2024 NFL Draft: Small-School Prospects Who Could Rise Up Draft Boards This Offseason
While the majority of the college football world is gearing up for bowl season and many of the prospects for the 2024 NFL draft decide whether they'll play in their respective postseason contests, much remains on the line at the lowers levels. The FCS semifinals, Division II and III championships and HBCU Celebration Bowl are set to be played this weekend.
These contests are always littered with NFL talent, particularly at the FCS level.
Twelve prospects from non-FBS schools heard their names called among this year's draft picks, including North Dakota State's Cody Mauch, Sacramento State's Marte Mapu and South Dakota State's Tucker Kraft during Day 2 of the event.
A year earlier, 23 small-school products were drafted and that included a pair of first-rounders in offensive linemen Trevor Penning and Cole Strange.
Next year's crop falls somewhere between those two points. The class is flush with good-to-solid talent that should see more than 12 drafted but lacks the marquee prospect to really push into that opening frame.
Of note, Yale offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie isn't included because A) many already consider him the top small-school prospect and B) he suffered a season-ending quad injury that will limit him throughout the draft process.
Still, the overall depth is intriguing, with more than a dozen legitimate prospects on display during this weekend's action. The following 12 include some of those names, plus more, regarding those with an opportunity to shoot up rankings throughout the upcoming draft process, with insight provided by the Bleacher Report Scouting Department of Brandon Thorn, Cory Giddings, Derrik Klassen and Matt Holder.
RB Dylan Laube, New Hampshire
1 of 10
How does a skill-position player outside of the FBS turn heads? Produce...a lot.
New Hampshire's Dylan Laube led the FCS in all-purpose yardage per game for two consecutive seasons.
Over the last two seasons, the 5'10", 208-pound weapon rushed for 1,954 yards, caught 118 passes for 1,163 yards, scored 37 total touchdowns, returned kicks for 880 yards and added 426 in punt-return yardage. He's a player who can legitimately affect multiple phases of the game.
"Laube is listed as a running back, but that's a disservice to all he can do," Klassen said. "The All-American as an all-purpose performer is often deployed as a wide receiver, which is a luxury thanks to his quickness and natural catching ability. The same quickness and acceleration are also Laube's best traits as a runner. His top speed is solid, but it's how quickly he gets to that top speed that is devastating.
"The versatile contributor isn't the biggest or strongest runner. He'll definitely endure a learning curve with the speed at the pro level. But he's a snappy, versatile player."
The "more you can do" is a mantra for many coaches, particularly in the NFL where roster limitations create value in those who can contribute in multiple different areas.
Clearly, Laube can immediately help on special teams and potentially work his way into a running back rotation, particularly in passing situations. He'll get to show how good of a runner he can be at the Senior Bowl when he's playing behind more talented offensive linemen and against more athletic front-seven defenders.
Ideal Team Fit: New England Patriots
WRs Jadon and Jaxon Jahnke, South Dakota State
2 of 10
The reigning national champions, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, have won 27 straight games. They're helped by the fact multiple future NFL players are currently on the roster. It helps when two of those are twins who happen to be 6'3" wide receivers.
At the program's heart, South Dakota State wants to run the football. But weapons at multiple positions other than running back certainly make them more difficult to defend, hence a chance at back-to-back titles.
Jadon Jahnke holds a slight edge over his brother based on on him being a somewhat twitchier athlete.
"Jadon Jahnke is a vertical presence first and foremost," Klassen said. "At 6'3" and 210 pounds, Jahnke rolls off the line of scrimmage and picks up plenty of speed with each of his long-legged strides. He's not the cleanest or most explosive route-runner yet, but the speed and size are enough to get it done at the FCS level.
"Additionally, Jahnke's long arms help him adjust to errant throws, which is a nice little tool to have."
Interestingly, Jaxon Jahnke had better receiving numbers a year ago, though his brother averaged more yards per catch. This season has been a different story.
A near-perfect 50-50 split can be seen in overall production. Jadon Jahnke has one more catch for 10 more yards going into the FCS semifinals. Jadon does have three more touchdown receptions. He has shown consistent improvement each year.
