Post by Uncle on Aug 2, 2022 18:04:40 GMT -6
Last college season I did a week-by-week breakdown of some the top/exciting college games (in my opinion anyway) with some NFL Draft implications sprinkled in and I'd like to do the same for the 2022 season.
The 2022 season is right around the corner with "Week 0" starting later this month on Sat, 8/27 - Week 1 schedule starts on Labor Day weekend with games on Thu, 9/1, but there are games the last Saturday of August. There are only 11 total games, and a few of them could be mildly interesting.
Saturday, 8/27
Nebraska vs Northwestern - 12:30PM ET (game being played in Ireland)
The Cornhuskers were expected to "turn the corner" as a program in 2021 under HC Scott Frost, but they ended up winning only 3 games and their 9 losses were all lost by single digits, including their 2021 Week 0 opener against Illinois. I'm surprised Frost is returning for another season after the mishaps, poor game mgt and bungling that occurrred in 2021 (I ended up watching a bunch of Nebraska games in 2021 for some reason), but apparently they got aggressive this offseason by signing former Pitt playcaller Mark Whipple and by being aggressive in the transfer portal to bring in quality players to help them in the "W/L" column in 2022. While Northwestern doens't have too much NFL talent, they are always well-coached under HC Pat Fitzgerald and should provide a decent, early test for Nebraska to see if they've overcome their 2021 mishaps. If the Huskers lose this opener, the seat for Scott Frost might get red hot before September even starts.
Florida A&M @ North Carolina - 8:15PM ET
This may not be a early season "cupcake" game for Carolina as FAMU won 9 straight in the FCS in 2021 before losing in the 1st Rd of the FCS Playoffs to SE LA. North Carolina not only lost QB Sam Howell to the NFL, but they lost 4 OL starters, too. I do expect the ACC to be better overall than they were in 2021, but I wouldn't be surprised if Carolina stumbled their toe a bit coming out of the gate, either to FAMU or their 1st road game at App State the following weekend on 9/3.
2023 NFL Draft QB Stats
The 2023 QB class should be closer to the 2021 class that saw 5 QB's go in Rd 1 and I believe it contains a whole bunch of "Tier 2" prospects that the 2022 class became known for. And because the Vikings could possibly draft a QB (or two) in the 2023 class (depending on their 2022 season under KOC and Cousins), I think it's worth keeping an eye on the stats all season long for the top 2023 QB's to see who stands out as the season progresses.
To start-off, I've listed the Top 25 2023 QB's in terms of various rankings across the 'Net, and as the season goes on, I will probably scale this back to the Top 20, Top 15 and possibly just the Top 10. As the season progresses, some might fall off and others might get on - it all depends on their performances. I know some lists have Purdue QB Aidan O'Connell as a possible Top 10 prospect while others do not - if O'Connell starts tearing it up early and someone else stinks, then he'll certainly come on the list. Also, it's worth noting that not all of these QB's will declare themselves eligible for the 2023 Draft, but it's still worth keeping an eye on their stats as the season progresses.
Even though none of the Top 25 QB's play in Week 0, I still thought I'd list them here just to give everyone a preview - even if it's just their ages, height and weights. One takeaway from just looking at the list to me is the number of QB's with a more traditional QB "frame" of 6'3"+ and 220+ lbs - the 2022 QB class only saw two (Pickett and Ridder) QB's that were 6'3" drafted in the first 5 Rounds and none of them were 225+. It could be reasonable to assume that the 2023 QB Class will certainly be more "physical" than the 2022 Class.
The 2022 season is right around the corner with "Week 0" starting later this month on Sat, 8/27 - Week 1 schedule starts on Labor Day weekend with games on Thu, 9/1, but there are games the last Saturday of August. There are only 11 total games, and a few of them could be mildly interesting.
Saturday, 8/27
Nebraska vs Northwestern - 12:30PM ET (game being played in Ireland)
The Cornhuskers were expected to "turn the corner" as a program in 2021 under HC Scott Frost, but they ended up winning only 3 games and their 9 losses were all lost by single digits, including their 2021 Week 0 opener against Illinois. I'm surprised Frost is returning for another season after the mishaps, poor game mgt and bungling that occurrred in 2021 (I ended up watching a bunch of Nebraska games in 2021 for some reason), but apparently they got aggressive this offseason by signing former Pitt playcaller Mark Whipple and by being aggressive in the transfer portal to bring in quality players to help them in the "W/L" column in 2022. While Northwestern doens't have too much NFL talent, they are always well-coached under HC Pat Fitzgerald and should provide a decent, early test for Nebraska to see if they've overcome their 2021 mishaps. If the Huskers lose this opener, the seat for Scott Frost might get red hot before September even starts.
Florida A&M @ North Carolina - 8:15PM ET
This may not be a early season "cupcake" game for Carolina as FAMU won 9 straight in the FCS in 2021 before losing in the 1st Rd of the FCS Playoffs to SE LA. North Carolina not only lost QB Sam Howell to the NFL, but they lost 4 OL starters, too. I do expect the ACC to be better overall than they were in 2021, but I wouldn't be surprised if Carolina stumbled their toe a bit coming out of the gate, either to FAMU or their 1st road game at App State the following weekend on 9/3.
2023 NFL Draft QB Stats
The 2023 QB class should be closer to the 2021 class that saw 5 QB's go in Rd 1 and I believe it contains a whole bunch of "Tier 2" prospects that the 2022 class became known for. And because the Vikings could possibly draft a QB (or two) in the 2023 class (depending on their 2022 season under KOC and Cousins), I think it's worth keeping an eye on the stats all season long for the top 2023 QB's to see who stands out as the season progresses.
To start-off, I've listed the Top 25 2023 QB's in terms of various rankings across the 'Net, and as the season goes on, I will probably scale this back to the Top 20, Top 15 and possibly just the Top 10. As the season progresses, some might fall off and others might get on - it all depends on their performances. I know some lists have Purdue QB Aidan O'Connell as a possible Top 10 prospect while others do not - if O'Connell starts tearing it up early and someone else stinks, then he'll certainly come on the list. Also, it's worth noting that not all of these QB's will declare themselves eligible for the 2023 Draft, but it's still worth keeping an eye on their stats as the season progresses.
Even though none of the Top 25 QB's play in Week 0, I still thought I'd list them here just to give everyone a preview - even if it's just their ages, height and weights. One takeaway from just looking at the list to me is the number of QB's with a more traditional QB "frame" of 6'3"+ and 220+ lbs - the 2022 QB class only saw two (Pickett and Ridder) QB's that were 6'3" drafted in the first 5 Rounds and none of them were 225+. It could be reasonable to assume that the 2023 QB Class will certainly be more "physical" than the 2022 Class.
... and neither is this Chris guy.