Draft Insiders’ & Coaches Top 25 Poll

Draft Insiders’ & Coaches Top 25 Poll

ACC Rules Opening Week
Duke and Florida State Win Major Matchups

 Draft Insiders’ Top 25 Poll 2023 – Week Two
Frank Coyle / Publisher

Teams of the Week
Duke Shocks Clemson
Florida State Pounds LSU

Photo – DE Jared Verse, Florida State – Joshua Bessex/AP Photographer

Players of the Week
Offense – QB Riley Leonard – Duke
Defense – Edge Jared Verse – Florida St.

Draft Insiders’ Top 25 Poll

1          Georgia            1-0                   
2          Michigan          1-0                   
3          Ohio State        1-0                   
4          Alabama          1-0                   
5          USC                 2-0       
6          Florida State    1-0                               
7          Notre Dame      2-0       
8          Washington      1-0       
9          Penn State       1-0       
10         Texas               1-0                   
11         Tennessee        1-0                   
12        LSU                  0-1                   
13         Utah                 1-0                   
14         Oregon             1-0                   
15         Kansas State    1-0                   
16         Clemson          0-1       
17         North Carolina 1-0       
18         Oregon State    1-0                   
19         Wisconsin        1-0                   
20         Oklahoma        1-0                   
21        Ole Miss           1-0
22         Texas A&M      1-0                   
23         Duke                1-0                   
24         Tulane              1-0                   
25         Colorado          1-0                   
 
Complete Rankings
Others receiving consideration: Iowa, Florida, Miami, Kentucky, South Carolina, Pittsburgh, Fresno St., UCLA, Louisville, Maryland, Auburn, UTSA, Arkansas, Boise State, Troy and Kansas

Coaches Poll – Top 25 Poll

            Team             Record    Points
1          Georgia (63)     1-0        1647
2          Michigan (1)      1-0        1534
3          Alabama (2)      1-0        1515
4          Ohio State        1-0        1422
5          Florida State     1-0        1388
6          USC                 2-0        1283
7          Penn State        1-0        1216
8          Washington       1-0        1115
9          Tennessee        1-0        1099
10         Texas               1-0        957
11         Notre Dame      2-0        950
12         Utah                 1-0        924
13         Oregon             1-0        904
14         LSU                  0-1        738
15         Kansas State    1-0        630
16         North Carolina   1-0        546
17         Oklahoma         1-0        543
18         Oregon State    1-0        499
19         Wisconsin         1-0        445
20         Ole Miss           1-0        411
21         Clemson           0-1        287
22         Tulane               1-0        255
23         Texas A&M       1-0        236
24         Duke                1-0        222
25         Colorado           1-0        161

Complete Rankings
Others receiving votes: Iowa 111, Pittsburgh 53, Kentucky 50, UCLA 44, TCU 40, Fresno State 30, Miami 22, Auburn 22, Arkansas 18, Maryland 14, Missouri 13, Troy 11, Oklahoma State 11, NC State 10, Illinois 9, Wyoming 8, Air Force 7, Washington State 7, Wake Forest 7, Minnesota 6, Mississippi State 5, South Carolina 4, Kansas 4, Texas Tech 3, SMU 3, UCF 3, Houston 2, UTSA 1, James Madison 1, Memphis 1, Michigan State 1, Louisville 1, Arizona 1

Dropped from rankings: TCU 16, Texas Tech 24




Draft Insiders’ & Coaches Top 25 Poll

Draft Insiders’ & Coaches Top 25 Poll

Draft Insiders’ Top 25 Poll 2023 – Opening Week

Frank Coyle / Publisher
All-American Teams – Monday, August 28th

Draft Insiders’ – Top 25 Poll

1          Georgia            0-0                   
2          Michigan          0-0                   
3          Ohio State        0-0                   
4          Alabama          0-0                   
5          USC                 0-0       
6          LSU                  0-0                   
7          Florida State    0-0                   
8          Clemson          0-0                   
9          Notre Dame      0-0       
10         Washington      0-0       
11         Penn State       0-0       
12         Texas               0-0                   
13         Tennessee        0-0                   
14         Utah                 0-0                   
15         Oregon             0-0                   
16         Kansas State    0-0                   
17         TCU                  0-0                   
18         North Carolina 0-0       
19         Oregon State    0-0                   
20         Wisconsin        0-0                   
21         Oklahoma        0-0                   
22         Texas A&M      0-0                   
23         Ole Miss           0-0                   
24         Tulane              0-0                   
25         Iowa                 0-0                   

Complete Rankings
Others receiving consideration: Florida, Texas Tech, South Carolina, Pittsburgh, UCLA, UTSA, Arkansas, Boise State, Kentucky, Troy, Kansas, Louisville and Auburn  

