Mel Kiper releases early season quarterback rankings for 2023 NFL Draft

Week 5 of the college football season is just around the corner, and some quarterbacks are already garnering NFL Draft hype. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released early quarterback rankings, including some surprises in the top three.

Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud topped the list, followed by Kentucky star Will Levis at No. 2. That means Kiper has Alabama’s Bryce Young — the reigning Heisman Trophy winner — at No. 3, followed by Florida’s Anthony Richardson.

Here’s Kiper’s full list, which he released on Twitter Wednesday.

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1. CJ Stroud — Ohio State
2. Will Levis — Kentucky
3. Bryce Young — Alabama
4. Anthony Richardson — Florida
5. Tyler Van Dyke — Miami
6. Cameron Ward — Washington State
7. Jaren Hall — BYU
8. Hendon Hooker — Tennessee
9. Tanner McKee — Stanford
10. Aidan O’Connell — Purdue

Stroud is tied for the national lead in passing touchdowns with 16 in the first four games of the season, helping lead Ohio State to a 4-0 record as Big Ten play gets underway. He also tops the On3 Impact 300 after his impressive start to the year, which also includes 1,222 passing yards and a 70.5% completion percentage.

Levis, however, came in at No. 4 in the On3 Impact 300 Top 25 quarterbacks while Young checked in at No. 2 this week behind Stroud after holding down the top spot last week. But Kiper seems higher on Levis — and even went so far as to compare him to Matthew Stafford, the former Georgia star who led the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl LVI title last year.

Kiper’s quarterback list aligns with his updated big board, which he released this week. However, the big board shows a big gap between Young and Richardson. Young was Kiper’s No. 6-ranked prospect while Richardson came in at No. 15 after his up-and-down start to the season.