Previewing small school stars at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine

• Grey Zabel could land in Round 1: Zabel played left tackle in 2024 and only surrendered one sack, two quarterback hits and four hurries on his 453 pass-blocking snaps and earned a 93.1 PFF pass blocking grade, but he also played snaps at all five positions along the offensive line during his career at North Dakota State, including 490 career snaps at guard.

• Marcus Yarns needs to showcase his receiving ability: Yarns was mostly targeted on screens and a fake QB power shovel pass, and there weren’t a ton of snaps of him running a route and beating a coverage defender at Delaware.

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

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In the 2024 NFL Draft, 11 FCS players were drafted and nine participated in the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. In the 2023 NFL Draft, 10 FCS players were drafted and only three were at the 2023 combine. 

Seven FCS players are attending the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, and while not all seven will be drafted, one could get selected in the first round and multiple should be drafted on Day 3. 

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RB Marcus Yarns, Delaware

At 5-foot-10 and 189 pounds, Yarns is built more like a change-of-pace/receiving back in the NFL. As a rusher, Yarns’ speed and quick-cutting ability helped him force 32 missed tackles and average 6.4 yards per carry in 2024 in addition to an impressive 4.26 yards after contact per attempt. Yarns has the speed to break long runs, which should show up during the 40-yard dash at the combine. 

Yarns was underutilized as a pass catcher at Delaware, finishing with only 17 receptions in 2024. More than half of Yarns’ 297 receiving yards in 2024 come on two pass plays — an 86-yard touchdown where he lined up wide, caught a screen and after two defenders ran into each other, he essentially jogged the length of the field for a score and a 65-yard wheel route TD on a busted coverage. Yarns was mostly targeted on screens and a fake QB power shovel pass, and there weren’t a ton of snaps of him running a route and beating a coverage defender at Delaware. However, Yarns showcased a wider pass-catching skill set during Senior Bowl practices. Yarns has shown he can track and adjust to off-target passes, and coverage defenders had a hard time covering him due to his lateral agility and quick-cutting ability to sell angle and option routes. The on-field receiving drills will be the most important part of the combine for Yarns to demonstrate to NFL teams that he can be a pass-catching back.

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T Charles Grant, William & Mary

Grant literally grew into the left tackle position during his four years at William & Mary. Grant weighed 240 pounds when he first arrived at William & Mary and had a 67.4 grade as a redshirt freshman. By the time he finished his senior season, he weighed 300 pounds and finished with an elite 91.2 grade. While he graded very well as a pass blocker with an 88.1 grade, he was even more impressive as a run blocker with an elite 90.4 run-blocking grade. Grant excelled at creating running lanes on outside zone runs at William & Mary. He has the foot athleticism to put himself in an advantageous position in relation to defenders, and he is able to quickly flip his hips and seal a defender off from pursuit.

Grant was invited to the Senior Bowl but didn’t attend due to rehabbing a knee sprain. Grant should have a chance to showcase his athleticism at the combine. According to the Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, Grant has run a 1.44-second 10-yard split, showing exceptional explosion and quickness in a small area. While Grant is currently a better run blocker than pass blocker, his athleticism and very long 35-inch arms are great building blocks to improve his pass protection. Grant would best fit into an NFL offense that heavily uses outside zone runs. 

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IOL Jackson Slater, Sacramento State

Slater is an outstanding pass protector, as he didn’t allow a sack or a QB hit during the 2024 season and just three hurries on his 379 pass-blocking snaps, earning him a 99.6 pass-blocking efficiency mark. During Senior Bowl week, Slater registered three positively graded blocks and two dominant wins in his pass rush one-on-ones during practices and a 78.4 pass-blocking grade in the game.

Slater is also a good run blocker who was frequently asked to block in space in college. Slater is balanced and powerful when he pulls, and his weight room strength (he has power cleaned 405 pounds) shows up on film.

Some NFL teams view Slater as a better fit at center rather than guard. During his senior season at Sacramento State, Slater spent considerable practice time preparing to be the team’s backup at center who could slide over from guard if needed, so he is well prepared for a move to playing center if needed. Slater also had reps in Senior Bowl practices at left guard, center and right guard to showcase his versatility as an interior offensive lineman. The bench press and the on-the-field positional drills will be Slater’s chance to showcase his strength and movement ability.

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T Carson Vinson, Alabama A&M

Alabama A&M offensive tackle Carson Vinson is the only HBCU player at the combine, but his small school status shouldn’t take away from his massive frame. At the Senior Bowl, Vinson measured in at nearly 6-foot-7, weighed 314 pounds and posted a very impressive 35-1/8-inch arm length — his height and his arm length were greater than any player in attendance. 

