Preseason ranking: 46. 6: Michael Penix Jr., Washington QB . OT Jalen McKenzie, USC: Announced he will declare for the NFL Draft 12/6. Robinson became the first Texas player with back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons since Vince Young in 2004-2005, and won the Doak Walker award this year as the best running back in college football. Once regarded as a potential top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Rattler was benched and lost his job at Oklahoma to Caleb Williams, and then transferred to South Carolina before the 2022 season. DE George Karlaftis, Purdue: Announced he will declare for the NFL Draft 12/6. He's Georgia's leading wide receiver for the second straight year, collecting 56 receptions for 790 yards and six touchdowns. He's the most dominant interior defensive lineman in the country, a 300-pound force who earned first-team AP All-America honors. The 6-4, 215-pound Johnston was a big target for TCU QB Max Duggan and had career highs with 53 catches for 903 yards while adding five touchdown catches. He led the nation with 1,109 yards after contact on his way to 1,556 total yards (seventh in the FBS), 70 first downs (11th) and 14 touchdowns (16th). AK SPORTS REPORT (February 27-March 4, 2023) Here we go AK! A second-team AP All-America selection, Branch continued his development as a productive contributor for Alabama. LB Micah McFadden,Indiana: Announcedhe willenter NFL draft 12/7. He was a constant for a team that desperately needed one. OL, Michigan, Senior His 1,463 rushing yards were third in the Big Ten while his 18 touchdowns were second in the league to Minnesota's Mohamed Ibrahim. The junior from Daytona Beach, Florida, finished the season with a nation's-best 1,398 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns, helping his Cougars recover from a poor start to finish with eight wins. South Carolina just saw its no-hitter go by the wayside. Hes the reigning John Mackey Award winner, given to the best tight end in college football. The Penn State defensive tackle overcame a serious knee injury to help lead the Nittany Lions to the 2022 Rose Bowl championship. It also includes Alabama's very won JC Latham, who was selected as the best returning right tackle in all of college football. TE Chigoziem Okonkwo,Maryland: Announced he willdeclare for Draft 12/7, TE Cole Fotheringham, Utah: Declares for 2022 NFL Draft, will play in Rose Bowl 12/13, TE Jelani Woods, Virginia: Declares for 2022 NFL Draft 12/14, TE Austin Allen, Nebraska: Declared for the 2022 NFL Draft 12/14, TE Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M: Enters the 2022 NFL Draft 12/21, TE Isaiah Likely, Coastal Carolina: Has decided to enter the 2022 NFL Draft 12/22, TE Daniel Bellinger, SDSU: Declared for the 2022 NFL Draft 12/23, TE Brant Kuithe, Utah: Will return to school 12/27, TE Jake Tonges, California: Enters the 2022 NFL Draft 1/8, TE Greg Dulcich, UCLA: Enters the 2022 NFL Draft 1/10, TE Sam LaPorta, Iowa: Will return to school 1/13, TE Josh Whyle, Cincinnati: Will return to school1/13, TE Jahleel Billingsley, Alabama: Enters transfer portal 1/15 - Transfers to Texas, TE Luke Ford, Illinois:Will return to school 1/17, TE John FitzPatrick, Georgia:Enters the 2022 NFL Draft 1/17. Preseason ranking: 77. A first-team All-American, the 6-3, 205-pound Hutchinson ranked second nationally with 107 catches, a school record, and his 8.9 catches per game was tops in the FBS. Witherspoon became the first Illini player as a finalist for the Thorpe Award, which is given to the nation's best defensive back. Notable 2022 stats: 30 solo, 1 INT, 2 PD On one hand, you have experienced playmakers returning and continuity in the locker room. Boston College hung on to take down bubble hopefuls Wake Forest tonight, winning 71-69. Preseason ranking: 64. Egbuka recorded six 100-yard receiving games this season for the Buckeyes, including three straight 100-yard games from Sept. 10-24. