Tyler Van Dyke

2023 NFL Draft Stock Watch: Blake Corum soaring, plus a pair of tight ends impress

Chris McGlynn Draft, Football, NCAAF , , , , , , , , ,

September is coming to an end, which means stock watch is about to enter its second month. We already have four weeks (five if you count Week 0) to start to formulate the draft assessment for players all over college football. There have been quite a few surprises, some pleasant, others much more unfortunate, when it comes to the expectations we had entering the year versus the performances we’ve seen so far. Players like Drew Sanders and Devon Achane have unquestionably made themselves some money, while guys like Tyler Van Dyke and Kayshon Boutte have raised more questions than answers with their play to this point.

I find myself a bit behind on film from this past weekend, which is unfortunate, because it was another thrilling slate of games. Here is my watch list so far from the weekend:
Virginia at Syracuse
Maryland at Michigan
Arkansas vs. Texas A&M
Clemson at Wake Forest
Middle Tennessee State at Miami
Wisconsin at Ohio State

I still have several more that I want to watch, including Florida-Tennessee, Baylor-Iowa State, Texas-Texas Tech and Oregon-Washington State.

Each week, I am going to write this column to highlight which players I think boosted their draft stocks and which players are trending in the wrong direction. Not every player that I liked is going to get a shoutout and not every player that I was underwhelmed by will be mentioned. I am also limiting this to draft-eligible players for 2023. So while Brock Bowers continues to look like a Heisman candidate, he won’t be on this list.

Without further ado, here is my stock up and stock down after Week 4. If you missed last week’s entry, you can find it here.

Stock Up

Davis Allen, TE, Clemson
4th-year senior
Week 4 stat line: 4 receptions, 36 yards, 2 TDs
A name to learn, Allen had a big game against Wake Forest. His stats won’t jump off the page, but he is a well-rounded player and a clear threat in the red zone. He reeled in the game-winning touchdown in double overtime by essentially boxing out the safety on a well-thrown ball from DJ Uiagalelei. He has great size at 6’6″ and 250 pounds and moves well for that build. I definitely want to watch him a bit more before I start making any predictions about where I think he might be drafted, but he impressed me in a high-pressure situation.

Cade Stover, TE, Ohio State
4th-year senior
Week 4 stat line: 4 receptions, 51 yards, 2 TDs
After years of lackluster tight ends classes, it seems like we could be in store for a pretty decent one. Stover is going to be a big part of that. He has seen his role in the Buckeyes’ offense increase significantly this year with Jeremy Ruckert now in the NFL. His stats might not blow anyone away, but he is fluid a runner in open space and a polished route runner. However, his biggest impact unquestionably came as a run blocker. He opened a ton of holes for Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson. Stover bullied Nate Herbig for much of the night when Ohio State put it on the ground. This was the first time he really got on my radar. I’m excited to watch more of him.

Blake Corum, RB, Michigan
3rd-year junior
Week 4 stat line: 30 carries, 243 yards, 2 TDs
These are Derrick Henry type numbers! Unfortunately, Corum is about five inches shorter and 40 pounds lighter than the Titans running back. That being said, it sure looks like Corum has the chops to be a contributor at the next level. He does a great job keeping his legs moving after first contact and his agility makes him tough to corral. I would love to see him get more involved in the passing game as a receiver. He only has two receptions for 11 yards this season. He could certainly be a change-of-pace or a short-yardage back in the pros, but his value will be significantly undercut without better production in the passing game.

Stock Down

Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Miami
3rd-year sophomore
Week 3 stat line: 16/32, 138 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs,
I promise this will be the last time I put Van Dyke here. It was impossible to leave him out though after getting benched in a wildly disappointing loss to Middle Tennessee State. There is no question that he is struggling to acclimate to this new coaching staff and new offensive system. However, his struggles culminated with him being benched in the second half of the game. It is hard to find much silver lining in that. Van Dyke has looked inaccurate and unsure all season long. Two early interceptions all but doomed this performance before it ever really got started. Mario Cristobal has not committed to Van Dyke as the team’s starting quarterback for this week. Might be time to start thinking about some potential landing spots for when Van Dyke inevitably enters the portal.

Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland
5th-year senior
Week 4 stat line: Not great
I’ve been hearing some hype about Duncan in recent weeks. This was easily his biggest test, going up against a stout Michigan defense. As a run blocker, he more than held his own, opening up some really nice holes. Unfortunately, he had a disastrous day in pass protection. Duncan got called for an early hold and had a few other plays that could have been penalized. He struggles with speed and power rushers, giving up a few sacks and at least five pressures by my count. His hand placement and footwork were sporadic. It led to a lot of running around from Taulia Tagovailoa. I still believe Duncan has a lot of upside, given his build and clear athleticism, but he looked a lot more like a Day 2 project than a first-round caliber tackle on Saturday.

Brennan Armstrong, QB, Virginia
5th-year senior
Week 4 stat line: 19/38, 138 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 11 carries, 29 yards, lost fumble
I will admit, I was not a huge fan of Armstrong’s game heading into the 2022 season. I don’t love his throwing motion and he posted double digit interceptions for the second year in a row in 2021. Friday night once again highlighted why I do not believe Armstrong has an NFL future. He did not go through his progressions on a number of occasions, deciding where he was going to go with the ball pre snap. He missed open receivers and turned the ball over twice. I know he is learning a new offense, but there are some issues that seem to be independent of the scheme. I was hoping he would be able to flash enough potential to entice me, but as of now, I have a UDFA grade on Armstrong.

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2023 NFL Draft Stock Watch: Tyler Van Dyke struggles again in Week 3

Chris McGlynn Draft, Football, NCAAF , , , , , , , , , ,

After two frantic weeks to open the season, Week 3 offered fewer fireworks, but plenty of great prospect matchups. We got a few intriguing non-conference games, which sets the stage for conference play on the horizon. While the AP poll likely won’t change as much, many players saw their draft stock move significantly.

I had a chance to watch a bunch of games over the weekend and there were a bunch of players who really impressed me and several others who fell short of the mark. I won’t pretend I watched every game, but here is my watch list so far from the weekend:
Miami at Texas A&M
Purdue at Syracuse
BYU at Oregon
Penn State at Auburn
Mississippi State at LSU
Georgia at South Carolina
Colorado at Minnesota

I still have several more that I want to watch, including Ohio State-Toledo, USC-Fresno State, Texas-UTSA, SMU-Maryland and Utah-San Diego State.

Each week, I am going to write this column to highlight which players I think boosted their draft stocks and which players are trending in the wrong direction. Not every player that I liked is going to get a shoutout and not every player that I was underwhelmed by will be mentioned. I am also limiting this to draft-eligible players for 2023. So while Brock Bowers and Caleb Williams definitely impressed, they won’t be featured here.

Without further ado, here is my stock up and stock down after Week 3. If you missed last week’s entry, you can find it here.

Stock Up

Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
3rd-year sophomore
Week 3 stat line: 2 tackles, 2 pass breakups
I was pretty down on Gonzalez after watching him against Georgia, but he really impressed me against BYU. By my count, he was targeted four times, allowing just one catch for about 15 yards. He can line up on either side of the field and routinely won at the point of attack. It thrived in press man situations on Saturday, but looked comfortable dropping into zone as well. He closes well and uses his hands to disrupt receivers at the catch point, which led to a pair of pass breakups against the Cougars. At some point, I want to go back to his film at Colorado to really see how he has developed, but this was a really strong performance that makes me believe he has top 50 potential.

