Throughout the 2023-2024 college football bowl season, we’ll be highlighting each game and the key 2024 NFL Draft prospects Pittsburgh Steelers fans should be keeping an eye on.
Peach Bowl No. 10 Penn State vs. No. 11 Ole Miss 12PM EST ESPN
EDGE Chop Robinson and TE Theo Johnson have both opted out of the bowl game. However, OT #74 Olu Fashanu will play in this game. Fashanu is a projected top-10 pick, having the option to declare last year before deciding to go back to school. It was a good decision for Fashanu as he elevated his stock, playing 382 pass block snaps with 10 pressures allowed and zero sacks allowed. He is also a strong run blocker in a 6-6, 317-pound frame, making him a likely mainstay at left tackle in the league for years to come.
On the defensive side for the Nittany Lions is CB #4 Kalen King. King was CB Joey Porter Jr.’s running mate last season and has been CB1 for Penn State this season. He has 29 total tackles and two pass deflections this season, a bit of a down year from last year, where he recorded 15 pass deflections and three interceptions. He stands 5-11, 191 pounds, having the quickness to cover quicker receivers as well as the athleticism to run with bigger receivers down the field. He is a project first or second-round pick.
Other prospects to watch for Penn State include EDGE #20 Adisa Isaac, who is a skilled pass rusher with a long, athletic frame, posting 7.5 sacks as he continues to develop into the player he can be. LB #23 Curtis Jacobs is also projected to be a Day-Three pick, being an aggressive run defender who plays with great pursuit of the ball but lacks great measurables as well as high-end athleticism.
For Ole Miss, keep your eye on EDGE #33 Cedric Johnson. Johnson is a good-sized pass rusher, standing 6-3, 265 pounds, with the strength to set the edge as well as the speed and burst to track down quarterbacks in the pocket. In his career, he has racked up 111 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 19 sacks. This season, he has registered 40 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. He possesses the bend to get the corner as well as the hand usage to beat tackles around the corner or across their face. He’s a Day-Three pick right now but could rise during the pre-draft process.
S #3 Daijahn Anthony is another defender who could hear his name called on Day Three of the draft. He started out at Shepherd University and then transferred to Liberty for two seasons before moving on to Ole Miss for the 2023 season. In his FBS career, he has 99 total tackles, 13 passes defended, and five interceptions. This season, Anthony has tallied 58 tackles, two interceptions, and seven passes defended. Along with Anthony is WR #9 Tre Harris, who is projected to be a late-round pick in a stacked wide receiver class. Harris played through injury this season but still managed to catch 47 passes for 851 yards and eight touchdowns. His long speed will make or break his draft stock, but he’s a capable receiver down the field in contested catch situations as well as after the catch.
Music City Bowl Auburn vs. Maryland 2PM EST ABC
Auburn has a couple of defensive backs to watch in CB #4 D.J. James and S #36 Jaylin Simpson. James started his collegiate career at Oregon, where he spent three seasons. He transferred to Auburn for the last two seasons. In his career, he has 147 total tackles, 24 passes defended, and five interceptions. This season, he has tallied 38 total tackles, 10 passes defended, and two interceptions. He lacks ideal bulk for the position (6-1, 174 pounds), but has the coverage skills to play at the next level should he add strength and size to his frame.
Simpson joined the Tigers back in 2019 but started seeing real playing time in 2021. In his Auburn career, he has 116 total tackles, 14 passes defended, and seven interceptions. 2023 has been his best season, with 36 total tackles, three passes defended, and four interceptions. He stands 6-1, 178 pounds, and also needs to add weight to his frame. Both aren’t finished prospects, but both warrant a middle-round pick based on their play and upside.
QB Taulia Tagovailoa and CB Tarheeb Still opted out of the bowl game for Maryland. One prospect that will be playing is S #2 Beau Brade. Brade is more of a strong safety type, having good size (6-1, 210 pounds) along with the play style to come downhill aggressively in run support. He also has three picks in the last two seasons, being more of a matchup for tight ends and running backs in coverage. His best fit would be as a box safety at the next level, warranting a pick somewhere on Day Three.
