Tony Pauline's top NFL prospects in 2024 AAC feat. Luke McCaffrey, De'Corian Clark

The AAC was devasted by conference realignment, as the league’s three best programs, Cincinnati, Central Florida and Houston, bolted for the Big 12. The conference remains a shell of its former self and the results will be seen on the field and in NFL war rooms.

Charlotte

Newcomer Charlotte seemingly pulled off a coup after pass rusher Eyabi Okie transferred from Michigan. Okie has been graded as a draftable prospect by NFL scouts the past two seasons, and he’s athletic with nice size and growth potential.

Measuring 6-foot-5 and a shade under 250 pounds, Okie displays both strength and speed on the field, penetrating the line of scrimmage and getting out into space to make plays. While scouts believe he’s a fifth-round prospect, I’m not convinced and have a PFA grade on Okie, who has several off-the-field concerns.

He started just two games for the Wolverines last year and produced six TFLs and four sacks before transferring to Charlotte. That’s four different programs in just six years, and it’s causing concern in many areas of the scouting community.

Florida Atlantic

FAU was never able to recapture the magic Lane Kiffin brought to the program, and the Lane Train has come off the rails. They haven’t had a player selected in the past three drafts, yet there’s an outside shot at least one Owl could hear his name called next April.

Evan Anderson is a big, powerful, space-eating defensive tackle who nicely projects as a zero-technique/nose tackle on Sundays. At 6-foot-1, 335 pounds, Anderson is impossible to move off the point, and if he’s not making the play (67 tackles the past two seasons) he creates opportunities for teammates by occupying blockers.

Anderson is a bit one-dimensional and isn’t much of a pass rusher, yet his size and playing style could be very attractive in the closing round of the draft for a defense that runs a three-man front.

Rice

Rice has not had a player selected in the draft since 2015, and many were surprised when pass rusher Ikenna Enechukwu fell out of the seventh round in April. They have two potential draftable prospects moving towards 2024, including one player with great lineage and a pretty famous last name.

Could Luke McCaffrey be the next member of the McCaffrey clan to make an impact on Sundays? Possibly. The son of Ed McCaffrey and younger brother of Christian McCaffrey, Luke is a tall, lanky wideout like his father.

He’s incredibly surehanded, runs solid routes and catches the ball with proper fundamentals. McCaffrey finds ways to come free and competes to make the reception. What he lacks is overall speed and quickness. Still, a solid senior season followed by a good showing at an All-Star game such as the Shrine Bowl and a decent (4.52-second-ish) 40 time before April could ensure McCaffrey a spot in the seventh round.

Quarterback JT Daniels is now with his fourth team during a six-year college career. Daniels was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and committed to USC, where he started as a freshman in 2018.

After losing the starting job the following year, Daniels transferred to Georgia and initially beat out Stetson Bennett in 2021, but he was lost to injury after the first game that season. After playing sparingly, he left Georgia and suited up for West Virginia last year, but was inconsistent and lost the starting job.

Daniels has the size, physical skill and arm strength to play on Sundays, yet injury as well as inconsistency weigh heavily against him. There are times he makes jaw-dropping throws, but all too often Daniels’ poor decisions leave everyone shaking their heads.

His career will be marked by leaving two marquee college football programs and ending up with a lower-tier team. Daniels has a big hill to climb just to find his way into the late rounds, but I could definitely see him on a practice squad in the fall of 2024.

South Florida

The Bulls program has been worse than miserable recently, accumulating just four victories since 2020. It’s reflective at the next level, as the program has not had a player selected in the draft since 2018. There is hope for USF fans, and a swift turnaround could be in the offing starting in September.

USF has a pair of next-level prospects on the offensive side of the ball.

Quarterback Gerry Bohanon was a terrific player for Baylor in 2021 before transferring to USF a year ago, when scouts handed him a legitimate middle-round grade. He started off slow in 2022 before ultimately redshirting.

At the top of his game, Bohanon is an athletic passer with a next-level arm and outstanding size. If he gets back to 2021 playing form and improves, I could see Bohanon ending up in the middle of Day 3 of the draft.

Donovan Jennings has been a consistent four-year starter at USF at the left tackle position and has a solid game. He’s strong and moves well for a 325-pound lineman, showing ability on the second level as well as handling speed rushers. I like Jennings more at guard, and a big season could push him into the late rounds.

Temple

Temple is another AAC program that’s watched the bottom fall out, winning a total of seven games since 2021 without a single player drafted during that span. The latter will change very soon.

