Week 3 of the 2022 college football season saw another dominant performance from the Georgia defense, an underwhelming showing from quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and his Miami squad in College Station, an Oregon upset of BYU and a big day from a few top 2023 NFL draft running back prospects.
We're now through three full weeks of play. What has surprised so far? Which draft prospects have growing concerns? How is the wide receiver class shaping up, and which quarterbacks with a ton of upside still have things to prove? And which position group has been more solid than previously expected?
NFL draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr., Jordan Reid and Matt Miller answer big draft-related questions coming out of the weekend's slate, including what to make of Van Dyke's outing at Texas A&M. They also pick out prospects rising up their draft boards and players currently flying under the radar who could get a draft stock boost. Finally, they empty their notebooks with everything they saw and heard over the weekend. Let's get started with a closer look at some early-seasons surprises.
Jump to:
Big questions | Risers
Under the radar
Emptying the notebook
What are you surprised about most through three weeks of the college season?
Miller: The summer hype at the wide receiver position centered around Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba and LSU's Kayshon Boutte, but neither player has put together a WR1-type performance yet this season. Smith-Njigba missed one game and has just four catches for 36 yards and zero touchdowns on the season. Even in a massive 77-21 win over Toledo, he managed just two catches. Boutte's situation is different, as LSU has struggled to pass the ball, but he has just 10 catches for 93 yards and no scores in three games.
Two top-tier receiver prospects' season-long numbers look like nothing more than a good quarter of play for USC's Jordan Addison, who has put himself in the WR1 conversation with 18 catches for 295 yards and five TDs.
Kiper: Let me add to that, because really all of the challengers for the top wideout spot -- except for Addison -- have had slow starts. I had high hopes for TCU's Quentin Johnston, but he has five catches for 44 yards through two games. Jermaine Burton, who transferred from Georgia to Alabama, has eight catches for 61 yards in three games (though he did have two scores against Utah State in Week 1). North Carolina's Josh Downs has a lower-body injury and has played in only one game. There's a long ways to go, of course, but we don't have much clarity so far.
Reid: OK, but how about the consistent play of this offensive tackle class? This isn't the 2020 or 2021 OT class, and we entered the season with a lot of questions surrounding this group. Scouts weren't quite sure if Northwestern's Peter Skoronski was a tackle or if he belonged on the interior at the next level, but he has silenced many critics so far with solid play. Ohio State's Paris Johnson Jr. started 13 games at guard last year, and without any college experience on the outside, no one know how the shift to left tackle would go this season. But he has transitioned smoothly and has the makings of an early first-round type of player with continued development.
Prospects like Georgia's Broderick Jones and Maryland's Jaelyn Duncan have also been steady through three games, and BYU's Blake Freeland keeps popping up among scouts as a player who could rise in a hurry.
What is one growing concern you have about a specific prospect through three weeks?
Reid: Alabama cornerback Eli Ricks has yet to start a game -- or play a big role -- for the Crimson Tide. The LSU transfer has 6-foot-2 size and plenty of ability as a man-to-man corner, and scouts have been monitoring the situation. He started the second half of Saturday's game against UL Monroe, but he needs to remain a starter if he is going to keep his preseason early-round draft stock intact.
After a matchup with Vanderbilt next Saturday, Alabama has a crucial stretch against ranked opponents in Arkansas, Texas A&M and Tennessee. That means multiple opportunities for Ricks to make a statement.
Kiper: Is Tyler Van Dyke ready for the NFL? Let me preface this by saying he was missing his top wide receiver (Xavier Restrepo) on Saturday, but I would not be surprised if the Miami quarterback forgoes the 2023 draft and plays another college season. He's only a third-year sophomore and was making only his 12th career start in the 17-9 loss at Texas A&M. He does not look fully comfortable in new coordinator Josh Gattis' offense.
Van Dyke has all the tools -- big arm, touch, accuracy -- but he's still raw. What I've seen through three games tells me he could use more seasoning, which could help him to be the top signal-caller in the 2024 class.
