The college football bowl season is nearing its end already. On Friday at noon ET, the Clemson Tigers take on the Kentucky Wildcats on ESPN.
The TaxSlayer Gator Bowl will showcase a few key 2024 NFL Draft prospects. Which players in the bowl game will be drafted this year?
Top NFL Draft Prospects in Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl will be without only a few familiar faces, including former Clemson safety Andrew Mukuba. According to College Football Network’s bowl game opt-out tracker, 23 players are slated to miss this game.
Clemson Tigers Prospects
Will Shipley, RB
The most dynamic offensive player in this matchup is Will Shipley.
Only 5’11” and 200 pounds, Shipley isn’t a physically intimidating player, but he’ll leave defenders looking silly. Shipley has great burst and acceleration and uses precise footwork to juke defenders and find more space.
Able to thrive on all three downs and provide a spark for an offense, Shipley will be a better pro than he is in a muddied Clemson offense. His value is a bit tough to gauge because he’s not the dominant athlete that usually garners high consideration, but our team has a Day 2 grade on him because he’s so good at the nuance of the position.
Phil Mafah, RB
A taller back at 6’1″ and 215 pounds, Phil Mafah was the thunder to Will Shipley’s lightning. Only a junior, Mafah is likely to return to Clemson in 2024. However, he’s a powerful presence and will surely have a run or two that draws viewers’ attention, so he’s worth mentioning.
Mafah is a between-the-tackles contributor who has little impact in the passing game. He plays bigger than his weight but also shows some limitations of not being a sturdier presence. It’s possible he could earn late-round consideration due to his tenacious mindset, good contact balance, and comfort in taking on contact.
Jake Briningstool, TE
Standing 6’6″ and listed at only 230 pounds, Jake Briningstool is a lean tight end prospect. However, he had some great moments over the last two years despite playing in a low-volume offense that struggled to generate good looks. Briningstool has 69 career catches for 759 yards and 10 touchdowns.
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Because of his size, Briningstool should be viewed more as a power slot option. He’ll compete as a blocker and can handle defensive backs, but front seven defenders can rip through his body too easily. He’s only a junior, so he may head back for 2024.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB
The leader of Clemson’s defense in 2023 was Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Trotter was all over the field at all times this season, producing a state line that only partially tells the story of how rangy he is. The 6’1″, 210-pound son of the former Eagles linebacker of the same namesake already declared for the 2024 NFL Draft as a junior.
Trotter totaled 177 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, four interceptions, and 10 pass breakups over the last two years. He’s a game-wrecker, but his weight makes him more of a hybrid or weakside linebacker than a true middleman. His best case is to end up behind a great defensive line and shoot gaps, much like Cleveland’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
His value should be in the late first to second round.
Barrett Carter, LB
The more stout, easily projectable linebacker on this unit is Barrett Carter. Despite having a first-round grade from our team, Carter is returning to school for his senior season. He had a bit of a down year statistically, seeing Trotter be given more opportunities as a blitzer and in coverage.
That decision may let Carter get more comfortable in coverage and grow his game. He’s great as a downhill attacker and has the range to finish plays from sideline to sideline. However, he’s not an experienced or overly efficient player in space yet, and his blitzing ability can use more polish.
Tyler Davis, DT
If you’re looking for a guy who can stuff the run and occasionally effort his way into a sack, then Tyler Davis is the type of Day 3 pick that will stand out. The 6’2″, 300-pounder has seen his role change throughout the years, including 12 sacks between his 2019 and 2022 seasons. He had only four sacks in his other three seasons combined.
Davis is an average athlete with good play strength, pad level, and hand activity. He won’t wow anyone with his traits or instincts but will find his way into a rotation.
Nate Wiggins, CB
No one should be surprised if Nate Wiggins winds up as the best corner from the 2024 class. The 6’2″, 175-pounder is ultra-competitive, has elite length, and has better ball skills than his raw stats suggest. Watching him compete against Keon Coleman this past season showed off his complete game, including terrific speed, closing ability, instincts, and clean footwork.
His lack of bulk will be a big issue for any defense. He’s a willing but mediocre run defender who’ll get boxed out when giving up 20 pounds in strength. Hopefully, his frame can take at least 10 more pounds of muscle without losing speed.
Ruke Orohorhoro, DT
NFL teams love moldable balls of clay. While Ruke Orohorhoro isn’t a young buck like 2007 first-round pick Amobi Okoye, he shares many of the same movement abilities and technical rawness that had scouts so intrigued. Orohorhoro was a fifth-year senior this year and played over the last three seasons.
The 6’4″, 295-pounder penetrates the offensive line and can easily shoot into the QB’s lap. It’s a matter of getting consistently off the line with a low pad level, driving his legs when initiated first, and improving his hand placement. Orohorhoro will be a massive Day 2 value if he can do those things.
Xavier Thomas, EDGE
Flashing back to 2018, it seemed Xavier Thomas was destined to be a first-round pick. He showed off a good burst off the line and enough flexibility to finish tackles and sacks through contact. However, now a sixth-year senior weighing 270 pounds, Thomas is a different player.
Much of that explosiveness is gone, and at 6’2″, he lacks the length needed to be a star strongside end in the run game. Still, Thomas has good power and might become an asset as a Day 3 pick if he slims down.
Kentucky Wildcats Prospects
Ray Davis, RB
Ray Davis made a positive impact at Temple, Vanderbilt, and finally, at Kentucky. The powerful 5’9″, 215-pounder will do the same in the NFL. With 3,563 yards and 28 touchdowns on the ground, plus another 756 yards and 12 scores as a receiver, Davis is an accomplished, experienced ball carrier.
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He doesn’t win with terrific agility or home-run speed, but Davis plays low, can survey rushing lanes effectively, and wins the angle battle when defenders are in pursuit. He’s ideally built as a second or third back that runs power concepts and should be taken on Day 3.
J.J. Weaver, EDGE
Sometimes, the tools are enough to get a player drafted. Kentucky’s J.J. Weaver is in that boat despite playing key roles in four of his five seasons in college. Weaver is physically enticing at 6’5″ and 241 pounds but struggles to be the pass-rush threat his speed would suggest.
Still, Weaver checks a lot of boxes athletically, and his production wasn’t terrible. He finished with 30.5 tackles for loss and 15 sacks. Combining his numbers with a physical profile that works for 4-3 and 3-4 fronts, Weaver should be a midround pick who can develop into a rotational contributor.
Marques Cox, OT
One player with a lot to gain throughout the all-star game and draft process is tackle Marques Cox. The 6’5″, 311-pounder can be a riser in a class needing depth to emerge. Cox is experienced, earning honors at Northern Illinois before transferring to Kentucky.
A good athlete who does well to survive in pass protection without giving up sacks, Cox has great power in the run game. His key to improving will be playing more balanced and not getting anxious. When he reaches, he loses, and Cox’s ultimate upside will be determined by whether he can be disciplined when he engages with defenders.