With the college football regular season now in the books, I’ve taken to the lab to highlight some players who have already declared for the 2023 NFL Draft.
In hopes of building a catalog of these players for you, the wonderful reader, I’ll provide a link back to each article over the new few weeks.
I touched on three players last week and was blessed with another fresh batch of talent to cover this week. Over the next few weeks we will see several players declare for the draft and forego bowl season. While some players have already made their decision, others are on the fence about whether they should return to school or leave for greener pastures.
With some new players to touch on, let’s have a look at some incoming dynasty talent and what they offered in their final year of college.
Note: Stats and information courtesy of PFF.com, CollegeFootballData.com and Sports-Reference.com.
Will Levis, QB (Kentucky)
Passing: 2,416 yards, 19 TDs, 10 INTs, 65.0 comp %
Rushing: 30 carries, 119 yards, 2 TDs
After five seasons of college ball, Will Levis is ready to call it a career. Levis enrolled at Penn State in 2018 and transferred to Kentucky for the 2021 season after failing to unseat PSU quarterback Sean Clifford during his time on campus. It should be worth noting that while Levis is considered by many to be a first-round draft pick, Clifford will be lucky to hear his name called on Day 3 of the draft.
Nevertheless.
In two seasons at Kentucky, Levis amassed 5,243 yards, 43 touchdowns and 23 interceptions -- proving to be as capable of a big play as he is a turnover. It’s also worth noting that Levis’ turnover-worthy plays and turnover-worthy play percentage have gone up in each of the last two seasons per PFF, as have his sack numbers.
Looking at a handful of draft-eligible quarterbacks (not all have declared), Levis has the third-highest pressure to sack percent (26.8%) of the potential incoming class, and the highest sack percentage (10.1%).
Playing behind a below-average offensive line that’s ranked 78th in PFF’s pass-blocking grade (61.7), Levis absorbed 34 sacks on the season but was one of the better quarterbacks in the nation when throwing against pressure, ranking eighth among 62 qualified quarterbacks in pressured completion percentage (52.4%).
Levis brings a rocket arm to the pro ranks and years of collegiate experience, but his turnovers and inability to beat out Sean Clifford at Penn State (that’s really not great) are concerning. There’s a good chance Levis hears his name called in the first round of next year’s draft. However, his turnover-prone ways could prove to be a hindrance to his early growth.
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Tanner McKee, QB (Stanford)
Passing: 2,949 yards, 13 TDs, 8 INTs, 61.2 comp %
Rushing: 13 carries, 112 yards, 2 TDs
Tanner McKee joined Stanford in 2018 and was the No. 3 ranked pro-style quarterback of his class per 247Sports.com.
After sitting for two seasons, McKee finally got an opportunity to start in 2021, where he threw for 2,325-15-7 as the Cardinal struggled to a 3-9 season. Things didn’t get much better for McKee and the Cardinal this season, as they finished 3-9 for the second-straight season.
McKee’s numbers as a passer (2,949-13-8) saw marginal improvements in some areas, but his upside was undoubtedly limited by an offensive line that ranked near the bottom in PFF pass-blocking grades (50.3) and an offense that ranked 110th in points per game (21.3).
At 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, McKee is more of the prototypical pocket passer than he is an athletic threat. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler said of McKee:
If this is indeed the case, it will be boom-or-bust for McKee’s long-term NFL outlook. Scouts will undoubtedly love his size and pedigree, but how high that drives his draft stock is a question that won’t be answered until the pre-draft process officially gets underway.
Tank Bigsby, RB (Auburn)
Rushing: 178 carries, 976 yards, 10 TDs
Receiving: 30 receptions, 180 yards, 0 TDs
One of the long-standing darlings of the dynasty community, Auburn’s Tank Bigsby declared for the draft earlier this week and will forego his senior season.
Auburn RB Tank Bigsby makes it official: he’s off to the NFL pic.twitter.com/qb0fwJmxI1
— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) December 12, 2022
Bigsby joined Auburn as a four-star running back from the 2020 class and immediately ripped off 834 rushing yards and five touchdowns while ranking 31st in the nation in YCO/ATT (3.99) and sixth in missed tackles forced (47). He would go on to rush for 224-1,104-10 in his sophomore season and closed out 2022 with 976 yards and another 10 touchdowns despite playing on an offense that struggled throughout most of the season.
In his final season of high school, Bigsby was clocked running a 4.55 40-yard dash and should show improved speed and workout metrics when he heads to the combine early next year. Bigsby possesses ideal size (6'0", 213 pounds) for an NFL back, and caught 61 passes for 444 yards in his career.
It’s interesting to note that Bigsby never caught a pass in three collegiate seasons that traveled 10+ yards downfield in his career per PFF. While his 61 career receptions look good on the surface, 46 of those came behind the line of scrimmage. Compare this to somebody like Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs, who saw 47.5% of his 101 receptions come past the line of scrimmage, and it’s clear Bigsby is far from the best pass-catcher of this class.
Still, Bigsby has a chance to be one of the more coveted backs of this incoming class and could be taken as high as RB2, with Texas’ Bijan Robinson the presumed RB1 of the 2023 class.
Chris Rodriguez, RB (Kentucky)
Rushing: 175 carries, 904 yards, 6 TDs
Receiving: 5 receptions, 41 yards, 0 TDs
It’s been a big week for Kentucky, who also saw running back Chris Rodriguez declare for the draft. Rodriguez, like Will Levis, will forego the team’s appearance in the Music City Bowl to prepare for the 2023 NFL Draft.
Kentucky running back Chris Rodriguez will not play in Music City Bowl, enters NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/dtlBC14r6Q
— Herald-Leader Sports (@KentuckySports) December 8, 2022
Rodriguez was the sixth-highest-graded running back on PFF (90.8) this season, finishing the year with 175 carries for 904 yards and six touchdowns while adding another five receptions for 41 yards. The fifth-year running back missed the first four weeks of the season due to injury but averaged 113.0 rushing yards per game and a 3.84 YCO/ATT in the eight games he played in.
At 5-foot-11, 224 pounds, Rodriguez has the build of an early-down grinder. His 63 missed tackles forced this season were good for 14th-most in the nation, and he was the only back to total 50 or more MTFs while playing in fewer than 10 games.
One of the more physical runners in the nation, Rodriguez was molded by stout SEC competition and came out on the other end as one of the best backs in the conference. He’ll spend the next few months fighting to earn Day 2 draft capital, but even as an early Day 3 pick, he could have some fantasy upside in the right situation.
Michael Mayer, TE (Notre Dame)
Receiving: 67 receptions, 809 yards, 9 TDs
The favorite to be the TE1 of the 2023 class, Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer has never had a bad season -- literally.
As a true freshman in 2020, Mayer finished 11th among tight ends in receiving yards, had the fourth-most in 2021 and was second in 202 with 809 yards.
His YPRR (2.44) this season led all qualified tight ends and he finishes his career with a 4.9 YAC/REC.
A versatile and athletic tight end, Mayer can lineup at various spots on the field to fine success. During his time at Notre Dame he saw 48.7% of his receiving snaps come from the slot, and another 12.6% of his receiving snaps come from out wide.
While a successful receiver, Mayer has also consistently graded as one of the best run-blocking tight ends in the nation per PFF and closed out his career with a career-high 82.1 PFF run-blocking grade this season -- good for seventh-best at his position.
Mayer would’ve been the first tight end off the board in the 2022 draft if he were eligible. With those doors now officially opened, it will take a lot to knock him from the consensus No. 1 rank he currently holds. Mayer should garner first-round draft capital and will have a chance to make an immediate impact at the next level.