Alabama's Will Anderson Jr., Bryce Young Voted Top 2022 CFB Players in ESPN Survey
Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. was voted the best player in college football for the 2022 season in an ESPN survey released Wednesday.
Anderson was followed by quarterback Bryce Young, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, giving the Crimson Tide the nation's top two players, according to the poll's 11,000 respondents.
Here's a look at the top 10:
- Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama OLB)
- Bryce Young (Alabama QB)
- C.J. Stroud (Ohio State QB)
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Ohio State WR)
- Bijan Robinson (Texas RB)
- Jalen Carter (Georgia DT)
- TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State RB)
- Brock Bowers (Georgia TE)
- Jordan Addison (USC WR)
- Caleb Williams (USC QB)
Expectations are once again sky-high for Nick Saban and the Tide. They were voted No. 1 in both the Associated Press and AFCA Coaches preseason Top 25 polls.
Alabama is always a safe bet to end up in contention for a national championship, having qualified for the College Football Playoff in seven of the format's eight years in existence. It captured titles in 2016, 2018 and 2021.
Anderson and Young lay the foundation for another strong year in Tuscaloosa, and they'll have plenty of help thanks to a star-studded supporting cast. Here are the other Tide players who landed inside the ESPN poll:
- RB Jahmyr Gibbs (No. 20)
- S Jordan Battle (No. 23)
- LB Dallas Turner (No. 24)
- CB Eli Ricks (No. 45)
- LB Henry To'oTo'o (No. 54)
- OL Emil Ekiyor Jr. (No. 96)
In typical fashion, Saban was quick to downplay outside expectations following the release of the preseason polls.
"As we always do, it's kind of like here we go again in making predictions about how young people, adolescents, will perform in the future," Saban told reporters. "So that's why we play the games."
Anderson referenced the trophy the Tide received for finishing as the runner-up in last year's CFP as part of the team's motivation.
"We don't know anything about that [ranking] stuff," the junior linebacker said. "And the motivation in the locker room is everything that we did last, all the bad things that we did last year. That's the only motivation that we need, that we didn't get our end goal, that we have a participation trophy sitting in the cafeteria that we have to look at every day."
Fellow powerhouses Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson and Notre Dame rounded out the top five in both preseason polls.
Based purely on talent, however, it's easy to see why the Tide are the early favorite to chase down the program's 19th national title.
Todd McShay 2023 NFL Draft Rankings: C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young Headline Top 5
A pair of high-profile quarterbacks are near the top of ESPN NFL draft expert Todd McShay's early rankings for the 2023 NFL draft.
Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Alabama's Bryce Young are ranked third and fourth, respectively, but defensive players primarily dominate the top five.
Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. is the No. 1 overall player on McShay's big board, while Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter is second and Georgia linebacker Nolan Smith is fifth.
Both Stroud and Young were starting quarterbacks at the collegiate level for the first time last season, and each of them thrived.
Stroud finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting after completing 71.9 percent of his passes for 4,435 yards, 44 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Meanwhile, Young completed 66.9 percent of his passing attempts for 4,872 yards, 47 touchdowns and seven interceptions en route to winning the Heisman.
Stroud and Young are widely considered the top two quarterbacks in the nation entering the 2022 season both in terms of producing at the collegiate level and establishing themselves as potential top picks in the 2023 NFL draft.
The quarterback talent promises to be rich in the 2023 draft, as McShay also gave Kentucky's Will Levis and Miami's Tyler Van Dyke first-round grades by ranking them 21st and 26th, respectively.
If those rankings hold up, the 2023 draft will be significantly different from the 2022 draft, as only one quarterback was selected in the first round this year.
The Pittsburgh Steelers took Pitt's Kenny Pickett 20th overall, and the next quarterback didn't come off the board until the Atlanta Falcons selected Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder 74th overall in the third round.
Last season also marked the first time since 2017 and only the second time since 2015 that a quarterback didn't go first overall.
Stroud and Young are strong candidates to go No. 1 overall in the 2023 draft depending on the order, but if a team that doesn't need a quarterback picks first, Anderson could be a clear choice.
Anderson finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting last season after racking up a spectacular 17.5 sacks and 31 tackles for loss for a Crimson Tide team that reached the National Championship Game.
The past three non-quarterbacks to go No. 1 overall in the draft were all pass-rushers in Jadeveon Clowney, Myles Garrett and Travon Walker, meaning Anderson could be the prospect to beat at this point.
Preseason College Football Rankings 2022: Experts React to AP NCAA Top 25 Poll
Last week, the first USA Today Coaches Poll rankings gave us our first glimpse at the potential structure of power in college football heading into the 2022-23 season.
In that 25-team poll, Alabama came in at No. 1, and the top five included, in order, Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson and Notre Dame.
Voters for the Coaches Poll are composed of 65 FBS head coaches.
