Georgia vs. TCU: 11 finest NFL prospects in Nationwide Championship sport

Jim Nagy is a former NFL scout and the present director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl. He makes the case yearly that the draft begins in Cellular, with the Senior Bowl because the kickoff to draft season.

Nonetheless, in some ways the Nationwide Championship Recreation is the kickoff occasion to draft season. With the NFL season drawing to a detailed on Sunday, 18 groups now flip their focus and a spotlight to the draft.

As do their followers.

If that sounds such as you, then these are the gamers you wish to watch tonight.

Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia

We start with probably the greatest defensive prospects in all of faculty soccer. For the second 12 months in a row, the Bulldogs have a stout protection with a pressure on the inside of their defensive position in Jalen Carter, an imposing defensive sort out with the energy and consciousness to play in a two-gap function on the subsequent stage.

Carter has been restricted at occasions with ankle and MCL accidents, however can nonetheless punish offenses within the run sport and penetrate on the inside when the opposing quarterback drops again to go. Simply watch as he beats Ohio State’s middle with a fast swim transfer, forcing C.J. Stroud to bail the pocket:

Oh, and he additionally did this within the SEC Championship Recreation:

There’s a strong probability that Carter is the primary defensive participant taken this spring.

Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

Not like latest years, when the broad receiver place was one of many strengths of every draft class, the WR group for the 2023 NFL Draft appears a bit skinny. However Quentin Johnston from TCU has the potential to be the primary receiver off the board this spring. Johnston matches the mould of a prototypical X receiver, with the dimensions and ball expertise to win within the vertical passing sport.

Nonetheless, don’t sleep on what he can do beneath, in addition to after the catch. He turned in one of many largest performs of the sport in opposition to Michigan by taking a shallow crossing path to the home:

The place he really stands out is, as famous, within the downfield passing sport. On this play in opposition to Kansas State Johnston gives an ideal instance of getting open on the 9 route, and stacking the cornerback on the catch level:

Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia

Maybe the very best particular person matchup to observe tonight will come when the Horned Frogs have the soccer. Kelee Ringo squaring off with Johnston in man protection conditions is one thing we may see subsequent fall on an NFL Sunday.

Ringo is large for a cornerback, listed at 6’2”, however he strikes very nicely for a participant of that dimension, with good change-of-direction expertise. In accordance with charting knowledge from Professional Soccer Focus, he has compelled 11 incompletions this season, and allowed simply 53.3% of passes thrown in his course to be caught.

When TCU has the soccer, there’s a lot to observe, together with Jalen Carter on the within. But when and once we get the Johnston vs. Ringo matchups, be certain to concentrate.

Max Duggan, QB, TCU

Quarterbacks are at all times a part of the draft dialogue, and with this offseason having the potential to see a ton of QB motion, groups will probably be doing their work on each arm within the draft class.

Max Duggan’s rise from backup quarterback at the beginning of the 12 months to Heisman Finalist is definitely of be aware, and if he caps off a magical season with a nationwide championship, his stand up draft boards will definitely proceed. If present mock drafts are any indication, Duggan performed himself into the center rounds in the course of the fall, and is at the moment thought-about a late-round choose.

Nonetheless, Duggan checks the intangible bins that NFL groups covet on the place, along with his aggressive toughness and management qualities standing out over the course of his total faculty profession. You simply know that he’ll stroll right into a convention room on the Mix in Indianapolis and go away groups impressed.

If he provides a title to that tonight?

Stetson Bennett IV, QB, Georgia

Photograph by Todd Kirkland/Getty Photographs

Then there’s the opposite quarterback on this sport, Georgia’s Stetson Bennett. Like Duggan, Bennett confronted some adversity over the course of his faculty profession, and even stared down questions a 12 months in the past whether or not he ought to be below middle for the Bulldogs within the playoffs.

Now? Bennett was additionally a Heisman Finalist, and is on the cusp of changing into the primary quarterback within the School Soccer Playoff period to win back-to-back titles. He may not have the very best arm within the faculty sport. Different quarterbacks are definitely extra athletic. He has the advantage of taking part in with a ton of expertise round him, and with probably the greatest defenses in faculty soccer. He’s on the older aspect of the prospect scale, as that is his sixth season of faculty soccer and he’s 25 years previous. Bennett is simply ten months youthful than Joe Burrow, who performed within the Tremendous Bowl a season in the past.

These are definitely a variety of questions. But when he walks into an interview room in Indianapolis sporting a pair of title rings, that’s going to hold some weight with NFL groups. Most likely not sufficient to see him come off the board till in a while the third day of the draft, however one thing tells me he hears his identify referred to as.

