"Coming from Miami--the competition is just different," said Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper. As somebody who also competed as a heptathlete, Princeton wide receiver Andrei Iosivas might be one of the best overall athletes in the NFL draft. Using his speed and shiftiness, he always seemed to get pass defenders. Brady instead stuck it out and eventually won the starting job, and just about every decision he has made since then has worked out rather well for him. But what really impressed were his perfect blend of rushing, receiving, and kick-return yards. Minnesota brought Bateman, a four-star recruit out of Georgia, up to the Twin Cities in the class of 2018. -- Harry Lyles Jr. Aubrey Miller Jr. saw every side of college football there was to see. Toney ended his recruitment before his senior season by choosing Florida before even stepping foot on campus. Rivals rating: 3 stars, not in Rivals 250. Two of his brothers also played for the Vandals, and Kaden Elliss was taken by the New Orleans Saints in the seventh round of the 2019 draft. That is followed by a list of a few schools, who are then credited for their superior evaluations. Stokes' other offers included Florida, LSU, Ole Miss and West Virginia. Then in 2004, Winfield went on to join one of the top defenses in the league, the Minnesota Vikings, where his career took off. There were 19 players each from Houston (TX) and Miami (FL) high schools on Kickoff Weekend rosters, tied for the most of any city. Bagent hails from Martinsburg, a town of less than 20,000 in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle, 10 miles from the Shepherd campus. The loss ended a 7-3 campaign for McCook's Rams, who missed the Division II playoffs for the first time in four years. From Anamoose, North Dakota, Volson is, like Watson, an almost prototypical late-bloomer story. 12. Predicting the quarterbacks every move, he knows when to use his speed to make a move on the ball. He ended his career as one of the most celebrated players ever for a celebrated small-school program. Trey Lance went from small-town Minnesota to FCS star to first-round pick in the span of three years. The Philadelphia Phillies did not let Howard get past the club in the 2001 draft and Howard repaid the team with multiple noteworthy years, including one that saw Howard win the National League Most Valuable Player award. It was big news when it was reported leading up to the game that neither the Seattle Seahawks nor the New England Patriots would be starting any five-star recruits at Super Bowl 49. 4 overall. It's a drive that rose from the pain of losing his father at age 12 and watching his mother fight through multiple medical ailments in the years that followed her husband's death. The 6-foot-4, 359-pound Elliss was invited to the NFL combine and spent about two months in Arizona training for it. He took some snaps at QB early in his UF career, before settling in as an offensive weapon and later on as a receiver. 9 strongside defensive end. He jumped in for a few offensive plays here and there, but he mainly stayed on special teams. "I just had to do something.". Good thing for Nelson that somebody saw what he could become, as Nelson has been a stud for a quarterback who will be mentioned later in this list. Scottie Pippen was undersized and downright scrawny when he walked onto the Central Arkansas University basketball team. The Bison are an FCS dynasty, winners of nine of the past 11 national titles and purveyors of a unique brand of precise and physical play. Robinson: Pack to blame for Rodgers draft day stink bomb, QBs Lawrence, Wilson, Lance go 1-2-3 in NFL draft, Darrius Rucker spotted at Lawrences draft day party, Wetzel: Why now? Iosivas has always had the dream of being an NFL player, but his father also had a strong influence on his path. He has gone to two Pro Bowls in the previous two seasons. Florida Times-Union. In his lone season at Miami, Phillips had 45 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. ", He just needed a chance. Davis committed to Kentucky in March of 2016 but did not waver with his commitment after receiving a host of other Power Five offers later that year. 2017 position ranking: No. Gardner had great speed right out of high school, but he was not recruited by schools. It still is. He did go unnoticed by NBA teams as well, as Starks was not drafted. Chattanooga coach Rusty Wright predicted that Strange would put up monster workout numbers at the combine, which is exactly what happened. Tyson Bagent's 24-yard TD pass to Josh Gontarek with 1.9 seconds left in the game lifts Shepherd to a 38-34 win over Notre Dame in the second round of the NCAA D2 playoffs. He ended his career as one of the most celebrated players ever for a celebrated small-school program. He was a three-year starter at UH who finished his career with 114 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. "I remember watching my dad play, and I remember him coming out of the tunnel and that made me at that moment want to be like him and get there. Bagent's parents are both Shepherd grads. Over his last two years at UF, Pitts caught 97 passes for 1,491 yards and 17 TDs. "My dad was always really hard on me academically," Iosivas said. Ultimately, Chase opted to stay local by signing with LSU. Opponents had to commit to stopping