Monday night’s matchup between the No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs and the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs will pit college football’s remaining two teams against each other with a national championship on the line. But college football fans aren’t the only ones with a stake in the game.
The 2022 season finale will also provide a stage for a handful of prospects capable of having an impact in the NFL. In the past, the national championship game has been the backdrop for future Sunday stars like Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Patrick Surtain and Jalen Hurts. In the past five years, 130 of the 220 starters across these title games have heard their names called at the NFL Draft.
2023 will provide more pro fodder, even despite the relative lack of blue chip recruits in TCU’s lineup. Here are the names worth watching with a natty on the line if you’re interested in following the next generation of NFL talent.
Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia
Carter is big, versatile and has the potential to be a JJ Watt- or Aaron Donald-style disruptor in the NFL. That’s high praise, but the kind you’d expect for a projected top-3 pick. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound lineman can win with power or quickness and is brutally effective against the run or rushing the passer. He had 26 quarterback pressures in 2022.
Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
Johnston has been the engine behind the Horned Frogs’ passing offense thanks to his ability to create separation in coverage and dust defenders after the catch. He’s big (6-foot-4), quick (19.2 yards per catch in his TCU career) and has the reliable hands to be an NFL quarterback’s huckleberry on third down. His gutsy 2022 has shown he’s not only capable of playing through pain, but thriving.
Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
Ringo was on the unfortunate side of Marvin Harrison Jr.’s Peach Bowl highlight reel but remains one of 2023’s top defensive back prospects. Concerns about his ability to press the NFL’s top wideouts will follow him to draft day, but he’s productive in zone schemes and able to track receivers along the sideline or in the slot. He’s got desirable size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds), instinctive ball skills and the athletic chops to put on a show at the 2023 Scouting Combine and cement his place as a top-3 corner.
Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
Jones looks like a prototypical NFL left tackle thanks to a sturdy frame and long, powerful arms. He uses that to keep edge rushers at bay and has the lateral speed to keep from getting torched along the outside, even against some of the SEC’s elite linebackers. His presence has allowed the Bulldog offense to thrive — and could make him a first round pick come April.
Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
Washington isn’t a draft prospect because he’s a prolific receiver; playing alongside projected 2024 first-round pick Brock Bowers at tight end has stunted his impact in the Georgia passing game. But Washington is a 6-foot-7, 270-pound beast who can clear space at the line of scrimmage or escape upfield to provide a massive target. He’s obscenity-inducingly tough to bring down once he has the ball; his 15.8 yards per catch leads all Bulldog regulars. However, his impact in the national championship game may be limited by a lower body injury suffered in the Peach Bowl.
Stetson Bennett, QB, Georgia and Max Duggan, QB, TCU
Bennett and Duggan have each been instrumental to their teams’ success. Bennett’s accuracy has turned him from walk-on to unquestioned starter for a national champion. Duggan wasn’t even the Horned Frogs’ starting quarterback to begin 2022 but has emerged as a defense-gashing dual-threat player who is tougher than a three-dollar steak.
However, neither player has much cache among draft prognosticators. Bennett’s relative lack of size, athleticism and arm strength have soured scouts on his ability to play on Sundays. Duggan’s production is overshadowed by his processing, willingness to lob shots into danger and penchant for absorbing way more hits than coaches would like to see.
As a result, it would be surprising to see either drafted before the third day of the 2023 NFL Draft and possibly at all. But each should get an invite to the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine, where they’ll have the chance to state their cases to franchise decision makers on and off the practice field.
Honorable mention: Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia
Smith hasn’t played since October 29 because of a torn pectoral muscle and will be sidelined for the national championship game. Despite this, he’s a potential Day 1 selection thanks to his athleticism and collegiate production in the middle of the Bulldogs’ stacked defense. Smith is a bit lean for an NFL defender, but he’s flexible, fast and capable in coverage — all of which should make him a tempting pick among the second tier of edge rushers this spring.