 
Coaches Poll – Top 25 Poll

            Team               Record Points
1          Georgia (61)     0-0        1643    
2          Michigan          0-0        1510    
3          Alabama (4)      0-0        1489    
4          Ohio State (1)   0-0        1485    
5          LSU                  0-0        1294    
6          USC                 0-0        1228    
7          Penn State       0-0        1181    
8          Florida State    0-0        1145    
9          Clemson          0-0        1078    
10         Tennessee        0-0        991      
11         Washington      0-0        941      
12         Texas               0-0        848      
13         Notre Dame      0-0        841      
14         Utah                 0-0        839      
15         Oregon             0-0        820      
16         TCU                  0-0        655      
17         Kansas State    0-0        440      
18         Oregon State    0-0        365      
19         Oklahoma        0-0        320      
20         North Carolina 0-0        315      
21         Wisconsin        0-0        309      
22         Ole Miss           0-0        303      
23         Tulane              0-0        225      
24         Texas Tech      0-0        200      
25         Texas A&M      0-0        196      

Complete Rankings
Others receiving votes: Iowa 169, South Carolina 89, Florida 63, UTSA 59, Pittsburgh 52, UCLA 42, Kentucky 34, Baylor 28, Troy 25, Arkansas 20, Fresno State 19, NC State 19, Boise State 18, Auburn 18, Miami 16, Minnesota 16, Mississippi State 13, Oklahoma State 12, Missouri 11, Maryland 10, SMU 8, South Alabama 8, Illinois 7, Air Force 6, Wake Forest 6, Toledo 5, Washington State 4, Houston 3, BYU 2, Duke 2, Arizona 2, Kansas 1, James Madison 1, Memphis 1




2023 Lombardi Award Watch List

2023 Lombardi Award Watch List

The 80-player watch list for the Lombardi award was released this week. The awards highlights college football fans the nation’s best linemen and linebackers on both sides of the ball. The list is below.

The winner of the award will be announced on December 6, 2023.

Keep people of Maui, Hawaii in thoughts and prayers. Donate generously.

Lombardi Award Award History below

Last year’s winner was LB Will Anderson of Alabama who was a #1 pick of the Houston Texans as the 3rd overall selection in the NFL Draft 2023. The only two-time winner of this prestigious award was OT Orlando Pace of Ohio State in 1995 and 1996. He was a #1 overall pick of the St. Louis Rams in the NFL Draft 1997. He earned both the College football HOF and the NFL HOF over his illustrious career.  

Frank Coyle is a long-time scout with nationwide ties with coaches, scouts and player agents. He is a long-time member of the FWAA and voter in college player awards – Heisman, Biletnikoff, Thorpe, Outland, Nagurski, Lombardi etc for the past 30 years. He writes College Football Mondays weekly during the season. He is a consultant to many NFL player agents related to all levels of preparation for the NFL Draft process. He was a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He does sports radio shows for ESPN, Fox Sports and Sporting News on a year-round basis related to College Football especially during the postseason team and All-star Bowl time. He has worked for CBS Sports, NBC Sports, Yahoo and Rivals sports publications and web sites.