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onFanSided.com and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. DBAllan George, Vanderbilt: Announced his intent to declare on Twitter 11/28. Preseason ranking: 18. Notable 2022 stats: 10.5 sacks, 3 FF Notable 2022 stats: 38 TDs, 4,321 passing yards Harrison recorded six 100-yard games, paced by 185 yards in a 44-31 victory at Penn State on Oct. 29. He ranks among the top three in league history in passing yards, total yards and total touchdowns, too. He topped 100 yards in nine of his last 11 games and is transferring to UCLA. In addition, Foskey led the Irish with 14 tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries. Preseason ranking: 67. He led the nation in combined rushing and receiving yards with 1,894 (1,580 rushing, 314 receiving), was second with 20 total touchdowns and led the Big 12 with 131.7 rushing yards and 157.83 all-purpose yards per game. A new bill aimed at combating voter fraud in Arizona is making its way through the legislative system and could mark a turning point in the state's contentious elections. There are some positions where the best returning college player is debatable. Purdue reaching the Big Ten Championship! He was all over the field and seemed to be in on almost every play defensively. I agree to receive the "CBS Sports HQ Newsletter" and marketing communications . After starting the season as a backup, Duggan led the Big 12 in passing yards (3,321) and passing TDs (30) for the regular season, and earned a trip to New York, where he was runner-up for the Heisman behind Caleb Williams. Preseason ranking: NR. Preseason ranking: NR. 12/17, QB Bo Nix, Auburn: Has entered the transfer portal 12/12 - Transferred to Oregon 12/19, QB Will Levis, Kentucky: Will return for next season 12/21, QB Kedon Slovis, USC: Has entered the transfer portal 12/13 - Will transfer to Pittsburgh 12/21, QB Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina: Announced that he will return to school after this year 12/22, QB Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky: Declared for the NFL Draft 12/28, QB Sam Howell, North Carolina: Declares for the 2022 NFL Draft 1/3, QB Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati: Declares for the 2022 NFL Draft 1/8, QB Brock Purdy, Iowa State: Declares for the 2022 NFL Draft 1/9, QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA: Announced that he will return to school after this year 1/10, QB Brennan Armstrong, Virginia: Announced that he will return to school after this year 1/13, QB Guy Myers, Charleston: Declares for the 2022 NFL Draft 1/14, QB JT Daniels, Georgia: Will enter the transfer portal 1/17, QB Kaleb Eleby, Western Michigan: Declares for the 2022 NFL Draft 1/17, QB Stetson Bennett, Georgia: Announced that he will return to school after this year 1/17, RBRicky Person, North Carolina State: Declared on 11/23. Notable 2022 stats: 3.5 sacks, 1 FF Notable 2022 stats: 1,431 yards, 20 TDs WR, Houston, Junior The sophomore also led all Power Five players with 332 punt return yards. DBKendall Smith, Illinois: Enters transfer portal 11/30, DBJaquan Amos, Iowa State: Enters transfer portal 11/30, DBAntonio Fletcher, Arkansas State: Enters transfer portal 12/1, DBNaijee Jones, Rutgers: Enters transfer portal 12/1. Latest Mock|Underclassmen Declaration List| Draft Order/Team Needs. -- Bill Connelly. He rushed for 1,643 yards, finishing the regular season third in the FBS and first in the Power 5, and 10 touchdowns. The 5-foot-6, 176-pound Vaughn plays big, and his dependability and versatility powered Kansas State to a Big 12 championship, including rushing for 130 yards in the title game win over TCU. Notable 2022 stats: 11 TDs, 1,029 yards OL, Penn State, Sophomore After starting 11 games last year at center, the 6-4, 330-pound fifth-year senior moved to left guard this year and didn't allow a sack, becoming a consensus All-American in the process. A transfer from Washington, Latu was one of the surprise players in the Pac-12 this season, leading UCLA with 11 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. Wright, a 6-6, 335-pound senior, anchored that line from his right tackle position. The redshirt sophomore also led all FBS edge defenders in pass-rush win rate (29.5%) and was second in pressure rate (22.4%). He got out of the inning, preserving a one-run lead . Ravens GM Says He Never Considered It 'One Time', Telesco: Keenan Allen Isn't Going Anywhere, Scouts' Predictions: Small-School Players Who Will Become Household Names, Chris Johnson: Predicting Indy's Fastest 5, Joe Thomas: Why It's Time to Put Cameras In Player Interview Rooms, Marc Trestman: Stroud Future Franchise QB, Head of Pro Scouting, NFL Player Personnel Executive. Jones, a first-team All-Big Ten selection, caught 110 passes for 1,361 yards and 12 touchdowns this season for the Boilermakers, garnering him the equivalent of the Big Ten's receiving Triple Crown. The sophomore excels outside of the original play design, plays on which he led the nation in passing yards (707), passing touchdowns (seven) and big-time throws (10) in 2022. 