Top draft-eligible players to watch in the College Football Playoff

More eyes will likely be on the 2023 College Football Playoff than in years past given the amount of NFL-caliber talent set to play in the CFP semifinal games.

More than 20 draft hopefuls will be on display in the Rose Bowl, which features No. 1 Michigan against No. 4 Alabama, while the Sugar Bowl matchup between No. 2 Washington and No. 3 Texas could showcase as many as eight first-round picks.

Here are the 10 most intriguing draft-eligible players to watch in this year’s College Football Playoff.

1. J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan | Mel Kiper Jr. draft ranking: No. 4 QB

McCarthy just may be the most polarizing quarterback in this year’s class. Many scouts are torn about whether or not he’s a first-round talent, while some believe he could be the third or fourth QB picked. 

He threw for just 2,630 yards, 19 touchdowns and four interceptions this year, but because Michigan was so good, he often didn’t play past the third quarter. A strong showing against a Crimson Tide defense that ranked in the top 18 in total defense and scoring defense could be enough to push him into that Round 1 discussion.

2. Dallas Turner, Edge-rusher, Alabama | Mel Kiper Jr. draft ranking: No. 11 overall, No. 2 Edge-rusher

With 52 pressures, 31 hurries, 10 QB hits and nine sacks this season, there’s not much left for Turner to prove. He’s an unquestioned first-round pick and one of the top three or four pass-rushers in the class. But with little separation between himself and UCLA’s Laiatu Latu, Penn State’s Chop Robinson and Florida State’s Jared Verse, a good showing on a national stage could launch Turner into the top 10 as the No. 1 edge-rusher come April.

3. Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington | Mel Kiper Jr. draft ranking: No. 5 QB

One of the most exciting players in the country this year, Penix Jr. threw for 4,218 yards, 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and he has the Huskies undefeated and one win away from playing for a national championship. But like McCarthy, several scouts are torn on where exactly he falls in the draft. 

With USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels likely to be the first three QBs taken, Penix Jr. could move into the fourth spot and potentially into the first round should he lead the Huskies past Texas and into the national championship game.

4. Blake Corum, RB, Michigan | Mel Kiper Jr. draft ranking: No. 4 RB

There’s no clear-cut No. 1 running back this year, which means the title is Corum’s for the taking. He’s rushed for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons, and he set a new career-high with 24 rushing touchdowns this year. His draft stock likely won’t be affected much (no RBs are currently projected to go in Round 1), but he could cement himself as the top player at his position with a strong showing in the CFP.

5. Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas | Mel Kiper Jr. draft ranking: No. 20 overall, No. 5 WR

Worthy is one of those fringe players with Round 1 talent who will likely fall to the second. However, his speed is among the best in the 2024 class and his versatility as a receiver plus a returner could entice a team to take a risk on him sooner than expected. 

One of the more under-the-radar players this year, Worthy has quietly logged 969 receiving yards and five touchdowns plus 358 punt return yards and another score. He’s a threat to take it to the house anytime he touches the ball, which makes him one of the must-see players in the CFP. 

6. Rome Odunze, WR, Washington | Mel Kiper Jr. draft ranking: No. 5 overall, No. 2 WR

There’s no question Marvin Harrison Jr. will be the first receiver drafted, but after that, it appears to be a battle between LSU’s Malik Nabers, Florida State’s Keon Coleman and Odunze, who ranked sixth in the country in touchdowns (13) and was second behind Nabers in receiving yards (1,546 to 1,428). The 6-foot-3 junior is a surefire first-rounder, but he could be approaching top-15 or even top-10 territory with a big game against Texas.

7. T’Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas | Mel Kiper Jr. draft ranking: No. 2 DT

Sweat has worked his way into the Round 1 discussion with his impressive 2023 season in which he totaled 28 pressures, 23 hurries and two sacks. The recent success of players like Jeffery Simmons, Quinnen Williams, Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence has led to teams placing a bigger emphasis on building through the defensive line, and defensive tackle is a position that has produced 17 first-round picks over the last six seasons. Sweat could be the Calijah Kancey (No. 19 overall pick in 2023) of the 2024 draft.

8. Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama | Mel Kiper Jr. draft ranking: No. 21 overall, No. 3 CB

Many expected McKinstry to cruise through the year and be a top-10 pick in 2024. And while he’s had a good season, Clemson’s Nate Wiggins, Iowa’s Cooper DeJean and Georgia’s Kamari Lassiter have as well, and suddenly it’s not a foregone conclusion that McKinstry will be the first cornerback drafted.

However, if he can shutdown Michigan’s Roman Wilson and/or Cornelius Johnson, it could cement his status as a top-10 draft pick and maybe make him the top-rated CB heading into April.

9. Bralen Trice, DE, Washington | Mel Kiper Jr. draft ranking: No. 7 DE

Trice began the year as a likely top-20 pick, but his 2023 wasn’t as productive as his 2022 season was, which may have hurt his draft stock a bit. His pressures and hurries were roughly the same as last season, but his sack numbers were down from 10 to five and he just didn’t seem to disrupt games as much as he did the season before. However, he still has Round 1 talent, and a good outing in the CFP might be just what he needs to reminds scouts of that. 

10. Kris Jenkins, DT, Michigan | Mel Kiper Jr. draft ranking: No. 4 DT

Jenkins has the talent to be a late first-rounder, but he’s more of a run-stopping DT than a pass-rushing one. He had just 15 pressures, 13 hurries and two sacks this year. But he was the Wolverines’ second-leading run-stopper (25 tackles and 21 run-stops). His big frame (6-foot-3, 305 pounds) will make an excellent addition to a team needing to add size up the middle.

Honorable mention: 

Chris Braswell, Edge-rusher, Alabama 

J.C. Latham, OT, Alabama

Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas 

Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, Texas