2023 Lombardi Award Watch List

Jaylon Allen – DL – Memphis (Sr.)
Joe Alt – OT – Notre Dame (Jr.)
Kelvin Banks Jr. – OT – Texas (So.)
Jaishawn Barham – LB – Maryland (So.)
Graham Barton – OT – Duke (Sr.)
Cooper Beebe – OG – Kansas State (Sr.)
Brock Bowers – TE – Georgia (Jr.)
Jacob Busic – DE – Navy (Sr.)
Barrett Carter – LB – Clemson (Jr.)
DeWayne Carter – DT – Duke (Sr.)
Abdul Carter – LB – Penn State (So.)
Brandon Coleman – OT – TCU (Sr.)
Junior Colson – LB – Michigan (Jr.)
Marley Cook – DT – Middle Tennessee (Jr.)
Dontay Corleone – DL – Cincinnati (So.)
Tyler Davis – DT – Clemson (Sr.)
Justin Dedich – OC – USC (Sr.)
Brandon Dorlus – DE – Oregon (Sr.)
Ethan Downs – DE – Oklahoma (Jr.)
Jamon Dumas-Johnson – LB – Georgia (Jr.)
Tommy Eichenberg – LB – Ohio State (Sr.)
D’Mitri Emmanuel – OG – Florida State (Sr.)
Olumuyiwa Fashanu – OT Penn State (Jr.)
Troy Fautanu – OT – Washington (Jr.)
Jaylan Ford – LB – Texas (Sr.)
Javon Foster – OT – Missouri (Sr.)
Zach Frazier – OC – West Virginia (Jr.)
Tailese Fuaga – OG – Oregon State (Jr.)
Dallas Gant – LB – Toledo (Sr.)
AJ Gillie – OG – Louisiana (Jr.)
Delmar Glaze – OT – Maryland (Jr.)
Cedric Gray – LB – North Carolina (Sr.)
Michael Hall Jr. – DT – Ohio State (Jr.)
Christian Haynes – OG – UConn (Sr.)
Jason Henderson – LB – Old Dominion (Jr)
Branson Hickman – OC – SMU (Jr.)
Jaylon Hutchings – DT – Texas Tech (Sr.)
Nick Jackson – LB – Iowa (Sr.)
Donovan Jackson – OG – Ohio State (Jr.)
McKinnley Jackson – DT – Texas A&M (Sr)
Kris Jenkins – DT – Michigan (Sr.)
Michael Jurgens – OC – Wake Forest (Sr.)
JT Killen – LB – Coastal Carolina (Sr.)
J.C. Latham – OT – Alabama (Jr.)
Laiatu Latu – DE – UCLA (Sr.)
Beaux Limmer – OT – Arkansas (Sr.)
Christian Mahogany – OG – Boston College (Sr.)
Jonah Monheim – OT – USC (Jr.)
Jordan Morgan – OT – Arizona (Sr.)
Gabriel Murphy – DE – UCLA (Jr.)
Jer’Zhan Newton – DT – Illinois (Jr.)
Maema Njongmeta – LB – Wisconsin (Sr.)
Mike Novitsky – OC – Kansas (Sr.)
Drake Nugent – OC – Michigan (Sr.)
Thor Paglialong – OC – Air Force (Sr.)
Josh Pearcy – DE – Rice (Jr.)
Harold Perkins – LB – LSU (So.)
Owen Porter – DE – Marshall (Sr)
Keith Randolph Jr. – DT – Illinois (Jr.)
Tate Ratledge – OG – Georgia (Jr.)
Luke Reimer – LB – Nebraska (Sr.)
Chop Robinson – DE – Penn State (Jr.)
Ja’Tavion Sanders – TE – Texas (Jr.)
Jackson Sirmon – LB – California (Sr.)
Brevyn Spann-Ford – TE – Minnesota (Sr.)
Kingsley Suamataia – OT – BYU (So.)
Junior Tafuna – DT – Utah (Jr.)
Bralen Trice – DE – Washington (Sr.)
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. – LB – Clemson (Jr.)
JT Tuimoloau – DE – Ohio State (Jr.)
Dallas Turner – LB – Alabama (Jr.)
Princely Umanmielen – DE – Florida (Jr.)
Sedrick Van Pran – OC – Georgia (So.)
Jared Verse – DE – Florida State (Jr.)
Nathaniel Watson – LB – Mississippi State (Sr.)
Marlowe Wax – LB – Syracuse (Jr.)
Damonic Williams – DT – TCU (So.)
Mykel Williams – DL – Georgia (So.)
Mekhi Wingo – DT – LSU (Jr.)
Zak Zinter – OG – Michigan (Sr.)

By Conference: Big Ten (19), SEC (14), Big 12 (12), Pac-12 (11), ACC (11), American (4), Sun Belt (4), Independent (2), MAC (1), Mountain West (1)

Lombardi Award Winners – History

Year     Player                         School
2022     Will Anderson Jr.         Alabama
2021     Aidan Hutchinson        Michigan
2020     Zaven Collins               Tulsa
2018     Ugo Amadi                   Oregon
2017     Bryce Love                  Stanford
2016     Jonathan Allen             Alabama
2015     Carl Nassib                  Penn State
2014     Scooby Wright             Arizona
2013     Aaron Donald               Pitt
2012     Manti Te’o                    Notre Dame
2011     Luke Kuechly               Boston College
2010     Nick Fairley                  Auburn
2009     Ndamukong Suh          Nebraska
2008     Brian Orakpo               Texas
2007     Glenn Dorsey               LSU
2006     LaMarr Woodley           Michigan
2005     A.J. Hawk                     Ohio State
2004     David Pollack               Georgia
2003     Tommie Harris             Oklahoma
2002     Terrell Suggs               Arizona St
2001     Julius Peppers             North Carolina
2000     Jamal Reynolds           Florida St
1999     Corey Moore                Virginia Tech
1998     Dat Nguyen                  Texas A&M
1997     Grant Wistrom             Nebraska
1996     Orlando Pace               Ohio State
1995     Orlando Pace               Ohio State
1994     Warren Sapp                Miami
1993     Aaron Taylor                Notre Dame
1992     Marvin Jones               Florida St
1991     Steve Emtman             Washington
1990     Chris Zorich                 Notre Dame
1989     Percy Lee Snow           Michigan St
1988     Tracy Rocker                Auburn
1987     Chris Spielman            Ohio State
1986     Cornelius Bennett        Alabama
1985     Tony Casillas               Oklahoma
1984     Tony Degrate               Texas
1983     Dean Steinkuhler         Nebraska
1982     Dave Rimington           Nebraska
1981     Kenneth Wayne Sims  Texas
1980     Hugh Donell Green      Pitt
1979     Brad Edward Budde     USC
1978     Bruce M. Clark             Penn State
1977     Ross Dean Browner     Notre Dame
1976     Wilson Whitley Jr.       Houston
1975     Lee Roy Selmon          Oklahoma
1974     Randy White               Maryland
1973     John Hicks Jr.             Ohio State
1972     Richard Glover             Nebraska
1971     Walter Patulski             Notre Dame
1970     Jim Stillwagon             Ohio State




Doak Walker Award Watch List

Doak Walker Award Watch List – Backs, Braelon Allen, Blake Corum & Raheim Sanders Head List

The PwC SMU Athletic Forum Board of Directors announced the Doak Walker Preseason Watch list which consisted of 75 players. Heading the list is Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen, Michigan’s Blake Corum and Arkansas’s Raheim Sanders. The junior Allen will attempt to rush for his third straight 1200+ yards this fall. He fits the mold of great Badger running backs. He will get heavy competition especially from Corum and Sanders who totaled over 1400+ yards last fall.

