Tag: Bryce Young

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Why Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is poised for a breakout season

TARGET PUBLICATION – FULL10YARDS

Just 18 starts into Bryce Young’s NFL career, the Carolina Panthers seemed to have given up on the man they mortgaged their future to get.

Carolina gave away a huge package that included star wide receiver DJ Moore and a haul of picks from the next three drafts to trade up to the first overall pick in 2023 to draft Young, who they hoped to be the future of their franchise.

But after his first season, they may have felt they had made a mistake, with Young looking lost behind a terrible offensive line. Carolina, the worst team in the league, won just two games, and head coach Frank Reich and general manager Scott Fitterer were fired.

To try and fix Young, Dave Canales, who had just turned around Baker Mayfield’s career as offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was hired as Reich’s replacement, and $153 million was spent on long-term contracts for two offensive linemen to protect him.

Sadly, Young’s struggles continued into 2024, and after being outscored by 60 points in Carolina’s first two games, he was sent to the bench ahead of their Week 3 matchup. 

Young’s future in Charlotte was looking dicey, but he would get another chance to save his career in Week 8 when veteran quarterback Andy Dalton injured his thumb in a car accident. 

Young took the opportunity and ran with it, winning four games to finish the season and producing some of the best quarterback play across the entire NFL in the second half of 2024.

Heading into 2025, advanced statistics suggest that Young could establish himself amongst the league’s best when the season begins in September.

Bryce Young’s impressive end to 2024

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It looked like much of the same when Carolina lost to the Denver Broncos to go 1-7 on the season, but Young would get another chance to play at home against their division rivals, the Saints, the following Sunday.

Young would lead the Panthers to a come-from-behind victory in the fourth quarter, being rewarded with the start over a healthy Dalton for the Panthers’ international home game against the New York Giants in Week 10.

At Munich’s Allianz Arena, Carolina would win back-to-back games for the first time since drafting Young to be the next Cam Newton, heading into their bye week feeling slightly optimistic about their investment, just eight weeks after casting him aside.

The two-week break between games gave Canales and his staff extra time to prepare for their next opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs, and Young two full weeks of further practice in a new offense.

Big-time throws are a metric developed by the statistics company Pro Football Focus to measure the number of times a quarterback completes a difficult throw into an area statistically proven to be hard to reach.

Leading up to the game against Kansas City, Young had amassed 22 big-time throws in his 21 starts. Against the Chiefs, he would produce five in one game and start a run of games that would revitalise his career, taking Patrick Mahomes and co. right to the wire, but losing 30-27 in the final seconds of the game.

After throwing for 263 yards and a touchdown against one of the league’s top defenses, Young would impress the following week at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He produced four more big-time throws, throwing for a career-high 298 yards and scoring two total touchdowns, but Carolina fell short to another 2024 playoff team, this time in overtime.

For the first time in his career, Young had gone three games without turning the ball over and was getting the best out of what he had around him, putting Carolina in the position to go right to the wire with far greater talented teams.

In Week 14, Young produced another three big-time throws in a 22-16 away loss to the future Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, who possessed the league’s number one defense.

Against Dallas the following week, Young would struggle against the blitz, taking six sacks and turning the ball over four times, but the three turnover-worthy plays from that 30-14 home loss were his final three of the season.

After already leading Carolina to victory in overtime against Arizona in Week 16, Young would go on to produce his fourth game-winning drive of the season in Atlanta in Week 18, throwing three touchdowns and using his legs to pick up another two scores in a 44-38 win to finish 5-12 on the season.

Bryce Young’s 2025 outlook

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Between the Kansas City loss in Week 12 and the season closer in Atlanta six weeks later, Young produced more big-time throws than any other quarterback in the NFL, with 22.

Data suggests that the game slowed down midway through his sophomore season, pointing towards a breakout season in 2025.

In 2023, Young was one of the NFL’s most conservative quarterbacks, with an average depth of target of just 7.8 yards, but after their bye week in 2024, his play transformed, pushing the ball downfield much more accurately than before, and further.

Only 2024 MVP Josh Allen (10.8 yards) produced a higher ADOT than Young from Week 12 onwards, with the 23-year-old being tied with 2023 MVP Lamar Jackson for second place at 9.9 yards.