Mohamed Ibrahim, RB, Minnesota
6th-year senior
Week 3 stat line: 23 carries, 202 yards, 3 touchdowns
I have been waiting to promote Ibrahim for years. He popped on my radar back in 2019 in the Outback Bowl, where he ran over a talented Auburn defense. He dominated in 2020, but opted to return to school for his senior season. Unfortunately, his 2021 season did not last even three quarters. He gashed Ohio State for 163 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but suffered a season-ending injury. Ibrahim once again flashed his ability against Colorado this weekend, posting his fourth career 200-yard game. From a scouting perspective, he is way to old to be an elite prospect, especially as a running back. He also does not have much receiving production. I view him as a late Day 3 flier for a team that needs a short yardage back, but I am just happy to see him back on the field.

Ainais Smith, WR, Texas A&M
4th-year senior
Week 3 stat line: 4 receptions, 74 yards
At first glance, Smith’s stat line might not seem overly impressive. However, it is important to add a little bit of context. New Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson managed just 140 yards passing, which means that Smith accounted for over half of A&M’s receiving yards. He is a talented slot receiver who is very difficult to bring down in the open field. I would like to see him continue to improve as a route runner or see Texas A&M use him in some different ways. Getting the ball into his hands in space is a good way to create chunk plays.

Adisa Isaac, EDGE, Penn State
4th-year junior
Week 3 stat line: 3 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 quarterback pressures
Isaac is draft eligible this season, but it seems like he might be a prospect for the 2024 cycle. Still, it was nice to see him step up in a big way against Auburn. Isaac missed the entire 2021 season due to injury, so this is his first time really getting a chance to be a major contributor. He regularly pushed the pocket and found ways to be disruptive in the backfield. He still seems very raw from a pass rushing perspective, but there is enough physical talent apparent that I think he has room to grow in that department. I could have picked several players from this Penn State front seven given how much they dominated Auburn, but I thought Isaac really stood out.

Stock Down

Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Miami
3rd-year sophomore
Week 3 stat line: 21/41, 217 yards, 5 carries, 14 yards
For a second straight week, Van Dyke appears on this side of the list. For a player that I had going in the top 10 of preseason mock drafts, he has fallen well short of expectations. He missed receivers all night long and never looked comfortable against Texas A&M’s defense. He did not get a ton of help from his supporting cast, but this was still disappointing. There is still a long season ahead, but I have a tough time seeing Van Dyke as a first-round prospect at this stage.

Garrett Williams, CB, Syracuse
4th-year sophomore
Week 3 stat line: 10 tackles, 2 pass deflections
It was a tough test, but one that Williams did not pass on Saturday. He matched up with Purdue’s Charlie Jones regularly in the contest. He racked up 11 catches for 188 yards and a touchdown. Williams was not responsible for all of that allowed production, but he did very little to limit Jones. It was not a terrible outing, with a few pass breakups and double-digit tackles. However, Williams was bordering on Round 1 territory and it seems like he might need to prove himself a bit more to really warrant that type of hype.

Ameer Speed, CB, Michigan State
6th-year senior
Week 3 stat line: 3 tackles
It was a rough day for the entire Michigan State secondary, but Speed in particular disappointed me. The Georgia transfer got burned early and often. He surrendered a number of big plays, and got beat on several more that were overthrown. Expectations for Speed at Michigan State were high given his experience playing in the SEC. In the Spartans’ first big test of the season, he fell well short of the mark. As a sixth-year senior, he needs to prove he is NFL ready. There will be very little runway for a 23 or 24-year-old prospect.

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2023 NFL Draft Stock Watch: Rough week for top quarterbacks

Chris McGlynn Draft, Football, NCAAF , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Just when we thought we couldn’t top Week 1’s action, Week 2 saw three top-10 teams go down! It was a wild weekend overall, but not a great one for many of the top quarterbacks in this class. Bryce Young had a lackluster performance, thanks in large part to a rough day from his offensive line and his receivers. More on them in a bit.

I had a chance to watch a bunch of games over the weekend and there were a bunch of players who really impressed me and several others who fell short of the mark. I won’t pretend I watched every game, but here was my watch list so far from the weekend:
Alabama at Texas
Kentucky at Florida
Baylor at BYU
South Carolina at Arkansas
USC at Stanford
Syracuse at UConn
Tennessee at Pittsburgh
Southern Miss at Miami

I still have several more that I want to watch, including App State-Texas A&M, Washington State-Wisconsin and Marshall-Notre Dame.

