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As we approach the beginning of the 2023 college football season, numerous water cooler discussions have unfolded about the best players in college football. Most conversations include the names of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and a few others. Oftentimes, players with a lower profile get forgotten and are rarely discussed. Today, I am going to introduce to you five DAWGS that will captivate your attention during the upcoming season. One or more of these could even steal all of the headlines just as Max Duggan did in 2022.
#1 Frank Harris, UTSA
The story of Mr. Harris is one of endurance, pain, suffering, and a refusal to quit. After playing through intense pain in the 2022 season, the Roadrunner superstar struggled through four surgeries on his left knee from January to April 2023. What had started out as a routine scope to clean out scar tissue from three previous surgeries almost ended his career. He actually attended the UTSA spring game in a wheelchair and had told his coaches that he was "medically retiring from football. I didn't want to play anymore. I wasn't worried about football - I couldn't even walk," Harris recalls. It is a good thing that he had that DAWG in him. In his seventh season in San Antonio - he has been there so long that he should probably run for mayor - America gets to see a dynamic playmaker. He already holds nearly every record in the UTSA record book and is looking to pad those numbers.
#2 Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
As a Chanticleer, Grayson McCall has become one of the most decorated players of all time at a non-power five school. In three seasons as the quarterback in Conway, SC, the 6'3" redshirt senior has passed for 8,086 yards with 78 touchdowns at the same time as rushing for 1, 065 yards and 17 more touchdowns. In each of the past three seasons, he has thrown for at least 24 TDs. To say that he has been very productive on the field is an understatement. You can see his list of accolades here. That rush of wind you felt on New Year's Day was actually the entire coaching staff at Coastal Carolina breathing a collective sigh of relief, after he announced that he would be returning for his fifth and final season rather than transferring to a bigger school. Keep your eyes on this young fella!
#3 Michael Pratt, Tulane
One of the more remarkable turnarounds in college football over the past two seasons has been that of the Tulane Green Wave. With Michael Pratt leading the way, the Louisiana-based school has gone from a dismal 2-10 in 2021 to a remarkable 12-2 and Cotton Bowl championship in 2022. After passing for 3,010 yards and 27 touchdowns with a completion percentage of 63.6%, big things are expected from the fourth-year starter. He has already garnered national attention after his performance in the aforementioned Cotton Bowl, a 46-45 victory over blue blood program USC. Make sure you keep watching as he sets his sights on becoming an ever-better quarterback in 2023.
#4 Jalon Daniels, Kansas
Another remarkable turnaround in the 2022 season happened in Lawrence, Kansas, as Jalon Daniels ripped off five straight wins to start the season before an injury forced him to miss the next four games. The exciting play from the signal caller was a massive reason the Jayhawks' fortunes changed so rapidly. After throwing for 1,014 yards and 18 touchdowns while also rushing for 425 yards and seven scores, Daniels thrust himself into the discussion of a possible Heisman Trophy darkhorse in 2023. With another electrifying start to the 2023 season, his name will be on the tip of every tongue at the next water cooler breakdown.
#5 Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
For the past two decades, Wisconsin has produced one of the most consistent and powerful running games in all of college football. It appears that the Badgers have the latest in a long line of great running backs with Braelon Allen. While rushing for 2,510 yards and 23 touchdowns in his first two seasons in Madison, Allen has been reminding fans of what used to be. While they have struggled as a team overall, Allen has been a solid foundation. Under first-year head coach Luke Fickell, the red and white offense will now look to become an "air raid" unit. The junior running back could benefit greatly as teams gear up to slow down the passing game, which leaves fewer defenders to try to bring down #0.
These are just a few of the great players in this game we all love and who are not getting the love that many feel they deserve. Any one of these players could be invited to the Heisman Trophy celebration for the 2023 season. Football is back. Enjoy your water cooler discussion when these DAWGS infiltrate the party.
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