This Week’s College Football Slate Could Impact the NFL Draft
Josh Frey
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We are getting closer to the final stretch of the college football regular season, and that means prospects are running out of time to put great performances on tape prior to the 2023 NFL Draft. Here are four games that could cause stock in big-name prospects to rise or fall.
No. 6 Alabama @ No. 15 LSU
Alabama and LSU are two teams that have oodles of talent that should be selected in this spring’s draft. That said, LSUs prospects have much more of a “wild card” value to them between guys like Kayshon Boutte, Jaden Daniels, and BJ Ojulari.
Meanwhile, Alabama’s names are headliners at the top of this draft: Will Anderson, Eli Ricks, Henry To’o To’o, Bryce Young. An LSU victory would certainly begin to turn the tides on how we view these two teams.
No. 2 Tennessee @ No. 1 Georgia
This is the marquee matchup of the weekend as the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country. This could be a CFP preview for later in the winter, and Hendon Hooker could pretty much seal up the Heisman with a big game against Georgia’s stout defense.
In my most recent mock draft, there were four Georgia Bulldogs selected in the first round, so there are many draft implications with this game. One of the more under-the-radar stories as we get closer to the deadline to declare, though, revolves around Georgia QB Stetson Bennett. His performance in this game could help decide his fate for 2023.
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No. 5 Clemson @ Notre Dame
This game is going to be a battle of two of the most ferocious defenses in college football. In one corner, you’ve got Isaiah Foskey trying to solidify his spot in the first round of the 2023 Draft for Notre Dame. Meanwhile, tight end Michael Mayer currently looks like TE1, and a big game against Clemson could guarantee it.
Then on the other side, a whole host of defenders on the Clemson side are headed to the 2023 NFL Draft. All three of Bryan Bresee, Myles Murphy, and Kelee Ringo could go as high as the top 10. Then, Trenton Simpson is also trying to find his way into round one as an off-ball linebacker.
No. 22 Syracuse @ Pittsburgh
The Syracuse Orange have lost two in a row and need to get themselves back on track against Pittsburgh. The only problem is that they haven’t won in Pittsburgh since 2001. In order to save their hopes of a New Year’s Six bowl, they’re going to need to win this game.
As for Pittsburgh, transfer QB Kedon Slovis is still trying to find his footing in the ACC. So far this season, he’s passed for just 1561 yards, 5 TDs, and 5 INTs in the seven games he’s played. If he wants to be among the top-10 QBs selected in the 2023 Draft, a strong performance and win over a ranked Syracuse team would certainly help.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.