Vinson’s pass-blocking grades have consistently improved from 66.6 in 2022 to 76.4 in 2023 and then an impressive 81.8 in 2024. On his 104 true pass set snaps in 2024, Vinson only allowed one sack and two quarterback hits for a 98.0 pass-blocking efficiency rating. At the Senior Bowl week, Vinson flashed NFL tackle potential on some good snaps in one-on-ones but also struggled with the increased level of competition on a good number of practice snaps as well as in the game itself.

The combine will be an important showcase for Vinson to demonstrate to NFL teams both on the field and in meetings that while he is still developing as a pass protector, his height, length and attitude are great building blocks for an offensive line coach to work with in an attempt to mold Vinson into a successful NFL offensive tackle. 

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IOL Grey Zabel, North Dakota State

Grey Zabel has arguably been the biggest riser since the end of the season due to his performance during the week at the Senior Bowl. Zabel now consistently shows up in the first round of mock drafts and is likely to be the first FCS player drafted in 2025.

Zabel played left tackle in 2024 and only surrendered one sack, two quarterback hits and four hurries on his 453 pass-blocking snaps and earned a 93.1 PFF pass blocking grade, but he also played snaps at all five positions along the offensive line during his career at North Dakota State, including 490 career snaps at guard.

Many NFL talent evaluators view Zabel as an interior offensive lineman, and he showcased his talent and positional versatility during Senior Bowl practices, where he lined up at left guard, center and right guard, performing well at all three. Zabel appears to be a high-floor prospect at multiple offensive line positions, which is why he has moved up on so many draft boards. A strong combine performance could vault him into the first round.

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EDGE David Walker, Central Arkansas

Walker has a proven track record of dominating his level of competition and winning both as a pass-rusher and a run defender. Walker’s 94.0 pass-rush grade ranked No. 1 among all FBS and FCS edge defenders in 2024, as he had 12 sacks, six quarterback hits and 37 hurries on his 351 pass-rushing snaps. Walker is also an outstanding run defender, and his 92.0 run-defense grade ranked No. 1 among all FBS and FCS edge defenders as well. 

Walker has already proven himself on the field time and time again, and this author has already written an article claiming him as one of the overlooked edge rushers in the draft class. Most recently, Walker had a dominant week in Mobile for the Senior Bowl. However, Walker measured in at only 6-feet tall with 31-3/4-inch arms, both numbers are below average for an NFL draft pick at the position.

The combine is important for Walker to showcase that he has the athleticism to make up for his lack of traditional size. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman reported that Walker has hit 36 inches in his vertical leap and expects to run the 40-yard dash in the low 4.6s. 

The on-the-field positional drills will also be important for Walker to showcase that he has the speed, fluidity and change-of-direction ability to be an effective stand-up edge player in the NFL. The combine will help to move Walker up or down draft boards but with a strong performance, it could be possible for Walker to be selected on Day 2.

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CB Isas Waxter, Villanova

Waxter is a smart player who excelled in the classroom at Villanova, but his size is primarily the reason he was invited to the combine. Waxter measured in at the Shrine Game at just under 6-foot-1 and 212 pounds. His 32-inch arms are longer than average for an NFL cornerback. Waxter’s long arms help him excel in press coverage, which is how he was frequently used at Villanova with 229 press coverage snaps in 2023 and 153 press coverage snaps in 2024. Six-foot-tall cornerbacks with long arms who can play press coverage are a valuable commodity in the NFL.

Waxter had a solid 77.0 coverage grade in 2024, but that was after a 90.2 elite coverage grade in 2023. In 2023, Waxter didn’t allow a touchdown in coverage, and he recorded three interceptions and six passes broken up. The positional on-field drills will be an opportunity for Waxter to show his athleticism and change-of-direction ability, but Waxter’s 40-yard dash time will go a long way to determine if teams think he can play outside at corner successfully in the NFL.

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FCS players who could be drafted not at the combine

History shows there will be FCS players selected in the draft that weren’t at the scouting combine. Six FCS prospects who aren’t at the Ccmbine but could easily end up getting drafted on Day 3: North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller, Montana State guard Marcus Wehr, Eastern Washington wide receiver Efton Chism III, South Carolina State linebacker Aaron Smith, Cal Poly edge defender Elijah Ponder and Alabama State cornerback James Burgess.