College football is in full swing, and after Week 2, we have another batch of 2023 NFL Draft risers to review. Who stood out in the Florida-Kentucky matchup? Which prospects made the biggest difference in Alabama’s close win over Texas? Here’s a look.
Week 2 2023 NFL Draft Risers
Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
In its truest sense, Bryce Young is not a riser — because he’s already in the conversation to be the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. But Young, unlike other candidates like C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson, will face constant questions regarding his size. His performance against Texas could serve as a crucial counter-argument down the line.
Despite being battered from pressure and having little help from his receivers, Young used his creation capacity, instincts, and it-factor to will the Crimson Tide to a win. It was a performance that will win over general managers and suffocate seeds of doubt.
Evan Hull, RB, Northwestern
If you’re a running back who can provide consistent three-down value, you’ve essentially booked a ticket to the NFL. Evan Hull proved himself to be capable in such a way last Saturday. Against Duke, the Wildcats’ star not only ran for 65 yards and a touchdown but also amassed a whopping 213 receiving yards and a score on 14 catches.
The 5’11”, 210-pound back was a very effective screen receiver and outlet option but also ran routes out of the slot at times, showing natural suddenness and hip sink at stems. The tape backs up Hull’s production as a receiving threat and should vault him up the board.
Charlie Jones, WR, Purdue
Iowa’s usage of Charlie Jones may go down as one of the coaching staff’s most drastic misallocations of talent. Sure, Jones was a stud return specialist for the Hawkeyes, but in the hands of Purdue’s Jeff Brohm, Jones has morphed into a dominant receiving threat on the collegiate stage.
In just two games with the Boilermakers, Jones has almost surpassed career highs in receiving from Iowa, with 21 catches for 286 yards and four touchdowns. At 6’0″, 188 pounds, he’s a natural separator with fast feet and ample burst off the line, and he’s incredibly smooth tracking the ball over his shoulder once he stacks defensive backs.
Antwane Wells Jr., WR, South Carolina
Many in the NFL Draft community already knew who Antwane Wells Jr. was entering the 2022 season. At James Madison in 2021, Wells was an effusive producer, amassing 1,250 yards and 15 touchdowns on 83 catches.
On Saturday, he announced himself to the national crowd as a member of the South Carolina Gamecocks, putting up eight catches for 189 yards and a touchdown in a breakout performance. Wells has size and speed at 6’1″, 207 pounds, and also boasted a physical element at and after the catch against Arkansas.
Blake Freeland, OT, BYU
It wasn’t a perfect day for Blake Freeland, but nobody expected perfection against a talented Baylor defensive line. More than anything, onlookers wanted Freeland to compete and hold his own, and he did exactly that.
Often drawing TJ Franklin, a defensive end with impressive strength and power, the leaner Freeland performed admirably. He locked out, replaced his hands well in pass protection, and used his athleticism to stack blocks upfield in the ground game. Leverage can still be an issue at times, but Freeland put a lot of good things on tape against a high-level opponent.
Ricky Stromberg, C, Arkansas
A big reason Arkansas came out on top against South Carolina was because of their play in the trenches. Raheim Sanders had a lot of running room all day, and lanes were also paved in short-yardage situations. At the center of it all was, appropriately, the center — Ricky Stromberg.
Stromberg has been a steady blocker for his entire starting career at Arkansas, and Saturday was just an extension of that. He’s a strong, well-leveraged blocker at 6’4″, 313 pounds. And in a deep center class, he gave a needed boost to his résumé in Week 2.
Tyler Lacy, DT, Oklahoma State
Arizona State couldn’t find a rhythm on offense against Oklahoma State. One of the top culprits? The Cowboys’ defensive stalwart Tyler Lacy. The 6’4″, 295-pound defensive lineman was a constant disruptor, especially when going up against the center and the right guard.
He’s not quite an elite athlete, but he has enough get-off to build momentum into contact. And with his raw strength, leverage acquisition, and hot motor, Lacy can drill holes in the opponent’s blocking scheme. He had a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss and is on pace to be one of the most productive defensive linemen in college football — again.
Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE, Kansas State
In a stacked 2023 NFL Draft EDGE class, some people may need more persuasion when including Kansas State’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah in the first-round conversation. Show them Anudike-Uzomah’s Missouri tape to quell their concerns.
Though Anudike-Uzomah only had a half-sack on the stat sheet, he was an absolute menace for the left tackle, consistently generating pressure and making the QB uncomfortable. Particularly at the end of the first half, the 6’4″, 255-pound pass rusher had a dominant three-play sequence, winning with long-arms, bull-rushes, rips, and swims in rapid succession.
Brenton Cox Jr., EDGE, Florida
Much like Anudike-Uzomah, the stat line won’t be complimentary for Brenton Cox Jr. But make no mistake — Cox was a constant factor on the defensive line for the Gators. Cox needed to show up in a big game, and he did that against Kentucky.
From the first drive onward, he played with his ears pinned back, both in run defense and as a pass rusher. He blasted his blocker back more than once with ruthless power exertions, compressing the pocket. And once in pursuit, he forced multiple incompletions with tight pressure on the QB.
Carrington Valentine, CB, Kentucky
Despite the clash of Anthony Richardson and Will Levis, the Kentucky-Florida battle was largely a defensive struggle. And in that setting, Kentucky cornerback Carrington Valentine shined. Credited with three pass deflections while fielding lasers from Richardson, Carrington was a stifling coverage defender against the Gators.
At 6’0″, 194 pounds, he has excellent proportional length, but his fast feet and physicality proved to be a suffocating combination. A fourth-down stop in the fourth quarter stood out, where Carrington clamped his man the whole way, ran the receiver’s route for him, and perfectly timed a deflection.
Cory Trice, CB, Purdue
A season-ending injury prevented Cory Trice from making noise last year. But the 6’3″, 210-pound cornerback has returned in emphatic fashion for the Boilermakers’ defense. The stats — a tackle for loss and a deflection through two games — don’t do justice to the impact he’s had on the boundary thus far. Trice has been lockdown with his size and athleticism.
He’s a very fluid cover man for his size and is someone who can quickly flip upfield and run with receivers. At the catch point, his length, physicality, and timing mix incredibly well, and he’s also an asset in run support. He’s a massive riser candidate entering Big Ten play.
Micah Abraham and Steven Gilmore, CBs, Marshall
I’ll cheat here and put two 2023 NFL Draft prospects under this header because they deserve mention. Micah Abraham and Steven Gilmore- the latter being the younger brother of former NFL All-Pro Stephon Gilmore- played a significant role in Marshall’s upset against top-ten ranked Notre Dame.
Both players had an interception and used their closing speed and quick recognition to jump those passes. Abraham is longer, with enticing corrective twitch and body control as a playmaker. But Gilmore has an appealing skill set with his fast feet, disciplined technique, and burst upfield.