70. Preseason ranking: 92. After emerging as Georgia's starting left tackle late last season, Jones was a mainstay through the 2022 campaign. Hendon Hooker throws 45 yards to Jalin Hyatt to put Tennessee up 20-0 over LSU. 11 nationally and helped land him first-time All-Pac-12 honors. Preseason ranking: 10. These players who spurned the NFL Draft in favor of returning for another season have the greatest chance to influence the college football season in 2023. The freshman outside linebacker took his game to another level during the second half of the schedule, notching eight tackles for loss, five sacks and three forced fumbles over the Tigers' final five regular-season games. But he wasted no time making his presence felt this year, taking Tennessee's first offensive play of the season 23 yards for a touchdown. Story Links. Bowers iseasilyat the top because hes arguably been the best tight end, period, in each of his first two seasons. Alt was both the highest-graded and most valuable tackle in the country according to PFF's wins above-average metric. With the deadline for prospects to decide on their future for the 2023 season, stay updated on the 2023 NFL Draft news surrounding prospects declaring for the draft and others that plan to return to school for another season. Hodges-Tomlinson won the Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back this season and had 40 tackles, three interceptions, 10 pass breakups and forced a fumble. Methodology: Voters were presented with a series of one-on-one votes. Turner was an All-Big Ten selection this season and won defensive player of the week multiple times for his play in the secondary. His 15 forced incompletions in single-coverage were tied for third among FBS corners as well. Henry's baseline stats didn't do justice to just how good he was. . WR, Wake Forest, Junior 1. Blake Corum, RB, Michigan. Before the season, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi insisted his offense was going to be more run-heavy after losing Heisman finalist Kenny Pickett. DE, Kansas State, Junior RBMohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota: Announced he will return for sixth season on 11/24. Battle was one of the more versatile safeties in the country with his ability to cover and make big hits in the running game. QBFelix Harper, Alcorn State: Announced he would enter the draft on 11/28. He was one of the most physical backs in the country, averaging 3.26 yards after contact and breaking an SEC-best 38 tackles. Among those returning to school, McKinstry is the best cornerback, best returner and has the best nickname. 12/17, WR Dontay Demus, Maryland: Announced he will return for next season. Against Florida, he became the second player in school history to score a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown. He missed the last three games of the season but still finished 16th in total pressures (37) and 25th in tackles for loss (15). A couple of underclassmen could follow them, too, including offensive tackle Rasheed Walker, cornerback Joey Porter, Jr. and linebacker Brandon Smith. Notable 2022 stats: 18 TDs, 1,463 rush yards OL, Notre Dame, Sophomore The Northwestern offense averaged 125.1 rushing yards a game. Reigning Buck Buchanan Award winner Isaiah Land enters 2022 as the top defender in the FCS, hoping to build after a season where he led the FCS in sacks (19) and tackles for loss (25.5). He had 46 total tackles this season, one interception and 10 pass breakups with two forced fumbles. After finishing high school, he was working at a Dollar General store in Columbus, Georgia when he saw a flyer for a tryout at Georgia Military College, where he developed into a top-flight pass-rushing prospect. Preseason ranking: NR. RB, TCU, Junior He was one of just three players to start in all 13 games, and he allowed only three pass pressures (with one sack), blew three run blocks and committed two total penalties all season. Downs had six 100-yard games, scored 11 times and led the country with 76 catches from the slot.
