards and 35 receiving touchdowns. (Source: Utah Utes) His ‘22 season gave him All-Pac-12 first-team honors. Kincaid grew up playing basketball before shifting his focus to playing TE, so like most of those types, he may not be much of a blocker but has the potential to be a very solid secondary option as a WR in a TE’s body.
B.J. Ojulari is a “Team leader who makes an impact on teammates, classmates, and the community on a daily basis. Goes in line with his heritage, being the grandson of a Nigerian prince. Awarded No. 18 days into training camp. The No. 18 is given each year to the player who best represents all the outstanding traits of an LSU football player. Versatile defender who can play defensive end or linebacker. Tremendous athlete who explodes off the ball … Excellent speed with the ability to run down quarterbacks. A very disruptive player who causes problems for the offense in both the passing and running games.”(Source: LSU)
Jalin Hyatt is all gas, no brakes. The ‘22 Biletnikoff Award Winner was the nation’s most explosive playmaker. Hyatt holds the Tennessee school records for single-game touchdown receptions (5 vs. Alabama on 10/15 ‘22) and single-season receiving touchdowns (15 in ‘22). Of his 108 career catches, 52 went for 10+ yards, 30 for 20+ yards, 21 for 30+ yards, and 12 for 40+ yards. (Source: Tennessee) In my opinion, he’ll be taken in the 1st round of the draft, but scouts may be skeptical that Hyatt really only has one year of elite college production. Tennessee WR Coach Kelsey Pope said this past Aug ‘22, “Jalin Hyatt is like a different person this year. Impressing early. Put on 8-10 pounds in weight and continue to improve.” The added muscle during the offseason from hard work certainly played a key factor in his breakout season. An easy player comparison as a floor for Hyatt would be Robbie Anderson. If Hyatt is able to add more than just the 4.2 40-time straight-line speed into his game, he may be Scary Terry McLaurin good or maybe even better - why place ceilings on a hard-working 21-year-old?
John Michael Schmitz was an AP 1st Team All-America in ‘22 and All-Big Ten First Team in ‘22 for coaches & media. Started all 12 regular-season games at center. He blocked for an offense that rushed for 2,698 yards and 33 touchdowns and one that passed for 2,369 yards and 12 touchdowns. (Source: Minnesota)
Felix Anudike-Uzomah was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He finished his career tied for 6th in school history in career sacks (20.5), while he tied for fourth in career forced fumbles (8)... The second player in school history to tally three games with 3.0 or more sacks (Nyle Wiren)... Left college football ranked fourth nationally and tops in the Big 12 among active players in forced fumbles per game (0.25), while he was sixth nationally and tops in the Big 12 in sacks per game (0.64). (Source: Kansas State)
Drew Sanders in ‘22 was a unanimous All-American in his single season at Arkansas, earning All-America status from the Associated Press (1st team). He became the 1st Arkansas LB to earn First-Team All-America honors from the AP since Ronnie Caveness in 1964. Named First-Team All-SEC by the AP, Coaches, Pro Football Focus, and USA Today. One of 3 finalists for the Butkus Award, Arkansas’ first finalist for the award in program history. He finished second in the SEC and 15th nationally with 9.5 sacks – the most by a Razorback since ‘12 and the seventh-most in a single season in program history. Started all 12 games he played in with a team-leading 103 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks. (Source: Arkansas)Pick 20 (Dolphins): RB Jahmyr Gibbs - Miami Dolphins
Zach Harrison was the most experienced Ohio State defensive end in ‘22. Harrison finished his Buckeye career with 25.5 career TFLs and 13 sacks. In ‘21 he was a team captain. He’s 6-foot-6, 274 pounds, and has the longest arms of any EDGE in the ‘23 draft. (Source: Ohio State)
