It’ll be hard to top what we witnessed in Week 7, but there are still a host of 2023 NFL Draft prospect matchups to keep an eye on in Week 8. Here are the top battles on tap as college football lingers into late October.
Top 2023 NFL Draft Prospects To Watch in Week 8
Syracuse OT Matthew Bergeron vs. Clemson EDGE Myles Murphy, K.J. Henry
Matthew Bergeron remains one of the most underrated offensive tackle prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft class. But he can take a big step toward changing that this week against Clemson.
The Tigers’ defense is overflowing with talent, but the headliner is edge rusher Myles Murphy — a freakish blend of explosiveness, power, and rage at 6’5″, 275 pounds. Bergeron has all the tools to match him — size, high-energy movement, smooth footwork, and strong hands. If he can put it all together and limit the disruption from Murphy and K.J. Henry, it could be a statement game.
This is one of the more exciting battles on the Week 8 slate and can easily be watched with a free trial from fuboTV.
Texas A&M G Layden Robinson vs. South Carolina DT Zacch Pickens
Trench warriors who have a natural combination of leverage and proportional length are as valuable as they are scarce. It’s a rare combination to have, so when prospects have it, you have to take notice.
Both Layden Robinson and Zacch Pickens have this combination. Robinson is a 6’4″, 320-pound brick house with levers for arms on the interior, while Pickens is a 6’4″, 305-pound stalwart with 34″ arms. Robinson can jar Pickens with violent extensions, but the latter has the blend of burst and play strength to disrupt in this battle. This could be an interior clash between future early-round talents.
SMU WR Rashee Rice vs. Cincinnati CB Ja’Quan Sheppard
By now, we know who Rashee Rice is, and we know how impactful he can be at the NFL level. Rice’s 2023 NFL Draft stock is fairly stable in the early-round range, but one prospect who has a chance to prove himself against Rice this week is Cincinnati CB Ja’Quan Sheppard.
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Sheppard, who stands around 6’2″, 200 pounds, was a special teamer for the first three years of his career. But this offseason, he earned the starting CB job opposite Arquon Bush and has five pass deflections this season. Sheppard flashes good discipline and fluidity at the line, and he has the length and ball skills to convert at the catch point. A strong showing against the dominant Rice could put him on the map.
West Virginia WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton vs. Texas Tech CB Rayshad Williams
This WR-CB matchup brings size, size, and even more size. Bryce Ford-Wheaton is 6’3″, 223 pounds, with arms over 33″ long. And he’s going up against Texas Tech’s Rayshad Williams — a 6’3″ cornerback with an equally imposing wingspan.
Over his past 19 games across 2021 and 2022, Williams has 17 pass deflections. So far in 2022, he has seven plays on the ball. Williams could still play with more control, but he’s a springy athlete with great energy in his movement. This battle will be won by whoever uses their size more effectively. Ford-Wheaton has, at times, inspired awe this year with his body control and hand strength, but a long CB like Williams will challenge him.
UCLA RB Zach Charbonnet vs. Oregon LBs Noah Sewell, Justin Flowe
If you’re looking for a 2023 NFL Draft prospect matchup with name recognition, this one’s got it. The Bruins’ bruiser himself, Zach Charbonnet, going up against five-star talents in Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe.
Charbonnet has continued his dominant tear with UCLA this season. He bowls over defenders with contact balance and aggression alike, and also has the foot speed and urgency to set up physical finishes in space. Sewell and Flowe both have the range and size to contend with Charbonnet, but it’ll take an added level of discipline — both with technique and positioning — to keep him at bay.
BYU OT Blake Freeland vs. Liberty EDGE Durrell Johnson
Blake Freeland has had no shortage of challenges this season, and he’ll face another one in Week 8. To be fair, Freeland has emerged on the other side as a quality 2023 NFL Draft prospect with some early-round hype. His combination of athleticism and power is uncommon, but pad level remains a pressing issue. That’s something Durrell Johnson could exploit this week.
Johnson is an incredibly disruptive edge rusher at 6’4″, 235 pounds, with the high-end proportional length to take advantage of proper leverage, wrench blocks down, and make plays in pursuit. He has 12 tackles for loss this year. More production against Freeland would bode very well for him.
TCU WR Quentin Johnston vs. Kansas State CB Julius Brents
Lately, no one’s been able to stop Quentin Johnston. The 6’4″, 215-pound weapon, who’s trending up as a WR1 candidate in the 2023 NFL Draft, has 22 catches for 386 yards and two scores over the last two weeks. The scary part of Johnston’s game is that he doesn’t just dominate smaller DBs at the catch point. He also dominates them on the ground, using his elite burst and agility to bolt through space as a RAC threat.
Johnston is a rare specimen, so it only makes sense that another rare mold might challenge him on the other side. Julius Brents is 6’4″ and over 200 pounds, with 34″ arms. At the very least, he offers the size to contest Johnston, but he’ll need to be on his game.
Penn State WR Parker Washington vs. Minnesota DB Terell Smith
This is quietly a fun matchup between two prospects with intriguing molds. At his current pace, Parker Washington might be a safe bet to return to school in 2024. But the 5’10”, 215-pound WR still has a notable mix of frame density, RAC ability, catching instincts, and smooth short-area athleticism.
Washington’s size can be an issue for some defenders, but Terell Smith — a 6’1″, 215-pound breakout for the Golden Gophers in 2022 — has the tools to be an eraser in all phases. He’s fluid, alert in zone, and has the length and play strength to win at contact and snuff out short passes.
Pitt DL Calijah Kancey vs. Louisville OL Trevor Reid, Caleb Chandler
Calijah Kancey‘s size has been an issue at times this season, but the Pitt defensive lineman remains an exciting 2023 NFL Draft prospect. The 6’0″, 275-pound defender has three sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss to this point. With his proportional length, explosiveness, twitch, and flexibility, he’s an alignment-versatile rusher who can pressure blockers from a number of spots.
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Against the athletic Trevor Reid and the sound, if unspectacular Caleb Chandler, Kancey will have a chance to boost his production against quality talent. Counteracting his leaner frame, especially on the interior, remains an area of exploration.
Furman TE Ryan Miller vs. VMI LB Stone Snyder
The FCS matchup to know this week is Furman TE Ryan Miller versus VMI linebacker Stone Snyder. Both of these prospects represent their teams on the 2023 NFL Draft stage.
Miller is a versatile tight end/H-Back hybrid with legitimate speed and multiphase playmaking ability, while Smart is a hyper-productive 6’3″, 240-pound linebacker with the size to wall off runners in pursuit. This game will be a true test of Snyder’s own range and versatility. Miller has the juice to be a constant threat in coverage up seams, and he can run up RAC yards with his athleticism as well.
Other Prospect Battles To Watch in Week 8
- Ohio State TE Cade Stover vs. Iowa LB Seth Benson
- Old Dominion WR Ali Jennings III vs. Georgia Southern CB Derrick Canteen
- Baylor OT Connor Galvin vs. Kansas EDGE Lonnie Phelps
- Wake Forest WR A.T. Perry vs. Boston College CB Josh DeBerry
- Northern Illinois OT Marques Cox vs. Ohio EDGE Juan Watkins
- Wisconsin C Joe Tippmann vs. Purdue DT Branson Deen
- Maryland OT Jaelyn Duncan vs. Northwestern DL Adetomiwa Adebawore
- Fresno State WR Jalen Moreno-Cropper vs. New Mexico DB Jerrick Reed II
- Vanderbilt WR Will Sheppard vs. Missouri CB Kris Abrams-Draine
- Wyoming OT Frank Crum vs. Utah State EDGE Byron Vaughns
