trying to rinse and repeat what he did with Hurts." He's like a bigger version of Mike Vick."Īnother Power 5 defensive coordinator added: "It's a college system. "I love the Colts taking him because of the scheme," an SEC coordinator said. "He's a great talent, and if they can get him to improve the accuracy and the decision-making, then he'll turn out to be incredible," said a defensive coordinator who faced Richardson last season.Ĭoaches thought that despite the high pick, Indianapolis made a lot of sense for Richardson, as new coach Shane Steichen developed Jalen Hurts into a Pro Bowler with the Philadelphia Eagles. 4 to Indianapolis, despite starting only 13 games for the Gators and lacking the statistics of a typical top-five pick. Then, the drama began, as Florida's Anthony Richardson went No. 1 overall to Carolina, followed by Ohio State's C.J. QB debates: Richardson, Levis, Hooker and othersĭespite some pre-draft chatter, the top quarterbacks off the board went as expected: Alabama's Bryce Young at No. Here's an evaluation of the 2023 NFL draft through the eyes of college coaches (Note: Coaches are listed according to their roles during the 2022 season). They came away with thoughts - on the first-round surprises, the quarterbacks, best fits for players/teams, the overall outputs for college programs and, of course, sleepers. I spoke mostly to head coaches and coordinators in the Power 5, but also some Group of 5 coaches, to break down who went where and why. After launching the draft reaction piece in 2021 and following up in 2022, I contacted more than 30 college coaches in recent days to gather their thoughts on the draft. They have followed many since high school, and then recruited or game-planned for them over the past few years. NFL draft confidential: What more than 30 college coaches saidĬollege Football, USC Trojans, Ohio State Buckeyes, Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide, Michigan Wolverines, Tennessee Volunteers, Oregon Ducks, Washington Huskies, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, UCLA Bruins, Kansas State Wildcats, Penn State Nittany Lions, North Carolina Tar Heels, TCU Horned Frogs, Central Michigan Chippewas, Kentucky Wildcats, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Wisconsin Badgers, Old Dominion Monarchs, Cincinnati Bearcats, Clemson Tigers, Tulane Green Wave, Houston Cougars, Arkansas Razorbacks, Florida Gators, Illinois Fighting Illini, Stanford Cardinal, Purdue Boilermakers, Fresno State BulldogsĪpril has become increasingly busy for college football coaches.įinishing spring practice, hosting recruits, hitting the road to see prospects or just monitoring the spring transfer portal window, which closed at midnight Monday.īut college coaches still had time to track the NFL draft, not only what happened with their own players but with the ones they faced over the past few seasons.Ĭollege coaches have a distinct perspective on draft prospects. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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