Jaxon Jahnke has been the more reliable option over the last three seasons.
"South Dakota State uses him as its traditional X-receiver," Klassen said. "He does not have a lot of juice, but he makes up for it elsewhere. Jahnke brings quickness, plenty of physicality and a long frame that helps him win the ball in contested situations. Additionally, Jahnke shows moments of ability to handle press coverage and fight through tight coverage."
Both will get looks from pro personnel.
Jadon Jahnke's Ideal Fit: Houston Texans
Jaxon Jahnke's Ideal Fit: New York Giants
WR Ryan Flournoy, Southeast Missouri State
3 of 10
Confidence isn't exclusive to 5-star athletes at the FBS level. Those individuals who put in the work coupled with the tools to succeed build the kind of self-esteem that's necessary to make the leap from the lower levels of college football to the professional ranks.
Case in point, Southeast Missouri State's Ryan Flournoy didn't even have a star rating coming out of high school. He began his collegiate career at Iowa Western Community College. After transferring to the Redhawks, the 6'2", 205-pound wide receiver worked harder than anyone in the program and it showed on the field.
Over the last two seasons, the senior caught 118 passes for 1,823 yards and 13 touchdowns.
"I don't even put myself in the FCS category because I know I'm him," Flournoy told the Southeast Arrow's Isaiah Collins.
Some may look at the previous comment and construe it as cockiness, particularly from a small-school prospect. When healthy, Flournoy backed up his words as the team's leading receiver, a captain and first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference performer.
From an NFL perspective, his athletic profile will pique the interest of multiple scouts and general managers during pre-draft workouts.
According to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, "He vertical-jumps 41 inches, broad-jumped 10-10 1/2; has been laser-timed at 4.40 in the 40 with a 4.35 hand time. His shuttle time this offseason was 4.22 and his L-drill is 6.66, which is less than a tenth of a second off Jaxon Smith-Njigba's 6.57, which was the quickest time of anyone at the 2023 NFL combine. Flournoy also has bench-pressed 350 pounds, power-cleaned 325 and squatted 510."
Ideal Team Fit: Indianapolis Colts
.png?w=256)
.jpg?w=256 "Dolphins Willis Football")
OT Anim Dankwah, Howard
4 of 10
Howard's Anim Dankwah will draw attention during this year's cycle based purely on his size and movement skills. He's a 6'8", 362-pound left tackle, with relatively nimble feet.
The native of Ghana immigrated to Canada and didn't pick up football until his junior year of high school. Growing up, the massive blocker played soccer and basketball. He's now a force on the gridiron, though he requires plenty of refinement.
"Dankwah is a three-year starter at left tackle and a massive presence on film who does a solid job of using his size to blot out defenders as a run- and pass-blocker," Thorn said. "He flashes some impressive grip strength once latched to tie up his opponent and keep them at his fingertips to maximize his substantial length and reach with good physicality to impose his will late in the down.
"Dankwah does struggle to redirect and play with the necessary leverage to consistently sustain blocks, leading to quick, clean losses around the edge in pass protection and on the move as a run-blocker that make it difficult to envision him improving with a dramatic uptick in competition as a pro. However, Dankwah's size, aggressive play demeanor and grip strength make him an intriguing target in the undrafted pool with late Day 3 potential based on his Shrine and pro day performances."
His projection is exactly that: The FCS All-American is a work-in-progress. But his natural tools are certainly intriguing enough to be a developmental project for a team willing to take a chance on his upside, enough patience to allow growth and good enough coaching to maximize Dankwah's ability.
Ideal Team Fit: Cleveland Browns
OT Garret Greenfield and LG Mason McCormick, South Dakota State
5 of 10
The strength of the South Dakota State program is found on the left side of the offensive line.
Between left tackle Garret Greenfield and left guard Mason McCormick, the Jackrabbits can control the line of scrimmage and usually do.
Of the two, Greenfield presents more upside as a natural tackle prospect.