Photo – Braelon Allen – Wisconsin / Las Vegas Bowl MVP 2021
(AP Photo/Stacy Bengs)

The Directors will name ten semifinalists in November, and three finalists, as voted on by the Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee, will be announced in November. The committee will cast a second vote in December to determine the recipient. The National Selection Committee comprises past recipients, former NFL All-Pro and college All-America running backs, media members, and selected special representatives.

Frank Coyle is a long-time scout with nationwide ties with coaches, scouts and player agents. He is a long-time member of the FWAA and voter in college player awards – Heisman, Biletnikoff, Thorpe, Outland, Nagurski, Lombardi etc for the past 30 years. He writes College Football Mondays weekly during the season. He is a consultant to many NFL player agents related to all levels of preparation for the NFL Draft process. He was a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He does sports radio shows for ESPN, Fox Sports and Sporting News on a year-round basis related to College Football especially during the postseason team and All-star Bowl time. He has worked for CBS Sports, NBC Sports, Yahoo and Rivals sports publications and web sites.

The 2023 Doak Walker Award recipient will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards.

The award is named for SMU’s three-time All-America running back, Doak Walker. It is the only major collegiate award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification.

Doak Walker 2023 Award Watch List

Rasheen Ali, Marshall
Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
Kaytron Allen, Penn State
LeQuint Allen, Syracuse
Emani Bailey, TCU
Sieh Bangura, Ohio
Jovantae Barnes, Oklahoma
Kevorian Barnes, UTSA
Trey Benson, Florida State
Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech
Antario Brown, NIU
Jermaine Brown Jr., UAB
Noah Cain, LSU
Marcus Carroll, Georgia State
Blake Corum, Michigan
Marquis Crosby, Louisiana Tech
CJ Donaldson Jr., West Virginia
Donovan Edwards, Michigan
Justice Ellison, Wake Forest
Davion Ervin-Poindexter, WKU
Audric Estime’, Notre Dame
Samson Evans, Eastern Michigan
Pat Garwo, Boston College
Rodney Hammond Jr., Pitt
Deion Hankins, UTEP
Rahjai Harris, East Carolina
RJ Harvey, UCF
Roman Hemby, Maryland
TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
Daniel Hishaw Jr., Kansas
George Holani, Boise State
Bucky Irving, Oregon
Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
Kobe Johnson, Colorado State
Austin Jones, USC
Jawhar Jordan, Louisville
Quinshon Judkins, Ole Miss
Reggie Love III, Illinois
Jaylin Lucas, Indiana
Jo’Quavious Marks, Mississippi State
Damien Martinez, Oregon State
Tony Mathis Jr., Houston
Alton McCaskill, Colorado
Josh McCray, Illinois
Chez Mellusi, Wisconsin
Devin Mockobee, Purdue
Devin Neal, Kansas
Nate Noel, App State
Jaydn Ott, Cal
Frank Peasant, Middle Tennessee
Richard Reese, Baylor
Aidan Robbins, BYU
Kairee Robinson, San Jose State
Raheim Sanders, Arkansas
Trey Sanders, TCU
Will Shipley, Clemson
Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
Cam Skattebo, Arizona State
Jabari Small, Tennessee
Dontae Smith, Georgia Tech
E.J. Smith, Stanford
Kavosiey Smoke, Colorado
Carson Steele, UCLA
Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech
Kimani Vidal, Troy
Treshaun Ward, Kansas State
Dre’lyn Washington, Louisiana
Nakia Watson, Washington State
La’Damian Webb, South Alabama
Noah Whittington, Oregon
Michael Wiley, Arizona
Sy’veon Wilkerson, Colorado
Josh Williams, LSU
Miyan Williams, Ohio State
Jaylen Wright, Tennessee
 




2023 Bronko Nagurski Watch List

2023 Bronko Nagurski Preseason Watch List

The Football Writers Association of America released its 2023 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, selecting 94 defensive standouts from 69 schools in all 10 Division I FBS conferences plus Independents. The watch list roster includes three returning players from last season’s FWAA All-America team, the top four tacklers from last season, the sack and interception leaders from 2022 and five secondary players who had at least six interceptions last year.

The FWAA and the Charlotte Touchdown Club will announce finalists for the 2023 trophy on Nov. 15 and the winner will be unveiled Dec. 4 at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet in Charlotte, N.C.

