Top NFL draft prospects, risers, buzz, notes from CFB Week 4

Week 4 of the 2023 college football season will be remembered for Oregon's blowout win over Colorado and Ohio State's touchdown run to beat Notre Dame in the final seconds, but we saw top draft prospects stand out in multiple games during Saturday's action. So what did we learn about the class, and which players have earned more draft attention after the first month of the season?

NFL draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr., Matt Miller, Jordan Reid and Steve Muench answered big draft-related questions coming out of the weekend's slate, including what pops out as the biggest surprises of the season. Miller picked out prospects rising up his draft board, and Reid identified players currently flying under the radar who could get a draft stock boost with more high-level play. Muench broke down a key highlight that is making him go back to the tape for more evaluation, and Kiper turned the page to Week 5 with three things to watch for next weekend. Finally, our analysts emptied their notebooks with everything they saw and heard over this past weekend.

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Biggest early-season surprise
Risers | Under the radar | Back to the tape
Week 5 lookahead | Latest draft buzz, notes

Besides Shedeur Sanders' rise, what is the biggest draft-related surprise of the first month?

Reid: It's early, but I haven't seen a defensive prospect have a "wow" game or separate themselves from the pack at any position. At this time last year, it was clear that Will Anderson Jr. was the top edge rusher and Jalen Carter was atop the interior defensive line class. But that hasn't happened in 2023, and we're still looking for a standout game from a defensive prospect that has scouts buzzing the next day.

Florida State defensive end Jared Verse was supposed to be that guy, and I expected him to take another step after his breakout 2022 season. He had nine sacks last year but has yet to record one this season. Verse was widely viewed as the class' top defensive prospect coming into the season, but some scouts now think it might be Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner or cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry. As we get deeper into conference play, someone has to make a statement at their position.

Miller: I'll go with the strong play of the wide receiver class. We know Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. is a special player and a lock to be WR1, but there is a long list of players vying for WR2 status, and each balled out Saturday -- again. Florida State's Keon Coleman -- my No. 2 receiver at the moment -- had two touchdowns, including the game winner in overtime against Clemson. LSU's Malik Nabers had two touchdowns himself against Arkansas. Washington's Rome Odunze had, as you might have guessed, two touchdowns on a five-catch, 125-yard night against Cal. And while Harrison's teammate Emeka Egbuka -- a strong route runner with an awesome ability to find soft zones -- didn't find the end zone, he did have 96 yards against Notre Dame.

This could be a loaded receiver class come April, and I have six of them ranked in my top 25 right now. (Texas' Xavier Worthy joins the names above as the sixth, but he was limited to 31 yards Saturday against Baylor -- though he caught one TD.)

Muench: I've been impressed with the way transfer receivers have transitioned to their new teams and situations. Coleman wasted no time living up to lofty expectations and solidifying himself as a top-five WR in this class. Colorado's Xavier Weaver might be the best example outside of Coleman -- he has 34 catches for 461 yards and a pair of TDs -- but Washington State's Josh Kelly, Virginia's Malik Washington, Louisville's Jamari Thrash, Oklahoma's Andrel Anthony, Texas' Adonai Mitchell and Arkansas' Andrew Armstrong are all playing at high levels and helping themselves.

Miller's draft risers from Week 4

Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB, Clemson

I was jealous that Jordan was on-site to see Florida State at Clemson for some in-person scouting, and Trotter is a big reason why. The senior middle linebacker has entered my top 32 after a punishing game, showing his A-to-B-gap run fits and his ability to rush the quarterback as a blitzer. He had a big sack on a Seminoles third-and-10 in the first quarter and continues his hot start that includes 23 tackles through four games.

Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

One of Saturday's most anticipated matchups was Notre Dame's left tackle against the Ohio State pass rush. And though the Fighting Irish lost the game, Alt won that battle. The 6-foot-8 junior allowed three hurries by my count but didn't give up a sack. His poise stands out to me. Alt never panicked or made mistakes because he was pressing, even though he was facing two players getting top-50 draft hype in Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau. He has cemented himself as a top-10 prospect on my board.