Each week, I am going to write this column to highlight which players I think boosted their draft stocks and which players are trending in the wrong direction. Not every player that I liked is going to get a shoutout and not every player that I was underwhelmed by will be mentioned. I am also limiting this to draft-eligible players for 2023. So while Raheim Sanders and Chase Roberts really caught my eye this week, they will not be on the list.

Without further ado, here is my stock up and stock down after Week 2. If you missed last week’s entry, you can find it here.

Stock Up

Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas
3rd-year junior
Week 2 stat line: 11 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 pass deflection
Sanders was everywhere in Week 2! He dominated South Carolina, flying to the football and showing up in pass coverage as well. This was just an all around impressive performance. The Alabama transfer looked like a complete player, rushing the passer, stuffing the run and making an impact in coverage. He does still overrun some plays, but he has real sideline-to-sideline ability. I knew his name already, but I will be keeping a much closer eye on Sanders moving forward.

Jordan Addison, WR, USC
3rd-year junior
Week 2 stat line: 7 receptions, 172 yards, 2 TDs
Addison was already largely considered to be a first-round talent, but wow this was quite a performance. He took basically whatever he wanted against a solid Stanford defense. His versatility to take the top off the defense or operate as more of a possession receiver is impressive and invaluable. It certainly helps that he has caught passes in his career from Kenny Pickett and Caleb Williams, but I think the fact that he is having success in two different systems only boosts his value. He is going to have to learn another offense when he reaches the NFL. With quiet starts to the season for both Kayshon Boutte and Jaxson Smith-Njigba, it seems like Addison is closing the gap in the race to be WR1.

Anthony Cook, S, Texas
5th-year senior
Week 2 stat line: 9 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
There are a lot of players I could highlight on this Texas defense for the performance they put on against Alabama. I am focusing on Cook though. He made a number of key stops, including the fourth-down run that ‘Bama failed to convert that led to Texas’ go-ahead field goal. He showed he can be a solid open-field tackler as well, crashing down on swing passes out of the backfield and screens. I will say, I need to watch more of him in coverage to figure out if he is simply a box safety or if he has a bit more depth to his skill set. Overall, impressive performance against a talented opposition.

Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
3rd-year junior
Week 2 stat line: 8 receptions, 103 yards, 1 TD
How much higher can Mayer’s stock really go? I’ve only had a chance to watch some highlights from this game so far, but Mayer’s performance is wildly impressive to me. In a game where Notre Dame only managed 221 yards passing, Mayer accounted for nearly half of them. He is a well-rounded prospect who has a legitimate chance of being drafted in the top 20 of this upcoming draft. We will have to see if Mayer’s target share or production is impacted by Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner’s season-ending injury, but I have a feeling Drew Pyne will probably still look to Mayer plenty.

Stock Down

Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Miami
3rd-year sophomore
Week 2 stat line: 21/30, 263 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
The stat line for Van Dyke might not look too bad at first glance. However, it was a bit of a sloppy performance for the Miami quarterback against low level competition. The Canes offense struggled pretty much the entire first half. They finally got into a rhythm once they took the ball out of Van Dyke’s hands and started running it. Van Dyke missed on a few throws and simply looked a big off target for most of the game. It would be a bit more understandable if this type of performance came against Clemson or Florida State, but this was a bit underwhelming.

Emil Ekiyor Jr., G, Alabama
5th-year senior
Week 2 stat line: still not sure what to put here
It was not a great week for the Alabama offense. Bryce Young was consistently running for his life and Texas’ defensive line was living in the ‘Bama backfield. One of the biggest culprits was Ekiyor, who had a decent amount of draft hype entering the season. He routinely got pushed back into Young’s lap and the running game was nonexistent. Ekiyor simply looked overmatched and missed a number of blocks. He is lucky he has a mobile quarterback to bail him out. Most of Alabama’s line falls into that category.

Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
3rd-year sophomore
Week 2 stat line: 14/35, 143 yards, 2 INTs, 6 carries, 4 yards
These first two weeks of the season perfectly encapsulate Richardson as a prospect. His upside is through the roof with incredible arm strength and electric open-field ability. He is also wildly inconsistent throwing the ball downfield and struggles to put touch on his passes. Week 1 showcased the good. Week 2 featured all of the bad. Kentucky forced Richardson to beat them with his arm and he could not do it. Two bad interceptions, including the go-ahead pick-six for the Wildcats, sunk the Gators. Richardson mixed in a few special throws, but they were few and far between. I am eager to watch his development as the season rolls on, but this was a major bump in the road.

Jerome Carvin, G, Tennessee
5th-year senior
Week 2 stat line: We really need some stats for offensive linemen
Another interior lineman who struggled in Week 2, Tennessee’s Carvin had a rough day in Pittsburgh. Hendon Hooker was forced to move off his spot quite a bit because of the constant pressure from the Panthers defensive line. He was sacked three times, but it really could have been more. Carvin really struggled in pass protection and had an uneven day as a run blocker. The Vols lacked efficiency on the ground in general, managing just 2.7 yards per attempt.

Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina
4th-year junior
Week 2 stat line: 24/39, 376 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 12 carries, -23 yards
Maybe this is a bit harsh for Rattler to end up here. He did throw for the sixth-most yards of any FBS quarterback this week, but much of it came with Arkansas playing prevent defense with a sizable lead. Rattler spent much of the game running for his life as the Razorbacks’ defense got after him early and often. While that does not all fall on Rattler, his limited mobility made matters worse. He missed downfield throws on a number of occasions and was lucky he only threw one interception in this game. These are the types of games where he needed to show up and play at a high level. He needed to prove himself against SEC competition. So far, he is falling short of that mark.

Follow the Aftermath via email to get every article delivered right to your inbox. Enter your email in the text box to subscribe. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also check out our weekly podcast Draft Season Never Ends with new episodes every Friday, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Draft Season Never Ends: Way-Too-Early Top 5 Quarterbacks for the 2023 NFL Draft

Chris McGlynn Draft, Football, NCAAF, NFL, Podcast , , , , , , , ,

New episodes dropping every Friday! Football is finally back. Well, kind of. The Raiders and Jaguars kicked off the preseason with the annual Hall of Fame game on Thursday. With the season fast approaching, Chris breaks down his way-too-early rankings for the top quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL draft class.

You can find every episode on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. As always, I appreciate reviews, feedback and when you hit that subscribe button.

NFL Draft Daily: An early look at the 2023 quarterback class

Chris McGlynn Draft, Football, NCAAF , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

NFL Draft Daily looks at top stories, historical trends, player performances and more all through the lens of the NFL Draft. After all, there are only 346 days until the 2023 NFL Draft. Check back in tomorrow for another entry.

We are still months away from the start of the college football season, but it is never too early to start looking at the prospects for this upcoming draft. Where else could I possibly start than at quarterback? After a down year without many exciting passers, the 2023 draft class has the potential to be one of the deepest classes we have ever seen. With a ton of upperclassmen quarterbacks and some super exciting juniors, this is a class we can start to be excited about.

Just to be clear, these are not rankings. I put out my Way-Too-Early 2023 mock draft a couple weeks back that at least gives a sense of how I rank the top quarterbacks right now.

Also, in the interest of not having a nearly 4,000 word post, I decided to split up the quarterbacks I am keeping an eye on this year into two separate posts. I will have part two out tomorrow. So with that, let’s start to familiarize ourselves with the quarterbacks sure to be discussed in this 2023 draft cycle.