When a quarterback pushes the ball downfield, their number of completions would usually decrease as downfield passes are less likely to be completed, but in Young’s case, he improved.

Adjusted completion percentage considers variables like dropped passes to give a better indication of a quarterback’s accuracy and ball placement. 

In 2023, Young was one of the least accurate quarterbacks in the league, with the NFL’s second-worst adjusted completion percentage (71.9% – minimum 50% of snaps played). 

Kenny Pickett was the only quarterback in the league with a lower ADOT and adjusted completion percentage than Young in his rookie season, but Young increased to 74.3% after Week 12, rising from 27th in 2023 to 14th.

PFF graded Young as the league’s sixth-best quarterback (85.4/100) from Week 12 onwards, behind Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Baker Mayfield, and as the fifth-best passer in the NFL.

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With the greater understanding of pro-level defenses and the improved offensive line protecting him, Young made smarter decisions with the football, too, with his turnover-worthy play percentage coming right down to 2.1% from 3.3% in his rookie year.

Heading into 2025, Canales and general manager Dan Morgan have given Young some more support to make a run at the NFC South, a division that they will feel is winnable.

Carolina had both the worst scoring defense, and the unit that surrendered the most yards in 2024, so it was important to address that side of the ball heavily over the offseason.

Potentially five new defensive starters were added in free agency and the draft, whilst the addition of running back Rico Dowdle, and their first-round draft selection, wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, has improved the set of skill position players available to Young.

Throwing to the likes of Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, and an ageing Adam Thielen, Young really started to establish himself as a more than capable NFL starting quarterback just a few weeks after his future in the league looked in doubt.

You only have to look as far as Allen to find an example of a quarterback whose play has reached another level with the addition of a reliable weapon.

On top of the reigning MVP’s strong five years after the Buffalo Bills traded for wide receiver Stefon Diggs, Tua Tagovailoa, Baker Mayfield, and Sam Darnold are all more recent examples of quarterbacks who have played at an All-Pro level after landing a good supporting cast.

The Panthers have worked hard to surround their investment with all he needs to succeed. Should Young carry on from his strong finish to the 2024 season, he could establish himself as one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks.

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WEEK 2 SCOUTING NOTES – Texas Vs. Alabama

This was by far the best match up of the week 2 slate, especially from an NFL draft perspective, and although not many gave the Longhorns a chance they almost pulled off a big upset. Texas can take a lot of pride with how they responded after losing their quarterback to injury in the first half, but as usual Alabama found a way to win, even when nowhere near their best. 

Let’s start our scouting notes with the almost guys, those new look Longhorns…

Texas

Now it must be said that this was very much a defensive struggle, but before his injury, Quarterback Quinn Ewers looked every bit the phenom he’s been built up to be. He has an effortless throwing motion, a big accurate arm and led his offense with poise. This injury will knock him out for four to six weeks, which is a big shame, but let’s hope he’s back sooner rather than later. 

His replacement Hudson Card stepped in admirably, but he doesn’t have the skill set that Ewers does. He does have ability though and he was only one or two plays away from causing the upset. He will get a run of games now to show what he has, and more than likely we will see him in the transfer portal at the end of the year, as he tries to find a starting gig for the 2023 season.

The star of the Longhorn offense is undoubtedly running back Bijan Robinson. Now Alabama set up to stop him and make the quarterback(s) beat them, and they succeeded with that plan. Robinson was held to just 57 yards with a 2.7 average. That doesn’t tell the whole story though as Texas has a very inexperienced offensive line, and they had big issues against the ‘Bama front. Robinson had to feed off of scraps but what is still easy to see is how dynamic he can be. His biggest play of the game came on a wheel route, perfectly executed, for a big gain up the sideline.

Whilst the yards were tough to find on the ground in this game, and perhaps for some time to come with this young line in front of him, the talent is clear to see and he’ll remain atop most peoples running back lists, barring injury of course.

There is something special about Wide Receiver Xavier Worthy. He has the same size and skill set of DeVonta Smith, which will cause some to be wary of him, but like Smith, Worthy can take over games if targeted. He almost had an great TD laying out in the end zone, almost snagging a Ewers bomb, but he was a threat all game, going against a very talented secondary. He isn’t draft eligible yet, but his name will be a hot topic entering the 2024 draft cycle. 