Bucky Irving, RB, Oregon

Irving stole the show as Oregon pummeled Colorado, rushing for 89 yards on just 10 carries and adding three catches for 19 yards. But even beyond the box score, Irving's powerful running style and agility at 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds popped while watching the game. He's a do-it-all running back, and I added his name to my scouting database Saturday. Irving has the look of a top-100 prospect.

Reid's draft sleepers to keep an eye on

Ja'Lynn Polk, WR, Washington

While watching tape on Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and receiver Rome Odunze, I kept noticing Polk. He has settled into a key role for the Huskies' offense after transferring from Texas Tech in 2020. And he has at least 100 total yards and a touchdown in all four games this year, including 127 receiving yards and two TD catches Saturday against Cal. At 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds, Polk has sure hands and outstanding body control at the catch point. He wasn't really on scouts' radars before the season, but Polk has arrived on the scene and even entered the Day 2 conversation.

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Riley Leonard fires TD pass as Duke pours it on

Riley Leonard finds Jordan Moore wide open for a touchdown to give Duke a 41-0 lead.

Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama

Most of the Alabama secondary attention has been on Kool-Aid McKinstry (and rightly so), but Arnold is off to a great start this season opposite him. He is allowing only 22.2% completions on passes into his coverage, the 14th-best rate in the country. He caught his first interception of the year against Ole Miss, and the redshirt sophomore is playing like one of the best corners in the country right now. He's still a Day 3 prospect, but I really like his reactionary timing and how easily he transitions out of his backpedal to attack routes.

Cameron Ward, QB, Washington State

The Pac-12 quarterbacks have collectively been great this season, but we aren't talking about Ward enough. He has quietly led the Cougars to a 4-0 record, completing 74.6% of his passes for 1,390 yards, with 13 touchdowns and zero interceptions. He was nearly perfect against Oregon State on Saturday, going 28-of-34 for 404 yards and four touchdowns.

Ward has an electric playing style in a wide-open Air Raid offense, showing the arm strength to make any type of throw and an ability to extend plays. Once a borderline draft pick, he now looks like a mid-Day 3 prospect on the rise -- and he's entering a crucial three-game stretch (at UCLA, vs. Arizona and at Oregon) that could help him continue to improve his stock.

Muench's Week 4 highlight that is sending him back to the tape

Washington State receiver Josh Kelly makes an impressive 29-yard catch

JOSH KELLY! WOW! @kellz_0404

WATCH | @CFBONFOX #GoCougs | #WAZZU | #CVE23 pic.twitter.com/GJCkY12W1O

— Washington State Football (@WSUCougarFB) September 23, 2023

Kelly caught eight passes for 159 yards and three touchdowns in the Cougars' win over Oregon State, so there are plenty of options when it comes to his highlights. But this one really stood out because of the outstanding focus and ball skills. His ability to track the ball, pull it in with his left hand and maintain control when he goes to the ground with a defender draped over him is impressive -- especially considering he doesn't have elite size at 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds.

Kelly has battled injuries and appeared in just six games in 2022, but it's not a complete surprise that he's off to a strong start in his first season at Washington State. The Fresno State transfer flashed big-time potential as a redshirt sophomore in 2021 and caught eight passes for 120 yards against UCLA that year. Right now, Kelly is a midround prospect for 2024.

Kiper's three things to watch in Week 5

USC at Colorado will feature Caleb Williams vs. Shedeur Sanders, and what I've said early this season is this could be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft vs. the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft. Williams, who has 15 touchdown passes and zero picks so far, is my No. 1-ranked quarterback. Sanders, who struggled in a loss to Oregon that was only his fourth career FBS start, is my third-ranked passer. And if Sanders decides to return for his senior season, he'll be the early favorite as QB1 for 2025.

ESPN's "College GameDay" will be in Durham, North Carolina, for Notre Dame-Duke, and it's a big test for Blue Devils signal-caller Riley Leonard, who will have many scouts watching closely. Leonard's numbers have improved across the board through four games, but he has only two touchdown passes on 99 attempts. He's going to need to use his arm in the red zone for Duke to put up points against the Fighting Irish. Leonard is my fifth-ranked quarterback for next year's draft.