There are a variety of opinions on linebacker Jordan Magee, with some scouts believing the senior is a Day 2 pick. I’m a bit lower on Magee, yet I believe he’s a legitimate next-level prospect who should go no later in the draft than the middle of Day 3.

Magee has safety size as well as speed, covering a lot of area on the field and making plays sideline to sideline. He’s instinctive and really stands out in pursuit. I have junior cornerback Jalen McMurray graded slightly below his teammate, though the argument could be made that he has more upside.

McMurray possesses terrific ball skills, stays with receivers all over the field and consistently tracks the pass in the air. He plays physical football and battles throughout the play, and I like the way he stays on the receiver’s hip out of breaks.

Edward Saydee is a punishing ball carrier who also excels as a pass catcher out of the backfield. A bit one-dimensional, as he doesn’t create yardage, Saydee offers potential as a fifth running back on the depth chart.

Tulane

Tulane was one of the biggest surprises in college football last season, which culminated in a win over USC in the Cotton Bowl. There is a lot of NFL talent on this roster, though it’s almost all Day 3 prospects at this point.

There is a big difference of opinion on cornerback Jarius Monroe between myself and area scouts. While the latter grade Monroe as a PFA, I’ve always had a mid-round ranking on the corner. He possesses next-level size at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, plays instinctive football and follows receivers everywhere around the field. His ability to track the pass in the air is impressive. Monroe’s downfall may be a lack of pure quickness, but he’s shown ability in man coverage as well as zone.

Michael Pratt also holds a Day 3 grade on my board, but the quarterback has the tools to charge up draft boards. He’s patient, poised as well as accurate, and does not make receivers work hard to come away with the reception.

Pratt shows good field vision, does not make poor choices and uses all his targets. He also flashes the ability to make incredible passes down the field, placing the ball into his wideout’s hands as they run past defensive backs. If Pratt receives a Senior Bowl invitation and performs well in Mobile, his draft stock will take off.

Prince Pines is well-liked in the scouting community, and the big-bodied guard is a powerful run blocker who dominates opponents. Blocking with a nasty attitude, Pines gets after opponents and projects as a power gap guard.

Tulsa

Tulsa had a string of recent success, putting players into the first round of the 2021 and 2022 drafts. The program fell off a cliff last season and starts over with a brand new head coach and a depleted roster.

The one draftable player on the depth chart is defensive tackle Jayden Simon. The junior is a large, powerful, wide-bodied lineman with great power in his lower body. Simon easily holds his ground to occupy blockers or bull rushes opponents off the line and collapses the pocket. He showed a lot of flashes last season, his first with Tulsa after transferring from Colorado.

Alabama Birmingham

UAB was the toast of Conference USA in recent years, having great success after they suspending the program earlier. The Blazers have an interesting pass-rushing prospect to keep an eye on.

Drew Tuazama is graded as a legitimate Day 3 prospect by a number of scouts despite posting just 3.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks last season. He has a nice build at 6-foot-3.5 and 255 pounds but possesses mediocre speed. I need to see a lot more development in his game before I grade Tuazama as a draftable player.

Texas San-Antonio

Born in 2009, the UTSA program has had tremendous success and now takes their game from Conference USA to the AAC. They’ve also had solid success in the NFL Draft, most recently with defensive back Tariq Woolen, a fifth round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2022.

Three receivers on the depth chart chose to snub last April’s draft and return for a second senior season. The trio all have varying degrees of NFL ability.

De'Corian Clark is a terrific package of size (6-foot-2, 210 pounds), speed (4.42 forty) and pass catching skill. He’s a good athlete who plays to his 40 time, displays a lot of quickness in his game and plucks the ball from the air with quick, strong hands. He holds a 6th-round grade on my board but Clark offers a ton of upside potential.

Zakhari Franklin is not the same package of size or speed but is a tough wideout with reliable hands. Franklin does a great job high-pointing the ball over defenders and consistently makes the reception away from his frame. Pre-draft forty times will determine whether or not Franklin is selected in the draft.

Joshua Cephus is another solid pass catcher that won’t run fast for the stop watch. Cephus does a great job using his frame to shield away defenders and almost always comes away with the difficult grab.

Defensive tackle Joseph Evans is well-liked in many areas of the scouting community. A prototypical nose tackle/zero technique lineman, Evans tips the scale around 340 pounds, gives a lot of effort and is impossible to move off the point of attack.