Pope's Pick 6: Senior Prospects to Watch

Welcome to Pope’s Pick 6. Once a week until the start of the season I’ll be bringing you a quick look at my college/devy fantasy football thoughts in quick-hit form. This week, we address a few senior prospects who could emerge as potential top-tier assets this season.

Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU With one of the higher ceilings in the class, Jayden Daniels is a favorite to be the best quarterback in the SEC this season after an impressive first year at LSU. He completed a career-best 68.6% of his passes and threw for 2,913 yards and 17 touchdowns. He is a 6-foot-4, 210-pound above-average athlete who offers a ton in the passing game and even more in the ground game. He has over 2,100 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns on the ground in his college career and is coming off a career year (885 yards and 11 scores). He is great on the move as a passer, showing good accuracy and velocity on his throws, but he will need to improve tremendously from the pocket to leap up draft boards. I hope to see more of this in 2023 and some improvement in the deeper portions of the field from him. If that happens, he could potentially ascend to a first-round talent.

Devin Leary, QB, Kentucky At the start of the 2022 season, many people had Devin Leary pegged as a potential sleeper in the draft after an impressive 2021 where he threw for 3,433 yards and an NC State-record 35 touchdowns. After a strong start that featured his fourth career game of four touchdowns and no interceptions (only C.J. Stroud and Byrce Young had more in their college careers), he was derailed by a season-ending pec injury. This offseason, he has taken his efficient play to Kentucky. Leary is a quick passer who has good accuracy and touch at most levels of the field. He leaves a lot to be desired as a runner but can be creative and keep plays alive when needed. At 6-foot-1, 217 pounds, and with poor arm strength, it is tough to see a huge ceiling for Leary at the next level. However, if any program can elevate him, it’s Kentucky — the Cats were able to get the best out of WIll Levis, who had his own issues prior to joining the program. Although a long shot, I am intrigued by Leary and will be watching him closely this season.

Jase McClellan, RB, Alabama After two incomplete seasons, Jase McClellan saw a significant increase in his role in 2022. He saw 126 touches, producing 829 yards and 10 touchdowns playing behind Jahymr Gibbs. This year it seems like will see the McClellan show — with a first-year starter at QB in Jalen Milroe, it's likely Bama leans on the senior running back. If so, we could see him ascend much as Najee Harris and Brian Robinson did in their senior years. He is a plus runner inside the tackles and has great burst to get to the second level of the defense. He does leave a lot to be desired once in the open field, but we could see an improvement here in his senior year. I will be looking to see an improvement here and if he can handle a lead role, which is something he has not been asked to do just yet.

Michael Wiley, RB, Arizona Michael Wiley has been a staple in the Arizona backfield for four years, producing 1,401 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Wildcats. He took a significant leap forward last year, producing 771 yards and eight touchdowns. In this was the first 100-yard rushing game for the Wildcats since Gray Brightwell in 2020. Wiley is an elusive runner with above-average footwork. He marries quick acceleration with tracklike speed, making him a menace once he hits the perimeter. With great routes and strong hands, he is one of the elite pass catchers in the class. He has 95 receptions and 844 yards receiving in his career. He does struggle inside the tackle box but can manage when asked to. With a strong senior campaign, he can draw the attention of many scouts and likely land our fantasy radar as well.

Antwane Wells, WR, South Carolina In his first season with the Gamecocks, Antwane Wells exploded for an impressive 928 yards and six touchdowns on just 68 receptions, earning second-team All-SEC honors from the AP. At 6-foot-1 and 208 pounds, he offers good size and great ability after the catch, which we saw in 2022, as he led all SEC wide receivers with 555 yards after the catch. He is a field stretcher by nature and offers a ton of smooth-developing routes. He also plays with ferocity at the catch point, often overpowering defenders and winning these battles. In addition, he has a significant catch radius as he has shown a knack for catching outside his frame. In order to take the next step, he will need to improve his lateral quickness and separation abilities.

Ainias Smith, WR, Texas A&M After three productive and healthy seasons at Texas A&M, Ainias Smith only played in four games in 2022, producing 302 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. Smith is a multifaceted playmaker for the Aggies. He is undersized but uses this low center of gravity to his advantage in the open field. He has 1,996 yards and 21 touchdowns from scrimmage in his college career while also posting an impressive 551 punt return yards and 257 kickoff return yards. In his senior season, I hope to see his combination of speed and twitch continue while he improves his physicality. Improving at the catch point will also be huge for Smith, as he has struggled to be a reliable target over the years. If we see him put it all together, he could become a versatile weapon at the NFL level.

Pope's Pick 6: Senior Prospects to Watch

Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU

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