• Quan’tez Stiggers making the jump from the CFL to the NFL: His journey is unique, but so is his talent, which has shown out in both the Fan Controlled League and the CFL.
• Why Monmouth’s Jaden Shirden has a chance to make a roster: His feet are light and fast, and versus his level of competition, he almost looks like a superhero with how he can’t be touched when sifting through the line of scrimmage.
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With plenty of talk about the top draft-eligible prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft, we wanted to highlight some small school players we could see making waves early on or throughout their rookie contracts.
IOL Mason McCormick, South Dakota State
McCormick fits the small-school billing, but we start with him because he might not be much of a sleeper anymore. The former zero-star recruit became a starter for SDSU in 2020 and never looked back, logging 57 consecutive starts over the last four years. He’s a unique guard player who boasts explosiveness while also being a big-time bully (in a good way) when he engages defenders. He’s the kind of player who will keep his legs churning and play through the whistle to make sure he guy doesn’t get off the block and back into the play. Think of Trevor Penning, but not as overboard with the after-the-play stuff. McCormick’s durability in the trenches is also a big plus. He would be a good player for the mid-round for teams that use zone-blocking schemes, as he can get out and in space for some impact blocks.
RB Jaden Shirden, Monmouth
Let’s just get it out of the way right now: Jaden Shirden is small (5-foot-8 and 187 pounds, to be exact). Now that that is out of the way, we can talk about what makes him an enticing prospect. Shirden was a zero-star recruit in the 2021 recruiting cycle from Trumbull, Conn. He became a starting back in his true freshman season and has been a focal point of Monmouth’s rushing attack ever since. His 3,697 career rushing yards are third in school history, something he was able to do in just those three seasons. His feet are light and fast, and versus his level of competition, he almost looks like a superhero with how he can’t be touched when sifting through the line of scrimmage. His combine numbers were good, but not elite. He does have some experience as a kick returner as well, so he could be a quick depth running back who makes the roster early on via special teams work.
DI Kristian Boyd, Northern Iowa
Boyd has graded very well in PFF's system over the last two seasons. In 2022, he recorded an 88.6 overall PFF grade with a 92.4 PFF run-defense grade, and in 2023, he recorded an 89.7 overall PFF grade with an 89.4 PFF pass-rush grade. The former tree-star recruit and fifth-year senior at UNI was one of the most notable combine snubs after a standout week at practice at the Shrine Bowl. He was constantly winning with both speed and power during Shrine Bowl week against some pretty good offensive lineman.
LB Jontrey Hunter, Georgia State
Hunter has played both inside and outside linebacker for GSU over the last three seasons. He finished his collegiate career sixth on the school’s tackling list and first all-time in forced fumbles. He’s a bit undersized for the position at just under 6-foot-2 and 236 pounds. He might need to make a name for himself on special teams to make a roster early in his rookie contract, but he likes to be physical and clearly has a knack for knocking the ball out.
WR Jalen Coker, Holy Cross
Coker went from a former zero-star recruit to Holy Cross’s all-time leader in both receiving touchdowns and receiving yards. He recorded a 90.6 PFF receiving grade this past season after an 82.9 to put him on the map a year before. Over the last two seasons, he’s recorded almost 2,000 yards receiving with 26 receiving touchdowns. Coker was also a standout at the vertical jump in Indianapolis for the combine with a 42.5-inch vertical jump. He paired that with a 10-foot-8 broad jump.
WR David White Jr., Western Carolina
David White Jr. was a relatively unknown receiver before making waves at the 2024 Shrine Bowl. Over the past two years at Western Carolina, he earned 67.3 and 65.2 PFF receiving grades with 517 receiving yards being his career high for a single season. However, at Shrine Bowl practices, he was consistently winning with separation off the line of scrimmage, enough to make plenty in attendance notice. As a non-combine invitee, he is a long shot to get drafted. But if he isn’t drafted, he’ll be a UDFA and could make some noise in training camp.
CB Qwan’tez Stiggers, Toronto Argonauts
Stiggers has a very interesting story, as his football journey did not include playing college ball. He first played football at B.E.S.T. Academy, a small school in Atlanta. After high school, he accepted a scholarship to play at Lane College, an HBCU in Jackson, Tennessee. However, his first season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To make matters much worse, he learned of his father’s death in the fall of 2020, which took a toll on him mentally, so much so that he left Lane College. After years, he got back on the field as a part of the “Fan Controlled Football League,” where he recorded five interceptions in 12 games. He then joined the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts. His journey is unique, but so is his talent, which has shown out in both the Fan Controlled League and the CFL.
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