On Monday, the AP Top 25 followed suit, with those rankings determined by a panel of 62 sportswriters and broadcasters. The AP Top 25 is the longest-running poll of those that award national titles at season's end.
Unsurprisingly, Alabama also came in on top in the AP Top 25 poll; in fact, the entire top five of the two polls was identical.
Let's take a look at the full list of rankings and then break down some immediate expert reactions to the poll—everything from how it differs from the Coaches Poll to perceived snubs to teams that may be overrated.
AP Preseason Top 25
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Clemson
5. Notre Dame
6. Texas A&M
7. Utah
8. Michigan
9. Oklahoma
10. Baylor
11. Oregon
12. Oklahoma State
13. North Carolina State
14. USC
15. Michigan State
16. Miami (FL)
17. Pittsburgh
18. Wisconsin
19. Arkansas
20. Kentucky
21. Ole Miss
22. Wake Forest
23. Cincinnati
24. Houston
25. BYU
Poll via APNews.com
Others Receiving Votes
Tennessee 180, Texas 164, Iowa 163, Penn State 160, LSU 55, Fresno State 32, Minnesota 31, UCF 27, Purdue 17, Mississippi State 15, Auburn 15, Florida 14, Kansas State 14, North Carolina 9, Boise State 5, Air Force 4, Appalachian State 4, South Carolina 2, UCLA 2, San Diego State 2, Utah State 2, Nebraska 1
Expert Reactions
There are a few minor differences between the results of the Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25. In the former, Michigan came in at No. 6; in the latter, the Wolverines are No. 8. The top 10 remains the same between both, but Michigan, Utah and Texas A&M are somewhat jostled.
BYU didn't make it into the top 25 of the Coaches Poll, but the Cougars land at No. 25 in the AP poll.
As Alabama writer Brad Edwards pointed out, the Crimson Tide lands at No. 1 in the AP poll for the 15th straight season under Nick Saban. The next-longest streak for a single program? Seven seasons.
Sure, Alabama isn't the defending national champion this season after falling to Georgia. But the program remains loaded with talent, led on offense by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young and on defense by outside linebacker Will Anderson—a potential future No. 1 overall draft selection.
North Carolina State lands at No. 13 in the AP rankings, the same as its position in the Coaches Poll. As Cory Smith pointed out, that's tied for the program's highest preseason ranking ever:
One notable program missing from Monday's poll? LSU. Per The Advocate's Wilson Alexander, it's the first time the Tigers have been unranked in the preseason poll since 2000.
While the AP poll wasn't overly controversial (unlike the No. 1 vote Texas received in the Coaches Poll, *insert side-eye emoji*), some writers did differ in their view of which programs should be included in the top 10.
Action Network's Brett McMurphy had NC State at No. 9 and Oregon at 10 in his personal rankings; in the AP poll, those programs appear at No. 13 and No. 11, respectively.
Perhaps most surprisingly, Clemson, which is ranked fourth in the actual AP poll, doesn't appear in McMurphy's top 10.
His tweet suggests he expected some disagreement there:
If nothing else, the release of the preseason AP poll gives us plenty of conversational fodder as we wait for the start of the college football season, which is fast approaching. "Week 0" will kick off August 27, with most programs opening their seasons the following week.
5 Players Who Would have Been Top NFL Draft Picks If They Were Eligible
The 2022 NBA draft opens for business Thursday evening at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Wait, you thought this article was about future NFL talent? It is. But a significant differentiation exists between the two sports in regards to eligibility standards.
The NFL currently requires a prospect be three years removed from high school before he's deemed eligible to play. Whereas, the NBA demands a one-year requirement before entering the draft.
The general argument in favor of the extended waiting period centered on the vast majority not being physically or mentally prepared to endure the rigors of professional football. This isn't the case with everyone, though.
The likes of Adrian Peterson, Trevor Lawrence and even Derek Stingley Jr., who became this year's third overall pick, showed how silly the NFL's standing can be when it comes to truly elite talent. But 14 years have passed since Maurice Clarett challenged the standard only to have the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit rule against his case.
Even so, the possibility of a young superstar rising through the ranks and challenging the league again isn't out of the question. Had the rules changed prior to the 2022 draft, multiple previously ineligible prospects would have heard their names called very early in the process.
Five in particular stand out as top talents who wouldn't have waited long to hear their names called.
QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
Ohio State's C.J. Stroud is DraftKings' current favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft. Had he been eligible, the reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year would have almost certainly been the top quarterback selected in the 2022 draft.
This incoming crop of quarterbacks turned into one of the weakest groups in recent memory. The Pittsburgh Steelers chose Kenny Pickett with the 20th overall pick—which made him the lowest-drafted QB1 this century. No other signal-caller heard his name called until the third round.