Calijah Kancey in ‘22 was an American Football Coaches Association All-American (1st team), Associated Press All-American (1st team), Football Writers Association of America All-American (1st team), Sporting News All-American (1st team), Walter Camp All-American (1st team), CBS Sports All-American (1st team), ESPN All-American (1st team), and Pro Football Focus All-American (1st team). I mean shrimp, I might as well name him a Week to Week Notes All-American 1st teamer. College Football Network (CFN) also named him their National Defensive Tackle of the Year and he was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Kancey became the Panthers’ first Unanimous All-American since defensive tackle Aaron Donald in ‘13. In 133 seasons of intercollegiate football, Pitt players earned Unanimous All-America recognition only 15 times (13 total players have achieved this distinction). Kancey was the only player in the country to be selected as a 2022 finalist for both the Outland Trophy (nation’s best interior lineman) and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (national defensive player of the year). His career stat line at Pitt ended up 37 games played, 16 sacks, 92 tackles, and 34.5 of them being a tackle for a loss. How could this guy fall out of the first round? Well, his size could be a Red Flag for scouts, as he stands 6’0” and weighs in at 280 lbs, which is featherweight for an interior lineman. What he does have going for him is that Aaron Donald is only an inch taller and weighs 284 lbs. (Source: Pitt)
Matthew Bergeron is a two-time All-ACC selection. Finished his career with 39 starts at offensive tackle. Emerged as Syracuse’s starting right tackle during the last half of ‘19, moved to left tackle for the last eight games of ‘20 and all of ‘21 and ‘22. (Source: Cuse)
Zach Charbonnet in ‘22 led the nation in all-purpose yards per game (168.0) and topped the Pac-12 in rushing yards per game (135.9 - fourth in FBS and first in the Pac-12). He started his collegiate career in Ann Harbour, Michigan before heading to the West Coast. In his 2 seasons as a Bruin, Charbonnet amassed 2,496 rushing yards, 518 receiving yards, and 27 rushing TDs. He is a large back 6’1” 220 lbs who can move at a 4.4 40-time speed. (Source: UCLA)
Pick 27 (Cowboys): Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami
Tyrique Stevenson has good technique, size (6’), and speed (4.45 40-time). An AFC Scout (not the scout who never was) at the Senior Bowl said, “I loved watching (Tyrique Stevenson) play in Mobile. He was the best guy there by far.” Another NFC Scout said, “Stevenson looked like he could play right away and live at the line of scrimmage” meaning he could be a press corner from the get-go. In ‘22, he had 2 INTs and 7 pass deflections. (Source: Miami)
Tuli Tuipulotu is a force to be reckoned with in the trenches. He finished his career at USC with 32 TFLs, 21 sacks, 5 pass deflections, and 4 forced fumbles. In ‘21 Tuipulotu proved to be one of the nation’s top young defensive linemen. He made the 2021 All-Pac-12 first team and won USC’s ‘21 Defensive Lineman of the Year Award & Bob Chandler Award. (Source: USC)
JL Skinner in ‘22 was All-Mountain West First Team. In 12 starts as a senior, he has 65 tackles, led the team with 4 INTs, and had 5 pass breakups, while allowing only an allowed a passer rating of 40.1 against QBs. At 6’4” he will be a physically imposing safety who can lay the hammer as well as pass defend, he’s not just a box safety. (Source: Boise State)
Tucker Kraft had a breakout ‘21 season as a redshirt sophomore where he caught 65 balls for 773 receiving yards and 6 TDs. In ‘22, the QB play regressed and so did Kraft’s production as he only caught 27 balls with 3 TDs as a junior. Kraft turned down 6-figure NIL deals out of loyalty to stay with South Dakota State. A big 6’5” TE from a small school, Kraft will look to follow in the footsteps of Dallas Goedert, who also went to South Dakota State.
