Week 4 of the college football season is now behind us, but plenty more speculation remains ahead. Looking back at the Week 4 slate, which 2023 NFL Draft prospects did the most to elevate their stock? When you’re done reading, see where these prospects and others rank in the PFN Mock Draft Simulator.
Week 4 2023 NFL Draft Risers
Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
Week 4 was a tough environment for Hendon Hooker. Sure, it was at home, but Hooker was facing off against a talented Florida team without his top target in Cedric Tillman. How did Hooker respond? By completing 22 of 28 passes for 349 yards and two scores while adding 112 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
There will still be questions about Hooker’s age and how his offense translates, but the Volunteers QB showed a lot of good things in Week 4 — namely athleticism, creation capacity, toughness, and adaptability in high-pressure moments.
Jaren Hall, QB, BYU
Jaren Hall is another QB prospect who may test our perception of overaged players in the 2023 cycle. Like Hooker, Hall will be a 25-year-old rookie in 2023. But also, like Hooker, Hall has played incredibly well this year and was surgical in his team’s victory over Wyoming in Week 4.
Hall completed 26 of 32 passes for 337 yards and four touchdowns. Accuracy was a common theme for Hall, who placed passes with proficiency, especially on back-shoulder opportunities. That situational awareness and precision, along with his athleticism, is something that may earn Hall more fans down the line.
Israel Abanikanda, RB, Pittsburgh
Listed as one of our breakout candidates at the running back position in the summer, Israel Abanikanda has taken his opportunity with the Pittsburgh Panthers and ran with it — both literally and figuratively.
Abanikanda has followed up an uninspiring season-opener against West Virginia with three straight 100-yard outings, a streak which culminated in a 19-carry, 177-yard, four-touchdown outing this past weekend.
He had a lot of help from his blockers, but at 5’11”, 215 pounds, Abanikanda has the explosiveness and long-strider speed to hit his lanes and get upfield instantly. And when faced with contact, he can churn through.
Ali Jennings III, WR, Old Dominion
Rashee Rice and Charlie Jones — two of the most prestigious risers in the 2023 NFL Draft WR class — are first and third in the nation in receiving yards, respectively. Who comes between them, you ask?
It’s Old Dominion WR Ali Jennings III — a West Virginia transfer who’s been on an absolute tear to start the year. Jennings has 24 catches for 559 yards and five scores through four games — averaging 23.3 yards per catch.
He’s a smooth athlete with solid size at 6’2″, 196 pounds, but his pure catching instincts in the deep third make him such a reliable big-play threat. He’s still a sleeper, and that needs to change.
Sam Pinckney, WR, Coastal Carolina
Two years ago, as a member of the Georgia State Panthers, Sam Pinckney caught 47 passes for 815 yards and seven touchdowns. This year, with Coastal Carolina, Pinckney caught seven catches for 77 yards against his former team, providing a constant chain-moving threat on the boundary.
It wasn’t a highlight-reel performance, but Pinckney’s size clearly helps him in multiple phases. At 6’4″, 215 pounds, he plays strong after the catch, and he can also corral tough middle-of-field throws amidst contact.
Cade Stover, TE, Ohio State
Last year, Jeremy Ruckert was the Ohio State TE who steadily rose throughout the draft process. This year, it might be Cade Stover. Stover, a fourth-year player, may have set in motion his ascension with a four-catch, 51-yard, two-touchdown performance against Wisconsin.
This comes after an 83-yard outing against Toledo. At 6’4″, 255 pounds, Stover has size and length, and he can convert in the red zone as well as up the seam. But he’s also a tenacious blocker and provides value on all three downs.
Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma
In the scouting community, all eyes were on Anton Harrison to see how he’d handle Kansas State edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah on Saturday night. Oklahoma ended up losing the game, but Harrison was a big winner as it relates to the draft.
As the Sooners sought to keep up with the Wildcats through the evening, Harrison was dominant on the left side of the line. He won the majority of his reps against Anudike-Uzomah in pass protection and was on the prowl out in space as a run blocker.
At this point, Harrison has the high-end tools and comparable execution to be an early-round 2023 NFL Draft prospect.
McClendon Curtis, G, Chattanooga
The Mocs may have been steamrolled 31-0 by Illinois, but offensive guard McClendon Curtis showed a lot of promise in a valuable Power Five matchup. Curtis — who blocked opposite eventual first-round pick Cole Strange in 2021 — has taken the spotlight as Chattanooga’s top 2023 NFL Draft prospect this cycle.
At 6’6″, 330 pounds, with massive levers for arms, he’s a dominating spectacle. He can still work to more consistently finish blocks, but he gave the Illini trouble with his power output and raw strength on Thursday.
Kingsley Eguakun, C, Florida
The Gators weren’t able to come out on top against Tennessee, and a tenacious Volunteers pass rush did help make Anthony Richardson uncomfortable late. But watching the tape, one particular Florida lineman was very steady throughout the game and was a big reason why the offense was able to stay in it.
Center Kingsley Eguakun may be a bit undersized at 6’3″, 301 pounds, but the redshirt junior was largely effective in both phases on Saturday. His lighter frame can be pushed around at times, but Eguakun is incredibly athletic both off the line and in space, and his active help mentality saved Richardson from loopers more than once.
Isaiah McGuire, EDGE, Missouri
Don’t look now, but Missouri edge rusher Isaiah McGuire is already up to three sacks on the year, and it doesn’t look like his production is slowing down any time soon. Against Auburn, McGuire notched his third sack, a strip-sack that forced a fumble.
The sack was a work of art — a double-swipe, rip combo in which McGuire got off the line quick, surged around the apex with ankle flexion, and rocketed into the QB.
For my money, McGuire is one of the most underrated EDGE prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. At 6’4″, 271 pounds, he has awesome size and length. But he’s also explosive, reasonably flexible, and a high-motor defender.
Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC
The USC defense has been a surprisingly stout unit so far this year, and there are players to thank at every level. Contributors like Tuli Tuipulotu, Solomon Byrd, and Eric Gentry help shore up the first two levels, but Colorado transfer Mekhi Blackmon has been an excellent addition on the back end.
In a close game against Oregon State, Blackmon had a crucial interception against a driving Beavers team. He gathered his man in space, stuck to his hip pocket across the field, and essentially became the receiver as he tracked the ball downfield. With four picks and 13 deflections since 2020, he’s proven he can generate momentum-shifting plays.
Jartavius Martin, CB, Illinois
Devon Witherspoon gets a lot of the love in Illinois’ secondary, and deservedly so. He’s a draft-worthy talent who’s been productive in all phases this year. But across the unit, Jartavius Martin is another prospect who’s quietly putting together a very good season.
Through four weeks, he has six deflections and an interception, which he earned on Thursday night against Chattanooga, using his ball-tracking ability and smooth body control to high-point and convert. Between Martin and Witherspoon, Illinois has playmakers in the secondary.
