NFL teams have long found value in former FCS college football players, and the 2024 NFL Combine in Indianapolis is providing them with an up-close-and-personal look at the next potential gems.
During the annual week-long event inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, all 321 invited prospects are evaluated for the NFL Draft through measurements and medical examinations, psychological testing, interviews and on-field workouts.
This year’s draft will be held from April 25-27 in Detroit.
Following is a look at the 15 former FCS players who are participating at the 2024 NFL Combine (grouped by on-field workout days):
Thursday, Feb. 29 (DL and LB)
Jalyx Hunt, DE, Houston Christian
Height: 6-foot-4; Weight: 252 pounds; Arm: 34 3/8 inches; Hand: 10 inches
40-Yard Dash: 4.64 seconds; 10-Yard Split: 1.60 seconds; Vertical Jump: 37.5 inches; Broad Jump: 10 feet, 8 inches (tied for No. 1 among 23 DEs in the event); Bench Press: 19 reps
Notable: Hunt’s background in track and field was evident in his testing results. Former Cornell safety spent two seasons on the edge at HCU, tying for the Southland Conference high in tackles for loss as a junior and finishing second in sacks last season, gaining Stats Perform FCS All-America second-team honors as a senior.
Friday, March 1 (DB and TE)
Myles Harden, CB, South Dakota
Height: 5-11; Weight: 195; Arm: 29 7/8 Hand: 9 3/8
40-Yard Dash: 4.50; 10-Yard Split: 1.62; Vertical Jump: 35.5; Broad Jump: 9-10; 3-Cone Drill: 6.88; 20-Yard Shuttle: 3.98 (No. 1 overall at Combine); Bench Press: 13
Notable: Had 10 takeaways (six interceptions, four fumble recoveries) during his USD career, making the Stats Perform FCS All-America first team as a senior. His wingspan would be considered short for the next level.
Saturday, March 2 (QB, WR and RB)
Jalen Coker, WR, Holy Cross
Height: 6-1; Weight: 208; Arm: 32 7/8; Hand: 9 7/8
40-Yard Dash: 4.57; 10-Yard Split: 1.52; Vertical Jump: 42.5 (tied for No. 1 among WRs and overall at Combine); Broad Jump: 10-8
Notable: The first-team All-American had the most touchdown receptions in the FCS both last season (15) and in the 2022 and ‘23 seasons combined (26). His vertical jump underscored an outstanding ability to high point catches.
Isaiah Davis, RB, South Dakota State
Height: 6-0; Weight: 218; Arm: 31 1/8; Hand: 10 1/4
40-Yard Dash: 4.57; 10-Yard Split: 1.58; Vertical Jump: 34.5; Broad Jump: 9-11; Bench Press: 23
Notable: The downhill runner led the FCS in rushing yards last season (1,578) while SDSU captured a second consecutive national title. In 16 career postseason games, he rushed for 100+ yards 12 times and at least one touchdown 14 times.
Ryan Flournoy, WR, Southeast Missouri
Height: 6-1; Weight: 202; Arm: 31 5/8; Hand: 10 1/8
40-Yard Dash: 4.44; 10-Yard Split: 1.53; Vertical Jump: 39.5; Broad Jump: 11-0; Bench Press: 19
Notable: Although slowed by injury early in his senior season, Flournoy flashes a size/speed combo and an ability to eat up yards after the catch. He was one of four FCS prospects invited to the prestigious Reese’s Senior Bowl, and has now gone on to an outstanding performance at the Combine.
Dylan Laube, RB, New Hampshire
Height: 5-10; Weight: 206; Arm: 29 3/8; Hand: 9 1/4
40-Yard Dash: 4.54; 10-Yard Split: 1.52; Vertical Jump: 37.0; Broad Jump: 9-10; 3-Cone Drill: 6.84; 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.02 (No. 1 among 9 RBs in the event); Bench Press: 23
Notable: The two-time first-team All-American played like a swiss-army knife while ranking 12th (2019), fourth (2021), first (2022) and first (2023) in the FCS in all-purpose yards per game over his four full seasons.