Sam LaPorta ranks 14th in career receiving yards with 1,786 yards on 153 receptions . . . among Iowa tight ends all-time, ranks first in receptions and second in receiving yards . . . according to PFF in ‘21, led Big Ten tight ends in receptions (53), yards (670), yards after catch (299), yards after contact (206) and catches of 15+ yards (18). He maintained a streak of 24 straight games with at least one reception from ‘19 through 10 games in ‘21. (Source: Iowa)
Daiyan Henley played one year at Washington State as a graduate transfer from Nevada. Henley was named to All-Pac-12 Conference First Team as a linebacker and All-Pac-12 Second Team as an all-purpose/special teams player. He was a Butkus Award Finalist (top college linebacker), the first Butkus finalist in Washington State’s program history. In ‘22 alone, Henley had 106 tackles, 12 of which were for a loss of yards, 1 INT, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries. Henley has all the tools to be a stud LB in the NFL as he seems to be a natural in coverage on an island. (Source: Washington State)
Byron Young in ‘22 was All-SEC First Team (Coaches) and All-SEC Second Team (AP). Started his college career at a Junior College - Georgia Military College. Young is an inspirational story - due to COVID-19, he did not receive any Power Five offers until late fall of ‘20. He moved from his native South Carolina to the Columbus, Georgia, area and served as an assistant manager at Dollar General for approximately 18 months before earning a spot at Georgia Military College through a tryout. (Source: Tennessee) Once he became a Volunteer, Young had 12.5 combined sacks between ‘21&’22. A pretty cool story that I didn’t know prior to writing this, rooting for this guy now.
DeMarvion Overshown was named to the first-team All-Big 12 at linebacker by conference coaches and the AP in ‘22. The Super Senior Longhorn had 96 tackles, 10 TFLs, 4 sacks, 2 QB hurries, and 5 pass breakups last season. (Source: Texas) Overshown will likely need to put on weight in the NFL as a 220 lbs linebacker, but his 6’4” height and 4.5 40-time speed should make him a plus defender in coverage against athletic TEs and RBs.
Noah Sewell is the younger brother of Penei Sewell. Finished a three-year career with 215 tackles, 19.5 TFLs, 7.5 sacks, two interceptions, and three forced fumbles. First Oregon player to be named a finalist for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award multiple times, and UO’s first two-time semifinalist for the Butkus Award. (Source: Oregon)
Mekhi Garner transferred to LSU after playing 3 seasons for the Cajuns at Louisiana-Lafayette. He immediately took over a starting spot at CB for the Tigers playing in all 13 regular season games. His size (6’2”), speed (low 4.5 40-time), and hard-hitting ability combination may make Garner better suited for safety in the NFL. His run support and ability to play better off coverage, make him a prime candidate for a position change. In the 3rd Round, teams can start taking on “project” players who may be better off playing a different position in the pros.
Andrew Vorhees appeared in 44 games during his career for the Trojans. He made 25 starts at right guard, 8 starts at left guard, and 4 starts at left tackle. (Source: USC) At 6’6” and 325 lbs, Vorhees according to the USC strength coach, Bennie Wylie, can bench 225 40 times. That doesn’t sound too surprising based on the limited clips&film I’ve seen on him. His versatility and experience in different spots on the offensive line should make him a Day 2 pick. Vorhees appeared to have suffered a significant injury during the NFL Combine on-field drills. He was originally a Round 1-2 prospect who will likely fall because of the torn ACL suffered at the combine. (Source: @_MLFootball)
Antonio Johnson was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week and Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week honors after recording 13 tackles in the ‘22 win against Arkansas. (Source: The 12th Man) His sophomore season of ‘21 was what put Johnson on the NFL scouting map. He 58 tackles, 18 assists, and had 26 stops (the total number of plays by a defensive player that prevent a successful play by the offense, defined as 45% of needed yards on first down, 60% of needed yards on second down, and 100% of needed yards on third or fourth down, according to Football Outsiders). In coverage, he totaled one pass breakup, one interception, and an impressive QB rating of 71.2 when targeted against. Johnson regressed in ‘22 a bit in terms of coverage (91.2), but still kept to par in run defense with 55 tackles, 16 assists, and 28 stops. His 6’3” size should help the 21-year-old fill out into a very physically imposing safety one day.
