While the 2023 NFL Draft is still far off in the distance, players who will be drafted early are on the field now. Each week presents unique matchups for draft prospects and this week is no different. Here are NFL Draft prospects to watch in college football week 1 recap.
Related: NFL Draft Prospects to Watch in College Football Week 1
Utah was able to win their season opener at home against Florida handily, winning 24-11. Their defense stifled Florida, which allowed their offense, led by a backup quarterback, to do enough to win the game. Bishop had a monster game on defense, as he finished with 11 total tackles, one sack and one tackle for loss.
In the game against Florida, Bishop was all over the field, showing his good pursuit. He also showed some versatility, picking up his sack on a bitz. It will be interesting to see what Bishop does against some of the more pass-heavy teams in the Pac-12 this season. He will have plenty of more chances to improve his stock throughout the season.
West Virginia played Penn State tough for most of the game, but ended up losing 38-15. The Mountaineers were able to move the ball at a decent rate, which is a result of their offensive line holding up well. Frazier led the line and specifically helped the Mountaineers move the ball on the ground decently.
His ability to show great run blocking and solid pass blocking against such a talented defense will help Frazier’s stock. West Virginia will have plenty of games against quality competition in the Big 12, but may not face a defense like this the rest of the year. Continuing to play well could help Frazier be picked within the first three rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft.
North Carolina got a big win in their opening game of the season, beating South Carolina 31-17. The Tar Heels used a lot of tight ends, as there receivers weren’t that deep due to Tez Walker not being ruled eligible by the NCAA. Nesbit didn’t have his best game, but aided the team with his three catches for 22 yards.
While it wasn’t a game that will really improve his stock, Nesbit did have some nice moments. One of those was working back to the ball on a broken play, which allowed Drake Maye to find him for a first down. His athleticism and production from last season help his stock, but he can do more in big games down the road.
LSU played competitively in the first half, but failed to keep up with Florida State in the second half and lost their first game of the season. The defense broke down in the second half, although Wingo played well throughout. He finished the game with four total tackles.
As is the case with most interior defensive linemen, his impact was not fully shown in the box score. Wingo was often getting a great jump at the snap of the ball and creating havoc for the Florida State offensive line. He pressured quarterback Jordan Travis and helped stop the run. There was even a play where he took on a triple team from Florida State. While LSU was missing Maason Smith, Wingo stepped up and likely helped his NFL Draft stock.
Florida State was able to pull away late, as their defense shut down LSU in the second half. The best player on their defense is Verse, who is projected to take early in the 2024 NFL Draft. He had two total tackles for the Seminoles against the Tigers.
While the boxscore won’t show much of a great game for Verse, he played well. He showed great burst at the snap of the ball and was able to convert that speed to power. Verse was able to get pressure on Jayden Daniels and commanded attention from the LSU offensive line. Avoiding injury the rest of the year is key for Verse because currently, he is a projected top-five pick.
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