There’s a little bit of Deebo Samuel about wide receiver Jordan Whittington. He has a thick build with a strong lower half, and has some very nice YAC ability. He made a couple of impressive catches here and was a nice chain mover for the offense. He did have a bad drop too though, so there are things to work on, but he has a nice look about him and hopefully he won’t get lost with all the other weapons that this offense has.

As I mentioned earlier, the offensive line is very young, but it does have one senior on it, and that is right tackle Christian Jones. Whilst there was chaos going on all around him, Jones held up incredibly well here, especially in pass protection. He spent last year at Left Tackle and that did not go well at all, so he’s back over on the right side and looks very natural there indeed. More tape like this, especially against top pass rushers like he faced here, and his name will be moving up boards.

The biggest surprise was how the Longhorns managed to almost shut down this powerful Alabama offense. Their success started up front where their big boys challenged a new look Crimson Tide offensive line, and for the most part won their battles.

The most impressive of the front seven was the versatile senior Moro Ojomo, who spent most of his time lined up as an interior player, but has more of an EDGE size and style. Listed at 6’3 281lbs, he clearly wouldn’t be able to hold up on the inside in the NFL, but he could play a five tech/big end role no problem. He didn’t trouble the stat man much, but he did have three pressures and he was a constant pest, creating disruption at the point of attack and slowing down that fast tempo Alabama offense. 

The entire Longhorn secondary played well and limited the big plays that Alabama’s offense thrives on, and the best player for me was nickel defender Jahdae Barron. Playing that role can be a thankless task, but Barron had the look of a really smooth athlete in coverage and was a force against the run too, the perfect combination for that position. He hasn’t had a great deal of playing time in his first two seasons in Austin, but he has the starting role now and looks like he could develop into a real playmaker.

Alabama

There will be people looking at quarterback Bryce Young’s stat line and assuming he had a rough game, but in all honesty he did all he could do here. When it came down to the crunch, he led his team down the field in 90 seconds for a game winning field goal.

Yes, the stats aren’t great, but he spent a lot of time with pressure in his face, as his inexperienced offensive line was continuously exposed, and a few drops from his young wide receivers didn’t help either. Like C.J Stroud the week before, Young faced adversity and carried the team to the win, and that’s why both Quarterbacks are so highly thought of. 

Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs has been a name on most people’s lips during summer scouting, as the former Georgia Tech runner swapped the ACC gutter for an SEC powerhouse. He’d flashed ability the last couple of years but now he has the platform to show a national audience how good he can be. He is the Crimson Tide’s number one running back, and looks every bit as good as his predecessors, including two former first round draft picks. Gibbs has an explosive running style, hitting the hole at speed and is decisive in his cuts. He is a fantastic receiving threat, displaying natural hands and route awareness, and this game he highlighted his catching ability grabbing 9 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown. Gibbs honestly reminds me of Alvin Kamara with a splash of Christian McCaffrey, and I think all 32 NFL teams would want a back like that. There’s every chance this game will have the top two running backs selected in the 2023 NFL draft, and the both could be first rounders too.

As I alluded to earlier, this isn’t the greatest looking Alabama offensive line, but a true Sophomore did stand out and looks the real deal. right tackle JC Latham was a five star prospect out of Florida, and the number three overall recruit in 2021, according to 247 sports. He looked every bit of that lofty rating, and at times reminded me of Evan Neal when he was on the right side in the 2020 season. He excelled in pass protection, using a great base to latch on and dominate defenders. He ended up bailing some of his teammates out at times and looked to have an old head on very young shoulders. You’d expect him to move over to the left side in 2023, and like Neal before him, has every chance of being a top 10 pick come the 2024 NFL draft.

The star of this defensive unit EDGE Will Anderson had a relatively quiet game by his standards, but a quiet day for this monster still resulted in five tackles, two for a loss and one sack. He is unblockable at times and can create havoc on every snap. Only right tackle Christian Jones could slow him down, but even then he still beat him a couple of times too. He is a beast and he will be a top three pick. 