Orange Bowl No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 6 Georgia 4PM EST ESPN
Florida State has a slew of prospects opting out of the Orange Bowl, including EDGE Jared Verse, WRs Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson, RB Trey Benson, and TE Jaheim Bell. One prospect that will be playing is DL #55 Braden Fiske. Fiske transferred from Western Michigan and has enjoyed a strong season with the Seminoles, posting 43 total tackles and six sacks. Fiske is a strong run defender, having the strength and size at 6-5, 297 pounds to defeat blocks and fill running lanes. He is also a capable pass rusher with a motor that runs hot, making him an ideal mid-round pick that can come in a rotation and work to become a starter with time.
Other names to watch for Florida State are LB #15 Tatum Bethune, LB #4 Kalen DeLoach, DL #0 Fabian Lovett, S #8 Renardo Greene, and S #1 Akeem Dent. DeLoach is the most notable of the names listed as a heat-seeking missile at linebacker, having racked up 66 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery for a touchdown, and one interception. He is undersized at 6-1, 213 pounds, making more sense as a box safety/dime linebacker that could be had in the later rounds as a potential bargain if a defensive coordinator knows how to use him right.
As of this writing, no Georgia Bulldogs have opted out of the bowl game, meaning we’ll get to see a roster full of NFL talent. The top man to watch is TE #19 Brock Bowers, who has dominated college football the last three seasons, having 175 catches for 2,538 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns in his career. This season, he has 56 catches for 714 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Bowers is a capable blocker and a skilled receiver, likely being the top tight end off the board in the first round. Another projected first-round pick for the Dawgs is OT #65 Amarius Mims. Mims has battled injury all season for Georgia, and his status for the game is up in the air. Still, the 6-7, 340-pound behemoth blocker is a projected first-round pick, having the size, strength, and athleticism to win consistently as a run blocker as he continues to improve in pass protection.
CB #3 Kamari Lassiter is also projected to be a fringe first/second round pick, lacking the production in the interception department, but is a sticky cover corner who is a good tackler and does a good job blanketing opposing receivers. S #22 Javon Bullard is a projected Day-Two pick, having the skill set to hold down things in the backend from a coverage perspective as a centerfield safety, as well as fill the alley in run support. WR #84 Ladd McConkey is projected to be one of the top slot receivers in the draft, should he declare, having the speed and quickness to easily separate from coverage. C #63 Sedrick Van Pran is a projected Day Two pick and likely the top center off the board as a good athlete with the size and movement skills to excel in the running game while providing stable play in pass protection.
DL #78 Nazir Stackhouse projects to be a capable nose tackle at the next level, having the great size and strength to anchor the middle while having sneaky athleticism. RB #30 Daijun Edwards has operated well in a committee backfield with RB #2 Kendall Milton, with both backs being likely Day-Three picks. S #23 Tykee Smith transferred from West Virginia to Georgia and has enjoyed a great 2023 season, recording two sacks and picking off four passes. He lacks top-end speed that will hurt his draft stock, but he’s a smart and tenacious player who should find a home somewhere on Day Three of the draft as a third safety/special teamer.
Arizona Bowl Wyoming vs. Toledo 4:30PM EST CW Network/Barstool
The Wyoming Cowboys have had plenty of talented linebackers in the past few years, and the latest in that line is LB #28 Easton Gibbs. Gibbs still has eligibility and could return to school, but the 6-2, 230-pound linebacker has recorded two straight 100+ total tackle seasons, along with two sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, four pass deflections, and an interception. He is a late-round pick or UDFA who will need to continue to prove himself during the pre-draft process.
One prospect that hasn’t been talked about enough is Toledo CB #27 Quinyon Mitchell. Mitchell signed with Toledo in 2020 and started playing full-time in 2021. In his career, Mitchell has totaled 123 tackles, 45 pass deflections, and six interceptions. For the 2023 season, Mitchell has 41 total tackles, 18 pass deflections, and one interception. Mitchell had a game last year where he picked off four passes in one game against Northern Illinois. He only has one this season, but does a great job breaking on the ball once thrown and getting a hand in passing lanes for the pass breakup. He has good length at 6-0, 196 pounds, and projects to be a Day-Two pick who could climb draft boards with good testing in Indianapolis.
Another prospect to watch for the Toledo Rockets is DL #95 Judge Culpepper. Culpepper transferred from Penn State to Toledo and has enjoyed a breakout season in 2023, posting 37 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and nine sacks. Standing 6-4, 293 pounds, Culpepper has the size you look for in an interior defensive lineman who provides solid run defense while flashing as a pass rusher this year as a likely Day-Three pick.
