2023 NFL Draft: Week 3 Stock Report

College football is in full steam now and it hasn't calmed down whatsoever, so played great and who fumbled their opportunity.

Week 3 of the 2022 college football season is in the books, and the landscape is becoming clearer. There are, of course, the usual suspects at the top of the rankings, but things get a lot more interesting as you work your way down the list. The one thing this season has already shown us and is a great sign for the sport as a whole, there is a ton more disparity across the nation. We could see some new teams reign atop the “Power 5” conferences as the ACC seems wide open, with teams like Syracuse making some noise. There have been some fresh faces taking over the country, too. These players have elevated the game to one of the most exciting season starts in recent history. Surely we have all heard football has evolved into a quarterback-driven sport. Well, that idea strengthened this week because we have a few signal callers talk about this week. Now get out your ledgers, and let’s find out who is making that money and who can’t get out of the red.

Money Makers

QB Stetson Bennett, Georgia:

If we talk about quarterbacks, there is no choice but to start with the defending National Champion, Stetson Bennett. After a difficult start to his career, Bennett was backed by his teammates and took control of Georgia’s quarterback position. He then repaid their loyal by winning the College Football Playoffs. Now, three weeks into his senior season, Bennett looks like a different player. Instead of being a “game manager” like last year, he is a confident playmaker looking for back-to-back titles. Bennett has gained over 300 yards of offense each week and has yet to turn the ball over. This is a far cry from last season when Georgia would pray they didn’t get into a shootout. Bennett’s transformation has been so extreme he has gone from a prospect with an undrafted free agent grade to someone who is now in the conversation to be a late-round draft pick. 

QB Aidan O’Connell, Purdue:

O’Connell is incredibly accurate and has perfect timing with his receivers. He isn’t a scrambling quarterback but has ample athleticism to make plays with his feet. He is also an extremely tough player who isn’t afraid of taking a big hit to deliver a perfect throw. Coming off of his best season last year, there were still many questions surrounding him, like will he be as good without some of his top playmakers from last year? O’Connell has answered those questions and left his doubters in the dust. Even after making a terrible decision that led to a pick-six, O’Connell was able to calm his nerves and bring his team back in a position to win. Unfortunately for him, Syracuse wouldn’t die and ended up scoring a game-winning touchdown with seven seconds left. Purdue is having a hard time closing games and is 1-2 on the season. However, don’t let that deter you from liking O’Connell. He is much too talented to ignore.

RB Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota:

There may not be a running back who has had a better start to the season as Ibrahim for the Gophers. He has also been very consistent, gaining over 100 rush yards and scoring multiple touchdowns in every game. Though Colorado doesn’t have the strongest defense, Ibrahim got 100 rushing yards in the first quarter, and that’s impressive, no matter what. Minnesota is still looking to recapture the magic they had a couple of seasons ago, and it will all start with Ibrahim. If he can keep the pressure off quarterback Tanner Morgan, Minnesota will be a very difficult opponent to beat this year.

RB Bijan Robinson, Texas:

This is the top running back prospect in the country, and he showed exactly why Saturday against UTSA. Robinson is not only a powerful back, but he also has the speed and agility to get past any defense. He wasn’t off to a great start this season, but he finally took off this week. On 20 carries, Robinson had 183 yards and three touchdowns. Robinson ran around the UTSA defense with ease and looked like the all-star everyone expected. Texas is 2-1 and honestly should have beat Alabama last week. Robinson is the heart of the Texas team and will be the catalyst for how far the team can go. I talked last week about him losing steam and not performing well, so I had to give him props on an excellent game.

DE Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame:

Notre Dame got their first win this week, and Foskey dominated the line of scrimmage. Even though he missed part of the game to do injury, he was a difference maker. He had 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss but was truly embarrassing the right tackle all game long. Foskey is an outstanding pass rusher with great hands that cause offensive linemen fits. He is big and fast and is also a very technical player. He needs to let it go and play football because sometimes he tries to be too perfect. The quarterback change should help the team, and it will be very interesting to see how the direction of the team changes.

DT Brandon Dorlus, Oregon:

Dorlus is a highly underrated defensive tackle prospect and shouldn’t be because he is a monster in the middle. His build allows him to be a hybrid player with speed and power moves. Dorlus led the team in tackles with seven and had a sack, but what he did off the stat sheet made the biggest impact. If you can control the line of scrimmage, you have a great chance of controlling the game. This player will greatly impact any team because he has a fantastic motor and will always play through the whistle. 

In The Red

RB Jalen Berger, Michigan State:

This is an interesting situation because Michigan State is coming off of a phenomenal season with the best running game in the country, so it was expected that they would still have a strong ground game. Jalen Berger was the lead back and started strong, but this was the team’s first big test. Unfortunately for Berger, 27 rush yards isn’t going to get it done. He is a talented player and has great power, but it didn’t come to fruition against Washington, which is disappointing. They have a huge game versus an undefeated Minnesota next, so it will be vital for him to show, or Minnesota will blow away Michigan State.

Nebraska Defense:

Though no one expected the Nebraska defense to be good, this was a disappointing performance. In the first game after firing Scott Frost, you would expect a spirited performance, but that isn’t at all what happened. They allowed a 56-yard touchdown run to quarterback Dillon Gabriel and had several opportunities to make a tackle. However, no one could make the play. Nebraska has been in a tailspin for years, and you hoped that firing the coach might have lit a fire under the entire team. 

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