The Georgia Bulldogs defended their national championship successfully in 2022/23 with a 15 wins out of 15 record and defeating TCU Horned Frogs in the final 65-7 which most would have expected when looking back at the college football odds for the game.
It was an emphatic win which saw quarterback Stetson Bennett then drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round on the 2023 NFL Draft while Defensive Tackle Jalen Carter was drafted highest from the Bulldogs by Philadelphia Eagles with the ninth overall pick.
Below are some of the best players of last season within College Football.
Caleb Williams
Heisman Trophy winner, Caleb Williams, will be back with USC Trojans for 2023 after an incredible year in 2022 after transferring from Oklahoma Sooners to follow head coach Lincoln Riley who left the Sooners the previous year.
The 21-year-old became the first USC player to win the AP College Football Player of the Year awarded since Reggie Bush in 2005. In his 14 games this season he completed 333 of 500 passes over 4,537 yards along with 42 touchdowns and five interceptions. With the ball he rushed 109 times for 382 yards which also got him 10 touchdowns.
Stetson Bennett
As mentioned, the quarterback got his dream of being drafted into the NFL this year with the Los Angeles Rams. Bennett guided this Bulldogs team to dominant win after dominant win under center.
The Bulldogs finished the season with a perfect record, he completed 310 passes from 454 attempted for 4,127 yards. This was a huge upgrade from the 2021 season and was given more opportunities to throw from his last year. He threw less touchdown, 27 compared with 29 in 2021, though added more intelligent runs which brought him 10 rushing touchdowns in 2022 compared to the one in 2021.
Who Can Stop Tom Brady?Frank Gore Jr.
Son of, yes you guessed it, Frank Gore, five-time pro bowl running back, Frank Gore Jr. is also a star running back, who represented Southern Miss.
Gore Jr. carried thew ball 228 times in 2022 for 1,382 yards and nine touchdowns. He has shown year on year improvement for the Golden Eagles and was the 2022 LendingTree Bowl MVP after rushing for 328 yards, as FBS bowl game record, along with three touchdowns.
Marvin Harrison Jr.
The wide receiver from Ohio State was ranked a four-star prospect as the nation’s 14th best recruit in his position. He received limited playing time in 2021 as a freshman but 2022 was a breakout year for him where he became the Buckeyes number one receiver.
At 6’’4’’ the Philadelphia native brought in 77 passes for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns. This was a huge uptick from his 11 receptions in 2021 and Harrison Jr. showed no signs of slowing down, ending the year a Unanimous All-American, First Team All-Big Ten and Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year.
Harrison Jr. is eligible for the NFL Draft in 2024 and this season will have plenty of attention paid to him from NFL teams across the country with him now being considered the best wide receiver prospect in the country.
Brock Bowers
The 20-year-old has been an instant starter at tight end since arriving at Georgia in 2021. He has since been the starting tight end for both their title winning seasons across his two years with the college.
In 2021 he won the SEC Freshman of the Year award, and in 2022 he was a First Team All-American as well as received the John Mackey Award for the nation’s best tight end.
He started all 15 games this season and finished with 63 receptions for 942 yards, averaging 15 yards per carry. He also registered seven receiving touchdowns along with three rushing touchdowns.
Joe Alt
The best offensive tackle in 2022 will be back with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for 2023 after a hugely impressive sophomore year.
Alt, the son of former Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle John Alt, helped the Fighting Irish average 4.6 yards per carry during the 2022 season, with 2,457 total rushing yards which is the sixth best total since 1996 at Notre Dame.
His freshman season in 2021 saw him mix his roles from offensive tackle to tight end having been a high-school tight end.This season though, Alt has secured this position and was a 2022 First Team All-American
Dontay Corleone
Dontay Corleone was PFF’s highest rated defensive player in 2022. He managed 45 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss and three sacks, along with two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles this season.
The Cincinnati Bearcats defensive lineman managed 19 solo tackles as well this season and the 6’1” Cincinnati native will be leading his hometown side into 2023 and is showing no signs of slowing down.
“I take pride in being the highest rated, but that’s in the past. You know, I’m trying to build on that.”
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