The way in which South Dakota State received the final two nationwide championships, it’s not stunning the Jackrabbits have one in every of FCS school soccer’s stronger courses of NFL Draft prospects in latest many years.
NFL groups normally look to a faculty on the decrease tier of Division I for high quality – a standout participant, maybe two, who can transition from that draft class to the subsequent degree. Not often do in addition they discover an identical quantity of prospects of many applications on the upper FBS degree.
South Dakota State is an exception heading towards the seven-round draft, April 25-27 in Detroit.
In lots of pre-draft rankings, working again Isaiah Davis and offensive linemen Garret Greenfield and Mason McCormick are projected to be picks. One other half-dozen or so seniors from a gaggle that ended their school careers with a 29-game successful streak are also anticipated to be in NFL workforce camps later this yr.
“For the final 10, 15 years, that is in all probability nearly as good as any class, if not the perfect, with solely North Dakota State’s 2021 class protruding to me. That they had three drafted that yr,” mentioned Josh Buchanan, a small faculty draft analyst for Draft Scout and Phil Steele Publications.
FCS Faculties With Sturdy NFL Draft Prospects
“Draft class” is a little bit of a misnomer within the FCS as a result of nearly all of the extent’s prospects is not going to be chosen within the seven-round occasion, and as a substitute achieve an NFL alternative by a post-draft free agent signing or tryout. Upwards of 200 former FCS gamers throughout numerous draft years are on NFL rosters and practices squads in a given season.
North Dakota State’s three draft picks in 2021, which included a grad switch misplaced to an FBS faculty for his ultimate season, are essentially the most for an FCS program since Jackson State’s 4 picks in 2000. However they’re a part of an NDSU group that throughout the 2021, ’22 and ’23 draft years produced eight NFL gamers final yr.
To higher gauge South Dakota State’s 2024 NFL Draft prospects, listed below are the FCS groups within the final 25 years that had essentially the most gamers on NFL rosters following their ultimate Division I season collectively:
2009 UMass (7): DT Brandon Collier, WR Victor Cruz, OL Vladimir Ducasse, LB Nick Haag, WR Jeremy Horne, S Jeromy Miles and FB Chris Zardas
2021 South Dakota State (6): CB Don Gardner, S Michael Griffin, OL Aron Johnson, WR Cade Johnson, QB Chris Oladokun and RB Pierre Sturdy Jr.
2017 James Madison (6): LB Andrew Ankrah, S Raven Greene, WR Ishmael Hyman, DT Simeyon Robinson, OL Aaron Stinnie and WR Braxton Westfield
2012 Illinois State (6): QB Matt Brown, LB Evan Frierson, DT Shelby Harris, LB Nate Palmer, WR Ty Walker and LB Mike Zimmer
2011 Montana (6): OL Charles Burton, CB Trumaine Johnson, CB Donny Lisowski, LB Caleb McSurdy, OL Jon Opperud and WR Jabin Sambrano
2006 Hampton (6): CB Travarous Bain, RB Alonzo Coleman, LB Justin Durant, WR Onrea Jones, OL Nevin McCaskill and WR Marquay McDaniel
South Dakota State’s 2024 draft prospects have the potential to hitch the record. That some Jackrabbits used an additional yr of NCAA eligibility final season to pursue back-to-back FCS championships has helped make the group bigger.
Who Are South Dakota State’s NFL Draft Prospects
Fronting the Jackrabbits’ class are the trio of Davis, a 6-foot, 218-pound working again who led the FCS in speeding yards (1,578) final season, and the 6-6, 311-pound Greenfield (55 profession begins) and the 6-4, 309-pound McCormick (57 profession begins). All three first-team All-Individuals participated within the NFL Mix, whereas Davis additionally performed within the Reese’s Senior Bowl, and Greenfield and McCormick have been standouts on the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Really, SDSU led all colleges on the Shrine Bowl with 5 gamers – twin huge receivers Jadon (6-1½, 205) and Jaxon (6-2, 206) Janke and tight finish Zach Heins (6-6, 264) have been the opposite three, every hauling in at the least one reception within the postseason all-star recreation.
Whereas the Jackrabbits offense leads the way in which, the FCS’ 2023 top-ranked protection additionally has prospects in hybrid linebacker Isaiah Stalbird (5-11½, 207), who impressed on the Hula Bowl, defensive finish Cade Terveer (6-2, 255) and cornerback DyShawn Gales (5-11, 190).
“The Dakotas (SDSU and NDSU) have had a fairly good run there when it comes to each these colleges placing out a variety of wins and a variety of good gamers,” mentioned NFL Community draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, a former FCS quarterback at Appalachian State. “To me, the attention-grabbing factor the place you take a look at guys like McCormick and Greenfield, McCormick’s began 57 video games at left guard, (and it’s) 55 for Greenfield. You get these sixth-year guys. That in and of itself is fairly uncommon – these guys have performed a lot soccer.
“It’s an excellent group. These are good gamers and so they’ve performed a variety of ball and so they’ve received a variety of video games. We discuss some (NFL) groups worth guys which can be (workforce) captains. Different groups love to herald gamers from successful applications. That’s a heck of a category – particularly from that degree, little doubt.”
Because the 1979 NFL Draft was the primary to contain FCS gamers, there are fewer rounds and picks immediately, with as many as 336 gamers chosen and all the way down to as few as 222 (there have been 259 picks final yr). Buchanan factors out that HBCU applications within the FCS used to achieve extra draft picks and the lack of applications akin to App State, Georgia Southern and Marshall to the FBS decreases the life like pool of prospects.
That’s helped result in the 2024 South Dakota State draft class standing out a lot. Regardless, it runs deep, and the circulate of prospects ought to go proper onto NFL rosters this fall.
Tom Paquette of Stats Carry out’s U.S. Information Insights contributed analysis to this story.
Just like the FCS soccer protection? Observe us on X and Fb for extra.
