As we pass through Week 6 of the 2022 college football season -- which featured standout performances from many of the top 2023 NFL draft prospects -- the quarterback class continues to take shape. Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Alabama's Bryce Young and Kentucky's Will Levis are still the clear top three on most boards, but what about the next tier?
Tennessee's Hendon Hooker is one quarterback steadily rising after another great outing, throwing for 239 yards and two touchdowns in a win over LSU. Is he the next in line? Who else is in the mix? And which QB needs the biggest second-half turnaround to stay in the early-round mix? NFL draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr., Jordan Reid and Matt Miller answer big questions about Hooker and other intriguing quarterback prospects -- and even take a quick look ahead to 2024.
Kiper, Reid and Miller also single out prospects rising up their draft boards and players flying under the radar who could get a draft-stock boost. Finally, they empty their notebooks with everything they saw and heard over the weekend. Let's get started.
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Big questions | Risers
Under the radar
Emptying the notebook
Is Hendon Hooker a legit top-50 pick now?
Kiper: Let's not go quite that far -- yet. What Hooker has done since transferring from Virginia Tech to Tennessee has been spectacular. Here are his passing numbers in 18 games since the start of last season: 304-of-442 (68.8%) for 4,377 yards with 41 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also has 851 rushing yards and eight more scores. No one expected this, and he wasn't even guaranteed the starting job when he transferred.
But now Hooker could be the No. 4 quarterback in the 2023 class. I don't think he's going to pass the top three -- Stroud, Levis and Young -- but his improvement gives him a strong case for Round 2. At 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds, he has full command of Josh Heupel's offense. He can make all the throws, spins a tight ball and frustrates defenses with his legs. Passes don't hit the ground.
Going into the season, I thought the 24-year-old Hooker would be a Day 3 pick, but he has catapulted himself into the discussion to go in the top 50.
Who's the best pro comp for Hooker?
Miller: The way Hooker operates Tennessee's spread offense -- which features plenty of vertical throws and a lot of tempo -- reminds me of a player from the 2022 draft class: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder. It matches with the arm talent, mobility and upside. Like Ridder, Hooker can beat a defense with downfield throwing or with his legs. We haven't seen Hooker be as much of a runner this season, but he has experience as a rusher on designed plays.
What are you looking for from Hooker over the rest of the season?
Reid: This coming Saturday will bring the biggest game of Hooker's career. Playing well against Alabama could catapult his draft stock into the early-round discussion. There seems to be a QB every year who unlocks the next stage of his development and climbs the board, and it sure seems like Hooker is that player this year.
But the senior signal-caller could be more accurate in spurts, as he has periods when he can compound inaccurate passes. Can he put together a complete game against a highly ranked opponent? Three of his next four games are against Alabama, Kentucky and Georgia, so we are about to find out how real Hooker's improvement is this season.
Hendon Hooker finds Jalin Hyatt for their second touchdown of the day.
Is there an under-the-radar QB who could be drafted in the top 100 picks?
Kiper: Yes, though it depends on how you define "under the radar" -- and he might not be in next year's draft. Cameron Ward spent 2020 and 2021 dominating at FCS Incarnate Word before transferring to Washington State, where he quickly became the starter. He has flashed NFL traits for the Cougars -- 15 touchdown passes, seven picks while completing 64.2% of his passes -- and he has a pro-ready frame (6-foot-2, 220 pounds).
NFL scouts have mixed opinions about him, but he's a wild card if he keeps improving. I put him as the No. 6 QB in my latest position rankings. But Ward also has two seasons of college eligibility remaining.
Which QB most needs to turn things around over the rest of the season to save his draft stock?
Reid: After being benched last week, Miami's Tyler Van Dyke answered with 497 passing yards against North Carolina, but he still has a lot of questions to answer moving forward. We've seen a lack of consistency when it comes to his mechanics and decision-making. Van Dyke came into the season looking like a potential first-round pick next April, but he might now be a candidate to return to school in hopes of improving his draft stock for 2024.
Which 2024 draft class quarterback has played the best this season?
Miller: There is already a lot to like here, but USC's Caleb Williams remains the top standout. An argument could be made that he's the best quarterback in college football right now, regardless of class. Williams has made a quick adjustment since following Lincoln Riley out of Oklahoma to USC and has jelled with his new supporting cast in a hurry. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound sophomore has thrown 14 touchdown passes and just one interception this season while adding three more scores on the ground.
Quinn Ewers (Texas), Drake Maye (North Carolina) and DJ Uiagalelei (Clemson) all have legitimate resumes, but Williams looks like the early QB1 for 2024.
Which prospect are you moving up your board?