Photo – DE Jared Verse, Florida State – Joshua Bessex/AP Photographer

The trio of FWAA All-Americans top the list, each of them from the second team. Old Dominion linebacker Jason Henderson led all FBS players in tackles last year by a wide margin – his 15.5 tackles per game average was 4.2 tpc ahead of the second-best total. Ohio State linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, who averaged 9.2 tackles per game last season and helped the Buckeyes become the FBS’s 14th-best team in total defense and thrust them into the College Football Playoff semifinals. Clemson’s Tyler Davis is the third returning All-American plugging the middle of a Tigers’ defense that was 13th nationally stopping the run giving up 102.7 ypg.

Davis is one of 13 defensive tackles on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list, 10 of which are also on the preseason watch list for the Outland Trophy, also awarded by the FWAA and releasing its list today. Besides the defensive tackles, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy list includes 29 linebackers, 19 each of cornerbacks and safeties and 16 defensive ends.

Eichenberg is one of three Ohio State players on the list along with defensive end JT Tuimoloau and safety Lathan Ransom. Penn State, with one player from each segment of its defense in defensive end Chop Robinson, linebacker Abdul Carter and cornerback Kalen King, and Michigan, the same with defensive tackle Kris Jenkins in front of linebacker Junior Colson in front of safety Rod Moore, are nine of the Big Ten Conference’s 15 players that tie the Southeastern Conference for the most from one conference.

The SEC has three players each from defending national champion Georgia and Alabama. Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams and safety Malaki Starks, both fresh off last season’s FWAA Freshman All-America Team, join linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson for the Bulldogs. Also a Freshman All-American last season was Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner with teammate cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry and safety Malachi Moore joining him on the list. A quintet of Tigers – super sophomore linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. and Mekhi Wingo of LSU, cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine and linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper of Missouri, and Auburn cornerback D.J. James – are others among the nine schools represented from the SEC. Kentucky defensive tackle Deone Walker is another returning Freshman All-American.

Frank Coyle is a long-time scout with nationwide ties with coaches, scouts and player agents. He is a long-time member of the FWAA and voter in College player awards – Heisman, Biletnikoff, Thorpe, Outland, Nagurski, Lombardi etc for the past 25 years. He writes College Football Mondays weekly during the season. He is a consultant to many NFL player agents related to all levels of preparation for the NFL Draft process. He was a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He does sports radio shows for ESPN, Fox Sports and Sporting News on a year-round basis related to College Football especially during the postseason team and All-star Bowl time. He has worked for CBS Sports, NBC Sports, Yahoo and Rivals sports publications and web sites.

Besides Davis, Clemson’s other representatives are linebackers Barrett Carter and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Florida State is expected to challenge for the Atlantic Coast Conference title supported by watch listers defensive end Jared Verse up front and cornerback Fentrell Cypress II in the secondary. Also from the ACC is North Carolina linebacker Cedric Gray, who was third nationally in tackles last season with 146, and Miami safety Kamren Kinchens, who tied for third in the FBS with six interceptions.

Cornerback Josh Newton of national runner-up TCU is at the forefront of the 11-man crew from the Big 12 that has one player from 11 of its now 14 schools, including new members Cincinnati with super sophomore defensive tackle Dontay Corleone and UCF linebacker Jason Johnson. Heading up the 10 players from the Pac-12 are two from Utah, safety Cole Bishop and defensive tackle Junior Tafuna, and UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu, the top returning sack leader from a year ago with 10.5 sacks that tied for seventh nationally.

There are 14 schools which have two players on the list including Buffalo, which has linebacker Shaun Dolac, second behind ODU’s Henderson in total tackles last season with 147 and an 11.3 tpc average, on the list joining safety Marcus Fuqua, whose seven interceptions tied for the national lead. Notre Dame’s pair are linebacker JD Bertrand and cornerback Benjamin Morrison. Illinois bolsters the Big Ten’s count with standout defensive linemen Jer’Zhan Newton on the end and tackle Keith Randolph in the middle.

Defending American Athletic Conference champion Tulane and UTSA, a new member to the conference and a co-favorite with Tulane in the preseason, each have two players. Tulane defensive end Darius Hodges and cornerback Jarius Monroe are two of the AAC’s six representatives along with linebacker Trey Moore and safety Rashad Wisdom from UTSA. Other schools with two players on the team are Marshall – safety Micah Abraham tied for third in the FBS with six interceptions last season – Oregon, Toledo and UTEP.

As a list by conference, the Big Ten and SEC lead with 15 each, the Big 12 has 11 and the Atlantic Coast and Pac-12 have 10 each followed by the American, Mid-American, Mountain West and Sun Belt with six each and Conference USA and the Independents with four.

In all 10 players from the 94-player list were on last season’s FWAA Freshman All-America Team. There are 69 schools – more than half of the FBS membership – represented on this year’s team.

Players may be added or removed from the watch list during the course of the season. As in previous years, the FWAA will announce a National Defensive Player of the Week each Tuesday this season. If not already on the watch list, each week’s honored player will be added at that time.