the run -- NDSU would just keep hammering teams with the ground game until they did so -- which meant Watson was generally left to beat overmatched cornerbacks and distracted safeties. (formerly Lee) High School. One of the top strong safeties in the game today, Bob Sanders dominates on the football field. She has covered high school sports for TNT and The . "Here I was in the Tennessee weight room, and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. Overall, we saw 11 five-star prospects get drafted in the first round. While he initially committed to Arkansas State after deciding to leave Missouri, Deion Sanders convinced him to go to Jackson State, where he was one of the leaders of a defense that allowed just 13.5 points per game in 2022. At that point (December 2016), Fields was rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals. Despite not playing linebacker before college, he led PSU in tackles as a freshman and became an All-American as a sophomore. Memo to current and future college football coaches: This Matthews family has a history of churning out talented players. In the last two NFL seasons, he has played a total of eight. 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Because of that, attending Stanford was his goal because of its standing as a Division I program in the Pac-12 that also has high academic standards. Thinking about giving up on a personal or professional dream? All of that is what made Kraft, then a freshman, call home from SDSU, where he'd been redshirted by one of the two schools above Division II to even bother giving him a look, and declare to his mom that one day he was going to play in the NFL. In the sixth round of the 2010 Draft, the Texans drafted this speed demon as a kick/punt returner. And a handful of those players have North Texas ties, whether they played here in high school or . In the next few years, Jackson could become the top receiver in the NFL, dominating defenses every single Game Day. Warner was a talented high school quarterback, but he received no real looks from big college programs. And once he stayed local and chose Miami, the coaches there molded him into a pass-rusher. Offers poured in for the Florida native, and Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, LSU, Miami and Ohio State were all heavily in the picture. He committed to Penn State as a sophomore, but later walked back on that verbal commitment. In the 2007, 2008, and 2009 seasons, Welker received over 1,100 yards each year. Collins made the transition to linebacker in college and thrived, earning multiple national awards as a redshirt junior in 2020. The Jets clearly valued his skillset, so they traded up and grabbed him at No. The Green Bay Packers quarterback has, in past interviews, discussed that he was not noticed as a high school player in part because he was slender and lacked the size coaches want from their quarterbacks. His physical traits are thrilling, and he has NFL in his blood: His father, Tim, spent five seasons in the league, while brother Tre had a cup of coffee with the Miami Dolphins. With the explosion of websites, podcasts and analysis of the NFL draft, it can be hard to go unnoticed if you're a Power 5 player with some potential. I believe we will hear this name in the near future as the newest NFL success. But the Bulldogs saw him as a defensive back and were able to land the signature of the Georgia state champion track star in February 2017. "I knew when I first saw him that if there was anything he wanted to do, he could. After going through a couple of seasons involving limited playing time with Buffalo and Baltimore, Strong Safety Jim Leonhard decided it was time to go somewhere where they would start him for his ability and forget about his size. Starks was expelled from that school following a theft, but he found new life at Oklahoma State University. -- Harry Lyles Jr. The Florida native narrowed his choices down to LSU, Miami, Oregon and USC. At that point, Jones was an unheralded three-star prospect who had only a few offers. The aforementioned Anudike-Uzomah, Adetomiwa Adebawore, Eric Scott Jr. and Ronnie Bell were selected during the draft. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. But thanks to a late growth spurt, he got NDSU's attention. Darrisaw ended up being a three-year starter at left tackle for the Hokies. Active Coaches: Bill Belichick, . He started at a high-level Division II school for four years and brought his team to two playoff semifinals -- he's not a yards-over-success guy. He was mainly an unbelievable kick/punt returner who started to get noticed for his ability. 1. 1 offensive tackle. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. 2018 position ranking: No. BYU entered Wilsons recruitment late, but Wilson quickly jumped on the offer and signed with the Cougars. But several players have navigated that route and are hoping to hear their name called during the 2022 NFL draft on April 28-30 on ESPN and ABC. Backup Linemen: OT Charles Leno, Bears (6' 3", 306 pounds), G/C David Andrews, Patriots (6' 3", 306 pounds) Both are quality starters. Later on, though, Paye would attract more attention. 1 dual-threat quarterback. A month later, he picked the Hokies and stuck with that commitment even after several other Power Five offers came in. He knew that once his opportunity came, he needed to stand out with his performance because of where he was coming from. 