C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
My top quarterback heading into the 2023 draft cycle, Stroud put together a really strong 2021 season and should be well positioned to build off it in 2022. He posted the highest passer rating of any Power 5 quarterback in the country, tossing 44 touchdowns and just six interceptions. More importantly, he completed nearly 72 percent of his passes. He passes the eye test from a physical perspective, listed at 6’3″, 218 pounds. I will be curious to see how he does without his top two targets from a year ago. Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave will now be playing on Sundays. If his Rose Bowl performance against Utah, where Wilson and Olave sat out, is any indication of what Stroud can do this season, he will likely win the Heisman. Jackson Smith-Njigba might be better than Wilson and Olave, plus Marvin Harrison Jr. is ready for a bigger role.

Bryce Young, Alabama
Just behind Stroud is Young, who needs no introduction after winning the National Championship as a freshman and the Heisman as a sophomore. He is a proven playmaker who dominated the SEC, throwing for 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns. Both marks were second in the country, trailing only Bailey Zappe. He will have plenty of opportunity to prove his talent without his top two targets from a year ago. Jameson Williams and John Metchie III are both in the NFL now. Hopefully, Alabama’s offensive line will be a bit better in pass protection after allowing 39 sacks a season ago. My biggest concern is his size. Young has a slight frame, listed at 6’0″ and 194 pounds. That is a bit of a red flag, but he hasn’t let it impact his game to this point.

Tyler Van Dyke, Miami
I watched Miami play Pittsburgh this past season and came away more impressed with the quarterback wearing orange and white than the one in blue and gold. That’s right, Van Dyke outplayed Kenny Pickett, who was drafted in the first round just a few weeks ago. He looked sharp down the stretch, taking over for the injured D’Eriq King permanently in October. He got off to a rocky start, but Miami went 5-1 over its final six games with Van Dyke leading the offense. From a size perspective, he checks all the boxes. At this point, he is solidly in the first-round conversation, but that is a bit of projection that he takes the next step in his development this season.

Will Levis, Kentucky
The Penn State transfer made a name for himself in 2021 with an impressive debut season for Kentucky. He posted solid numbers as the Wildcats went 10-3, including a Citrus Bowl win over Iowa. Levis looked sharp and has a lot of the NFL measurables, including a clear pro-caliber arm. Now, he does need to cut down on the interceptions, he had 13 this past season, but it is easy to see how he could translate to the next level. He has a big season to prove himself ahead, hopefully, featuring more downfield passing and less focus on throwing the ball at or behind the line of scrimmage.

Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
Another SEC quarterback that is on the rise, Hooker quietly had one of the best statistical seasons of any passer in 2021. He threw for just shy of 3,000 yards, 31 touchdowns and only three interceptions while completing 68.2 percent of his passes. His passer rating for the year trailed only CJ Stroud and Grayson McCall. He also racked up 620 yards rushing. So a clear dual threat with an NFL body who takes care of the football? Consider me intrigued.

Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
Small-school quarterbacks are in right now in the NFL. Or at least, quarterbacks from non-traditional powers, because Coastal Carolina is quickly shedding its small school persona. McCall led the nation in passer rating and yards per attempt while finishing third in completion percentage. He has the size and mobility to translate to the next level as well. I like his ability to put some touch on his throws as well. He hasn’t faced the best competition in the Sun Belt, but his accuracy is incredible regardless. His game is a bit Patrick Mahomes-esque with his ability to make plays on the run and throw off platform. His arm strength is nowhere near that of Mahomes, to be clear, but I definitely notice some similarities.

Bo Nix, Oregon
What a journey Nix has been on. He was supposed to be the savior of Auburn when he arrived. The son of Tigers great Pat Nix never quite lived up to the hype. He has yet to eclipse 16 passing touchdowns in a season and a career completion percentage south of 60 percent. Now, he will get a chance to resurrect his career and draft prospects at the school he opened the college career against back in 2019. Nix unquestionably has talent, but consistency has been a bit of an issue. We will have to see if a change of scenery at Oregon will be enough to put him back in the NFL draft conversation.

