One Hidden Gem on Each Top 10 College Football Team in 2023
As you're piecing together an early ranking for the 2023 college football season, the most prominent players in the sport naturally land in the spotlight.
USC boasts Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams. Notre Dame landed star transfer Sam Hartman. Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State are always loaded with highly recruited talent, while Michigan returns Blake Corum and Utah brings back Cameron Rising.
But the real appeal of each Top 10 roster? Depth.
As important as those standouts are—and they are critical players, for sure—every program has key under-the-radar contributors. We're shifting the spotlight to the hidden gems.
The order is based on B/R's post-signing day Top 25.
10. Florida State Seminoles
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Florida State's top receiver is Johnny Wilson, who's set to enter the campaign as a respected 2024 NFL draft prospect. Plus, in their recent recruiting class, the Seminoles signed 5-star wideout Hykeem Williams.
Kentron Poitier, though, has quietly become a big-play threat.
Last season, he caught a modest 14 passes but turned them into 283 yards for a sterling 20.2-yard average. Poitier also caught four touchdowns: three against ACC competition and one opposite rival Florida.
FSU doesn't need Poitier to tally 50 receptions; occasional explosive plays and touchdowns in key games are perfectly fine.
9. Utah Utes
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From a national perspective, Simote Pepa is not a well-known player. On the field, however, he's a commanding presence.
The 6'3", 345-pound defensive tackle is a potential star up front. Pepa secured a spot in the rotation as a redshirt freshman, making 27 tackles with six for loss and four sacks.
Pepa earned more playing time later in 2022 and responded with his best performances of the season. He notched six tackles (three TFLs and two sacks) during a win over Stanford and followed that up with four takedowns (1.5 TFLs and one sack) at Oregon.
Along with Junior Tafuna in the middle, Pepa will be a cornerstone piece of Utah's defense in 2023.
8. Penn State Nittany Lions
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Who doesn't love a walk-on story?
Dom DeLuca is a Pennsylvania kid. He opened his Penn State career in the background but earned scout team Defensive Player of the Year honors. He snagged two interceptions during the 2022 spring game.
And then he became a regular contributor. Last season, DeLuca finished with 29 tackles— 10th-most on the team—and shared the program's Outstanding Run-On Award. (Yes, walk-on).
Deservedly so, DeLuca is now a scholarship player, a moment that Penn State shared in January.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Clemson Tigers
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Relatively speaking, Wade Woodaz didn't arrive to much fanfare. He was narrowly a top-600 recruit in a 2022 signing class that featured 5-star quarterback Cade Klubnik and 5-star corner Jeadyn Lukus.
As if that's not enough, Clemson's linebacker group included Trenton Simpson, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Barrett Carter.
Turns out Woodaz is pretty good, too.
He notched 20 tackles with 5.5 stops for loss and 1.5 sacks, adding three pass breakups and a forced fumble. Woodaz assumed a substantial role in mid-November and notched 13 of those tackles in the last five games.
In all likelihood, Woodaz will replace NFL-bound Simpson as a starter alongside Trotter and Carter in 2023.
6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
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Unless you're a Notre Dame fan or recruiting diehard, wide receiver Jayden Thomas is not a player who sticks out immediately.
Last year, tight end Michael Mayer remained the Fighting Irish's key target. In the preseason, though, any number of previews rightfully focused on Braden Lenzy and a hopeful breakout from Lorenzo Styles.
Thomas, a 4-star recruit in the 2021 class, emerged as Notre Dame's top pass-catcher behind NFL-bound Mayer.
For the season, Thomas made at least two receptions in eight contests and reached 40-plus yards in four outings. He finished the campaign with 25 catches for 361 yards and three touchdowns.
Thomas should be a full-time starter this season and has a great opportunity to become Sam Hartman's go-to receiver.
5. USC Trojans
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In a receiving corps loaded with talent, it would be easy to simply note Brenden Rice as part of a deep position.
But he deserves more respect than that.
Rice, who caught 27 passes in two seasons at Colorado, transferred to USC last season. He shared the field with 2023 potential first-round pick Jordan Addison, star Oklahoma transfer Mario Williams and veteran USC wideout Tahj Washington.
Addison paced the Trojans with 59 receptions, 875 yards and eight touchdowns. Yet as the No. 4 wideout, Rice provided 39 catches for 611 yards and four scores.
Arizona transfer Dorian Singer is the flashy new player, along with 5-star addition Zachariah Branch and 4-star receiver Makai Lemon. Williams is a well-regarded NFL prospect, and Washington has more than 2,000 career yards.
But overlook Rice at your own risk.
4. Ohio State Buckeyes
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TreVeyon Henderson is a former 5-star recruit who totaled 1,586 all-purpose yards and 19 touchdowns as a true freshman. His injury in 2022 created a void for Miyan Williams, who capitalized on his expanded role with 825 yards and 14 scores on the ground.
But you might've missed Dallan Hayden.
Early in the season, the back rushed for 108 yards opposite Toledo. Then in November, he went for 102 yards against Indiana and scampered for 146 yards and three touchdowns in a nervy win at Maryland.
Hayden ended his true freshman campaign with 553 yards and five scores, putting himself in excellent position to become the Buckeyes' featured back in 2024.
3. Michigan Wolverines
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Michigan boasted one of the nation's top defenses in 2022, and that strength started up front. Mazi Smith was a first-team All-Big Ten tackle, while Kris Jenkins' 54 takedowns ranked fifth on the team.
However, the rotation regularly put 4-star freshman Mason Graham on the field, and he did not disappoint.
Graham collected 27 tackles with 2.5 stops for loss (all sacks). He recorded at least one tackle in 13 of the Wolverines' 14 games and opened their wins against Iowa and Penn State.
This season, Graham should be a full-time starter as Michigan aims for a third straight trip to the College Football Playoff.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide
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Can we please get a healthy year for Darrian Dalcourt?
Although he started 11 games at center in 2021, he didn't play in the SEC Championship Game opposite Georgia and missed the College Football Playoff. Dalcourt sat eight games last season, too.
Yes, those absences have allowed Seth McLaughlin to become the likely first-string center. That's a clear obstacle.
Dalcourt, though, has begun working at guard this spring. Alabama needs to replace three starters—including both guards—up front, so Dalcourt can ease the unit's year of transition.
1. Georgia Bulldogs
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Last year, safety Christopher Smith secured first-team All-SEC recognition with cornerback Kelee Ringo as a second-team choice. True freshman Malaki Starks and sophomores Kamari Lassiter and Javon Bullard—the Defensive MVP of both CFP games—all held enormous roles, and backup Tykee Smith was an All-American at West Virginia in 2020.
That's the long way of saying if you're not familiar with David Daniel-Sisavanh, it's quite understandable.
Nevertheless, he made 14 tackles in his steady role as a backup safety, with a stop for loss against Oregon and South Carolina.
Smith's departure means Daniel-Sisavanh is a key contender for a starting job, especially since Dan Jackson is recovering from a foot injury that ended his 2022 season.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
