2023 NFL Draft Board: Top prospect battles to watch in Week 1

College football is back, and it’s here to stay. There’s a lot of action to sift through in Week 1, but here, we lay out some of the top matchups between 2023 NFL Draft prospects on deck. Premier contests like Ohio State vs. Notre Dame and Oregon vs. Georgia lead the charge, but there are many more games to keep an eye on.

2023 NFL Draft Board: Top prospect battles in Week 1

Which 2023 NFL Draft prospect matchups are most enticing in the Week 1 college football slate? A combined seven matchups come in three of the week’s best games, but even in the smaller-school battles, there are prospects worth knowing.

Ohio State OT Paris Johnson Jr. vs. Notre Dame EDGE Isaiah Foskey

This is the matchup of Week 1, and it isn’t particularly close. In Paris Johnson Jr. and Isaiah Foskey, you have two blue-chip talents and two potential top 10 prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft facing off on the edge.

Johnson is one of the few tackles who might be able to match Foskey’s explosiveness off the line with his own, but Foskey’s relentless energy, hand speed, and adaptability make him a supremely dangerous threat, especially at his size. Both prospects here have elite potential, and Week 1 is a milestone game for both.

Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. Notre Dame CB Cam Hart

The battle between Ohio State’s offense and Notre Dame’s defense gives us quite a few appealing matchups. Johnson and Foskey is the primary one, but beyond that, there’s also Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. Cam Hart on the boundary.

Smith-Njigba is the kind of receiver who can exploit Hart with his cylindrical twitch, route nuance, and sharp instincts. But Hart — who has a 38″ vertical at 6’2 1/2″, 205 pounds — has the physical tools to blanket Smith-Njigba, as long as he remains disciplined and stays low in his stance.

Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud vs. Notre Dame S Brandon Joseph

Naturally, it only feels right to mention C.J. Stroud among the prospects who will be tested in Ohio State’s battle with the Fighting Irish. With any luck, Johnson and right tackle Dawand Jones can keep Stroud comfortable enough in the pocket. But even then, he has a test to face in the secondary.

Notre Dame scored Brandon Joseph in the transfer portal from Northwestern. He’s a long, instinctive playmaker who’s flashed high-level football IQ and ball skills in the past. This will be a chess match, as Stroud can move Joseph with his eye manipulation.

Oregon DT Brandon Dorlus vs. Georgia’s offensive line

Brandon Dorlus will likely find himself matched up against several different Georgia linemen over the course of this game — especially under head coach Dan Lanning’s influence. Dorlus played from just about every alignment last season, and he has the necessary combination of short-area quickness, natural leverage, and power capacity to disrupt from anywhere.

Particularly for young players Sedrick Van Pran and Broderick Jones, matchups against Dorlus can’t be taken lightly. Jones needs to show technical growth, and Van Pran’s strength may be tested.

Georgia DT Jalen Carter vs. Oregon OL T.J. Bass, Alex Forsyth

Nobody knows the kind of impact Jalen Carter can have better than Oregon’s Lanning. But there’s only so much he can do to minimize Carter’s impact. Much of the responsibility will fall on the shoulders of interior blockers Alex Forsyth and T.J. Bass.

For Forsyth, who returns in a crowded center class, this game will be big. The same goes for Bass, who quietly has the size and athleticism to potentially be a factor down the road. Carter supersedes both with his traits, but that’s not a slight to either one. Carter’s explosiveness is a tier above, and he can pry open lanes with his strength.

Florida DT Gervon Dexter vs. Utah G Sataoa Laumea

Sataoa Laumea still doesn’t get his due in the 2023 NFL Draft interior class, but he carries some definite appeal. The question with Laumea, who stands at 6’4″, 312 pounds, and brings a great combination of strength and leverage, is what his ceiling is. Can he rise in the 2023 NFL Draft interior group, or is he more of a depth addition?

He may answer some of those questions this week when he faces Gervon Dexter. Dexter is an undisputed early-round talent with the burst and displacement capacity to induce havoc all day. If Laumea can hold his own against Dexter, it’ll open some eyes.

Florida QB Anthony Richardson vs. Utah CB Clark Phillips III

You don’t often come across quarterbacks with the tools of Anthony Richardson. In Week 1, those tools will be tested. The Utah defense has a lot of pieces, but the most challenging opponent will undoubtedly be Clark Phillips III.

Richardson’s weapons have the size to outmatch Phillips, but regardless, Phillips is a sticky cover man who plays larger than his frame. Phillips is going to take away one option at times — whether it’s Justin Shorter, Xzavier Henderson, or Ricky Pearsall. Richardson, a young QB, must be ready for it.

Texas State OL Kyle Hergel vs. Nevada DL Dom Peterson

It’s a small-school matchup, with big NFL draft implications. You don’t have the high-profile names in this one, but you can bet scouts and evaluators will be watching Texas State’s Kyle Hergel go up against alignment-versatile defensive lineman Dom Peterson of Nevada.

Peterson is woefully undersized, but he’s quick off the line, active with his hands, and flexible enough to rush from different angles. Hergel is a Feldman Freak with a documented 34″ vertical and a 9’4″ broad jump at 6’3″, 305 pounds, and he’s on the Shrine Bowl 1000. If Hergel can dominate a tricky lineman like Peterson, it’ll only do good things for his stock.

Georgia Tech QB Jeff Sims vs. Clemson defense

Quietly, Jeff Sims is one of the highest-ceiling QBs in the nation. However, he’s yet to put it together and needs to take a step up in 2021. But Sims has the high-energy athleticism, creation capacity, and arm talent to buoy starting upside at the next level with more refinement.

Facing Clemson in Week 1 will provide an excellent barometer for Sims’ growth. The Tigers have early-round prospects at each level — among them Bryan Bresee, Myles Murphy, Trenton Simpson, Ruke Orhorhoro, and 2024 prospect Andrew Mukuba.

South Dakota State TE Tucker Kraft vs. Iowa LB Jack Campbell

The early-season slate is a great chance to get a look at prime FCS prospects against high-level competition. And one of the frontrunners to be the first FCS prospect off the board goes up against a talented Iowa defense in Week 1.

Tucker Kraft is a 6’5″, 255-pound tank with athleticism, play strength after the catch, and natural receiving ability in space. He has the production — caught 65 passes for 773 yards and six scores in 2021 — but this game against Iowa will give Kraft a chance to put up a résumé performance against linebacker Jack Campbell — a reliable 6’4″ second-level defender who serves as a safety blanket.

Other prospect battles to watch in Week 1

• Old Dominion WR Ali Jennings III vs. Virginia Tech CB Dorian Strong
• Alabama OT Tyler Steen vs. Utah State EDGE Byron Vaughns
• USC OL Andrew Vorhees vs. Rice DL Ikenna Enechukwu
• North Dakota OT Donny Ventrelli vs. Nebraska EDGE Ochaun Mathis
• Florida State OT Robert Scott Jr. vs. LSU EDGE BJ Ojulari
• Louisville WR Tyler Hudson vs. Syracuse CB Garrett Williams
• Louisvillle EDGE YaYa Diaby vs. Syracuse OT Matthew Bergeron
• Arkansas C Ricky Stromberg vs. Cincinnati DT Jowon Briggs
• Houston WR Nathaniel “Tank” Dell vs. UTSA CB Corey Mayfield Jr.
• Oklahoma OT Anton Harrison vs. UTEP EDGE Praise Amaewhule