Picture this: It's a Saturday morning, there's a breeze in the air and College GameDay is on your television. Lee Corso is about to make his final pick of the day and you're wondering which 2023 NFL prospects you can catch during the slate of games.
While it's still blistering hot outside and we can only dream of seeing Corso on our TVs in another few weeks, it's still the perfect time to acquaint ourselves with the upcoming class of players. This handy list is a great starting point.
Let's break down the top draft-eligible prospect for every Power 5 team, all 65 programs, from Alabama to Utah, with the one player you'll want to follow throughout the season based on conversations with NFL scouts and our own evaluations.
The household names such as Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud are listed, but have you heard of Tyree Wilson (Texas Tech) and Brett Johnson (California)? They're prospects NFL scouts believe can be top 10 picks. Print it, bookmark it or save it — this is a piece you'll want to reference throughout the season.
The 2022 season is set to be a dynamic one with 11 quarterbacks making our list of the best prospects, a massive improvement over the 2022 draft which saw only nine passers drafted. It's also a year in which the first-round running back might return with Bijan Robinson (Texas) and Zach Evans (Ole Miss) leading their teams.
So where do we start? Here's our conference-by-conference look at the best prospects for every program, sorted alphabetically. We're including Notre Dame in the ACC here, even though it's still considered independent but plays five ACC schools this season:
Boston College Eagles
Wide receiver Zay Flowers
Class: Senior
Flowers is one of the most prolific deep threats in college football. A legitimate All-ACC candidate, he has the vertical speed NFL teams love. Some might expect to see quarterback Phil Jurkovec here, but Flowers is a potential top-75 pick.
Clemson Tigers
Linebacker Trenton Simpson
Class: Junior
Simpson is a rare find in terms of physical traits at the linebacker position and is one of the most impressive overall players in the nation. With legitimate ability as a pass-rusher, run-stopper and cover man, he has Round 1 talent and potential.
Duke Blue Devils
Defensive end R.J. Oben
Class: Fourth-year junior
Oben, a potential breakout player to watch this season, has the first-step quickness to stun pass-protectors and the size (6-foot-4, 255 pounds) to turn heads of scouts. With five sacks and three forced fumbles last season, he has shown NFL potential and enters the year with an early Day 3 grade.
Florida State Seminoles
Safety Akeem Dent
Class: Fourth-year junior
A thumping strong safety prospect, Dent gets the edge over offensive tackle Robert Scott for the team's top spot. Dent had 44 tackles last year and has shown an eye for the ball with four pass breakups. He's a potential Day 3 pick with room to rise up the board.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Linebacker Charlie Thomas
Class: Senior
Thomas is undersized (6-foot-2, 212 pounds), but he is as good as any ACC off-ball linebacker at diagnosing the play and impacting the field on all three downs. He had 131 tackles and five sacks last season. He's graded as an early Day 3 prospect.