Kendre Miller, RB, TCU

Kendre Miller is a query mark heading into the Nationwide Championship sport, as he’s coping with a knee harm. However when he’s on the sector, Miller is an issue for opposing defenses. Miller is a bodily ball-carrier who provides TCU yardage after contact, however he additionally has nice imaginative and prescient and footwork for the place. On this run in opposition to Kansas State, you may see him put these traits to make use of:

As NFL offenses alter, and maybe lean into the operating sport extra, Miller is perhaps getting into the NFL on the actual proper second.

Nonetheless, the passing sport stays king, which leads us to …

Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia

With the departure of each Zamir White and James Cook dinner to the NFL, Kenny McIntosh took on a much bigger function within the Bulldogs’ backfield this season. McIntosh led Georgia in dashing makes an attempt (141), dashing yards (77) and dashing touchdowns (10).

Nonetheless, what may play a job on Monday night time — and a good larger function on the subsequent stage — is what McIntosh did out of the backfield as a receiver. He was third on Georgia with 42 receptions, gaining 506 yards and scoring twice as a receiver. These numbers gave him 1,285 yards from scrimmage, most on the Bulldogs and fifth within the SEC.

Performs like this make him value watching tonight:

McIntosh runs proper by the linebacker in protection, getting open on the vertical route after which making an ideal adjustment to the throw from Bennett. The NFL is about matchups, and McIntosh may very well be the subsequent matchup weapon out of the backfield for an NFL offense.

Chris Smith, S, Georgia

Security Chris Smith is among the most versatile defenders on the vaunted Georgia protection with the flexibility to line up in quite a few spots, together with on the again finish, within the slot, and as a field defender. Since carving out a outstanding function for the Bulldogs in 2020, the previous four-star recruit as proven nice instincts and a excessive soccer IQ with six interceptions and 10 go breakups over the previous two seasons.

At 5’11 and 190 kilos, he’s not essentially the most physically-gifted participant for Georgia however his willingness to combine it up within the run sport and sniff out ball carriers will trigger some scouts to miss any bodily shortcomings for a man who can fill quite a few roles on an NFL protection.

Within the pair of clips under, you may see Smith operating the alley in opposition to two exterior runs from Vanderbilt and Oregon. Smith wastes little time studying and reacting to the play earlier than completely executing the inside-out pursuit angle into the within hip of the operating backs. These are textbook monitoring expertise that any variety of skilled groups could be comfortable so as to add to their unit.

Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, CB, TCU

TCU cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson may not have superb dimension and size for the NFL, however what he lacks in that division he greater than makes up for along with his play. Hodges-Tomlinson is a troublesome defender on the catch level, with 18 compelled incompletions on the season in accordance with charting knowledge from Professional Soccer Focus. He was credited with 14 passes defended this season, which was the most within the Large 12, and ninth within the nation.

He additionally has nice consciousness for the place. Take this play in opposition to Oklahoma, the place he peels off his preliminary accountability to rally downhill and make a sort out in area:

As a consequence of his dimension, Hodges-Tomlinson doubtless finds a job inside on the subsequent stage, as a slot cornerback. However his instincts and ball expertise give him the potential to be an excellent defender within the NFL.

Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia

There’s already a variety of buzz about Georgia tight finish Blake Bowers, and his NFL future.

However Bowers is just not eligible till subsequent season.

Darnell Washington, nonetheless, may determine to enter the 2023 NFL Draft. If he does, NFL scouts might need a tough time passing on a participant along with his mixture of dimension, velocity, and physicality. Washington is listed at 6’7”, which makes him a possible pink zone nightmare on the subsequent stage. In Georgia’s run-heavy offense, Washington has displayed the flexibility to be a pressure as an in-line blocker within the NFL.

These two performs in opposition to Oregon from earlier within the season spotlight simply what he brings to the desk. First you may see him in area as a lead blocker, after which you may see him after the catch shrugging off one defender, and hurdling one other, for an enormous acquire:

You simply know an NFL staff — or a number of groups — are going to like the potential.

Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

Solely a redshirt sophomore, it isn’t a lock that Broderick Jones decides to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft. If he does, nonetheless, a staff will get a possible beginning left sort out after they flip in a card along with his identify on it.

This was Jones’s first season as a full-time contributor for the Bulldogs, and he dealt with the left aspect of Georgia’s offensive line nicely. He has the dimensions and athleticism that groups search for on the place, however there’s some work to do from a way standpoint. These three performs in opposition to Ohio State spotlight his athleticism, in addition to his potential:

Groups have been prepared to draft linemen within the first spherical who want refinement, as simply final season the Dallas Cowboys drafted Tyler Smith within the first spherical, one other athletic however uncooked prospect on the place. Jones’s athleticism, body, and potential is perhaps an excessive amount of for a staff to go up.

Offered, after all, that he declares.