1. Quentin Johnston, TCU Wide Receiver
By and large, the top NFL prospect in the Fiesta Bowl is Quentin Johnston. At 6’4” and possessing solid speed, Johnston is a nightmare matchup for most teams, especially at the collegiate level. Mel Keiper has him as the second-best receiver, just behind Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
This also puts him in Keiper’s top 10 overall players. He is a comfortable first-round pick and could go as high as inside the top five. With concern for Smith-Njigba’s hamstring injury that’s kept him out almost all season, Johnston could end up being the first receiver off the board.
Michigan is fresh off of a matchup with Ohio State’s loaded receiver core and stood up to the challenge. However, none of those receivers posed quite the physical challenge that Johnston will. Freshman Will Johnson, a 6’2” former five-star recruit, will probably be Michigan’s best bet.
However, he’s only a freshman, and asking him to cover one of the best receivers in the country in the Fiesta Bowl is a big ask. Quentin Johnston could be in for a big game, and can only help his stock against the Wolverines.