Miller: Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson came out hot to start the season with a signature win over Utah that had many talking Heisman Trophy and a potential Round 1 grade. As our friend Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast!" Richardson has struggled as a passer in his past two outings, including a 10-of-18 day with two interceptions against South Florida. His inexperience (seven games in 2021) continues to show. Through three games this year, Richardson has yet to throw a touchdown but has tossed four interceptions.
He's talented, but it's time to pump the breaks on him as a first-round quarterback prospect until more consistent accuracy is shown.
Devon Achane won't be denied as he finds pay dirt to extend the Aggies' lead.
Which prospect are you moving up your board?
Kiper: BJ Ojulari, OLB, LSU. Ojulari had 1.5 sacks in the Tigers' win over Mississippi State. He has a really impressive hesitation-step move when he's trying to get around offensive tackles, but he also does a nice job mixing up his rushes. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound edge rusher has quick and active hands and good change of direction when he finds the ball. LSU dropped him into zone coverage a few times Saturday, and his hustle away from the ball was great to see. Ojulari, the No. 4-ranked outside linebacker in my preseason rankings, has a chance to be a first-round pick next April.
Miller: Charlie Jones, WR, Purdue. The senior transfer from Iowa was unstoppable again as Purdue battled Syracuse in a fantastic game that included 42 points in the fourth quarter. Jones has made himself into quarterback Aidan O'Connell's go-to target, and it showed again Saturday with 11 catches for 188 yards and a score. Jones (6-foot, 188 pounds) has an excellent feel for space, can track deep balls and isn't afraid of contact down the field. His ability to run himself open on drag routes and how well he tracks the football over his shoulder should have NFL scouts excited to see how the rest of the season plays out. Jones was a Day 3 prospect when the season began, but he has played himself into my top 100 prospects and is continually rising.
Reid: Tyree Wilson, OLB, Texas Tech. I got to see Wilson in person on Saturday at NC State, and I was really impressed with his game. He finished with 11 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. At 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds, Wilson is still figuring out how to use the sum of his parts, but the foundation is there -- and it's the type of skill set and physical traits that we've seen NFL evaluators fall in love with in the past. I didn't have Wilson on my preseason top-25 board, but that will certainly change now. And with continued development, I wouldn't be surprised if Wilson rises into the top half of the first round.
Which under-the-radar prospect are you keeping an eye on after Week 3?
Kiper: Hunter Luepke, FB, North Dakota State. How about the Bison using Luepke as the full-time running back on Saturday against Arizona? They lost by three points, but he was terrific, with 18 carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns, plus three catches for 65 yards and another score. The 6-foot-1, 236-pound Luepke is a battering ram who should remind NFL offensive coordinators of the super-versatile Kyle Juszczyk. He could be used in a variety of ways at the next level, and he might even end up a third- or fourth-round pick.
Reid: Sedrick Van Pran, C, Georgia. It's hard to call anyone who plays for the reigning national champs an under-the-radar prospect, but Van Pran hasn't been talked about enough this season. During the Bulldogs' first game of the season against Oregon, he showed plenty of strength and awareness. Then his instincts showed up against South Carolina, as he often pointed his other four counterparts in the right direction with protections. At 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds, he's a stout interior blocker and and covers up defenders rather than overpowering them. He could be in the Day 2 range and has the makings of one of the top center prospects in the class.
Miller: Drew Sanders, OLB, Arkansas. He continues to stand out on a weekly basis, showcasing sideline-to-sideline range and making plays in the backfield. Sanders is a transfer from Alabama, so maybe it's unfair to call him an under-the-radar prospect, but he has become the leader of the Arkansas defense with safety Jalen Catalon lost for the year. Against Missouri State on Saturday, he showed up big when Arkansas was down 17-0 to end the first quarter, posting 2.5 sacks and 12 tackles and helping the Razorbacks climb back to a 38-27 win. The 6-foot-5, 232-pound junior has all the tools to be a future NFL starter, and he's playing like a Day 2 prospect right now.