"At 6'7" and 320 pounds, Greenfield has solid initial quickness out of his stance in his 45-degree pass sets to get to his landmarks against wide rush alignments with a firm, stiff punch to stun rushers when it lands," Thorn said. "This jolt also shows up in the run game on frontside kick-outs where he does a nice job connecting, widening and torquing out defensive ends to open up quick lanes.
"Aside from quick wins, Greenfield struggles as the down progresses due to disjointed footwork that saps his ability to redirect, transition his weight and stay attached with proper leverage, leading to falling off a lot of blocks clean. Greenfield's size and athletic ability are enough to warrant a look at being drafted, but his draft cycle performances (Shrine Bowl and South Dakota State pro day) will go a long way at earning a shot to be drafted given how uneven his film was against middling competition."
McCormick is a workmanlike interior blocker who helps grind out yardage in the run game but is limited athletically.
"The guard is a stiff, rigid mover on film," Thorn said, "but packs a punch when he lines up his target, delivering several knockdown blows on the move to uproot and dump defenders as a puller. The 6'5", 315-pounder also shows solid anchor strength with a firm clench and the lower-body strength to gradually absorb force to maintain the integrity of the pocket against the bull rush with active, alert eyes to handle basic twists and stunts.
"His middling quickness and inability to consistently recover when initially beat leads to a lot of clean losses that shrink his margin for error with technique, footwork and aiming points that will be difficult to overcome as a pro, but his square power and nasty demeanor give him a fighting chance at sticking as a backup."
Greenfield's Ideal Fit: Kansas City Chiefs
McCormick's Ideal Fit: Baltimore Ravens
OT Jalen Sundell, North Dakota State
6 of 10
For any rookie offensive lineman not automatically placed into the starting lineup, a significant amount of cross-training is required to provide depth at multiple positions. Whether it's simply flipping sides, moving from guard to tackle or taking on the more difficult proposition of snapping the ball, an individual's value increases based on how much versatility he can provide to help in roster construction.
North Dakota State's Jalen Sundell entered the program as an offensive tackle. But he transitioned to center in 2020.
"I never thought I'd be playing center," he told KMA Land's Trevor Maeder. "Going through that (transition) was a good challenge. There's a lot more to think about when you're playing center. It's a different position. I got enough reps into where it became second nature. It was challenging."
Unfortunately, the pivot suffered a broken foot that prematurely ended last season. He transitioned back to left tackle this year, though he projects better over the ball.
Like the multiple NFL offensive linemen who proceed him at North Dakota State, Sundell performs better in tight areas. He has decent footwork in his pass set, but he tends to lean on pass-rushers and, instead, thrives when working in the run game.
The Bison's offense isn't schemed to leave its offensive tackles on an island often. That's OK. The starting experience Sundell acquired at both positions will be invaluable in a world where offensive line depth is a major concern throughout the NFL.
Ideal Team Fit: Green Bay Packers
Edge Jalyx Hunt, Houston Christian
7 of 10
Jalyx Hunt's numbers weren't eye-popping during his two seasons at Houston Christian. His 20.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks are solid. But his natural upside and traits as a pass-rusher-in-progress make him an intriguing prospect.
"Hunt began his college career at Cornell where he was listed as a safety," Holder said. "He transferred to Houston Christian ahead of the 2022 campaign and switched to more of an hybrid edge. The 6'4" Husky has bulked up to just under 250 pounds and has the speed to win around the edge as a pass-rusher and is clearly a good athlete for the position. However, he has a lot of work to do against the run and was rather underwhelming against Western Kentucky earlier this year, which was the highest level of competition he faced in 2023.
"Hunt needs to have a strong showing at the Senior Bowl to become a draftable player."
Holder's final point is important on two levels. First, the Senior Bowl saw enough in his potential to make him the first announced small-school attendee. Second, he'll have an opportunity to showcase his abilities as a pass-rusher, particularly during one-on-one sessions.
Keep in mind that Hunt is already bigger and longer than Haason Reddick, who made a similar transition in college before becoming a first-round draft pick. Obviously, the reigning Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year isn't as highly regarded at the moment. But the potential is there to certainly significantly improve his draft stock.
NFL teams will overlook the fact he's not ready to consistently play at the point of attack if he can be provide extra punch as a pass-rushing specialist, which is exactly why he's on this list.