I think Linebacker Henry To’o To’o is a bit overrated and he didn’t do anything in this game to change my mind. I see a lot of athletic ability but he takes so many false steps on run plays that he can’t recover and lanes open up on him. I can’t get on board with this first round talk, to me he is an early day three player.


The best player for me defensively in this game was defensive lineman Byron Young. He was a run stuffing machine and was the main reason that Bijan Robinson had so little room to work with. He has violent hands that keep his chest clean and his quick twitch gets him into space to blow up plays. He is a bit undersized to play inside full time, and Alabama uses him over the tackle in their odd front a fair bit as well, and this is probably where he’ll play at the next level. He hasn’t graded this highly for me before, so this level of play will need to remain if he wants to climb the list and into the mid rounds.

By Keith Lucken – Follow Keith on Twitter @lordlucken

Links for Keiths previous scouting notes; Week 0, Week 1.

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2022 COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON – PRESEASON TAKES Part 2

Welcome back to part two of our preseason takes article! Part 1 where we focused more on the team-based takes is here and today we are focusing on player and coach takes for the coming college football season, let’s get into it!

Ok guys, so with the team takes in the bank, let’s move on to talking about some of the individuals who will be lighting up the season in a few short weeks time. Let’s start with Quarterbacks – Quite simply, Bryce Young or CJ Stroud?

Andy – Both incredibly talented, but I like Stroud. He’s had a lot of pressure on him at Ohio State, given the depth of their QB room and the weapons at his disposal, but he dealt with that excellently last year. Young has obviously had similar pressures, but the arc that Stroud’s career has taken so far, from a three-star QB, to winning the Elite 11 MVP award, boosting his rating and going on to be the starting QB for the Buckeyes is just impressive. 

Raj – Too close to call, so much so you may as call the choices 1a and 1b. However my slight bias is towards Stroud, on the basis of the progression from the start of last season to how he ended the season was phenomenal. I expect a continuation of that progression, showing this season even greater poise and accuracy in the pocket. 

Kieran –  As a well known hater of both teams I think this will be the most objective answer you’ll ever get out of me. Personally? CJ Stroud. There’s not a lot separating the two in my mind but watching CJ pass is something different. He has that something special. His ball placement, poise and swagger are truly a sight to behold.

Keith –  Both of these guys have special skills, but I like Stroud a touch more right now. I think he has a higher ceiling than Young, but both should put up big numbers again this season. There’s every chance they meet each other in the National Championship game, and that would be the perfect way to settle the argument on who is best!

Will – There is something to love about both of these guys, they are very talented. I have flip flopped what feels like on the daily on who I believe is better, but as time has gone on I have grown to love Bryce Young more. He has the NFL ready arm, he can stretch the field and put the ball anywhere you want him to. His deep ball is one thing that gives him the edge over Stroud, plus his sneaky ability to make plays with his legs. I’d say the only thing really favouring Stroud his footwork, I believe his ability to roll out and still make the play down field is a thing of beauty, but it is not something that Young cannot replicate with time. 

Lee – I’ve always been a Bryce Young guy. I think he captured by imagination back at the beginning of last year. I love the poise that he plays with, the ball placement and accuracy is ungodly and he can make a play with his legs to get him out of trouble, although he does keep his eye downfield. Young plays with experience that belies his years and experience, and he’s a joy to watch. 

So moving on from the guys throwing the passes to the guys who are catching those passes – Who is the wide receiver that you’re looking forward to watching the most this season? This doesn’t necessarily need to be the best guy, just the receiver you’re looking forward to the most.

Andy – I’ll stay at home in the ACC and say Dontayvion Wicks, the standout receiver in a loaded Virginia Cavalier pass catching room. Wicks emerged from nowhere last year, teaming up with Brennan Armstrong for 1203 yards and 9 TDs. There will definitely be more eyes on him this year, but the skill set he possesses will make him a handful for the ACC’s best CBs before he heads to the NFL.

Raj – The Longhorns are going to be a team everyone will be watching this year, and for me especially to see the development of Xavier Worthy. I firmly believe this kid is on the pathway to becoming one of the next bonafide superstar wide receivers and I’m excited to see his progression in his sophomore year. 