Following is the complete 2023 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List

2023 Bronko Nagurski Preseason Watch List (94)

CB Micah Abraham, Marshall                 DE Gabe Hall, Baylor                S Tyler Nubin, Minnesota
CB Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri     LB Jason Henderson, Old Dominion    S Kitan Oladapo, Oregon St
DE Praise Amaewhule, UTEP                DE Darius Hodges, Tulane         DE Collin Oliver, Oklahoma St
LB Levelle Bailey, Fresno State              S Maxen Hook, Toledo              DT Devonte O’Malley, NIU
S Yam Banks, South Alabama               LB Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri      LB Harold Perkins Jr., LSU
LB JD Bertrand, Notre Dame                  S Jack Howell, Colorado State   DE Owen Porter, Marshall
S Cole Bishop, Utah                          DT Jaylon Hutchings, Texas Tech      DT Keith Randolph Jr., Illinois
CB Cobee Bryant, Kansas               DE Brennan Jackson, Washington St    S Lathan Ransom, Ohio St
S Calen Bullock, USC                            CB D.J. James, Auburn              DE Chop Robinson, Penn St
DT James Carpenter, James Madison    DT Kris Jenkins, Michigan          S Kobe Savage, Kansas State
LB Abdul Carter, Penn State                  LB Jason Johnson, UCF            LB DJ Schramm, Boise St
LB Barrett Carter, Clemson                    LB Layton Jordan, Temple         LB Jackson Sirmon, California
DT DeWayne Carter, Duke                    CB Donte Kent, Central Michigan   S Malaki Starks, Georgia
DT Kendy Charles, Liberty                     S Kam Kinchens, Miami             CB Reddy Steward, Troy
LB Junior Colson, Michigan              CB Kalen King, Penn St           LB Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma
DT Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati              LB Tyrice Knight, UTEP             DT Junior Tafuna, Utah
CB Fentrell Cypress II, Florida State       DE Laiatu Latu, UCLA                CB T.J. Tampa, Iowa State
DT Tyler Davis, Clemson                   CB Jordan Mahoney, Massachusetts      S Trey Taylor, Air Force
CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa               CB Dwight McGlothern, Arkansas     CB Ridge Texada, North Texas
LB Shaun Dolac, Buffalo               CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama          DE Bralen Trice, Washington
DE Brandon Dorlus, Oregon             LB Jackson Mitchell, UConn LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson
LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia      CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo      DE JT Tuimoloau, Ohio St
LB Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State         CB Jarius Monroe, Tulane          LB Dallas Turner, Alabama
S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina        LB Cody Moon, San Diego St    DE Jared Verse, Florida St
DE JaQues Evans, WKU                        S Malachi Moore, Alabama        DT Deone Walker, Kentucky
DE Donovan Ezeiruaku, B.C.            S Rod Moore, Michigan          LB Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi St
S Tra Fluellen, Middle Tennessee           LB Trey Moore, UTSA                CB Aydan White, N.C. State
LB Jaylan Ford, Texas                   CB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame       S Evan Williams, Oregon
S Marcus Fuqua, Buffalo                       DE Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois      DE Mykel Williams, Georgia
LB Easton Gibbs, Wyoming                   CB Josh Newton, TCU               DT Mekhi Wingo, LSU
LB Cedric Gray, North Carolina              LB Maema Njongmeta, Wisconsin    S Rashad Wisdom, UTSA
LB Cal Haladay, Michigan State

The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Nagurski Trophy finalists. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner will be chosen from the five finalists named in November. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football.

The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football, then became a star for professional football’s Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw “Bronko” Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 24 awards have honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday.

 




NFL Draft 2023 – ESPN Radio Show with Scout Frank Coyle

NFL Draft 2023 – ESPN Radio with Pro Scout Frank Coyle hosted Clay & Vinnie

NFL Draft 2023 – Pro Prospects

Draft Insiders Radio Reports
Draft Insiders Radio Reports

NFL Draft Radio Show on Pro Prospects for the NFL Draft 2023
Go to DraftInsiders.com for NFL Draft Info

Draft Insiders’ 2023 Yearbook – Available Now
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NFL Team Report 2023 (35 pages) – available Now – Every NFL Team broken down to Roster, Team Needs & Free Agency additions. In-depth Evaluation of All Team Needs and Draft Projection

NFL Draft Update Report – available late April
Complete 7 Round Mock Draft – Final Top 300 Value Board – Top Small College Prospects

Frank Coyle is a long-time scout with nationwide ties with coaches, scouts and player agents. He is a long-time member of the FWAA and voter in College player awards – Heisman, Biletnikoff, Thorpe, Outland, Nagurski, Lombardi etc for the past 25 years. He writes College Football Mondays weekly during the season. He is a consultant to many NFL player agents related to all levels of preparation for the NFL Draft process. He was a longtime scouting consultant for the Senior Bowl, the nation’s premier postseason All-star game. He does sports radio shows for ESPN, Fox Sports and Sporting News on a year-round basis related to College Football especially during the postseason team and All-star Bowl time. He has worked for CBS Sports, NBC Sports, Yahoo and Rivals sports publications and web sites.




