Notable CFB Players Who Could Help Their Draft Stock in 2023
All eyes are on the upcoming 2023 NFL draft, but it's never too early to start looking ahead to next year's draft. Returning college football players will have a chance to drastically improve their draft stock with a big 2023 campaign.
Some players need more reps to catch the eye of NFL scouts. Others need to prove they're healthy. Some have been buried on bloated depth charts and need to have a breakout campaign. And some will need to be more consistent than they've been to date.
Although there aren't too many 2024 mock drafts out there, we'll stick to guys currently projected to be picked outside of the top 10-20 for now. We'll also exclude players that have consistently put up big numbers throughout their careers, since there isn't too much doubt about what they can do.
Take a look at a handful of college football players who could boost their draft stock in 2023.
Other Names to Keep an Eye On
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The players listed below might not have to prove much to NFL scouts, but they could further boost their draft stocks with big 2023 seasons.
Michigan RB Blake Corum
Michigan's Blake Corum could have been one of the top running backs drafted in 2022. Instead, he's coming back to the Wolverines in 2023.
Corum suffered a knee injury against Illinois on Nov. 19 last season. Although he attempted to return the next week against Ohio State, he was clearly limited, gaining only six yards on two carries. He announced he would have season-ending surgery on the knee on Dec. 1, cutting his Michigan season short.
Despite his injury, Corum finished the season with 247 carries for 1,463 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. If he has numbers like that over a full season, his stock should only go up.
Miami QB Tyler Van Dyke
In 2021, Tyler Van Dyke threw for 2,931 yards, 25 touchdowns and only six interceptions in 10 games. He was named the ACC's Rookie of the Year, and he helped Miami finish 5-1 in the Canes' last six games of the season.
There were big expectations surrounding Van Dyke in 2022 as new head coach Mario Cristobal took over in Coral Gables. But Miami went 5-7, and Van Dyke threw for just 1,835 yards and 10 touchdowns with five interceptions. He dealt with a shoulder injury throughout the season and played in only nine games.
If his 2023 campaign more closely resembles his 2021 one, expect his stock to go up.
Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman
Sam Hartman has a ton of experience under his belt, having played college football since 2018. Over five seasons at Wake Forest, Hartman threw for 12,967 yards and 110 touchdowns with 41 interceptions.
Last August, Hartman was diagnosed with Paget-Schroetter syndrome, which is "a blood clot often associated with repeated strenuous activity," according to ESPN's David Hale. He wound up playing 12 games last season and finished with 3,701 passing yards, 38 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Hartman already quelled concerns about his health, so he might not have much to prove to NFL scouts and decision-makers. But after transferring to Notre Dame this offseason, he's poised to perhaps have his best season yet.
Texas WR Xavier Worthy
Xavier Worthy has caught 122 passes for 1,741 yards and 21 touchdowns over his two seasons with the Longhorns. But he regressed numbers-wise last year, and he noticeably struggled with dropped passes late in the season.
As it turns out, there was a good reason for that. On March 6, head coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters that Worthy played the second half of the 2022 season with a broken hand.
If Worthy stays healthy in 2023, he should boost his draft stock with a big season.
Alabama DE Justin Eboigbe
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As it does every season, Alabama will have to replace a ton of talent in 2023. That's especially true on defense, as the Crimson Tide lost several starters at linebacker and safety.
Luckily, veteran defensive end Justin Eboigbe will be back for 2023.
The 4-star recruit and was the fifth-ranked strong-side defensive end in the 2019 recruiting class. He racked up 11 tackles over the first four games of last season before suffering a neck injury against Vanderbilt that sidelined him for the rest of the year.
Throughout his four seasons in Tuscaloosa, Eboigbe has racked up 59 total tackles, two sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries.
"I think losing Justin Eboigbe was a big loss for us because he was an experienced player and a very good defensive lineman that allowed us to roll more players inside," Alabama head coach Nick Saban said in November (h/t Saturday Down South). "We need to stop the run better so we can create more positive situations."
Although Eboigbe could have declared for the 2022 NFL draft, he will instead return for a fifth season in 2023. As he steps into more of a leadership role on the defense, he could be poised for a career year that causes his draft stock to spike.
Iowa QB Cade McNamara
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Given that Cade McNamara led Michigan to a Big Ten championship and playoff bid in 2021, you'd think he would be high on draft boards already. But considering how his 2022 season panned out, he still has something left to prove in 2023.
