This weekend, the TCU Horned Frogs and Georgia Bulldogs will face off in the 2022 National Championship game. In the process, dozens of 2023 NFL Draft prospects will coalesce and compete against one another. Here are the top prospect matchups to watch in this showcase.
Prospect Matchups to Watch in the 2022 National Championship Game
TCU QB Max Duggan vs. Georgia QB Stetson Bennett
Front and center in the TCU vs. Georgia showdown is the quarterback battle. Two modern college football legends will face one another in Max Duggan and Stetson Bennett. Both were Heisman finalists this year, and both have fans on the 2023 NFL Draft circuit.
On my board, both ultimately grade out as Day 3 prospects and likely NFL backups at best. Bennett is over-aged with an average arm, while Duggan still has dire inconsistencies with his mechanics and decision-making.
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Even so, both players have selling points as well. Bennett is a very impressive athlete who can operate in structure and on timing throws. Duggan, meanwhile, is a supremely tough competitor, with the running ability to earn crucial conversions when needed.
TCU WR Quentin Johnston vs. Georgia CB Kelee Ringo
The quarterbacks always command the spotlight, but there’s a surefire first-round prospect matchup in this year’s National Championship game that deserves the brunt of the attention.
This year’s title game pits TCU wideout Quentin Johnston — the top overall receiver on PFN’s board — against Georgia’s Kelee Ringo, who’s a contender for the CB1 mantle in his own right.
This battle will truly test the maximum of each prospect’s abilities. Johnston is a rare athlete who should be able to separate from Ringo with his twitch, burst, and sink, but can he hold up against Ringo’s play strength and physicality? A big performance on the biggest stage could be groundbreaking for either player.
TCU WRs Derius Davis, Taye Barber vs. Georgia S Christopher Smith
Johnston is TCU’s top weapon in the receiving core, but he’s not the only 2023 NFL Draft prospect present. The Horned Frogs have two undersized seniors in Taye Barber and Derius Davis, both of whom could end up being draftable talents.
Barber is a better threat at the catch point with his strong hands and contortion ability. But Davis has the dynamic athleticism to make the most of space and generate big plays for his offense.
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Both receivers will face a tough test on the back end. Christopher Smith isn’t much bigger, but he’s an extremely smooth and intelligent defensive back with the versatility to both play in space and mirror Davis and Barber off of stems.
TCU OL Steve Avila, Alan Ali vs. Georgia DT Jalen Carter
Jalen Carter is playing in a National Championship game again, and onlookers couldn’t be happier. This year, without prospects like Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt, and Travon Walker alongside him, we’ll get to see Carter truly shine as the premier playmaker on the front.
That is, if the TCU offensive line doesn’t have anything to say about it. Carter will face some resistance on the interior. Alan Ali is an experienced SMU transfer at center, while Steve Avila is a powerful guard with a wide reach and venerable knock-back power in his strikes.
Carter has the explosiveness, lateral agility, natural leverage, and awesome raw power to remain disruptive in this one. But odds are, TCU will send more than one double-team from this pair in his direction. How Carter responds will be worth watching.
Georgia RB Kenny McIntosh, TE Darnell Washington vs. TCU LB Dee Winters, S Mark Perry
You’ll have to be vigilant watching this grouping, as these prospects won’t always be matched up against one another. But this is a potential eye-opening battle in waiting both in the passing game and the running game.
People know less about the TCU defenders here. Dee Winters is a high-motor, instinctive, but undersized linebacker, while Mark Perry is an underrated athlete with size, versatility, and tackling ability coming downhill.
The engine of Georgia’s offense is their rushing attack, and that’ll stress TCU in this game. Kenny McIntosh is a spry, dynamic back with solid vision, while Darnell Washington is the bulldozer who paves open lanes ahead of him.
Georgia WR Ladd McConkey vs. TCU CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson
The possibility of Ladd McConkey declaring hasn’t been discussed much to this point. But seeing that he’s playing against a stellar CB prospect in Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, a strong showing could be the accelerant needed to nudge McConkey toward the NFL.
A redshirt sophomore, McConkey is indeed draft eligible, and he was one of Georgia’s more consistent passing weapons outside of Brock Bowers this year. McConkey caught 53 passes for 674 yards and five touchdowns, using his explosiveness, throttle control, and sure hands to routinely produce.
Hodges-Tomlinson is a gnat in coverage with his own explosive athleticism, change-of-direction, and twitch, and he has the instincts and quick reaction ability to suffocate receivers. If McConkey can find space and fight through contact in this one, he’ll draw looks his way.
Georgia OTs Broderick Jones, Warren McClendon vs. TCU EDGE Dylan Horton
All eyes will be on Dylan Horton after a monster four-sack showing against the Michigan Wolverines in the first round of the College Football Playoffs. Horton is an impressive specimen, with elite testing athleticism at 6’4″, 275 pounds.
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Per Feldman’s Freaks in the summer of 2022, Horton has a 38″ vertical and a 10′ broad jump to go along with a 700-pound squat. He’s a tank, and he shows that same linear explosiveness and power on the football field.
In this game, Horton will face one of his toughest challenges yet on both sides of the line. Broderick Jones is a near-dominant blindside blocker who can overwhelm opponents with his athleticism and strength. Warren McClendon, meanwhile, brings his own power element with his width and drive.
