Five under-the-radar 2023 NFL Draft prospects to watch in Week 4

Better late than never? That’s what I’m going with here. Much of my film study is done after the fact anyway, so hopefully everyone can still find this useful!

If you missed out on Week 3 and want to get caught up on some stock watch for draft prospects, I wrote about my takeaways here.

Unfortunately, like every week, some of the games we want to watch are going to be at the same time, so break out the tablet or set your DVR if you want to watch all of the amazing action from this weekend.

Each week, I like to highlight a few of the draft-eligible players I am most excited to watch this weekend. Sure, I am looking forward to seeing C.J. Stroud against Wisconsin and Anthony Richardson visiting Rocky Top, but you know about those guys already.

What about the under-the-radar guys? Perhaps that is a bit of a misnomer. Many of these players fans of college football have likely heard of. However, these are not the guys you will likely see in a first-round mock draft at this point. So rather than just tell people to watch the games they already know to turn on, let’s take a look at some players who might not be household names yet, but could very well be Top 100 players at the end of the season.

Nate Herbig, LB, Wisconsin
Year: 3rd-year junior
Opponent: at #3 Ohio State (Saturday at 7:30 ET pm on ABC)

This should be one of the best prospect matchups of the weekend. Herbig has been one of the most productive pass rushers in college football so far this season. He has four sacks through the Badgers’ first three games. Saturday night will see him go up against Paris Johnson Jr. and Dawand Jones. Johnson is already drawing early first-round buzz while Jones looks more like a Day 2 prospect at this point. Either way, it will be a huge test for Herbig. A nationally televised game in primetime is an excellent stage for the junior edge rusher to prove himself.

Mike Sainristil, CB, Michigan
Year: 4th-year junior
Opponent: vs. Maryland (Saturday at 12 pm ET on FOX)

This obviously is not the biggest name on the Michigan roster, but Sainristil is one of the most intriguing prospects. He is in his first season at defensive back since converting from wide receiver. The Wolverines use him in a nickel corner role, similar to how they deployed Daxton Hill a year ago. Hill was a lot more polished and explosive than Sainristil, but that does not mean that the junior cannot be a difference maker. He will likely spend another season at Michigan to continue to learn the position, but facing a Maryland offense capable of throwing it all over the yard will be a big test for him.

Cameron Ward, QB, Washington State
Year: 3rd-year sophomore
Opponent: vs. #15 Oregon (Saturday at 4 pm ET on FOX)
Ward is in the spotlight again. I highlighted him as a prospect to watch heading into Week 2 against Wisconsin. He led Washington State to a win in a hostile environment. Now he will get a chance to take on a very talented defense. Oregon has bounced back since its dud against Georgia, steamrolling BYU a week ago. If Ward can show up against this Ducks defense, it will only be a matter of time before we start seeing him in the first round of mock drafts. He is a young, exciting prospect who is continuing to impress scouts.

Rejzohn Wright, CB, Oregon State
Year: 5th-year senior
Opponent: vs. #7 USC (Saturday at 9:30 pm ET on Pac-12 Network)

All eyes in this one will likely be on Caleb Williams, Jordan Addison and USC. The attention is well deserved. The Trojans look like a national contender for the first time in years. All of that sets up Wright with a huge stage to prove himself. He is a long, experienced corner looking to join his brother, Cowboys corner Nashon, in the NFL. If he can hold and at least limit Addison and this passing offense, it will not go unnoticed. He is a former JuCo transfer who featured on Last Chance U. He looks like he will be the latest one to make the jump to the pros.

Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma
Year: 3rd-year junior
Opponent: at #6 Oklahoma (Saturday at 8 pm ET on FOX)
Another great offensive tackle versus pass rusher matchup will be on full display in Norman on Saturday night. Harrison is a big body who is quickly becoming a veteran starting tackle. This will be his 16th career start, but he featured a decent amount in his true freshman season as well. He will face a talented pass rusher in Felix Anudike-Uzomah from Kansas State. His stock is through the roof right now, with many having the junior pass rusher in the top 15 or top 10 of mock drafts. If Harrison can slow him down and keep Heisman candidate Dillon Gabriel clean, he will see his stock rise very quickly.

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