Eli Ricks transferred to Alabama from LSU. In ‘22, Ricks worked in 10 games with five starts after battling injuries early in the season. He recorded 13 tackles, including one for loss (-4 yards), to go with four pass breakups. Played in 14 games across his 2 seasons with the Tigers. He suffered an injury midseason that cut his ‘21 campaign short, but as a freshman, he recorded 20 tackles to go with 4 interceptions and 5 pass breakups so the potential, if he can stay on the field, is still there. (Source: Roll Tide)
Garrett Williams is a Freshman All-American and three-time All-ACC defensive back, who emerged as a shut-down corner during his time at Syracuse. He led the ACC in pass breakups in both ‘20 and ‘21. Concluded his career tied for eighth in program history with 23 pass breakups. In 32 career games played, had 152 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, two sacks, four interceptions, 27 passes defended, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. (Source: Syracuse)
Dontayvion Wicks set the UVA single-season receiving yards record with 1,203 in ‘21. He finished 12th on the UVA career receiving yards list (1,694). His 34 receptions of 20 yards or more are the most by any Cavalier since ‘00. 6 of 12 career TDs passes went for 40 yards or more. (Source: Virginia)
Colby Wooden is a 3-year starter along the defensive line who racked up 152 career tackles, 30.0 career TFLs, and 17.0 career sacks at Auburn. At 6’5” and 290 lbs, Wooden tested at the combine as an Edge rusher, but was also extremely effective as an interior pass rusher in college. (Source: Auburn)
Kendre Miller broke out in his ‘22 junior season, running for 1342 yards on 216 attempts for 6.2 yards per, with 17 TDs. At 6’ and 220 pounds, Miller’s bruising style would make for a nice complement to Saquon Barkley’s backfield. The TCU Bullfrog was named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, presented to the nation's top running back.
Roschon Johnson was a four-year running back who played in 47 career games with five starts, playing behind Bijan Robinson. As a backup, he impressively still ranks 18th on Texas’ all-time rushing list with 2,190 yards on 392 carries (5.6ypc). His 23 career rushing touchdowns and 26 total touchdowns are tied for 17th in program history. At 6’2”, Johnson is a big physical back with decent speed (4.58 40-time). (Source: Texas)
Kayshon Boutte’s best season was arguably his freshman year when we made the ‘20 Freshman All-SEC. LSU entering the season wrote this up about him, “One of the nation’s top receivers. Outstanding player in every phase of the offense. Creates matchup issues for any defense. Great hands and rarely drops a pass. Ability to score anytime he gets the ball in his hands. Playmaker who thrives with the ball in his hands and with space to work with.” (Source: LSU)
Yaya Diaby had a breakout ‘22 season where he was named 3rd team All-ACC, finished with 37 total tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, and 9 sacks. He had an elite 1.56 ten-yard split at the NFL combine. His name is also pretty awesome, one NFL QBs will remember after he sacks them. (Source: Louisville)
Cameron Latu totaled 56 career receptions for 787 receiving yards and 12 TDs. Prior to the ‘21 season, Latu had a ton of duties on special teams, which should help him as he will likely need to play a bit of Specials in the NFL.
In ‘22, Max Duggan led TCU to its first College Football Playoff appearance and a trip to the CFP National Championship. His 32 touchdown passes on the season were one off the TCU record (33, Trevone Boykin, ‘14). Duggan’s 73 career scoring tosses also trailed only Boykin (86, ‘12-15) in TCU history. He finished his career third all-time at TCU with 9,618 passing yards and his 28 career rushing touchdowns tie for sixth in TCU history. When you do this, you get to throw out the first pitch at the Rangers game. (Source: TCU)
Cameron Young is 6'3” and 315 lbs. He had 1,126 career snaps, 553 in the A-gap between the guard and center. In ‘22 Young had 17 pressures, 3 TFLs, and 13 stops. (Source: Hail State)
Isaiah Land in ‘21 led the nation in sacks with 19. He is a small school product who won the Buck Buchanan award given each year to the most outstanding defensive player in FCS football. If Buck Buchanan sounds familiar, he is the grandfather to one of the bartenders I met during Pint&Pen&Paper (Week 1.5), Jack.