The arrival of the College Football Playoffs allows fans to watch not only four of the best teams clash but the top players as well.
In the first game at 1:00 p.m. PT, the Michigan Wolverines will take on the TCU Horned Frogs in the Fiesta Bowl.
Plenty of NFL evaluators, including the Los Angeles Chargers, will have these players that are going to be in the 2023 NFL draft under the microscope today.
With that, here are a few players that could be in the blue and gold when next April rolls around.
WR Quentin Johnston, TCU
The Chargers need to bring an explosive element to the offense next offseason, which Johnston can supply.
At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Johnston possesses excellent size and long arms, which he uses to outmuscle cornerbacks. He has great speed to win vertically and to break away from defenders in the open field. Additionally, his athleticism allows him to gain separation on different kinds of routes.
Emerging as one of the top receivers in college football, Johnston finished with 53 receptions for 903 yards and five touchdowns this season en route to earning First-Team All Big-12.
CB Tre'vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
As long as Brandon Staley is the head coach, he will always be looking to upgrade the secondary. Well, what better way to add someone whose relative is a Charger great? Hodges-Tomlinson is the nephew of LaDainian Tomlinson.
While undersized at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, Hodges-Tomlinson, makes up for it with speed, a scrappy temperament, explosiveness, and ball skills. He has all the makings to be a good slot corner at the next level.
Hodges-Tomlinson was this year’s Jim Thorpe Award winner, and earned First-Team All-Big 12 and First-Team AP All-Big 12 in 2020 and 2021. Through 36 games, he racked up 116 tackles, four tackles for loss, five interceptions, 32 passes defended, and three forced fumbles.
LB Dee Winters, TCU
With Drue Tranquill set to be a free agent, the Chargers could look to address the linebacker position this offseason.
Winters is a tackling machine with outstanding range and speed. A 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds, Winters leads the team in tackles for loss (11.5), sacks (7.5), and quarterback hurries (seven). He also has 232 career tackles, the most among current Horned Frogs.
This season, he earned all-Big 12 first-team honors.
EDGE Mike Morris, Michigan
Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack’s time on the field in their first year together was short-lived. Since Bosa was out, the production from the edge defender group has been abysmal outside Mack until recently. With Bosa’s durability concerns and Mack aging, the Chargers must address the position.
At 6-foot-3 and 292 pounds, Morris has immense upper-body strength, which he uses to bully offensive tackles into the backfield and set firm edges. While he isn’t the most athletic player at the position, he shows good timing and angles to beat some offensive tackles off the edge.
TE Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan
The Chargers could be looking to add the tight end position, with Donald Parham’s durability concerns looming and Tre’ McKitty’s underwhelming play this season.
Schoonmaker, the 6-foot-6 tight end, emerged as one of Michigan’s top pass-catchers this season, hauling 34 catches for 386 yards and three scores, despite missing two games.
A complete player at the position, Schoonmaker can play in line, he can play the slot, he can run past linebackers, and he can block edge defenders at a high level.
