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The last several weeks have not been kind to Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. He’s been a hot topic of conversation in my articles of late, but I can’t help that he consistently gives me something to talk about.
Levis and the Wildcats were 24-21 losers to Vanderbilt last week, as the Commodores marched onto Kentucky’s home turf, beat them, and subsequently ended a 26-game SEC losing streak. Reportedly playing through a myriad of injuries, Levis is doing himself no favors by suiting up on Saturdays only to underwhelm in fantastic fashion.
To his credit, Levis did have a 181-yard, three-touchdown performance in a Week 10 win over Missouri, but in last week’s loss to Vanderbilt, the potential first-round draft pick went 12-of-24 passing for 121 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. In his last four games, Levis has four touchdown passes to five interceptions and has six turnover-worthy plays per PFF.
With the college season winding down, it will be interesting to see how the next few weeks unfold for Levis. He’d ideally sit out the team’s bowl game if he opts to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft, but his recent string of games is no way to go out. He continues to be a player to monitor down the stretch, as unprecedented losses and underwhelming performances in big spots are no way to carve a path toward NFL stardom.
With that in mind, we have a handful of players whose stocks continue to rise through the 2022 season, including one receiver who has spent the last three years performing like a high-end NFL prospect. Let’s dive into these players as we continue to build our 2023 dynasty rookie database.
Note: Stats and information courtesy of PFF.com, CollegeFootballData.com and Sports-Reference.com.
Bryce Young, QB (Alabama)
Passing: 21-of-33 passing, 209 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs
Rushing: 7 carries, 10 yards, 0 TDs
It’s been a while since we’ve checked in on Bryce Young, but the defending Heisman Trophy winner turned in a solid outing last week against Ole Miss.
Young turned in multiple highlight reel plays against the Rebels, leading the Tide to a 30-24 win after trailing 17-14 at the half. Young’s had to make do with an inferior cast of receivers relative to what he had last season, but his ability to play off script and turn blown plays into unexpected gains is second to none.
His “longest” pass of the day came on a 35-yard pitch (which was credited as a reception despite the wording in the tweet) to wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks, although it was Young’s ability to even get the ball off that was the highlight, as he wiggled loose from a disastrous loss of yards and gave Brooks a chance to make a play and turn the ball up field.
Bryce Young to Ja'Corey Brooks for a 35-yd rush#RollTide 14 #OleMiss 17 3rd pic.twitter.com/hOlAIhhY8E
— Sᴘᴏʀᴛs 24/7 (@Sports_24x7_) November 12, 2022
Plays like this have become par for the course for Young, who is an absolute magician on the field. His aDOT of 5.8 on the day was his worst in any game this season, but Young made plays when they counted and didn’t turn the ball over in a tough road game against an SEC rival.
Whether or not he’s the No. 1 draft pick next spring will be determined throughout the pre-draft process, but Young’s playmaking ability is going to make one lucky team very happy in 2023.
Chase Brown, RB (Illinois)
Rushing: 23 carries, 98 yards, 2 TD
Receiving: 3 receptions, 32 yards, 0 TDs
The Big Ten is chock full of good running backs, and Illinois’ Chase Brown is no exception. Currently ranked as the No. 11 back of the 2023 class per NFL Mock Draft Database, Brown leads the nation with 1,431 rushing yards and added to his total with a 98-yard, two-touchdown performance in Saturday’s loss to Purdue.
Brown left Saturday’s loss to Purdue with a leg injury late in the fourth quarter, but the nation’s leading rusher is reportedly on track to play this weekend against No. 3 Michigan.
The junior running back scored from two and eight yards out on the afternoon, with his longest run coming on a 17-yard rush late in the fourth quarter to set up an otherwise meaningless field goal. Brown has been the lifeblood of Illinois’ offense throughout the season, rushing the ball 28.0 times per game while also hauling in 2.3 receptions per game.
His 803 yards after contact are good for fourth-most in the nation, but his 2.86 YCO/ATT ranks outside the top 120 per PFF. Brown averaged a solid 4.14 YCO/ATT last season but could struggle to create yards at the NFL level. Teams love an old-fashioned bell cow back, but at 5-foot-11, 205-pounds, Brown is a bit undersized for a between-the-tackles grinder. Still, teams will love seeing him grind out yards and take on a high rate of touches in the Big Ten, and will undoubtedly be intrigued about what he could offer as an early-down back.
Zay Flowers, WR (Boston College)
Receiving: 7 receptions, 130 yards, 2 TDs
Currently ranked as the No. 8 receiver of the 2023 NFL Draft Class per NFL Mock Draft Database, Boston College’s Zay Flowers is in his fourth season with the program after opting to return for his senior season.
Since arriving on campus as a true freshman in 2019, Flowers entered this season with 122 receptions for 1,979 yards and 17 touchdowns while boasting a 28% team target share. In his last two seasons, Flowers has had a 34% target share or better.
After somewhat of a slow start to the season, Flowers has now gone for 100+ yards in three of his last six games and has gone for 14-193-4 over his last two games. In last week’s win over NC State, Flowers came up with scores from 17 and 35 yards out and had six receptions of 15 or more yards on the day. As a playmaker, he had one of his better days, racking up 65 yards after the catch -- his second-highest total of the season.
For his career, Flowers is averaging a solid 2.16 YRR and 6.9 YAC/REC. Underwhelming quarterback play throughout most of his career has somewhat limited what appears to be a fairly high ceiling, but Flowers could flourish in an NFL offense under a decent quarterback. He’s probably teetering on being a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick in next year’s draft, but a solid combine could move his draft stock up closer to the late third round.
Marvin Mims, WR (Oklahoma)
Receiving: 4 receptions, 98 yards, 0 TDs
This recap is less about an Earth-shattering performance and more about a three-year producer we need to be aware of.
Marvin Mims joined Oklahoma as a four-star receiver from the 2020 recruiting class. Mims was the 29th-ranked receiver of his class per 247 Sports’ composite rankings and has turned in three-straight productive years to begin his career.
Mims has displayed versatility throughout his career, playing 50.7% of his snaps from the slot per PFF, and 48.8% of his snaps out wide. This season, Mims has seen 62.3% of his snaps come from out wide and has already posted career-highs in receptions (42) and yards (776) with two regular season games to go -- plus a potential bowl game.
He’s benefitted from a major boost in targets (71) after never seeing more than 49 in either of his previous two seasons but has improved his efficiency as well, posting career highs in YAC/REC (8.2) and YPRR (2.71). In last week’s loss to West Virginia, Mims hauled in four passes for 98 yards, with 67 of those yards coming on an extended play after quarterback Dillon Gabriel rolled to his left and found Mims breaking free behind coverage.
Mims is a bonafide stud after the catch. His 6.8 YAC/REC for his career ranks higher than guys like Drake London, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Jahan Dotson -- who were all first-round picks in last year’s draft. As a true freshman, Mims led the Sooners with 610 receiving yards and nine touchdowns and led the team again as a sophomore. Constantly surrounded by talented players, the fact that Mims has yet to post a 1,000-yard season shouldn’t be an indictment on him. Leading a program like Oklahoma in receiving as a true freshman is no small feat. If he declares, Mims will be an interesting prospect to evaluate given his three productive, team-leading seasons, at a Power Five program.