Kieran – I think we all know the answer. It’s the new number 7 on the block at WRU, Kayshon Boutte. He’s just second to none. A perfect blend of physical and finesse. He can moss people or he can blend guys on double moves or send them packing with silky smooth route running. Just a fantastic receiver who really deserves the number 7 jersey.

Keith –  I’ll go a bit left field and say Rakim Jarrett of Maryland. This Terps Offense has a chance to be really exciting this year, and Jarrett will be the focal point. Jarrett was a rare 5 star get for Maryland, as he chose to stay close to home, and he has flashed big time ability in his first two years there. With how this offense goes I expect both Jarrett and fellow receiver Dontay Demus Jr. to put up some big numbers this year, and both should be top 100 guys come draft time.

Will – Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a name that has left my mouth probably more than any other player in college football so far in the past year. Surprisingly isn’t the fastest, which makes him rely more on technique. It will be very interesting to see how he fairs against being pressed up more since he mostly worked in motion and out of the slot while he was paired up with two first round receivers. He is a talented route runner with very nice footwork which allows him to exceed on all levels of the field.

Lee – As a guy with his eyes out west, I am really looking forward to seeing Jordan Addison in the USC offense. I am looking forward to the USC offense and the USC project as a whole but will Addison be worth all of the fuss and furore that surrounded his transfer from Pittsburgh to USC? We will see. He’s a super dynamic receiver who led college football in yards last year and helped to make Kenny Pickett a first round QB… It should be dynamite with Riley calling the plays and a guy as talented as Caleb Williams throwing him the ball.

Enough of offense for a moment, give us a defensive player who you’ll have eyes on all year?

Andy – With Derwin James just getting handed a monster contract by the Chargers, I’ll highlight the next man off the FSU production line. Jammie Robinson is quick, aggressive and has a nose for the ball that James and Jalen Ramsey would be proud of. Mike Norvell is slowly bringing some energy back to the Seminoles and Robinson is going to be at the heart of that in 2022.

Raj – Will Anderson May be the best defensive player in college football however for my money Jalen Carter is very close behind. With all the talent on the Georgia defense last year, Carter still stood out as the top guy and I hope he has the chance to shine once more as the beacon and cornerstone of the defense. 

Kieran –  I think the go to here for me is Felix

Anudike-Uzomah. Maybe underrated when compared to the Will Anderson’s or BJ Ojulari’s of the world but still a great edge prospect with all the talent in the world despite being part of a seriously underwhelming KSU team. He excels at almost everything he does on the field and I can’t wait to see more of him.

Keith –  The 2021 Georgia defensive line had three first round draft picks on it, including the number one overall selection, yet the best player on that line will be back in 2022….

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter is just a special animal, combining almost perfectly the best parts from his fellow DTs from last year in Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt. He is so quick, strong, disruptive and has the best pass rush ability of any returning interior defensive lineman in the country. He will now become the main man in that Georgia front seven, and if he can carry on improving he will be a top 10 lock come next April.

Will – I love my corners, so how can I not talk about Eli Ricks. The only real concern is his speed, but everything else checks out. He has the height and length of a starting cornerback and the ability to make any quarterback pay who takes the chance to throw his way. While teammate Will Anderson is the talk of the town, Ricks will look to make a name for himself in new threads this season and will definitely make an impact on the Crimson Tide’s defense. He is the perfect zone corner.

Lee – We are going to talk about Will Anderson an awful lot throughout the season, and I will do a little bit later on, especially as someone who loves pass rushers, but I’ll try to anticipate that and not be repetitive and go in a different direction and mention Kelee Ringo, the corner for Georgia. I mentioned during our summer scouting podcast episode on corners that Ringo gave me Jalen Ramsey vibes, which is super-high praise so I’ll be looking for him to prove me right!

Next, let’s check in on the coaches – There have been some big appointments over the offseason, LSU, Oklahoma, Florida and USC in particular have made some high-profile hires in Brian Kelly, Brent Venables, Billy Napier and of course, Lincoln Riley… Of these four, whose team has the best season?

