As dynasty month continues, I wanted to look at not just my picks but also the selections from others. I’m including the top two rounds of the industry draft I recently took part in, and instead of discussing them all at random, I’ve done it in high school superlative style! I’m leaving off who each player was drafted by to not give away drafter preferences, so don’t ask me who took who! Let’s get into it.
Round 1
1.01 – Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, WR
1.02 – Dylan Raiola, Nebraska, QB
1.03 – DJ Lagway, Florida, QB
1.04 – Micah Hudson, Texas Tech, WR
1.05 – Ryan Williams, Alabama, WR
1.06 – Cam Coleman, Auburn, WR
1.07 – Julian Sayin, Ohio State, QB
1.08 – Walker White, Auburn, QB
1.09 – Kyren Lacy, LSU, WR
1.10 – TJ Moore, Clemson, WR
1.11 – Cedrick Bailey, NC State, QB
1.12 – Quinton Martin, Penn State, RB
1.13 – Ryan Wingo, Texas, WR
1.14 – Rickey Hunt, Ohio, RB
Most Likely to Succeed: Jeremiah Smith
In shocking fashion, Smith is the first pick and also the most likely to succeed! He really does seem full proof, which is odd considering he’s a true freshman and will be going to a full receiver room at Ohio State. The big thing here is that he was in Columbus in the spring and was insanely good, and Emeka Egbuka is gone after this season. He’s pretty much locked into a top-two receiver role, worst-case scenario.
Looking at the other options, DJ Lagway would be my personal 1.01 due to the upside at the quarterback position, but he may be a tad more raw than we realize. He also has to face very tough competition year in and year out in the SEC and has a head coach that is in over his head.
Dylan Raiola is just not enough of an impact player to beat out Smith, but he does feel like a guy who’ll be good (not great) for three seasons.
Most Likely to Get ID’d When They’re 30: Walker White
This award goes to the player who I believe has the highest likelihood of playing four seasons or more, and that’s not a bad thing! White is not the passer these other quarterbacks are and will be in an offense that is not advanced. I could see the NFL looking at him as a college-level quarterback until potentially his senior year if he puts real big numbers up (think Bo Nix’s career trajectory if he were to redshirt his freshman year).
White has a good frame, standing 6’3″ and 220 lbs., so there is a world where he cleans it all up by his junior year and gets drafted. This would mean two seasons starting in the SEC, and he could provide him nice NFL Draft value. I really do like this quarterback for CFF purposes and will try to nab him at some point this offseason due to his upside.
Cutest Couple That Never Was: Micah Hudson/Zach Kittley
Would it surprise anyone if Kittley was more of a grifter than a legitimate coach in the FBS? He was impressive at Western Kentucky and parlayed that into this job at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have been unimpressive since Kittley’s arrival. What’s to say this quarterback room of Behren Morton, Jake Strong, and Will Hammond is average at best this season?
Kittley could be out of Lubbock in 2025 if the offense looks rough, or maybe Hudson uses a productive freshman year to get him NIL at a school like Texas or Oklahoma or someone similar. Hudson is an impressive receiver who would have his pick of the litter if he were to enter the transfer portal.
Class Clown: Rickey Hunt
Hunt has all the makings of a one-game wonder, using a big bowl game to deceive us all into thinking he’s a fantasy-relevant player this season. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he didn’t start Week 1, if he started all season and the offense was so bad that he suffered, or if he played well in 2024 and then transferred to a P4 team that completely kills his value. For that reason, he’s the “Class Clown”. Of the top 14 picks, he’s the most likely to clown us by being worse than we think he is or making a clown decision in the transfer portal.
Random Notes
Julian Sayin at 1.07 is fairly aggressive, but this league will turn into a 6-point-per-passing TD league in 2025. I think the Ohio State quarterback room is rather full, so I don’t love just assuming that Sayin wins the job after likely redshirting in 2024.
Quinton Martin at 1.12 is a really good pick. He feels college-ready right now and can be used in the run-and-pass game. At least one of Nicholas Singleton/Kaytron Allen will be in the NFL in 2025, so I love Martin’s role when that happens.
Kyren Lacy, as the first supplemental player off the board, is not a surprise to me. If you’re a team competing and need a receiver, he’s the clear choice. I’ve really come around to Lacy because CJ Daniels is not as much of an impact player in the SEC as we originally thought and because I think Garrett Nussmeier has 40 TD and 4,000-yard potential this season.
Round 2
2.01 – Bryant Wesco, Clemson, WR
2.02 – Demond Williams, Washington, QB
2.03 – Mike Matthews, Tennessee, WR
2.04 – Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati, QB
2.05 – Will Hammond, Texas Tech, QB
2.06 – Taylor Tatum, Oklahoma, RB
2.07 – Kam Davis, FSU, RB
2.08 – Kaedin Robinson, App State, WR
2.09 – Luke Kromenhoek, FSU, QB
2.10 – Lee Beebe, UAB, RB
2.11 – David Eziomume, Clemson, RB
2.12 – Matthew Sluka, UNLV, QB
2.13 – Jordan Washington, Washington, RB
2.14 – Jordan Lyle, Miami (FL), RB
Most Likely to Succeed: David Eziomume
I wanted to go with a freshman here and veer away from Robinson/Sluka as veterans who should be sure-fire assets in 2024, so it’s all about Eziomume. The guy is extremely talented and goes to Clemson, where there is no such thing as a transfer portal. Phil Mafah seems to be the only guy ahead of him as well, giving him the potential of several years of production for us in CFF. The other guys on the roster are the key here, with Keith Adams Jr., Tristen Rigby, Jay Haynes, and a few others in the mix, but they are all unimpressive in my eyes.
Most Likely to Get ID’d When They’re 30: Demond Williams
Like with White, I really like Williams and believe we have the potential for 4+ seasons (assuming they redshirt this season) from him. White has the size for the NFL, while Williams is lacking in stature at 5’11″, 180. He’s in a great spot at Washington in that Fisch offense, and while things might be rocky in 2024 for the Huskies, I believe in him getting at least the offense going. Williams is a guy I’ll be trying to target in my remaining supplemental drafts because of his speed, athleticism, and ceiling as a CFF producer. With the size “concerns,” it just means we could be starting him in 2027!
Cutest Couple That Never Was: Jordan Lyle/Mario Cristobal
Lyle seems to be a really good CFF player and potential NFL prospect, but I’m not sold on Cristobal’s loyalty to anyone. He has money to work with in the NIL and needs to win, hence why we saw Damien Martinez and Cameron Ward both transfer this offseason. What’s to say we don’t see Miami being a consistent NIL player at the skill positions offensively?
Last year, we saw Henry Parrish Jr. transfer to Miami in the past, showing potential for this being a consistent threat to Lyle’s value. He also has Mark Fletcher to compete with in 2025 (I’m of the belief that Fletcher will miss most of this season).
Class Clown: Bryant Wesco
I totally get the love for Wesco with his abilities and high recruiting ranking, but he’s not the only big name to go to Clemson this offseason. Yes, the Tigers don’t use the portal, but it’s a pretty full room with guys all similar in age between TJ Moore and Tyler Brown. They also have an underwhelming Adam Randall on the roster and Troy Stellato, who is a third-year guy who seems like the type to find his way into the starting lineup due to reliability and experience in his fifth season.
Random Notes
Brendan Sorsby was a really good pick in the second round. If you need a quarterback, you’re getting two years out of him in a Cincinnati offense that made Emory Jones formidable for a few weeks. Sorsby impressed at the end of 2023 in the Big 10 and now moves to the Big 12, where the schedule should be much softer.