At the start of the 2022 season, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said he planned to play both McNamara and sophomore J.J. McCarthy.
Although McNamara started in Michigan's Week 1 win over Colorado State, McCarthy did so in Michigan's Week 2 game at home against Hawaii. McNamara completed only four passes for 26 yards and an interception against the Rainbow Warriors, whereas McCarthy finished with 229 passing yards and three touchdowns.
McNamara suffered a knee injury in Week 3, so the starting job was McCarthy's moving forward. McCarthy led the Wolverines to a second consecutive Big Ten title and playoff berth, including a win over Ohio State.
McNamara has since transferred to Iowa, where he'll be an immediate upgrade under center. Last year's starter, Spencer Petras, suffered a severe shoulder injury against Nebraska in Iowa's second-to-last game of the year. It's uncertain if he will even be able to play for the Hawkeyes next season. Petras' back-up, Alex Padilla, entered the transfer portal in November and is now at SMU.
If McNamara can put up numbers like he did at Michigan in 2021—he threw for 2,576 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions—both Iowa and his draft stock should greatly improve.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
LSU DL Maason Smith
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If he can stay healthy, Maason Smith appears primed for a big season in 2023. The 5-star recruit was the No. 5 defensive lineman prospect from the class of 2021, but injuries have hampered him throughout the first two years of his career at LSU.
Smith played in seven games as a true freshman before missing LSU's last few games because of a leg injury. He finished with 19 total tackles, five tackles for loss and four sacks.
All signs were pointing towards Smith having a big sophomore season in 2022. But unfortunately, an injury once again cut his season short. The defensive lineman tore his ACL in LSU's Week 1 loss to Florida State, causing him to miss the rest of the year.
Smith does appear on track to be ready for spring ball.
"He's doing well," LSU head coach Brian Kelly said of Smith in December. "He's obviously focused on his academics and his rehabilitation. He's had no setbacks. We expect him to be ready for our offseason program and progressing into spring ball. We'll be excited to see him get back."
LSU defensive ends BJ Ojulari and Ali Gaye are both headed to the NFL, so the Tigers will likely lean on Smith to fill the void. If he can stay healthy, he should be headed for a breakout season.
Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson
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TreVeyon Henderson stepped onto Ohio State's campus as a 5-star recruit and the No. 1 running back prospect from the class of 2021. As a true freshman, he lived up to the hype.
Henderson played in all 13 games in 2021 and led Ohio State in rushing with 183 carries for 1,248 yards and 15 touchdowns. He added 27 receptions for 312 yards and four touchdowns.
Henderson wasn't able to replicate that success in 2022, though. He suffered a foot injury during Ohio State's Week 3 game against Toledo and dealt with it for the rest of the season.
Overall, Henderson was limited to 107 carries for 571 yards and six touchdowns. He underwent surgery on his injured foot in mid-December, which caused him to miss the Buckeyes' CFP game against Georgia.
"I think anytime you fight through an injury, it's frustrating," Ohio State head coach Ryan Day told Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch regarding Henderson. "You want to get on the field. I've said before that I give him a lot of credit for continually trying to get back on the field. We talked about how when someone's trying to fight through something, giving a lot of detail on that isn't great for him. But at the same time, there's a lot of questions on what's going on, and there's an unknown. That's a hard feeling for a player."
Henderson told Rabinowitz that there was "was some stuff involved around this injury that I didn't respect." But Day and Henderson have since smoothed things over.
The running back looks primed for his best season yet in Columbus, assuming he's healthy in time for fall camp.
Oregon State QB DJ Uiagalelei
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Could a fresh start help resurrect DJ. Uiagalelei's career? The 5-star recruit and No. 1 signal-caller from the 2020 class is now at Oregon State after spending two seasons at Clemson.
The Tigers missed out on the College Football Playoff in each of the last two seasons. While the blame doesn't fall completely on Uiagalelei's shoulders, he struggled with his consistency and was quite turnover-prone. In 2021, he threw for more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (nine), and he rushed for only 308 yards.
In 2022, it looked like Uiagalalei had things figured out early on in the season. Through six games, he threw for 1,462 yards with 14 touchdowns and only two interceptions, while he rushed for 311 yards—more than he had in the entire 2021 season—and three touchdowns.
