5 underdog stories to watch

• Cameron Ward‘s ascension: The former zero-star recruit turned into a Heisman finalist and potential first-overall pick in the draft.

• Harold Fannin Jr. was a lightly sought-after prospect before becoming the highest-graded tight end in PFF College history: Thanks to his dominance over the past three seasons, Fannin finished his career with a 95.1 overall grade, which surpassed Hunter Henry for the highest by a tight end in PFF College history.
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QB Cameron Ward, Miami (FL)

After an outstanding season at Miami in which he was a Heisman finalist, many forget that Ward was a zero-star recruit who ran a run-heavy Wing-T offense in high school in Texas. His lone scholarship offer came from FCS-level Incarnate Word, where he threw 71 touchdowns in two seasons.

From there, Ward spent two seasons on a Washington State team that went just 12-13 and had subpar pass protection. Ward’s downfield passing improved, though he was forced to improvise a bit too much given his suspect pass protection. He was also competing in a loaded Pac-12 conference that included Caleb Williams, Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr. and Shedeur Sanders.

Ward’s ascent may have seemed rapid as he was the highest-graded FBS quarterback in 2024, but he had to take a winding road to allow himself to potentially be the top pick in this year’s class.

RB Cam Skattebo, Arizona State

Skattebo is known for playing with a chip on his shoulder and rightfully so, as he was barely recruited out of high school in California. He brought his brand of tough running first to Sacramento State, where he recorded an unreal 96.7 rushing grade across his two seasons there.

He parlayed that into an opportunity to play under Kenny Dillingham at Arizona State, where the two of them spearheaded a rapid turnaround in the culture of the program. Despite winning just three games in 2023, the Sun Devils played with a ton of heart and attitude with Skattebo as their leader. They even came up just short of huge upset victories over Caleb Williams’ USC Trojans and Michael Penix Jr.’s Washington Huskies.

That work turned Skattebo into a household name as he led the Sun Devils to a Big 12 championship and a thrilling College Football Playoff game against Texas. He finished his final season as the highest-grade running back in the Power Four and looks to continue his incredible career in the NFL.

OL Willie Lampkin, North Carolina

Lampkin was one of the less sought-after recruits on a loaded high school team in Lakeland, Florida. He had several Group of Five offers but opted to start his career at Coastal Carolina under offensive coordinator-turned-head coach Jamey Chadwell.

Lampkin’s underdog story is based around his 5-foot-10 and 270-pound frame that would be one of the smallest in NFL history for an offensive lineman. He overcomes that size with excellent technique and a determination that stems from his wrestling background and prior experience playing on the defensive side of the ball. 

Lampkin productively split time between guard and center at Coastal Carolina before transferring to North Carolina prior to the 2023 season. He improved even further in Chapel Hill and was the highest-graded guard in the Power Four over the past two seasons. As if that weren’t enough, Lampkin was the last player invited to the Senior Bowl and was outstanding in those practices as well.

Time will tell if Lampkin can continue to excel in the NFL, but doubting him gets tougher as his track record continues to expand.

TE Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green

Before he was setting records at Bowling Green, Fannin was a very lightly recruited prospect in Ohio who excelled on the offensive side and at safety. His collegiate aspirations were stunted a bit as it became more difficult for schools to recruit during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bowling Green swooped in to make Fannin an offer and he took full advantage of his opportunity.

Fannin compiled modest production in 2022 before leading all FBS tight ends in receiving grade in 2023. His ascent continued this past season as he was the highest-graded offensive skill player in the nation and set an FBS record for a tight end with 1,555 receiving yards.

Thanks to his dominance over the past three seasons, Fannin finished his career with a 95.1 overall grade, which surpassed Hunter Henry for the highest by a tight end in PFF College history. There are still questions about his game that need to be answered in the pre-draft process, but he has proven his doubters wrong plenty of times before.

EDGE Ahmed Hassanein, Boise State

Hassanein comes with an unusual backstory in which he was born in America, lived in Egypt for much of his childhood and then returned to America in high school at the behest of his brother, who wanted to teach him to play football. Hassanein previously took part in CrossFit, wrestling and boxing while in Egypt, and those skills have helped him immensely along the way.

He became a three-star recruit during his short high school career and eventually signed with Boise State, where he was a crucial part of the Broncos’ success. Across 2023 and 2024, Hassanein racked up 115 pressures and 24 sacks. Both of those marks ranked top five among all FBS defensive linemen over the past two seasons.

Hassanein is likely to be a Day 3 pick who hopes to break into the league as a rotational pass-rusher. He hasn’t played football very long, though, and will get a chance to continue his wayward journey toward fulfilling his potential.