Anyone can scout the likes of Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame, and Ohio State. The Power 4 dominates NFL Draft big boards and for good reason. They’re often the top high school recruits, get developed by the top coaches in the nation, and get to face off against other top talents. Often, Group of 5 draft prospects are considered “big fish in little ponds” and are thus overlooked.
Last year, the first Group of 5 prospect drafted was Quinyon Mitchell out of Toledo at 22 overall. In 2023, it was SMU’s Rashee Rice at 55 and that was after Cody Mauch was taken at 48 out of North Dakota State (FCS). In 2022, Tulsa’s Tyler Smith was taken 24th overall after Northern Iowa’s (FCS) Trevor Penning. Since 2000, only three Group of 5 prospects were selected first overall: David Carr (2002, Fresno State), Alex Smith (2005, Utah), and Eric Fisher (2013, Central Michigan).
Usually, G5 prospects aren’t talked about nearly as much this early in the process. As a result, they “come out of nowhere” when they test like top-level athletes and supplant their P4 counterparts. When it comes to the 2025 NFL Draft, there are plenty of G5 talents worth keeping an eye on.
It’s a loaded running back class and one of the names you’ll see up there with some of the P4 elites is Ashton Jeanty from Boise State. In 2022, as a true freshman, Jeanty ran for 821 yards and seven touchdowns off of 156 carries. Then, he took a massive step forward last year. Off 220 carries, he amassed 1,347 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s actually earned Athlon Sports‘ Preseason Second-Team All-American honors as an all-purpose back because he also has 57 receptions for 724 yards and five touchdowns. Jeanty is also on Phil Steele‘s Preseason Second-Team All-American list.
NFLTradeRumors expert Ethan Woodie has Jeanty as the top running back in the class. With players like Ollie Gordon III, TreyVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins, Donovan Edwards, Omarion Hampton, etc., that’s an impressive honor. He’s already NFL-ready and is the only running back from the Group of 5 even mentioned in the top 10. Considering we live in the transfer portal era, Jeanty likely had plenty of totally-not-tampering suitors. And yet, he stayed put to continue making a name for himself on the blue turf.
Jeanty is the reigning Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year and is easily the favorite to repeat in 2024.
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Colorado State is not one of the top Group of 5 programs out there. They haven’t had a winning season since 2017 and haven’t appeared in the AP Poll since 2014. The Rams haven’t won the Mountain West since 2002. Despite that, they’ve put a handful of players into the NFL and Tory Horton is next up.
If you don’t know about Horton, you should. He tore it up as a member of the Nevada Wolfpack for two years in 2020 and 2021. As a freshman, he hauled in 20 passes for 336 yards and five scores. Then, as a sophomore, he amassed 659 yards and five touchdowns from 52 catches. Then, he transferred to Colorado State. With CSU, he broke out to the tune of 1,131 yards and eight touchdowns with 71 catches. Last year, it was more of the same. Horton hauled in 96 passes for 1,136 yards and eight touchdowns.
Three straight 1,000-yard seasons will be too good to ignore in NFL circles. If he has another strong season, look for him to rocket up draft boards.
Coming out of high school, Clay Webb was a five-star recruit by all major recruiting services and committed to Georgia. He spent three years with the Bulldogs from 2019-2021 and was primarily a depth piece and only appeared in a handful of games. Then, he transferred to Jacksonville State when it was still an FCS program.
In his first year with the Gamecocks, he started seven games and appeared in three others. He was a crucial part of an offensive line that helped lead the ASUN in rushing (251 yards per game) and points (36.2).
It was more of the same last year and he even took a massive step forward. He was named to College Football Network’s First-Team All-American team as well as earning their Guard of the Year Award. Additionally, Webb earned Second-Team All-American honors by the AP. He helped JSU to the fifth-best rushing attack in all of the FBS (232.2 yards per game). Additionally, they broke the Conference USA record with 522 rushing yards in the win over Louisiana Tech.
Only the real ones love #MACtion and Harold Fannin has quickly become a hot ticket. As a true freshman, he appeared in 12 games where he accounted for 218 yards and a touchdown off just 19 catches. Even in that limited capacity, Fannin showed his play-making ability.
Then, he broke out last year. Among tight ends, Fannin finished sixth in both yards and touchdowns in the nation and easily led the MAC. This time, he appeared in 11 games but amassed an impressive 623 yards and six touchdowns off 44 receptions.
Corey Kinnon of SI’s Fan Nation raves that Fannin, “has legitimate 2025 NFL Draft hype, so much so that it is hard to find more than two or three tight ends in the class with better tape and translatable NFL traits.”
Fannin is both a solid receiving threat and a more-than-servicable blocker. On a Bowling Green team that is considered a dark horse in the MAC, Fannin is set to have another solid year.
When was the last time Bowling Green had a tight end drafted? 1974 when the San Diego Chargers picked Greg Meczka in the 15th round. Needless to say, he will break that whether it be in 2025 or 2026.
Finally, out of the Sun Belt Fun Belt, one of the most productive defenders in all of college football, Jason Henderson.
80 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery would be a solid season for veteran linebackers. Henderson did that as a true freshman in 2021. Naturally, he was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team.
Then, in 2022, he took a step forward. He ended up the FBS leader with 180 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, a sack, and three pass breakups on the year. This time, he ended up on a handful of Second-Team All-American teams.
Last season, he narrowly missed the FBS lead in tackles by one. Henderson totaled 170 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a pass breakup. This time, he was named to some First-Team All-American teams as well as some Second-Team.
He heads into the 2024 season on the Phil Steele First-Team All-American and Athlon Sports Second-Team All-American team. He’s 141 tackles away from the most career tackles mark (since 2005) set by Troy’s Carlton Martial (2018-2022).
Ricky White, WR, UNLV
CJ Daniels, WR, Liberty
Matt Salopek, LB, Miami (OH)
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