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Smith University, but didn't get the chance to start coaching him until he was hired at Fayetteville late last spring. It was more, 'OK, I need to come in here and dominate.'". Poor Tony Romo has not been able to land respect since even his high school days. The difference is the competition they've faced. Now a mini sensation, Sproles started to get the attention of every team in the NFL. Rounds 2-3. Then, he really broke out. He has stayed with the Colts ever since. The battle for Horn was hotly contested across the SEC. According to CBS Sports' prospect rankings for the 2023 NFL Draft, these are the nine players ranked inside the top 32 who were ranked lower than four stars coming out of high school by the . The 29-year old has been special for the Green Bay Packers. But he wanted to play quarterback and North Dakota State, which sent Carson Wentz and Easton Stick to the NFL, was the best fit. "I think the experience [of] being a student athlete at Princeton is something that you can't really get anywhere else, or even other Ivy League schools," he said. And he was never even the starter. Data Provided By "I always use the saying that 'I took the stairs, I ain't take the elevator.' "And that was an unofficial visit because he got to bring some guests," Strange said. He is currently projected as high as a fourth-round pick. The only problem is Sanders has never played a full season in his career. He understands how to read quarterbacks and make the play. He did acknowledge that he likely would be drafted higher had he played somewhere other than Princeton. He nevertheless went undrafted and Girardi had to play his way up through an affiliate of the New York Rangers before he received a shot in the National Hockey League. Strange's broad jump of 120 inches was an inch off the combine record for an offensive lineman. In that game, he had 138 yards rushing on 13 carries with two touchdowns in three quarters of football. Watson quickly became both too big and too fast for anyone trying to guard him at the FCS level, and his stats bear this out: Over parts of four seasons in Fargo, he caught 105 passes for 2,140 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed a Deebo Samuel-esque 49 times for 392 yards and two more scores. For such a small body, he has become one of the top hard-hitting defenders in the league today. McCook swears he knew what he had from the start. 1 pro-style quarterback. For Horn, his father is Joe Horn, the former New Orleans Saints receiver. But a Miami offense in shambles did not give Welker the support to play to his full potential. Do not ignore them. Smith made official visits to four schools: Alabama, Florida State, LSU and Miami. "Where he explodes on film is through his blocking," further explained the man they call "Coach Stig." That's an average of 20.4 yards per catch and 8.0 yards per carry; throw in a 26.4-yard kick return average, and you've got a player who was plainly too explosive for college football's second subdivision. 31 overall prospect in the nation. The four-star, top 100 prospect out of New Orleans reeled in dozens of offers before narrowing his choices down to LSU and Auburn. There are just 14 active NFL players from Colorado, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com, including four from Denver (population 704,621) and three from Colorado Springs (population 464,474 . Jackson is the opposite of Ray Rice. While the perception had by casual football fans may be that the two best teams in the National Football League would naturally have rosters filled with athletes who were elite all the way back in their high school days, that is often not the case. But he is pretty short and really productive.Rice uses pure toughness and speed to overcome his small size. Once he landed in Tuscaloosa, Waddle became a big play threat any time the ball touched his hands. He led the Tigers to a national title that year and brought them back to the College Football Playoff as a sophomore and junior. Or a kid who played nine-man football in a town of about 500 in South Dakota? Clay Matthews III was not noticed as an elite athlete while in high school and he was not offered a scholarship by the University of Southern California, even though his father and uncle, both Pro Bowlers, went there. Kadarius Toney was a quarterback at Blount High School in Alabama, but colleges recruited him as an athlete. 1063 player of his class. Some were rated by Rivals.com among the nations most elite prospects. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) For more go to NFL.com/Draft365. Former Idaho defensive tackle Noah Elliss is poised to follow his father's footsteps to the NFL, and he's nearing his lifelong dream despite having played only 11 collegiate games. 2017 position ranking: No. "When we were recruiting Tyson," McCook said, "we felt he could be a four-year starter for us. He started in 2019 and the 2021 spring season, and took advantage of the extra year of eligibility allotted to all 2020-21 athletes by starring again as a super senior this past fall. Alabama and Georgia had 10 each. The Bison star tested extraordinarily well at the NFL combine, measuring 6-4, 208 pounds with a 4.36 time in the 40. 