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Did you miss yesterday’s eclipse? Here are some great views from college football stadiums along the path of totality.
Draft picks by school
Could Michigan break Georgia’s record?
The NFL Draft will take place April 25-27 in Detroit. For us college fans, this marks the final farewell to some of our favorite players. As with all things college football, this also gives us another opportunity to debate and rank our teams.
Georgia set the record for most NFL Draft selections from a single program with 15 picks in 2022. The class included five first-rounders headlined by No. 1 pick DE Travon Walker (Jaguars) and No. 13 pick Jordan Davis (Eagles), with a pair of second, third and fourth rounds and four sixth rounds. Here’s a look at the rest of the top five schools selected:
The hot topic surrounding Georgia’s record-breaking class was recruiting. Twelve of the Bulldogs’ picks were four- or five-star prospects coming out of high school, according to the 247Sports Composite. After a national championship and this draft class, Georgia seemed untouchable.
So, let’s look back to last summer, when Michigan and then-coach Jim Harbaugh made the teams’ national championship aspirations clear. The big question mark was whether the Wolverines had enough talent to pull it off. Michigan ranked 14th among FBS programs in the number of four- and five-stars on its roster. Ultimately, the Wolverines proved their team’s star power didn’t matter en route to a national championship. But what about NFL Draft picks? In an interview with AthleticismBruce Feldman’s Bruce Feldman Last summer, Harbaugh made a bold prediction.
“I think we’ll have 20 guys picked (in the next NFL draft),” Harbaugh said. “I bet we break that (draft) record. (Georgia) had 15 that year.
Harbaugh’s claim is worth examining now. The Wolverines had 18 players invited to the NFL Scouting Combine last month (Georgia had 14 in 2022). QB JJ McCarthy has skyrocketed up the draft boards and could be a top-five pick, while other highly likely selections, by mock drafts and big prospect boards, include:
These are just a few of the most projected picks, but many other former Wolverines are surely expected to come off the board as well. ESPN’s Matt Miller projects 16 Michigan picks in his latest mock draft while Sports news lists 13 Wolverines in its latest projection. But who better to answer that question than Bruce, who heard Harbaugh’s prediction first?
Feldman files
Can the Wolverines beat the Dawgs?
Harbaugh made a rather bold statement to me last summer, predicting that his Wolverines would shatter Georgia’s NFL Draft record with more than 15 players selected in 2024.
Harbaugh then counted them all. He named seven upperclassmen offensive linemen: Trevor Keegan, Drake Nugent, Zinter, Trente Jones, Karsen Barnhart, Myles Hinton and LaDarius Henderson. He named two running backs, Corum and Donovan Edwards; McCarthy; tight end AJ Barner; wideouts Cornelius Johnson and Wilson; D-linemen Jenkins, Braiden McGregor and Jaylen Harrell, LBs Colson and Mike Barrett; Sainristil and transfer corner Josh Wallace. He thought there were a few other players who could be drafted and two other players who he thought might not declare for the 2024 draft.
That may have seemed crazy to some at the time, but then again, I suspect he had a lot more confidence than anyone outside of Ann Arbor about the 2023 Wolverines. After all, they went undefeated and won the national title.
As for whether they agree with Harbaugh? There appears to be a good chance the Wolverines will be selected more than 15 times. Twenty seems like an exaggeration. Edwards, a speedy guard with good hands, did not enter the draft. Neither does Hinton. But don’t be surprised if UM has five players in the first two rounds.
McCarthy could move into the top 10 and should be gone from day one. Jenkins has a chance to go in the first round. After that, Wilson, Colson and Sainristil are expected to disappear midway through the second round. Corum, UM’s star running back, could go in the third round. The Athletic’s NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler ranks him 77th overall. Brugler said he probably would have had Zinter in his top 100 if he had been fully healthy — Michigan’s leader on its O-line had broken his tibia and fibula in the win over Ohio State last November .
Dane Brugler, whose essential guide project AKA The Beast is published on Wednesday, has 14 Wolverines expected to enter the draft with Barner, Harrell, Keegan, Henderson, Johnson, McGregor and Barrett all expected to be picked over the seven rounds. Four others have a chance to be selected, including three O-linemen: Jones, Barnhart and Nugent. The other player is Wallace, a corner whose stock wasn’t helped by a 4.68 40-yard dash at UM’s pro day. If two of those four are chosen, Harbaugh will be right again.
(You can read Bruce’s mock draft here.)
Impact Freshman Watch
Auburn and Clemson prospects are promising
On today’s podcast until Saturday, the team is looking at freshmen who could make a tangible impact on the field this season for their teams. Here’s a look at some contenders who showed up during their spring games:
- Auburn WR Cam Coleman: The early enrollee was the offensive MVP of the A-Day spring game, catching four passes for 92 yards and a score. The five-star prospect was ranked third overall in the 2024 class in the 247Sports Composite.
- Clemson LB Sammy Brown: Dabo Swinney’s highest-rated recruit in this cycle lived up to expectations with a game-high eight tackles (six solo) and a sack in the Orange and White spring game.
Quick snaps
Stewart Mandel gives us an update on spring training at Alabamawhere the new coach Kalen DeBoer lays its foundations while building The legacy of Nick Saban. And DeBoer says the task isn’t as daunting as you might think.
Cam Newton, Deshaun Watson Or Trevor Lawrence? What QB does Georgia All-State Team? The Peach State has produced 29 consensus All-Americans since 2002, and today Manny Navarro selects the best of the best.
Another victory for Missouri! The Tigers beat Georgia, Penn State and Pitt when Class of 2024 QB Matt Zollers engaged.
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(Top photo by JJ McCarthy: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)