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If you want to identify college football risers on the 2023 NFL draft board, look at Jalen Carter of Georgia football, Blake Corum of Michigan, and Bo Nix of Oregon. That's right: Bo Nix. There are plenty of other players whose draft value is rising, but these three performers have opened eyes and will leave this season with clearly increased stature for NFL scouts and executives in late April.
Rising college football stars and the 2023 NFL draft: Jalen Carter
If you watched last week's game between the Georgia football machine and the Tennessee Volunteers, you saw Jalen Carter doing his thing. It is notable that in the 2022 NFL draft, the Georgia prospect who had the most hype was Nakobe Dean, the high-profile leader of the defense who was not only a tackling monster, but also the traffic cop of the group and a player with a very high football IQ. Yet, a big injury concern dropped him far down the draft board. Yet, even with that unfortunate draft development, Georgia still had the No. 1 overall draft pick with Travon Walker going to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Georgia had a record-shattering draft class last season with 15 draft picks in the seven-round format. (The NFL draft used to have many more rounds several decades ago.) Jalen Carter might not get the banner headlines, but neither did Travon Walker. He looks like the real deal, and shutting down a very potent Tennessee offense which hung 52 points on Nick Saban and Alabama will cause a player's draft stock to soar. Georgia football produces these kinds of players with regularity and makes something extremely difficult look very easy.
Blake Corum
The big thing to notice with Corum is that as the season moves along, he is getting better and stronger. Corum is asked to carry the workload for the Michigan offense. He gets plenty of carries each week. Defenses are lining up to stop him. They know he's coming. Corum still gets big yards and tough yards and shows why he is a top-tier workhorse who can take the punishment between the tackles and make an NFL team very happy.
An obvious storyline attached to Blake Corum and his NFL draft status is that he will face Ohio State in a few weeks. A lot of NFL scouts will be at that game, and a lot of NFL executives will be watching that game. Michigan's running game was very effective against the Ohio State defense last year. Ohio State's defense is clearly better this year than it was in 2021, but it's still an open question as to whether Ohio State's defense is ready for Blake Corum. If he plays a big game and shines on that kind of stage, his NFL value will go through the roof.
Bo Nix
Has any player more dramatically changed the conversation and the popular narrative surrounding him? You have to look long and hard for such an example. Nix made tons of mistakes at Auburn, but he has been brilliant this season after a rough opening game against Georgia, which has the top team in the United States. Against all non-Georgia opponents, Nix has been superb, making quick and accurate decisions and precise downfield throws. He runs at the right time and is reading the game cleanly under offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, who worked with him at Auburn. Nix is a gifted athlete who is seeing the game in slow motion. If he continues to thrive, his draft situation will continue to improve.
