The College Football Playoffs gives fans the opportunity to not only watch four of the best teams in the country clash, but the top players as well.
In the first game, the Michigan Wolverines take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl. Following that, the Washington Huskies face the Texas Longhorns in the Sugar Bowl.
Plenty of NFL evaluators will have these prospects that are going to be in the 2024 NFL draft under the microscope.
EDGE Dallas Turner, Alabama
Turner is the latest elite edge defender to come out of Alabama, hoping to find himself in the top 10, like his former teammate, Texans’ Will Anderson. While he’s still putting it all together from a technical standpoint, Turner is a freak athlete with the explosiveness, bend, length and pursuit speed to make an impact against the pass and run.
OT JC Latham, Alabama
Hulking at 6-foot-6 and 360 pounds, Latham is a force in pass protection and in the run game with a great combination of size, strength, physicality and agility, projecting as a starter from Day 1 with Pro Bowl potential.
CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama
Many know Kool-Aid McKinstry as the centerpiece in the Crimson Tide’s secondary, but Arnold will be higher on some team’s draft boards come April. Leading the team with five interceptions and a whopping 16 passes defended, Arnold, the former safety, plays with quick feet, a high football IQ and competitiveness at the catch point and against the run.
QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels will be the first three quarterbacks taken. McCarthy will be looking to be the next signal-caller after them. But scouts want to see him take over a game, and Alabama is a great test for that. Overall, McCarthy is a sound decision-maker with pro-level arm talent and a composed command of his offense.
RB Blake Corum, Michigan
Corum has been the beast in the backfield for the Wolverines, posting two consecutive seasons of over 1,000 yards of rushing. He possesses the vision, decisiveness, footwork, acceleration and toughness to pose problems for opposing defenses. But will he be able to against a stout Alabama front?
DT Kris Jenkins, Michigan
Disrupting Jalen Monroe will be one of the keys to victory for Michigan, and they’re hoping to get some of that pressure from their man in the middle defensive line. While he’s better against the run, Jenkins is a freakish athlete for his size with good hands, an explosive first step, lower-body strength and a high motor.
EDGE Bralen Trice, Washington
Trice is an explosive, violent defender who brings tremendous burst and can convert speed to power while showing good counters to defeat blocks. How good is he at rushing the passer, you’re wondering? He led the nation in quarterback pressures the past two seasons (70). Against the run, he has the functional strength to set firm edges and the ability to squeeze gaps.
WR Rome Odunze, Washington
One of the nation’s top wide receivers, Odunze finished the 2023 regular season with 1,428 yards and 13 touchdowns, earning him All-America honors. He is a sudden athlete with the hands, body control and catch radius to make big plays down the field.
OT Troy Fautanu, Washington
The leader up front for the Huskies, Fautanu is a well-built player with long arms who possesses the athletic ability, body control, impressive anchor strength and run-blocking nastiness. While he has played 26 games at left tackle for the Huskies, Fautanu projects as a guard at the next level with the ability to kick outside in a pinch.
DT T'Vondre Sweat
If Washington struggles to generate anything positive in the run game, it’s probably because Sweat is wreaking havoc in the trenches. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 340 pounds, Sweat is a line-anchoring fire hydrant with the sheer size and strength that makes him challenging to control. For a player of his stature, he is relatively light and flexible on his feet.
WR Xavier Worthy, Texas
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers will be looking to his top target early and often. Worthy finished the regular season with 73 receptions for 969 yards and five touchdowns. Despite lacking ideal size for the position at 6-foot-1 and a slender 172 pounds, Worthy is a dynamic receiver with electric speed and quickness to take it to the house at any time.
