Draft Center

Richardson was one of the top quarterback recruits in the country coming out of Eastside High School in Gainesville (featured on the Netflix series "QB1: Beyond the Lights") despite suffering a season-ending injury his senior year. He played in four games as a reserve in 2020 (1-2, 27 yards, one TD, one INT passing; 7-61-8.7 rushing) and in eight contests with one start in 2021 (38-64-59.4%, 529 yards, six TDs, five INTs passing; 51-401-7.9, three TDs rushing), splitting time with Emory Jones, who transferred to Arizona State after the season. Richardson took over the starting job in 2022, throwing for 2,549 yards (176-327-53.8%, 17 TDs, nine INTs) and rushing for 654 yards and nine scores (103 carries, 6.3 per) in 12 games. Richardson opted out of the Las Vegas Bowl. -- by Chad Reuter

Brents signed with Iowa as a top 30 cornerback nationally and completed his career at Warner Central High School in Indianapolis as a three-time first-team all-conference pick. He started five of 11 appearances as a true freshman (13 tackles, one interception, three pass breakups) but had to redshirt the 2019 season after suffering a knee injury in fall camp (playing in one game, no statistics). Brents came off the bench for seven contests in 2020 (four tackles, one pass breakup) before transferring to Kansas State for the 2021 season. He was an honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference selection in his first year with the Wildcats, recording 49 tackles, three for loss, one interception and two pass breakups while starting all 13 games. Brents ascended to first-team all-Big 12 in 2022, leading K-State with four interceptions and recording 45 tackles (3.5 for loss) and four pass breakups in 14 starts. -- by Chad Reuter

Downs was rated as one of the top 100 recruits in the 2020 class nationally after a stellar career in football (first-team all-state) and track (top five in the triple and long jumps at the state meet his sophomore year) at North Gwinnett High School in Georgia. He signed with North Carolina in part to play for his uncle and former UNC and NFL star corner, Dre Bly, who was the defensive backs coach at the time. Downs played in 10 games off the bench as a true freshman (7-119-17.0, three TDs) and then came into his own the 2021, garnering first-team All-ACC honors by ranking fifth in the FBS with 101 receptions and 10th with 1,335 receiving yards. He also led Carolina with eight receiving touchdowns in 13 games (12 starts) and returned punts (16-156-9.8). Downs earned second-team Associated Press All-American and first-team all-conference honors as a receiver in 2022, topping the squad with 94 receptions for 1,029 yards (11.0 per) and tying for seventh nationally with 11 touchdowns in 11 starts. He was also a second-team All-ACC pick as an all-purpose player (10-133-13.3 punt returns). He missed two games due to injury and opted out of the team's bowl game. -- by Chad Reuter

Freeland was a two-time all-region selection in football at Herriman High School in Utah, as well as a state champion in the shot put and javelin and all-state pick in basketball. Despite playing tight end and defensive end for Herriman, Freeland stepped in at right tackle as a true freshman to start the final seven games of the 2019 season. He started eight of 11 appearances at right tackle in 2020 before moving to the left side for the 2021 season, starting all 13 games for the Cougars. He earned third-team Associated Press All-American honors as a senior, again starting all 13 games at left tackle. Blake's parents were athletes at BYU, with his father, James, playing football and his mother, Debbie Dimond, being an honorable mention All-American basketball player. His sister, Sierra, is on the BYU track and field squad. -- by Chad Reuter

Adetomiwa Adebawore (pronounced add-E-TOMMY-wah add-E-BAR-eh) was a first-team all-state football selection and won a state title in the shot put at North Kansas City High School. As a true freshman for the Wildcats, he played in eight games with four starts (six tackles, one sack) before starting all nine games in 2020 (17 tackles, six for loss with two sacks, two pass breakups). In 2021, Adebawore garnered honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference accolades by leading NU with 8.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks among his 36 total stops in 12 games -- also posting three pass breakups and two forced fumbles. He led the Wildcats in 2022 with five sacks while also recording 38 total tackles, nine for loss and two forced fumbles in 12 games -- again receiving honorable mention all-conference accolades. -- by Chad Reuter

Rush enrolled at South Carolina as a receiver prospect after starring at that position for C.E. Murray High School. He redshirted in 2018 due to injury and then played in all 12 games in 2019 (three tackles), moving from receiver to cornerback in fall camp. He played in eight games off the bench in 2020 (eight tackles), then grabbed a starting role in 2021 (25 tackles, two for loss with one sack, one interception, eight pass breakups). Rush played well while starting nine of 10 games as a senior (38 tackles, two for loss, two interceptions, seven pass breakups) and fighting through a hamstring injury. -- by Chad Reuter

Scott starred at St. Francis High School before heading to Cal in 2017. He redshirted that fall and then played in 10 games as a reserve in 2018 (16 tackles, one interception). Scott was named the Bears' Most Valuable Special Teams Player as a sophomore (20 tackles, one pass breakup) and earned his first start in the Redbox Bowl. He started three of Cal's four games in the shortened 2020 campaign (20 tackles, one pass breakup) before leading his squad with 82 tackles (4.5 for loss), tying for the team lead with three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and breaking up two passes in 12 starts in 2021. Scott topped the Golden Bears with three interceptions and two forced fumbles as a senior, recording 85 stops, 2.5 for loss and four pass breakups in 12 starts to earn honorable mention All-Pac-12 Conference honors. -- by Chad Reuter

Mallory’s father, Mike, was a linebacker at Michigan who has coached for over 30 years in college and the NFL. Mike was a coach in New Orleans with former Miami tight ends Jeremy Shockey and Jimmy GrahMallory was expected to be better than he was in college, and he had a quieter Reese's Senior Bowl than we hoped for. But his athletic traits are worthy of a flier at this part of the draft, and he could be a good TE3 option.am and a young Will sat in on some team meetings with them. He is also the grandson of late Miami (Ohio), Colorado, Northern Illinois and Indiana head coach Bill Mallory, who passed away in May 2018 at age 82. His uncle, Doug, was a DB coach with the Falcons and another uncle, Curt, is the head coach at Indiana State. Will was rated as one of the top tight end recruits in the country when signing with Miami for 2018. He played in 10 games with one start (5-37-7.4, one TD) in his first year out of the Providence School in Florida (where he was injured for most of his senior year). He started eight of 13 appearances in 2019 (16-293-18.3, two TDs) and seven of 11 games in 2020 (22-329-15.0, four TDs). Mallory caught 30 passes for 347 yards (11.6 per) and four touchdowns in 12 starts in 2021, and then led ACC TEs with 42 receptions and 538 receiving yards (12.8 per) while scoring three times in 12 games in his final college campaign to garner second-team All-ACC recognition. -- by Chad Reuter

Hull was a two-time All-Minnesota selection at Maple Grove High School before traveling to Evanston. He redshirted his first year on campus but played in four games as a reserve (46-286-6.2, four TDs), then played in nine games off the bench in 2020 (25-209-8.4, two TDs rushing; 6-41-6.8 receiving). Hull was an honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference pick in 2021, leading the Wildcats with 1,009 yards and seven touchdowns rushing, catching 33 passes for 264 yards (8.0 per) and two scores and starting 11 of 12 appearances. Northwestern's leading rusher in 2022 (221-913-4.1, five TDs in 12 starts), Hull was also a top pass-catcher (55-546-9.9, two TDs) and returned kickoffs (9-181-20.1). -- by Chad Reuter