Reid: Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA. I thought he tried to do too much in the past, but the 6-foot-1 passer has fully embraced the Chip Kelly system this season and has settled in as a distributor, making plays outside of structure only when required. Thompson-Robinson looks like a completely different player and has helped the Bruins to 6-0, throwing for 1,211 yards, 11 touchdowns and only one interception along the way. His 74.3% completion percentage would shatter his previous career high of 65.2%, too. Thompson-Robinson has gone from an undrafted free agent hopeful to a potential Day 3 prospect.
Miller: Tuli Tuipulotu, DT, USC. He has a late-Round 1 grade for me, but it might still not be high enough. The junior leads the nation in sacks with seven and has been a disruptive presence in the middle of the revamped Trojans defense with his fantastic first-step quickness and hand usage. He has stepped his run defense up this season, too. At 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, he has ideal NFL size to play in either a three- or four-man front, and while Tuipulotu likely won't challenge Georgia's Jalen Carter as the first defensive tackle off the board come April, he's pushing himself up the first-round board and could very likely end up a top-15 pick.
Kiper: Brian Branch, CB/S, Alabama. I've been impressed with him, even though he was the one who had the late penalty to give Texas A&M a final play Saturday night. The 6-foot slot corner is extremely versatile with great read-and-react ability. He's a really good blitzer with the instincts to make plays on the ball; he broke up two passes against the Aggies. Branch hasn't had an interception since his freshman season in 2020, but that will come in time. He looks like an immediate plug-and-play starter in the NFL who will be coveted in the top 50 picks next April.
Which under-the-radar prospect are you keeping an eye on after Week 6?
Miller: Israel Abanikanda, RB, Pittsburgh. Did you see his amazing 320-yard, six-touchdown performance against Virginia Tech on Saturday. Abanikanda did it all, showing both long speed to rip off chunk plays -- he had an 80-yard touchdown rush -- and power on a 5-foot-11, 215-pound frame to bounce off tacklers. He has been fantastic all season while racking up 830 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in six games. In a very deep running back class, he's pushing into my top five and a possible top-100 ranking.
Israel Abanikanda can't be stopped as he rushes for six touchdowns, tying the Panthers' school record set back in 1910.
Reid: Andrei Iosivas, WR, Princeton. He is a long strider who displays a diverse route tree, and he finished with career highs in catches (10) and receiving yards (150) against Lafayette on Saturday. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound wideout is also an All-American in the heptathlon for the school's track and field team, and the versatility and explosion that comes with that shows up frequently on his tape. It wouldn't be surprising to see Iosivas get an invitation to a postseason all-star game and continue to rise in the spring. Right now, he's an intriguing Day 3 option.
Kiper: Keenan Isaac, CB, Alabama State. The 6-foot-3, 188-pounder had a nice game against Jackson State with three pass breakups and an interception. And that was against a really good team and quarterback (Shedeur Sanders). I always pay close attention to how small-school prospects play against their best opponent, and this was that game for Isaac. He has great length, smooth hips and the recovery speed to make up for his raw technique. Isaac, however, has to get better as a tackler. He has a chance to be a sixth- or seventh-round pick next April.
Let's empty the notebooks ...
Miller: TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston went off against Kansas, catching 14 passes for 206 yards and showing the physicality that makes his game so exciting. Johnston was beating up defenders on slant routes and bouncing off tacklers. He looked every bit of his 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds.
Reid: Yeah, Johnston sure looked like the first-round pick that he was advertised as coming into this season, showing off his play strength, strong hands and great body control. In a once-hyped wide receiver class that has proved a bit lackluster, Johnston could continue to take advantage and climb the board.
Kiper: Tennessee's Hooker has starred recently without top wideout Cedric Tillman, but he has been helped by the emergence of 6-foot-3 pass-catcher Bru McCoy, who has 12 catches for 242 yards and a score in the past two games. McCoy, who was once enrolled at Texas, caught 20 passes at USC a year ago. He's a prospect to watch for the 2024 class.
Miller: Is anyone else getting Alvin Kamara vibes when watching Jahmyr Gibbs carry this Alabama offense? The running back has stepped up in each of the past two weeks with QB Bryce Young out. He has burst from the backfield as a runner, but he's also arguably Alabama's most reliable receiver at this point in the season. While the stats haven't been Heisman-worthy (752 total yards, five total touchdowns), Gibbs has been one of the most valuable players in the country. He's my RB2 and a potential late-first-round pick.
Kiper: Jordan called out UCLA's Thompson-Robinson -- who is playing his way into Heisman consideration -- as a riser, but how about running back Zach Charbonnet? A likely Day 2 pick next April, he had 198 rushing yards in the win over Utah on Saturday. At 220 pounds, Charbonnet has power and burst through the hole.
Reid: We also mentioned USC's Tuipulotu earlier, but I was really impressed with his showing against Washington State on Saturday night. With three tackles for loss and three sacks, he showed off his outstanding burst, strength and finishing ability. He's scheme-versatile, too, and scouts will have their eyes on him in the Trojans' upcoming game against Utah.