Andy – After our earlier predictions I’ll stick to Brent Venables and Oklahoma here. Venables has got arguably the ‘easiest’ conference, an experienced QB and enough acumen to solidify the Sooners’ defense. Lincoln Riley and the Trojans may be there or thereabouts come the end of the season, but it’s about time Oklahoma had the success that their talent teases.

Raj – Riley gives USC back their X factor and with Caleb Williams under center, I believe he will be the best of the new head coaches. Of all the new head coaches, he is most proven from the lot and I fully expect him to take the Trojans to the PAC 12 title and be in the mix for a National Championship

Kieran –   After a rather tenuous start to his LSU career I think Brian Kelly has separated himself from the pack. Known for doing a little with a lot at Notre Dame he now has the resources of a proper athletic institution behind him and he’s not only got the number 5 recruiting class in the nation but he’s a built an insane quarterback room, continues to develop the weapons in the WR room and has got our defence looking the best it’s looked since 2019. His southern accent is a little silly but he has free reign on that if he wins games this year.

Keith –  I was shocked when Lincoln Riley bolted to USC, it seemed from the outside that it was all about money and that usually never ends well. However, from what we hear in Trojan land, Riley is making USC very relevant, very quickly. He abused the transfer portal to land himself players he was familiar with and could trust, and then added some cream on top with possibly the best WR in college football too. I think he’ll get the best out of what he inherited (which is still full of 4 and 5 stars) and make them PAC 12 contenders right away.

Will – Brent Venables has got a good season ahead of him. Hard to not bring up how brilliant he is defensively when you bring up his name. The staff he has supporting him will help lead Oklahoma to what I believe is a very successful year. While everybody in the Big XII Zigged the Sooners decided to Zag by trying to assemble a defense that is sure to give these offenses some fits.

Lee – I like Brent Venables in Oklahoma. I think he’s proven at Clemson that he’s one of the brightest defensive minds in the college football ranks and with that I think he has a chance to really push the Big XII in a way that those teams aren’t used to being pushed. The way down there is usually to fight fire with fire but Venables might have some ideas about that! I think he and the Sooners will push Baylor all the way and the outlook will look good moving forward. 

Ok, let’s get back on to players to wrap up here… Who will be the Heisman Trophy winner?

Andy – I’ve just finished my ACC predictions for the season and I couldn’t stop putting Miami down as a W every week – even against Clemson. The reason for that is Tyler Van Dyke. Mario Cristobal landed a pretty nice job with the Canes, but Van Dyke’s presence makes it even tastier. He’s got all the tools to be a big time player in the NFL and sadly (from an FSU standpoint) I think he’s going to dominate the ACC this season.

Raj – Have to go with my guy, the best player in college football, and for whom I knew last season that once he got on the field, he was a genuine superstar. That guy is TreVeyon Henderson and I haven’t seen a running back that good since Christian McCaffery at Stanford. The guy has it all and a lot of talk will be about Bijan Robinson, however I think Henderson could put some monster numbers this season to be considered a Heisman candidate. 

Kieran – In my eyes it’s going to be a three way toss up between, Will Anderson, CJ Stroud and Bijan Robinson. All three guys are just exceptional players and I think we might see one of the tightest races for the trophy in a long time. As much as he’s a rival it would be nice to see Will Anderson claim the first defensive Heisman since Charles Woodson though. 

Keith – If the Heisman Trophy really was for the best player in college football, then Will Anderson would have won it last year. Unfortunately, it seems to go to the best skill player in college football instead, and most of the time it’s a Quarterback. Now if Will Anderson has a similar year this year he can’t be ignored again surely…. but I’ll say that Texas do pull up a few trees this season and Bijan Robinson goes off for 2000+ yards and looks like the second coming of Ricky Williams and wins it. 

Will – Bryce Young is my Heisman Trophy winner for this season, but the Heisman race will be really close I believe. Teammate Will Anderson is a name that would not surprise me at all to see brought up, and if Texas does what many believe they do, then give me Bijan Robinson as well. But Bryce Young is my winner.

Lee – If my prior prediction of Alabama taking the National Championship over Ohio State comes true, I can’t see too far past Bryce Young here. It’ll have the story, which I think is vital to the Heisman, and he’ll also have the hardware, especially if the Tide take the SEC Championship as well as the Natty. 

