FCS at 2024 NFL Combine: Small-School Prospects are Thinking Big, Too

The NFL Scouting Mix supplies an essential alternative for a small group of former FCS school soccer standouts to show heads alongside the customarily better-known gamers from the FBS.

In some ways, although, the 32 NFL groups and 300-plus personnel who might be available have already got a way of what to anticipate with gamers from premier FCS applications, akin to offensive linemen Garret Greenfield and Mason McCormick and working again Isaiah Davis arriving off successful back-to-back nationwide championships at South Dakota State, and middle Jalen Sundell giving North Dakota State a consultant on the Mix for a seventh consecutive season.

The NFL Mix, to be held from Feb. 26 to March 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, might carry much more significance for prospects from the smaller faculties of the small faculty stage, akin to outdoors linebacker Jalyx Hunt from Houston Christian by way of Cornell, and big offensive lineman Anim Dankwah from Howard. They had been two of the 15-member FCS contingent amongst 321 gamers invited for this 12 months’s showcase, the place prospects will undergo measurements and medical examinations, psychological testing, crew interviews, and on-field exercises.

Dylan Laube. Garret Greenfield, Isaiah Davis and South Dakota State. Jalen Coker. And extra.

FCS gamers with rising NFL inventory following the most important all-star video games.https://t.co/fONzcDzlVc

— FCS Soccer (@FCS_STATS) February 5, 2024

Hunt has emerged from beneath the radar, one among simply 4 FCS gamers to earn an invite to the current Reese’s Senior Bowl, which is taken into account the premier school all-star recreation. The 6-foot-3½ former security at Cornell bulked up over two seasons at HCU, rising right into a 250-pound edge rusher with a excessive soccer IQ and tantalizing instruments. He tied for the Southland Convention excessive in tackles for loss as a junior and was second in sacks this previous season.

HCU’s program accomplished simply its tenth FCS season this previous 12 months, but it surely’s begun to provide NFL expertise, together with New England Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe within the 2022 NFL draft.

“I do know it’s positively a query from folks – oh, you play FCS ball. So the chip (on the shoulder) is large, the chip is there,” Hunt advised The BlueBloods throughout Senior Bowl week.

HCU’s Jalyx Hunt, forcing a fumble, was named the 2023 Southland Convention defensive participant of the 12 months. (HCU Athletics)

“Some issues I would like to enhance on are actually simply getting used to the pace of the sport,” Hunt added. “On the FCS stage, you don’t at all times take care of one of the best expertise. Coming right here and coping with one of the best of one of the best coming from what I used to be coming from is a big distinction. Simply must get used to the pace. The physicality is there. The technical capability can be one thing I must work on.”

Physicality figures to be there with Dankwah. At 6-7, 362, he measured in as the most important prospect on the East-West Shrine Sport. The native of Ghana prepped at a Canada personal highschool, then blossomed at Howard, the place he developed his expertise – using a wing span over 87 inches – because the Bison received consecutive MEAC championships.

Howard hasn’t had an NFL Draft decide since in 2006 with security Antoine Bethea, who turned a three-time Professional Bowler.

anin-dankwah-howard-nfl-combine — Howard offensive deal with Anim Dankwah was named to the All-MEAC first crew in each 2022 and ’23 (David Sierra/Howard Athletics)

Dankwah was thought of to have had a subpar Shrine Bowl week, the place he advised HBCU Gameday, “The NFL is stuffed with a variety of gifted folks, however a variety of good folks – lots of people who’re college students of the sport. And I imagine the way in which that I like to review the sport, and the way in which that I’m prepared to study, is unquestionably one thing that’s going to translate over.”