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ESPN draft expert Todd McShay has two Buckeyes as Top 5 NFL Draft prospects

Teddy Rydquist

By Teddy Rydquist

Published:

Unveiling his latest ratings on Wednesday, Todd McShay – a college football analyst/sideline reporter and National Football League Draft expert for ESPN – has two Ohio State Buckeyes among his top-five players in America.

The network shared his updated rankings on Twitter:

Occupying the top spot on McShay’s list, junior defensive end Chase Young ranks second nationally with 13.5 sacks, trailing only Oregon State Beavers redshirt junior Hamilcar Rashed Jr.’s 14. Young is also tied for eighth with 15.5 tackles for loss.

Showing just how impactful he is, Young has posted these totals in just eight games. Serving a two-game suspension for receiving a loan that put his amateur status in question, he will be eligible to return for Saturday’s showdown with No. 8 Penn State in Columbus (12:00PM ET, FOX).

A classmate of Young’s, cornerback Jeffrey Okudah is in the No. 4 spot on McShay’s list. A product of Grand Prairie, Texas, Okudah has accumulated 71 tackles (one TFL) and three interceptions over the last three seasons for the No. 2 Buckeyes.

Possessing good size at nearly 6-foot-2 and over 200 pounds, Okudah’s speed and ball skills have helped him become the latest example in Ohio State’s argument to be considered “Defensive Back University.”

The likely leader in the Heisman Trophy race, LSU redshirt senior quarterback Joe Burrow moved up to the No. 2 spot in McShay’s rankings. Having thrown for 3,687 yards and 38 touchdowns, the former Buckeye has already set single-season program records in both categories.

No. 1 LSU hosts Arkansas at 7:00PM ET on ESPN in the first game of the Barry Lunney Jr. era for the Razorbacks.

Adjusting to life without his quarterback, Alabama junior wide receiver Jerry Jeudy slots in at No. 3. Eclipsing the 60-catch mark for the second straight season in the Crimson Tide’s victory over Mississippi State on November 16, Jeudy has recorded 25 touchdown receptions during his time in Tuscaloosa – second-most in school history behind only Dallas Cowboys star Amari Cooper’s 31.

On the fringes of the College Football Playoff race at No. 5, redshirt sophomore Mac Jones and Alabama will face FCS Western Carolina at 12:00PM ET on ESPN.

Teddy Rydquist

A graduate of Bowling Green State University, Rydquist has been contributing to Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition since 2019. He can be found on Twitter @TeddyRydquist.