NFL Draft 2023 – Strong Corner Group Tops Talented Defensive Class

Strong Cornerback Group Tops Talented Defensive Class

Cornerbacks – Grade: A

     Frank Coyle/ Head scout

Positional Overview:

This year’s cornerback class is a high-quality group which is very deep, though not as top heavy as last year. There are a few blue chips expected to go in the mid-1st round with many other highly regarded corners expected to go through the top 50-100 overall selections. Underclassmen dominate our top ten prospects, though the senior group is a very solid with nice development. Devon Witherspoon is our #1 prospect with Christian Gonzalez and Joey Porter expected to earn mid first round selections. Witherspoon could be selected in the top 10 overall picks with a rookie starting grade. Gonzalez has the skill set to start early and is NFL ready after an awesome final performance. Porter is another in a long line of PSU corners to enter the NFL. He is a physical cover man with the NFL makeup to excel on the outside. Deonte Banks has prototypical shutdown skills for the pro game. He is rising fast and could earn a late 1st round selection. Teammate Jakorian Bennett is a rising cover man with well-developed talent to press for early starting time. Cam Smith and Kelee Ringo are possible late first round or early 2nd round picks. Both are SEC battle tested and figure to press for starting jobs in camp. Darius Rush and Emmanuel Forbes are another pair of talented big SEC corners. Rush is coming off an impressive career finish. Forbes is the best ball hawk in this class and has the length DCs like in outside defenders. Tyrique Stevenson and DJ Turner are well developed athletes who are NFL ready. Turner is coming off an impressive final performance plus an amazing NFL Combine sprint. They could go on the mid-2nd day. This is a deep group that will supply many NFL starters well into the 3rd day of the process. There could be at least 12 prospects selected in the top 100 choices. There will probably be 15+ prospects selected in the top 150 picks with the expected run-on corners from the mid-1st round through the early 3rd day. This class has very good depth and will provide a number of middle round steals. This position has annually provided the most overall selections and could duplicate that again. This group could supply as many as 35 total prospects and another 40 high priority FA. This deep crop of corners will supply a huge group of big corners with some versatility to also slide to safety in the nickel and dime sub packages.   

 NFL Teams in need:

  1. Patriots             5. Rams
  2. Colts                  6. Commanders
  3. 49ers                7. Ravens           
  4. Steelers            8. Vikings    

NFL Premier Player
Jalen Ramsey

Blue Chip – Devon Witherspoon
Blue Chip – Christian Gonzalez
Red Chip – Joey Porter
Rising – Deonte Banks
Falling – Jaylon Jones
Underrated – Darius Rush
Overrated – JuJu Brents
Sleeper – Darrell Luter
Boom/Bust – Jakorian Bennett
Biggest Upside – Deonte Banks
Hidden Gem – Garrett Williams
Long Term Gem – Darius Rush

   Positional Traits
Best Athlete – Christian Gonzalez
Best Man Cover – Emmanuel Forbes
Best Zone Cover – Darrell Luter
Best Run support – Joey Porter
Best Tackler – Joey Porter
Best Nickel – Devon Witherspoon
Hands – Emmanuel Forbes
Best Intangibles – Joey Porter
Ball Instincts – Devon Witherspoon
Most Versatile – Riley Moss
Over drafted – Tyrique Stevenson
Major College Sleeper – Jarrick Bernard-Converse

Top Cornerbacks

1 Devon Witherspoon       Illinois
2 Christian Gonzalez        Oregon
3 Joey Porter                      Penn State
4 Deonte Banks                 Maryland
5 Cam Smith                      South Carolina
6 Kelee Ringo                    Georgia
7 Darius Rush                    South Carolina
8 Tyrique Stevenson         Miami
9 Emmanuel Forbes         Mississippi State
10 DJ Turner                        Michigan
11 JuJu Brents                     Kansas State
12 Jakorian Bennett            Maryland
13 Riley Moss                       Iowa
14 Kyu Blu Kelly                   Stanford
15 Clark Phillips                   Utah
16 Garrett Williams             Syracuse
17 Darrell Luter                    South Alabama
18 Jaylon Jones                   Texas A&M
19 Rejzohn Wright               Oregon State
20 Terrell Smith                   Minnesota




Bears Deal #1 Overall Pick to the Panthers in Blockbuster Trade

Bears Deal #1 Overall Pick to the Panthers

 Bears Land Two #1 & #2 Picks Plus Wideout D.J. Moore Over Next Three Drafts

Frank Coyle/ Head scout – DraftInsiders.com

The Bears have a major trade in line for their No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft when the league year starts on March 15th. The Panthers paid a huge price for the #1 overall pick in exchange for a compensation package that includes two 1st-round picks, two #2 picks and receiver D.J. Moore.

The full package of assets sent to Chicago can be the bonanza the Bears need to land several blue-chip prospects to their young roster. They received the ninth-overall pick this year, a 2nd-round selection in 2023 (# 61 overall originally from the 49ers), a 1st-round pick in 2024, a 2nd-round pick in 2025 plus the veteran wideout DJ Moore. He completed the first year of a three-year, $61M million contract with the Panthers. The Bears now have four of the top 64 selections.