2018 position ranking: No. The NFL released its initial 53-man roster of 20 former Iowa high school football players. Before he committed to Tulsa in August of 2016, Collins had just one other offer and it came from Central Oklahoma, a Division II school. A total of 247 high schools contributed to the 262 players selected in the seven rounds of the April 28-30 Draft, the most different schools represented since 2016 (247 schools). All Player Colleges, High Schools. "I'm one of the hardest workers you're ever going to find on the field," he said. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Though still a young player at 29, he can still make up for those missed years. Rivals rating: 4 stars, not in Rivals 250. One of the best small forwards in the history of the NBA was barely an afterthought following his high school days. He combined for 42 tackles in his first two seasons. He also put up 19 reps on the bench press, an impressive number for a wideout. Now Lance is headed to San Francisco. "If you can play, they'll find you," said Luther Elliss, who spent nine seasons with the Detroit Lions and five seasons as an assistant coach at Idaho. He played 188 NFL games, all with the Cincinnati Bengals, and made two Pro Bowls (1987, 1988) and two All-Pro teams (1987, 1988). The Gophers were on Bateman early and Bateman stuck with Minnesota even after multiple SEC schools, including Georgia, began recruiting him. Winfield became well known for his bone crushing tackles on the field. . Bagwell was an accomplished soccer player and his baseball skills got him a look from non-juggernaut, the University of Hartford. He is now one of the most-feared defensive players in the league and a man who makes the Pro Bowl squad pretty much every year that he plays. @SURamsFootball pic.twitter.com/OIG1PdkygE. Leatherwood ended up as the No. All in the FCS. Aaron Rodgers, Pleasant Valley (Chico, Calif.) Green Bay Packers. His best season was in 2007 when he recorded 96 tackles and multiple turnovers. The second half of 2015 will be rough for Nelson, as he will miss the entire NFL season because of a torn ACL. He wasn't even the sole running back, yet. You may not know that Brady's difficulties go all the way back to his high school days. They would make up for it with seven playoff wins in Bagent's final three seasons. At 5'5", Holliday is the smallest player in the NFL. He would rather play football for LSU. "[Insert player] was only a two-star . By his junior year, Horn became one of the top corners in the country. "No one has ever given me anything or honestly expected much from me because of where I've come from. Kiper ESPN+ recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 An immediate star, Holliday burned defenders. In 2020, he was voted a second-team all-SEC selection by the league's coaches. In an age when online recruiting profiles often detail how future NFL or NBA players were underhyped coming out of high school, there is a common storyline. But because he wasn't a huge recruit out of high school, he and his father had to do the legwork themselves. By the time he was a sophomore, Pitts progressed into one of the top offensive weapons in the SEC. As a three-star recruit, the linebacker had 25 offers, and started his career at Missouri in 2017. Some, such as Cole Strange, Christian Watson and Pierre Strong Jr., wowed observers at the NFL combine. . The closest he had come to playing on the offensive line to that point was taking a few snaps at tight end in high school. So once I got to that 40-yard dash, I just knew what time it was. In his nine NFL seasons, Smith has recorded over 1,000 offensive yards six times. However, he didn . DALLAS For three nights, hundreds of college players dreams of making it to the NFL came true. He has been a Carolina Panther since the start of his career in 2001. Warner won the Most Valuable Player award for Super Bowl XXXIV. -- Bill Connelly. Look at these schools that were interested in him." The 2023 NFL Draft is considered deep at the tight end position, and Kraft is among the Day 2 sleepers that could emerge as quality starters in the NFL . Once he established himself as a dynamic pass-catcher, he earned a four-star ranking from Rivals and was rated as the ninth-best player in the state of Pennsylvania and the 12th-best tight end in the nation. When Kraft finally hit the field in Brookings, he scorched it. Where every 2021 NFL first-round pick ranked as a high school recruit. We knew when he was dunking a basketball against over-matched high school opponents that LeBron James was, once he entered the National Basketball Association, going to be special, and he has lived up to every expectation had for him. After having a couple above-average seasons as only the second string running back in Jacksonville, Jones-Drew was made the starter for 2009. He views himself as a three-down back with great hands who can run with power or take it the distance -- a "home-run hitter," as he describes it -- comparing himself to Alvin Kamara. He took his decision to national signing day with Alabama and Texas A&M as his two finalists. While at Idaho, Elliss had to overcome significant knee injuries with outside help, as the school's rehabilitation services were mostly shuttered because of the pandemic.
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