Reranking the 2023 ESPN 300 college football recruiting class

"Like any class, college football's group of 2023 recruits has high-profile hits along with some notable whiffs. Our projections are based off college impact and NFL upside. There are 13 prospects from our original top 25 who are on Mel Kiper's Big Board rankings. Other high-profile prospects such as quarterbacks Arch Manning and Dante Moore decided to return to college even with high NFL grades. Both are listed in Matt Miller's top early 2027 NFL prospects."

"The ball jumped off Moore's hand in high school. He was capable of making almost every throw. After throwing more than 70 touchdowns over his junior and senior seasons at Detroit's Martin Luther King High School, Moore signed with UCLA, had modest production as a freshman and then transferred to Oregon. In his first season as a full-time starter in 2025, he led the Ducks to the College Football Playoff semifinals, throwing for 3,565 and 30 touchdowns."

"2023 ESPN 300 ranking: 69 (No. 7 DE) Mel Kiper's NFL draft Big Board ranking: No. 9 overall (No. 1 DE) Bain arrived at Miami as the No. 69 prospect in the 2023 ESPN 300 and the Hurricanes' highest-rated defensive recruit in the class. The Under Armour All-American led Miami Central to four state championships with 77 career sacks. Still, we underestimated his explosiveness and overanalyzed his lack of ideal length. Bain's impact was immediate."

Projections prioritized college impact and NFL upside. Thirteen 2023 recruits from an initial top-25 list appear on Mel Kiper's Big Board. Quarterbacks Arch Manning and Dante Moore returned to college despite strong NFL grades. Moore threw more than 70 touchdowns in high school, signed with UCLA, had modest freshman production, transferred to Oregon, and in his first full starting season in 2025 threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns while leading the Ducks to a College Football Playoff semifinal; he elected to return for another season. Nelson transferred to Syracuse after stops at USC and UTEP, where he struggled and was benched. Bain, rated No. 69, immediately impacted Miami and exceeded expectations despite perceived length limitations.

Read at ESPN.com