Stroud, meanwhile, produced a fantastic campaign during his first season as the Buckeyes starter.
The 20-year-old became the only FBS quarterback to finish top four last season in completion percentage (71.9), average yards per attempt (10.1), touchdown passes (44) and quarterback rating (186.6). To expand on his productivity, Stroud was the nation's most accurate deep passer during the 2021 regular season and posted the highest rate of accurate passes over his last nine starts (including postseason), according to Pro Football Focus.
Some may argue in favor of Alabama's Bryce Young as the top quarterback prospect for next year's class. After all, he is the current Heisman Trophy winner. The difference lies in physical attributes. The 6'3", 218-pound Stroud has a much sturdier frame than the 6'0", 194-pound Young. The old prerequisites for playing the position have changed over time, but teams still prefer to have the bigger, strong option behind center if the talents are comparable.
In this case, the redshirt sophomore has an opportunity to put together a pair of outstanding seasons, win more accolades and claim the top spot among a much deeper quarterback class.
RB Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
Wisconsin's Braelon Allen is the closest person to replicate what Adrian Peterson did as a freshman at Oklahoma. In some ways, the current collegian is even more impressive.
The second-team All-Big Ten performer took the Big Ten Conference by storm before he even turned 18 years old. He ran for 1,268 yards, and his average of 6.8 yards per carry tied with fellow freshman TreVeyon Henderson for the nation's best among backs with 150 or more carries. For comparison, Peterson ran for 1,925 yards and averaged 5.7 yards per tote as a freshaman, though he carried the ball 153 more times. On the other side of the spectrum, freshman Derrick Henry managed 35 carries for 382 yards in a loaded Alabama backfield.
These two comparisons are important because of their physical stature. Both Peterson and Henry always looked larger than life, capable of running through and past defenders. Allen, too, is a sculpted 6'2", 238-pounder.
Now eligible to vote, Allen is physically different than anyone else at the position and maybe in all of college football. The running back cleaned 405 pounds when he was just 16 years old, and he's bigger, thicker and stronger after being in the Badgers' weight program for a full year.
"A lot of the stuff he does is freakish, whether it be in the weight room or out here," tight end Jake Ferguson, whom the Dallas Cowboys drafted in this year's fourth round, told reporters. "Just being able to block for him, it’s awesome. Him just running through people’s faces is pretty cool to watch. … He's running hard. I keep telling him, ‘Just run through somebody’s face.'"
Physically, Allen could be one of the NFL's top backs right now.
TE Brock Bowers, Georgia
Not a single tight end heard his name called in this year's first round. Brock Bowers will be a first-round pick as soon as he becomes available.
As a true freshman, Bowers led the national champion Georgia Bulldogs with 56 receptions, 882 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. He ranked third among all tight ends in receiving yards, first among those with 50 or more receptions at 15.8 yards per catch and first in touchdown receptions.
The 6'4", 230-pound target is already an instant mismatch in the passing game, which is where today's tight ends hold the highest value. His ability to adjust to the ball and highpoint passes with strong hands and fantastic body control makes him difficult to cover, even when a defender is in position.
"Once he got into contact, he’s got really good toughness," Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart told reporters in December. "He’s got great lower body strength. He’s got great pass-catching radius and good speed. These things combine to make for a good tight end.
"The fact that he’s been so composed has surprised me the most. There's not been a moment too big for him. It doesn't matter to him whether he's playing in the backyard or playing our defense against the scout team or he's playing Clemson in the opening game, for him he wants to do it the right way. It’s important to him to do it the right way."
Typically, tight ends must be considered special to earn their way into first-round consideration. Bowers might already be a top-10 talent.
Edge Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
Travon Walker wouldn't have been the No. 1 overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars this year had Alabama's Will Anderson Jr. been available.
Sure, Walker has unreal physical traits that made him worthy of the status, but he's far from a polished prospect and nowhere near the disruptive force the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year is.
Clearly, those within college football saw Anderson as the far superior player considering the hardware he won. Granted, a player can't bring collegiate accolades with him to the professional game. But Anderson earned the recognition because he's a complete game-wrecker.
Last season, the 20-year-old led the FBS with 17.5 sacks and 34.5 tackles for loss. He had 12.5 more tackles for loss than any other player at that level. His 81 quarterback pressures led everyone as well, according to PFF. Oh, he led the nation with 60 pressures during his true freshman campaign, too.
The 6'4", 243-pound Anderson isn't built like other edge defenders considered worthy of the No. 1 overall pick. Courtney Brown, Jadeveon Clowney, Myles Garrett and even Walker were all around 6'5" and 265-plus pounds with long levers and outstanding physiques. Still, Anderson is an explosive athlete capable of blowing by blockers. At the same time, he doesn't quite fit the typical standards for being an elite talent at the position.