Ideal Team Fit: Philadelphia Eagles
DT Eli Mostaert, North Dakota State
8 of 10
North Dakota State has been a low-key NFL pipeline throughout the program's recent dynasty, with nine FCS national titles since the start of the 2011 campaign. During that time, 11 different Bison heard their names called in the draft. Interestingly, none of them have been defensive linemen.
As with Sundell earlier and the likes of Billy Turner, Joe Haeg, Dillon Radunz, Cordell Volson and Mauch, the offensive line is where North Dakota State's pro reputation lies. Even so, defensive tackle Eli Mostaert finds himself in next year's mix.
"Mostaert had a really impressive 2021 campaign where he racked up 7.5 sacks and 10 TFL," Holder said. "Unfortunately, he broke a leg early in the season the following year and wasn't able to build on that momentum.
"This season, he's shown some promise as a pass-rusher. However, he'll be viewed as a tweener body type at just under 290 pounds, which raises some questions of where he could play at the next level.
"Hopefully, he gets an invite to an all-star game to see what he can do against a higher level of competition and make more of a name for himself."
The promise shown during the '21 campaign didn't quite show up this season, as he has just 0.5 sacks. But he still has potential, particularly with the versatility he can provide along a defensive front.
During Mostaert's time at NDSU, he has shown the ability to play 1- and 3-technique. He's athletic enough with the body type to be a 5-technique in a three-man base front as well.
Ideal Team Fit: Pittsburgh Steelers
S Javan Morgan, Florida A&M
9 of 10
Florida A&M's Javan Morgan needed time to acclimate to the collegiate game and grow throughout his career to realize his potential as a defensive back.
By 2022, Morgan really grew into a playmaker along the Rattlers' defensive back end. Over the last two seasons, the 5'11", 185-pound prospect has snagged seven interceptions and defended 13 more passes. He snagged a pair of interceptions during the SWAC Championship Game.
Interest from the NFL will come from two different areas: Morgan's overall athletic profile and his ability to play multiple positions within the scheme.
"Morgan is a fluid athlete who has the chance to thrive in the pass-heavy world of the NFL," Giddings said. "He's a versatile safety who can play from the deep safety position, as well as from the slot. Despite his excellent athleticism, he's a bit raw when it comes to coverage but shows quick feet and range.
"The graduate student has the ability to flip his hips when opening from the middle of the field, along with the quickness and twitch to play man. Morgan does a good job of playing the ball in the air with the timing necessary to break up passes. Although he is thin, he's a willing tackler who throws his body around and isn't afraid to come downhill."
According to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, Morgan is an explosive athlete. The high school track and field star has been "clocked [with] a 4.38 40-yard dash, had a 10-10 broad jump, a 40-inch vertical, a 4.12 pro agility time and did 6.95 in the L-drill. He also power-cleaned 335 and squatted 540."
Ideal Team Fit: Buffalo Bills
S PJ Jules, Southern Illinois
10 of 10
Southern Illinois safety PJ Jules brings a wonderful blend of size, production and athleticism.
In one of the more interesting stats among this year's draft class, Jules led the Salukis in tackles and pass breakups in each of the last two seasons. It's not a combination seen often. But the 6'1", 209-pound defender isn't a safety that should be boxed into one spot or the other, because he will come up and stick ball-carriers and make plays on the ball.
In fact, his 110 total tackles led all defensive backs at the FCS level. However, one career interception will be a sticking point with the NFL's heavy emphasis on creating turnovers.
Even so, the All-American's explosive capabilities are clearly present and seen in his weight-room work.
"Jules squatted 610 pounds, benched 395 and also broad-jumped 10-7 and vertical-jumped 38 inches," The Athletic's Bruce Feldman reported this summer.
A safety with a nose for the football and outstanding athletic traits doesn't often slip through the cracks, hence why small-school defensive backs with this type of profile often find their way into the later rounds of their particular draft class. Jules should qualify among this year's crop.
Ideal Team Fit: San Francisco 49ers
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "Dolphins Willis Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Texans Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Indiana Pro Day Football")