Jaden Shirden, RB, Monmouth
Height: 5-8; Weight: 187; Arm: 28 3/4; Hand: 9 1/4
40-Yard Dash: 4.45 (No. 5 among 21 RBs in the event); 10-Yard Split: 1.51; Vertical Jump: 34.5; Broad Jump: 9-9
Notable: As expected, Shirden flashed game-breaking speed in the 40. He led the FCS in rushing yards per game each of the past two seasons and averaged a whopping 48.4 yards on 23 rushing touchdowns. The undersized back finished third in Walter Payton Award voting in each season.
Sunday, March 3 (OL, PK and P)
Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale
Height: 6-5; Weight: 323; Arm: 36 1/8; Hand: 9 5/8
Notable: Strong with a disciplined style of play, Amegadjie (pronounced Ahm-eh-ged-do) was named a first-team All-Ivy League selection as a senior despite being limited to four games because of a calf injury. He has NFL.com’s highest draft grade among the FCS prospects at the NFL Combine.
Anim Dankwah, OT, Howard
Height: 6-8; Weight: 353; Arm: 35 1/8; Hand: 9 3/4
10-Yard Split: 1.77; Vertical Jump: 27.5; Bench: 24
Notable: A native of Ghana, Dankwah prepped in Canada, but didn’t play high school football until his junior year. The two-time first-team All-MEAC pick is one of the larger prospects in the overall draft class.
Josiah Ezirim, OT, Eastern Kentucky
Height: 6-6; Weight: 329; Arm: 35 3/4; Hand: 10 3/4; Bench: 28
Notable: Made a mid-college transition from defensive line to offensive line and committed only one penalty in his first full year as a starting offensive tackle in 2022. He went on to make the 2023 Stats Perform FCS All-America second team.
Nick Gargiulo, C/OG, Yale/South Carolina
Height: 6-5; Weight: 318; Arm: 33 7/8; Hand: 10 3/8
40-Yard Dash: 5.25; 10-Yard Split: 1.78; Vertical Jump: 32.5; Broad Jump: 8-5; 3-Cone Drill: 7.33 (tied for No. 4 among 28 OL in the event); Bench: 28
Notable: After being Yale’s lone team captain in 2022, the versatile Gargiulo was named a captain at South Carolina as a grad transfer last year.
Garret Greenfield, OT, South Dakota State
Height: 6-6; Weight: 311; Arm: 33 1/2; Hand: 9 3/4
40-Yard Dash: 5.22; 10-Yard Split: 1.77; Vertical Jump: 38.5 (OL record at Combine); Broad Jump: 9-5; 3-Cone Drill: 7.76; 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.85
Notable: A veteran of 55 career starts who helped anchor the O-line of SDSU’s back-to-back FCS championship squads, Greenfield had three different first-team postseason selections on the Stats Perform FCS All-America Team.
C.J. Hanson, OG, Holy Cross
Height: 6-5; Weight: 300; Arm: 32 3/8; Hand: 9 3/8
40-Yard Dash: 5.00 (No. 6 among 49 OL in the event); 10-Yard Split: 1.76; Vertical Jump: 33.5; Broad Jump: 9-7
Notable: The tall, lean Hanson showed his athletic side in the 40. He made the All-Patriot League first team each of the past two seasons as part of one of the more explosive offenses in the FCS.
Mason McCormick, OG, South Dakota State
Height: 6-4; Weight: 309; Arm: 33 7/8; Hand: 10
40-Yard Dash: 5.08; 10-Yard Split: 1.71; Vertical Jump: 35.5 (No. 4 among 53 OL in the event); Broad Jump: 9-9 (tied for No. 1 among 50 OL in the event); 3-Cone Drill: 7.59; 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.45 (No. 4 among 26 OL in the event)
Notable: A strong build-up to the draft continued at the Combine for the veteran of 57 career starts. The first-team All-American who helped anchor the O-line of SDSU’s back-to-back FCS championship squads was an all-practice team selection at the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Jalen Sundell, C, North Dakota State
Height: 6-5; Weight: 301; Arm: 33 1/8; Hand: 9 1/2
Bench: 26
Notable: A veteran of 40 starts and 57 games at NDSU, Sundell graded out 91% overall in his 2023 campaign. An NDSU O-linemen has been selected in each of the past three drafts and five times in the last 10 drafts.
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