2023 NFL Draft: 5 Players Who Could Explode This Season
With the college football season looming, let's highlight some of the guys who aren't getting enough love on the recent All-Conference teams, plus a couple who missed out entirely. Some of these players are all-second team or even all-third team, but their upside in 2022 could leave plenty of people surprised. Here are five offensive talents who could easily become household names by the end of the 2022 college football season.
WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.
Ohio State is set to have another very strong year offensively in 2022. In most analysts' opinions, CJ Stroud is currently the No. 2 quarterback, behind only Bryce Young of Alabama. So naturally, all eyes are on the Buckeyes' wide receivers again this year.
Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave combined for 135 receptions and 25 touchdowns in 2021. Both will now suiting up on Sundays after being selected in the first round of this year's NFL draft. As a result, the focus shifted to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who led the Buckeyes in receptions and yards in 2021, despite the production of both Wilson and Olave.
But Egbuka is the guy in the shadows, ready to emerge. Egbuka was the No. 1 wide receiver in the nation and a five-star recruit coming out of high school in 2021. He redshirted his freshman year last year after only six receptions for 145 yards in the three games he saw targets.
Egbuka could easily emerge as the No. 3 target in the Buckeyes' offense this year, which was able to comfortably feed three wide receivers last season. He'll be competing for reps with Julian Fleming and Marvin Harrison Jr., the latter also being a redshirt freshman picking up a lot of hype as we head towards the season.
RB Byron Cardwell, Oregon
Oregon Ducks running back Byron Cardwell.
The path has been cleared for Cardwell to take over and emerge as one of the best running backs in college football this coming season. Travis Dye was the No. 1 back for the Ducks in 2021, but moved to USC during the offseason in a somewhat surprise transfer.
CJ Verdell is now a member of the Indianapolis Colts, leaving Cardwell as the No. 1 option out of the backfield for the Ducks in 2022. Cardwell's 7.4 yards per carry led the Ducks running back group last year, and his ability to blend speed with strength and power makes him a very interesting back for the upcoming campaign. He's been named to the All-Pac-12 second team and is short-listed for the Doak Walker Award, given to college football's best running back.
While those shortlists show praise and demand expectation from Cardwell, many still underestimate what the sophomore is capable of. He'll have one of the strongest offensive lines in the game, and the stage is set for him to explode.
WR Josh Vann, South Carolina
South Carolina Gamecocks wide receiver Josh Vann.
Vann is a brilliantly talented wide receiver who has never quite had the numbers to match the ability. In 2021, his fourth season with the Gamecocks, Vann had a career-high 43 catches for 678 yards and five touchdowns. That included an impressive game against Georgia, where he caught three balls for 128 yards and a touchdown. He beat press coverage down the sideline on two occasions.
Vann became the first Gamecocks wide receiver to have back-to-back 100-plus-yard receiving games since Deebo Samuel did it in 2018. Later in the season, Vann went on to catch a career-high seven passes for 111 yards and a touchdown against Florida.
With Spencer Rattler hoping to reignite his career in South Carolina, this could be the year that we see the very best of Vann. If it all clicks, the sky is the limit, and we could see a far higher volume of targets than Vann has had in his career.
RB Donovan Edwards, Michigan
Michigan Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards.
Blake Corum is set to take over as the No. 1 running back for the Wolverines this year, but that doesn't mean there won't be opportunity for the sophomore Edwards.
Last season, a backfield duo of Hasaan Haskins and Corum accumulated over 2,000 yards and 28 touchdowns on the ground. The Wolverines bring back an experienced offensive line and will be looking to duplicate that production again in 2022.
That means a lot of work on the ground for the Wolverines' backs, and even though many have certain expectations for Edwards, he could break out in a major way this year. Head coach Jim Harbaugh described him as a player who 'comes along once a generation, and plenty think he could outshine Corum right out of the gate in 2022.
Mitchell was named to the Big Ten All-Conference second team, while Corum was named to the first team before the upcoming season.
WR Parker Washington, Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Parker Washington.
Arguably the best player on Penn State's offense this year, it still feels like Washington is being undervalued. He might not have impeccable straight-line speed, but he is everything wanted from a pass-catcher.
Washington has great hands and has shown that if the football is thrown into his general area, he'll make a catch regardless. He's shown great ability as a deep threat, and with Jahan Dotson now in the NFL, the target share and volume for Washington will increase dramatically.
Washington could prove many people wrong this year, as some seem to believe he has somewhat of a low ceiling. The 5-foot-10 wide receiver is heading into his third season with the Nittany Lions and has accumulated 10 touchdowns and over 1,200 yards. Dotson took a major leap in his third year, and more of the same is expected from this young man.