His constant disruption, ability to bend and closing burst on the quarterback may be a little more reminiscent of another Alabama great, Derrick Thomas. To be sure, it's a lofty comparison. But Anderson is college football's most dominant edge-rusher over the last two decades.
DL Jalen Carter, Georgia
Aaron Donald made everyone look at the defensive tackle position differently. He showed a premium pass-rusher doesn't need to work off the edge full-time.
Generally, an edge-rusher is counted among the premium positions. But a defensive tackle can be just as valuable, if not more so, based on his ability to create pressure.
Among an absolutely loaded Georgia defense—which featured this year's No. 1 overall pick, as well as the reigning Butkus and Outland Trophy winners—Carter often looked like the best player on the field.
As a true sophomore, the 6'3", 310-pounder led all Power Five interior defenders in pass-rush win rate, per PFF. He also led all returning SEC defensive tackles in overall grade.
Carter is a tenacious and competitive defender, and the Bulldogs coaching staff expects to get even more out of him this fall.
"I took him off kickoff returns, I wanted [him to be fresh to rush the passer] and he was pissed at me," Smart told reporters in January. "I thought he was going to beat me up over there when I told him he couldn’t go on kickoff return, because he wanted to go on kickoff return. He had been playing defensive line, he had blocked the field goal, played on offense, and played fullback.
"So he’s a talented player, and the sky’s the limit for him."
Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.
Mel Kiper Jr. 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: QBs Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud Headline Top 5
To little surprise, arguably the top two players in the 2023 draft class play at Alabama.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. released his first big board Tuesday, featuring pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr. as the top overall player ahead of reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young.
Ohio State star C.J. Stroud currently sits at No. 3. Here is an early look at how Kiper sees the upcoming class:
Kiper's 2023 Big Board
1. Will Anderson Jr., DE, Alabama
2. Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
3. C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
4. Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
5. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
6. Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson
7. Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
8. Eli Ricks, CB, Alabama
9. Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU
10. Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
The 2022 draft was light on household names, with eventual No. 1 pick Travon Walker only one of many elite players on the Georgia defense. Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett was the only quarterback taken in Round 1, and he had a low profile heading into last season.
That shouldn't be the case this year with several big-name stars returning to college.
Young won the Heisman as a sophomore, totaling 4,872 passing yards and 47 touchdowns while leading the Crimson Tide to the title game. Stroud was nearly as good in 2021, finishing with 4,435 passing yards and 44 touchdowns.
The two top quarterbacks will likely spend next season battling for the Heisman as well as the right to be taken No. 1 overall in the 2023 draft.
Miami's Tyler Van Dyke, Florida's Anthony Richardson and Kentucky's Will Levis were also listed among Kiper's top 25 players in the class.
The nation's best player might come on the defensive side of the ball, however. Anderson finished fifth in Heisman voting last year after totaling 17.5 sacks and 101 tackles, winning the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award in the process.
The Alabama edge-rusher might not be the No. 1 pick based on need, but he won't wait long to hear his name called.
Another interesting addition to the top 10 is Texas running back Bijan Robinson, who had 1,422 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns in 10 games before an elbow injury. The last running back drafted inside the top 20 was Saquon Barkley in 2018 (No. 2), and Robinson will try to change the trend with a big year.
NFL Draft 2023 Odds: C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, Will Anderson Favorites for No. 1 Pick
The 2022 NFL draft might have only concluded Saturday, but oddsmakers are already looking ahead to next year.
Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud is the betting favorite (+200; bet $100 to win $200) at DraftKings Sportsbook to be the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Stroud is followed by a pair of Alabama stars: quarterback Bryce Young (+225) and edge-rusher Will Anderson Jr. (+330).
Stroud threw for 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns in his first season as the Buckeyes' starting quarterback. Young likewise lived up to the hype after replacing 2020 first-round pick Mac Jones. He threw for 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns.
Anderson, meanwhile, had one of the most dominant seasons in recent memory for a defensive player.
If the 2023 draft were right now, one of those three would likely be taken first overall.
This year offered a barren landscape at quarterback. Kenny Pickett was the only QB selected in the first two rounds. Malik Willis, who some thought could go second overall to the Detroit Lions, was a third-rounder.
The 2023 draft might be much more fertile ground for teams looking to target a signal-caller. In addition to Stroud and Young, Boston College's Phil Jurkovec (+1500), Miami's Tyler Van Dyke (+1800) and South Carolina's Spencer Rattler (+2000) are all fringe No. 1 pick contenders.
Rattler will be one of the most interesting players to watch from the 2023 class.
When the 2021 NFL season was getting ready to kick off, the then-Oklahoma star was the projected No. 1 pick in Bleacher Report's mock draft. As the year unfolded, Rattler's stock dropped precipitously.
Now in fresh scenery, the Gamecocks star might be able to climb to the top of draft boards again with a big 2022 season.
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