Panthers are now in the position to land their #1 QB after several seasons of a revolving door at the position. Owner David Tepper has lost patience on the QB carousel in his short time in Carolina and realizes that Super Bowl contenders almost always ride the arm of a top flight passer. The payment of draft capital seems enormous and most likely earmarked for QB Bryce Young or CJ Stroud. The Panthers were competitive last season within a weak division that they feel they can challenge for the division title this season with a better playmaker at the controls. They also watch divisional rival, the Saints signed Derek Carr last week making them the favorite for the NFC South almost immediately.




NFL Awards Compensatory Selections to 16 Teams

NFL Awards 37 Compensatory Selections
49ers and Rams Receive Multiple Picks

NFL announced it has awarded 37 compensatory picks to 16 teams for the NFL Draft 2023, which will be held April 27-29 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Two NFC West teams led the way, with the 49ers receiving a league-high seven selections and the Rams gaining four draft choices. The 37 compensatory picks include five special selections that were awarded at the end of the third round to teams that have had a minority employee hired as a head coach or primary football executive by another club. Three of those picks were awarded to San Francisco. The special compensatory picks were instituted as an amendment to the 2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement to promote equal employment opportunities within NFL teams.

As for the compensatory picks awarded that were not based on coaching or executive hires, a team losing more or better compensatory free agents than it acquires in the previous year is eligible to receive compensatory draft picks. The compensatory picks are positioned from Round 3 to Round 7 based on the value of the compensatory free agents lost. The formula that determines compensatory free agents is based on salary, playing time and postseason honors.

In addition, the league penalized the Houston Texans their original 5th round selection this year for a salary cap violation. They determined the Texans provided QB Deshaun Watson an undisclosed compensation in the form of a membership at an alternative athletic facility in 2020. Texans have two #1 picks the 2nd and 12th overall selections.

List of Compensatory Picks awarded to teams for the NFL Draft
   * special compensatory picks for coaching and team personnel lost

Round 3
96 – Arizona Cardinals
97 – Washington Commanders
* 98 – Cleveland Browns
* 99 – San Francisco 49ers
* 100 – Kansas City Chiefs
* 101 – San Francisco 49ers
* 102 – San Francisco 49ers

Round 4
135 – New England Patriots

Round 5
167 – Los Angeles Rams
168 – Arizona Cardinals
169 – Dallas Cowboys
170 – Green Bay Packers
171 – Los Angeles Rams
172 – New York Giants
173 – San Francisco 49ers
174 – Las Vegas Raiders
175 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
176 – Dallas Cowboys
177 – Los Angeles Rams

Round 6
210 – New England Patriots
211 – Minnesota Vikings
212 – Dallas Cowboys
213 – Arizona Cardinals
214 – Las Vegas Raiders
215 – Washington Commanders
216 – San Francisco 49ers
217 – Kansas City Chiefs

Round 7
250 – Kansas City Chiefs
251 – Los Angeles Rams
252 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
253 – San Francisco 49ers
254 – New York Giants
255 – San Francisco 49ers
256 – Green Bay Packers
257 – New Orleans Saints
258 – Chicago Bears
259 – Houston Texans

Total 2023 Compensatory Picks by Team

Team                                # of Picks
San Francisco 49ers               7
Los Angeles Rams                 4
Arizona Cardinals                   3
Dallas Cowboys                      3
Kansas City Chiefs                 3
Green Bay Packers                2
Las Vegas Raiders                 2
New England Patriots             2
New York Giants                     2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers         2
Washington Commanders      2
Chicago Bears                        1
Cleveland Browns                   1
Houston Texans                     1
Minnesota Vikings                  1
New Orleans Saints                1




 2023 NFL Scouting Combine Workout Schedule

NFL Combine 2023
  Feb. 27- March 6 – NFL Scouting Combine (Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, In)

 The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine begins on Monday, February 27th with team interviews, physicals, medical exams and media interviews. The athletic testing and field drills get underway on Thursday, March 2nd. The events will once again take place at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis. Television coverage can be found on the NFL Network. DraftInsiders.com will have scouts at the NFL Combine and provide scouting insights for the 2023 Draft Yearbook and exclusive emails to Full subscribers.

 2023 NFL Scouting Combine Workout Schedule

 Thursday – 3/2/23: Edge Rushers, Defensive Line and Linebackers
3 pm – 8 pm – NFL Network

Friday – 3/3/23: Cornerbacks and Safeties
3 pm – 8 pm – NFL Network

Saturday – 3/4/23: Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
1 pm – 8 pm – NFL Network

Sunday – 3/5/23: Running Backs, Offensive Tackles and Interior Offensive Line
1 pm – 7 pm – NFL Network
 
On Field Positional Drills
March 2 at 3:30 p.m.
March 3 at 4 p.m.
March 4 at 2 p.m.
March 5 at 1:30 p.m.