Kedon Slovis, Pittsburgh
Another quarterback looking for a fresh start, Slovis burst onto the scene in 2019, but has failed to live up to the expectations that have followed. His completion percentage has slipped each of the past two seasons and he has thrown for fewer touchdown passes in the past two seasons combined than he did in his impressive freshman year. On top of that, he has struggled a bit with injuries. If he can get back on track replacing Kenny Pickett at Pittsburgh, Slovis has every chance to push himself back into the first-round conversation. He has the prototypical size and good arm. The issue will be showing he can put those attributes to good use on a consistent basis.

Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
Welcome to 2022, where pretty much every quarterback has transferred. Rattler is another quarterback looking to turn his career around after things went wrong in his first stop. He entered 2021 as a Heisman candidate and a projected No. 1 pick at Oklahoma. Then he lost his starting job to Caleb Williams and ended up transferring to South Carolina at the end of the season. I am very excited to dive deeper into his film to find out why he struggled this past year and how he can get back on track.

JT Daniels, West Virginia
This is school number three for Daniels. He started at USC, lost his job to Kedon Slovis after tearing his ACL as a sophomore, went to Georgia to be the starter, struggled with injuries and lost his job to Stetson Bennett. Needless to say, Daniels needs to show he can stay healthy first and foremost. His inability to be on the field is the biggest red flag for a player that has a couple of them. When he does play, he has a strong arm with decent accuracy and enough mobility to extend plays. He has a lot to prove this season if he legitimately hopes to be drafted.

Devin Leary, NC State
A rising star in the ACC, Leary had a fantastic junior season. This came on the heels of a horrendous freshman year and an injury-shortened sophomore campaign. His 35 touchdowns to just five interceptions gave him one of the best ratios in the country in 2021. Now, Leary will be out to prove he is not a one-year wonder. He is one of the players I am most excited to watch this upcoming season. I would not be shocked if he finds himself in the first round next April.

Anthony Richardson, Florida
People are expecting big things from Richardson after he flashed some otherworldly potential in limited action this past season. He appeared in just seven games and attempted only 64 passes. He is incredibly mobile, evidenced by an 80-yard touchdown run against South Florida. He did injure himself on the play though. What’s more, he threw just six touchdown passes and had five interceptions. He will need to show growth as a passer for a team to take a chance on him in the 2023 draft, but his athleticism is something teams will be happy to bet on.

Cameron Rising, Utah
A sleeper I think people should keep an eye on in this quarterback class, Rising reinvented himself after transferring from Texas. He redshirted in 2018 and 2019 and only played in one game in 2020. He patiently waited for his chance to shine. At long last, he got a chance to showcase his abilities. He accounted for 26 total touchdowns, 20 through the air and six on the ground, while throwing just five interceptions. Entering his fourth season at Utah, he has a good grasp on this offense and should be well positioned for an even better season. I don’t know if he has elite traits, but there is enough there that I am very intrigued.

Jake Haener, Fresno State
One of the older prospects in this draft class, Haener turned 23 in March and will be 24 by the draft next year. Age is less of a factor with quarterback prospects, but Haener will need to show he is pro ready, because a 24-year-old developmental quarterback might be a tough sell. Good thing is, he seems like he will be pretty close. He threw for over 4,000 yards this past season and an impressive 67 percent completion percentage. On top of that, he had 33 touchdown passes. He started his college career at Washington and has grown into a solid prospect over the past two seasons at Fresno. He faced some good competition and I’m excited to watch more of him.

Malik Cunningham, Louisville
Possibly the best runner in this draft class, Cunningham has been a solid player at Louisville capable of dazzling at any moment. 20 touchdowns on the ground is incredible. He has the ability to throw passes on a rope, but he needs to improve his accuracy. His completion percentage dipped down to 62 percent in 2021. I really like his game, but I think he needs a bit more polish to push him into the conversation with the top quarterbacks in this class.

Follow the Aftermath via email to get every article delivered right to your inbox. Enter your email in the text box to subscribe. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also check out our weekly podcast Draft Season Never Ends with new episodes every Friday, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.