But Uiagalelei's struggles caught up to him in the back half of Clemson's season. He threw a pick in all but two of Clemson's final six regular-season games, and he had only 99 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception during the loss to South Carolina.
Early in the ACC title game against UNC, Uiagalelei was benched for true freshman Cade Klubnik, which was the third time Clemson had coach Dabo Swinney played the true freshman. Klubnik threw for 279 yards and a touchdown and ran eight times for 49 yards and another touchdown. Unsurprisingly, Uiagalelei announced he was transferring to Oregon State before the Tigers' bowl game against Tennessee.
Over two seasons as the Tigers' starter, Uiagalelei threw for 4,767 yards with 31 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He rushed for another 853 yards and 11 scores. If a fresh start in a new offense at Oregon State can turn things around for him, Uiagalelei could spark renewed draft interest.
South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler
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South Carolina signal-caller Spencer Rattler was a 5-star prospect and the No. 1 quarterback recruit from the class of 2019.
After redshirting in 2019, Rattler won the starting job in 2020 at Oklahoma. He threw for 3,031 yards and 28 touchdowns with just seven interceptions and added 160 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. OU went 9-2 and won the Big 12 Championship.
Rattler entered the 2021 season as a Heisman candidate, but he threw five interceptions in his first six games and lost his starting job to true freshman Caleb Williams. After the season, he opted to transfer to South Carolina.
During his first season with the Gamecocks, Rattler threw for 3,026 yards with 18 touchdowns and a career-high 12 interceptions. But he showed signs of drastic improvement at the end of the year, fueling back-to-back upsets of Top 10 opponents.
Against then-No. 5 Tennessee, Rattler threw for a career-high 438 yards and six touchdowns. The following week, the Gamecocks beat then-No. 7 Clemson 31-30. Although Rattler threw two picks in the first half, he finished with 360 passing yards and two touchdowns, including a 72-yard score to Antwane Wells.
South Carolina lost 45-38 to Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl, but Rattler finished with 246 yards passing with two touchdowns and an interception. If he can carry over his late-season play to the 2023 campaign, his draft stock should drastically rise.
Texas WR Adonai Mitchell
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Adonai Mitchell was a 4-star recruit from the 2021 recruiting class. Although he was playing in a crowded receiving corps that featured the likes of tight end Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey, Mitchell finished with 29 catches for 426 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games as a true freshman at Georgia.
Mitchell was expected to build on those numbers in 2022, but a lingering high-ankle sprain hampered him for most of last season. As a result, he finished with nine catches for 134 yards and three touchdowns in only six games.
"It's been frustrating for him," Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said of Mitchell in mid-November. "He wants to get back. He works really hard at it. He was better last week than he's been every week previous. He actually got to do individual drills last week and did some things. But he's still not, or at least last week but he was not where he could come out of breaks and do the things required to play receiver, and that's tough."
Mitchell did three receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown against Ohio State in the Peach Bowl and one catch for 22 yards and a touchdown against TCU in the national title game. But with Bowers and McConkey both returning in 2023, Mitchell opted to transfer to Texas, where he should immediately become the No. 2 receiver behind junior Xavier Worthy.
Mitchell will be catching passes from either 2022 starter Quinn Ewers or 5-star recruit Arch Manning. Regardless of who wins the starting job, Mitchell looks primed for a breakout season in Austin.
USC WR Dorian Singer
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After starting his career at Arizona, Dorian Singer transferred to USC this offseason in a huge get for head coach Lincoln Riley. He'll now catch passes from quarterback Caleb Williams, who looks like a future top draft pick.
Jordan Addison, the Trojans' leading receiver from last season, is headed to the NFL. That means Singer is likely to become Williams' new No. 1 receiver.
Singer had a breakout season at Arizona in 2022, recording 1,105 yards and six touchdowns. He finished inside the top 15 in receiving yards nationally and was second in the Pac-12 behind Washington's Rome Odunze.
Singer had 29 catches last season that went for 15 or more yards, which ranked second in the Power Five, per Max Chadwick of Pro Football Focus. Against USC last season, he finished with seven receptions for 141 yards and a career-high three touchdowns.
If Singer lives up to expectations this season, he could be one of the top receivers mentioned in mock drafts next spring. Not too shabby for a former walk-on.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