And in the truest sense of the award, will your winner, be the best player in college football? If not, who will be?

Andy – I’ll continue the Oklahoma love and go for Dillon Gabriel. The Heisman Trophy is pretty boring when it comes to wildcards winning it and I’ve backed the Sooners to make the CFB playoffs, so it makes sense that their QB would be in the running. Gabriel has been excellent at UCF, and with the help of a new coaching staff he should finesse a few things.

Raj – I think Tre’Veyon Henderson will be the best player in college football but Will Anderson will run him close. The guy is a monster when it comes to getting after the QB, to the extent he may be unblockable. Utter domination is the mantra of his game and I expect that to continue this year. 

Kieran – Despite many projections for Will Anderson being the best in college football this year I think we will see Stetson Bennett make a huge difference at West Virginia and emerge as a top QB after a year with the Mountaineers. He’s got the maturity and IQ to be a really good signal caller even if he isn’t a flashy athlete like some of the other guys under centre this year.

Keith – I think Will Anderson will be the best player in 2022, as he was in 2021. However, I also think new USC quaterback Caleb Williams will go berserk and put up computer game numbers in the PAC 12, and solidify himself as QB1 for the 2024 draft class.

Will – Will Anderson is just unblockable, he finished the 2021 campaign as college football’s most dominant player. The best player in the best system is a hard combination to beat, especially when in that system he gets to be on the attack at all times. He will constantly be terrorizing your favorite quarterback every Saturday, so just be ready for that.

Lee – Well, defenders never win the Heisman do they? But Will Anderson is the best player in college football right now. The level of play that we’ve seen at such a young age, at a programme and for a coach that demands 100%, 100% of the time is outrageous. I wrote him up here as part of our “Introducing…” series earlier this summer.

And finally – Give me the number 1 overall pick for the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City?

Andy – CJ Stroud to the Giants. It’ll be a QB heavy draft, so I do question if a player like Will Anderson will be more valuable with the first pick. But if there’s a team in a position to take their pick of Stroud, Young and whoever emerges from the wider pack, that GM will be salivating at the talent he has to choose from.

Raj –  Will Anderson to the New York Jets. Zac Wilson is too busy with his outside of work commitments and rehabbing from his injury so the Jets may give him one more year in 2023, thus the Jets then taking advantage of getting Anderson with the 1st Overall pick. 

Kieran – The Giants either go ahead and select Will Anderson or CJ Stroud. You can’t build a franchise around Danny Dimes but nepotism is a hell of a drug in the NFL. Either way this draft cycle is going to be a ton of fun and absolutely nuts. 

Keith – I really hope a non QB needy team sits at the top of the draft so they can take Will Anderson, but unlike last year, we have a couple of QB’s who will have teams clambering to move up and get them. So, I fully expect either C.J Stroud or Bryce Young to be the top selection, but which one will depend on what that specific team values the most. I have a feeling Bryce Young’s size will become a thing (especially if he comes in under 200lbs), so I’ll say C.J Stroud will go first overall, to the Seattle Seahawks.

Will – It all depends on who has that first overall pick in 2022, which I just so happen to predict being the Chicago Bears. The Bears practically setup Quarterback Justin Fields for failure out the jump, that rookie campaign was hard to watch simply because you just had nothing around him. Blow it all up, I am sure somebody will want to give Fields a chance, maybe he will be the next QB sent to Carolina you never know. With all that being said, Bryce Young will be and should be your first overall pick. 

Lee – As much as I really want a pass rusher to go number 1 overall for the second year in a row, and as much as I feel like Will Anderson is the best player in college football, QB value takes over far too much at the top of the draft, so I have to pick a passer, coupling that with the fact that I think the Atlanta Falcons will be picking first and will need a QB.

Bryce Young will have the size debate that’ll follow him around in the pre-draft cycle and that could put some teams off. So I’m going to plump for CJ Stroud at number 1 to the Falcons, with Bryce Young not too far behind at some point in the top 5. 

Ok and that’s a wrap for our preseason takes! Thanks to all the guys for their input for this and we can think of this as the start of our in-season content for the coming college football season! So keep your eyes on the website and our Twitter pages over the coming weeks and months.