ACC Football: 10 Players Who Will Replace NFL Draft Early Entrants in 2023
The emergence of NIL has obviously changed the landscape of college football in many ways. In one respect, college athletes can opt to stay in school and still make money. However, many of the top football players in America have their sights on the NFL and will enter the draft.
Related: College Football's NFL Draft Deadline Winners and Losers
Despite a less-than-stellar season, the ACC has several prospects that will be jumping to the next level. Their former programs will spend the offseason finding replacements for these stars. Here are 10 ACC stalwarts that are moving on to the NFL and the leading candidates to fill the void that has been created by their departures.
North Carolina
Gone: Josh Downs, WR
Despite being a true contributor in just two seasons, Downs leaves North Carolina as the third-leading receiver in program history with 202 grabs. He is also fourth in yardage and second in touchdown receptions. When Sam Howell and then Drake Maye needed a big conversion, they looked to Downs first.
In: Andre Greene Jr.
Kobe Paysour, as a redshirt freshman, showed that he can be a very effective receiver, but he'll need help. With a bigger body, Greene is a much different player than Downs, but the former top-100 recruit oozes talent. Knowing that his role will increase in 2023, head coach Mack Brown got him involved in the Holiday Bowl game plan and Greene responded with three catches with one of those resulting in a touchdown.
Pittsburgh
Gone: Israel Abanikanda, RB
Abanikanda had a nice 2021 season, but no one could have expected his development as a junior. In 11 games, he rushed for 1,431 yards and 20 touchdowns. That placed him seventh nationally and first in the ACC. Replacing that production with just one guy will be extremely difficult, but running the ball effectively is vital in Pat Narduzzi's system.
In: Rodney Hammond Jr.
In reality, Hammond was already there. In two seasons, the junior-to-be has 965 rushing yards and has 10 rushing touchdowns. As of this moment, Pitt has not added a running back from the portal and Hammond was ahead of other Panthers backs this past fall, so he should be the primary ball carrier in 2023.
Pittsburgh
Gone: Calijah Kancey, DT
Like with Israel Abanikanda, filling up the stat totals left behind by Kancey will be nearly impossible. In 2021, Kancey had 13 tackles for a loss and seven sacks. He bettered those numbers in 2022, registering 14.5 tackles for a loss with 7.5 of those being sacks on his way to earning ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Defensive tackles that are that active don't grow on trees.
In: Elliot Donald
No pressure here. Donald is the nephew of former Pitt legend and sure-fire NFL Hall of Famer Aaron Donald. Donald the younger has yet to make a huge impact for the Panthers, but he was the top prospect in the 2021 recruiting class and had offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Ohio State.
Clemson
Gone: Bryan Bresee, DT
Bresee's career was a bit of a mixed bag. He came in as the No. 1 overall recruit in 2020 and at times he showed how great he could be, so much so that he is projected to be an early first-round selection. But injuries limited him to 28 games in three years and his 51 career tackles and nine sacks fell far short of what most expected.
In: DeMonte Capehart
Veterans Tyler Davis and Ruke Orhoorhoro return to provide some stability to the interior of the defensive line. But Capehart — as well as Payton Page and Tre Williams — will push for playing time as well. Capehart was an extremely coveted recruit in the class of 2020 and now that Bresee has moved on, he may have the opportunity to shine. Also keep an eye on Peter Woods, the highest-ranked player in the incoming freshman class.
Clemson
Gone: Myles Murphy, DE
Another five-star recruit from the 2020 class, Murphy had 18.5 sacks and 36 tackles for a loss during his career. He had double-digit tackles for a loss in each of his three seasons and like Bresee, he is projected to be taken at the top of the first round.
In: Cade Denhoff
Xavier Thomas and Justin Mascoll are very experienced ends that are expected to get the lion's share of playing time in 2023, but Denhoff is a wild card that could be a more dynamic edge presence. Now 255 pounds, Denhoff had offers from Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State coming out of high school two years ago.
Clemson
Gone: Trenton Simpson, LB
Simpson's linebacking responsibilities changed in 2022 and his production went down a bit. Still, he compiled 72 tackles and was a third-team All-ACC selection. Simpson still holds a first-round grade, meaning Clemson could lose will lose three Day 1 picks from its defensive front seven.
In: Wade Woodaz
Despite being an unheralded recruit in the class of 2022, Woodaz saw action in every game as a true freshman and had 20 tackles, with 5.5 of them resulting in lost yardage. Woodaz is a versatile player that excelled in coverage for a player on the second level.
Syracuse
Gone: Sean Tucker, RB
Syracuse's running back tradition is as good as any school in America. The fact that Tucker is third in Orange history in rushing yardage is a clear indicator of how valuable he has been to the program. His total yards and yards per carry dipped a little in 2022, but he still reached the end zone 13 times and was named second-team All-ACC.
In: LeQuint Allen
The true freshman didn't see much action during the regular season, but his 90-yard run against FCS Wagner was the longest by an Orange player in 73 years. When Tucker declared for the NFL draft, Allen became the top back in the Pinstripe Bowl and he responded with 94 yards on 15 carries.
Syracuse
Gone: Garrett Williams, CB
An ACL tear ended Williams' season early, but he still finished with 36 tackles and two interceptions in just seven games. He has good size and has never been afraid of contact, which makes him a possible Day 2 draft selection.
In: Jaeden Gould/Jayden Bellamy
It's unclear where Gould and Bellamy fit in the secondary, but in a perfect world, at least one of them will start at corner. The teammates at Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, New Jersey, each have four years of eligibility remaining after transferring into Syracuse: Gould from Nebraska and Bellamy from Notre Dame.
Virginia
Gone: Dontayvion Wicks, WR
Virginia went from No. 3 in the country in total offense in 2021 to 103rd in 2022 and Wicks' numbers fell right along with the rest of the team, going from 1,203 receiving yards to 430. But Wicks was always a presence on the field and he will be a big loss for a Virginia offense that will look to rebound in year two under head coach Tony Elliott and will have a new starting quarterback following the transfer of Brennan Armstrong (to NC State).
In: Dakota Twitty
Along with Wicks, Billy Kemp and Keytaon Thompson are done, leaving the wide receiver room full of inexperienced players. Twitty redshirted this past fall, but he was the top-ranked recruit in UVA's 2022 recruiting class and is an imposing (6-5, 215) target on the outside.
Louisville
Gone: Tiyon Evans, RB
Evans played one year at Tennessee, transferred to Louisville, and played one year with the Cardinals before turning pro. Injuries hampered his production both at Tennessee and at Louisville, but he averaged 6.3 yards per carry and scored six touchdowns in 2022.
In: Maurice Turner, rising sophomore
Jawhar Jordan is undoubtedly the lead back, but Turner will be a key piece as a reserve. Not only did he rush for 314 yards, but the former receiver also caught 12 passes. With new head coach Jeff Brohm looking to reshape the offense, Turner's receiving skills should be put to good use next season.
– Written by Jon Kinne, who has been part of the Athlon Contributor Network for three years, focusing on the ACC and Notre Dame. Follow him on Twitter @JonRKinne.