Let's empty the notebooks ...
Miller It's officially time to worry about the interceptions from Kentucky's Will Levis. I'm a big fan of his potential, and there was hope this summer that he would cut down on the interceptions that plagued his 2021 tape (13). But through three games this year, it's starting to look like that risk-taking mentality is just part of Levis' game, as he has thrown four picks (at least one in every game) to six touchdowns. He has a fantastic arm and can hit pockets and windows that most quarterbacks can't -- but that leads him to challenge defenders when he shouldn't force it. He has to learn some caution to be considered the franchise QB prospect many believe he can become.
Reid: Texas' Bijan Robinson and Alabama's Jahmyr Gibbs are getting a lot of notoriety in this running back class, but Zach Evans of Ole Miss is playing very well this season, too. With 317 rushing yards and three touchdowns in three games, the TCU transfer is announcing his presence in a loaded group. Evans is a strong runner and a natural tackler-breaker. Against Georgia Tech, he ran 18 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns. And he's looking like an early Day 2 selection.
Kiper: When I discuss the value of running backs on Days 2 and 3 of the draft, it's guys like UAB's DeWayne McBride who jump out to me. McBride is a north-south runner and tremendous tackle-breaker who runs through contact. He had 28 carries for 223 yards and four touchdowns against Georgia Southern on Saturday, and he had 177 rushing yards in his only other game. The Blazers don't use him in the receiving game, but his ability between the tackles makes him a potential early Day 3 pick.
Miller: I have another early Day 3 running back for you. While Addison and quarterback Caleb Williams continue to steal the show for USC, I want to point out the tremendous play of senior Travis Dye. A transfer from Oregon who rushed for more than 1,200 yards last year, Dye has been fantastic as an all-around threat for the Trojans. On Saturday against Fresno State, he went off for 102 yards on 11 carries while adding another 36 on three catches. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound back has put together back-to-back 100-yard games and looks like a difference-maker in the backfield.
Reid: OK, one more RB here. Texas A&M's Devon Achane had one of the better performances of his career on a national stage against Miami. The word "versatility" will be at the top of his scouting report, and he showed it against the Hurricanes' defense. Achane finished with 88 rushing yards, 42 receiving yards and a touchdown. His shiftiness and comfort to play from multiple spots will make him an appealing player in a backfield committee at the next level. He could get drafted in the third or fourth round.
Kiper: Matt mentioned Purdue earlier, so let me highlight tight end Payne Durham, who had a stellar game against Syracuse. He caught nine passes for 83 yards and two scores. He had just four catches in the Boilermakers' first two games, but he showed Saturday why he's likely to be a top-10 tight end in the 2023 class. Durham played only one year of high school football -- he played lacrosse instead -- but the 6-foot-5, 255-pounder had a few impressive games last season and looked even better in Week 3.
Reid: Georgia tight end Darnell Washington caught my eye this weekend against South Carolina. The Bulldogs' tight end room is arguably one of the best college football has ever seen, led by All-American Brock Bowers, but Washington has also thrived after settling into the TE2 role. It isn't hard to find the 6-foot-7, 270-pounder, and he does a lot of the dirty work that often goes unnoticed. Washington's receiving numbers (five catches for 81 yards in three games) probably won't ever be eye-popping, but his sustainability as a blocker at the point of attack and ability to tack on yards after the catch make him unique at that size. He's likely a Day 2 guy.
Miller: Another talented Georgia tight end, Arik Gilbert didn't travel with the team to South Carolina and has yet to register an impact with his new team. A former five-star recruit, he has spent time at LSU and Florida prior to the 2022 season and entered the year with high hopes despite being part of the deepest tight end room in college football history. Gilbert has flashed fantastic potential but hasn't registered a catch this season -- or since the end of the 2020 season.