FCS Football Stars Poised to Shake Up the 2026 NFL Draft—Discover Hidden Prospects Ready to Surprise!
Bryce Lance, North Dakota State, WR (6-3, 204)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 81 (Round 3)
- 2025 Stats Perform FCS All-America First Team
- The younger brother of 2019 third overall draft pick Trey Lance is the only player in NDSU history to post multiple seasons with 1,000+ receiving yards.
Kaleb Proctor, Southeastern Louisiana, DT (6-2, 291)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 117 (Round 4)
- 2025 Stats Perform FCS All-America First Team
- Ranked second among FCS interior defensive linemen in 2025 with 13 tackles for loss.
Cole Payton, North Dakota State, QB (6-3, 232)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 126 (Round 4)
- 2025 Stats Perform FCS All-America First Team
- NDSU is one of only three Division I programs to have four quarterbacks selected in the last 10 NFL drafts.
Charlie Demmings, Stephen F. Austin, CB (6-1, 193)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 153 (Round 5)
- 2025 Stats Perform FCS All-America First Team
- The only FCS defensive player invited to the 2026 Senior Bowl had nine career interceptions among his school-record 35 pass breakups.
Jeff Caldwell, Lindenwood/Cincinnati, WR (6-5, 216)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 160 (Round 5)
- 2024 Stats Perform FCS All-America Second Team
- Caldwell, who caught 29 TDs and averaged 18.0 yards on 125 career receptions, clocked an impressive 4.31 seconds on his 40-yard dash.
J’Mari Taylor, North Carolina Central/Virginia, RB (5-10, 200)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 206 (Round 6)
- 2024 Stats Perform FCS All-America Second Team
- One of just six players in the last 30 years to have 1,000+ rushing yards in a season at different FCS and FBS programs.
Cole Wisniewski, North Dakota State/Texas Tech, SS (6-3½, 214)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 225 (Round 7)
- 2023 Stats Perform FCS All-America First Team
- While at NDSU, Wisniewski led all Division I players with eight interceptions and 239 interception return yards in 2023 season.
Evan Beernsten, South Dakota State/Northwestern, OL (6-3½, 303)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 311
- 2024 Stats Perform FCS All-America Second Team
- Starter on SDSU’s back-to-back national championship teams (2022 and ’23).
Keyshawn James-Newby, Idaho/New Mexico, Edge (6-2, 240)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 315
- 2024 Stats Perform FCS All-America Second Team
- Had 9+ sacks in a season on three different levels: NAIA (Montana Tech), FCS and FBS.
Lance Mason, Missouri State/Wisconsin, TE (6-3, 246)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 335
- 2024 Stats Perform FCS All-America Third Team
- Mason’s 17.4 yards per catch in 2024 (34 receptions, 590 yards) led Division I tight ends.
Gavin Ortega, Weber State, OG (6-5, 304)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 359
- 2025 Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Second Team
- Strong pro day in mid-March led to Ortega (41 career games, 34 starts) rising late in the draft buildup.
Max Tomczak, Youngstown State, WR (6-0, 195)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 381
- 2025 Stats Perform FCS All-America Third Team
- The nephew of former NFL quarterback Mike Tomczak is No. 1 on the YSU career charts in receptions (225) and No. 2 in receiving yards (3,024).
Delby Lemieux, Dartmouth, OG/C (6-5, 305)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 388
- 2025 Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America First Team
- Allowed only three sacks in 950 career pass-blocking snaps, per FCS Football Central.
Mark Gronowski, South Dakota State/Iowa QB (6-2, 233)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 390
- 2023 Stats Perform FCS All-America First Team and Walter Payton Award Recipient
- Matched FCS record for wins by a starting QB (49) at South Dakota State before adding nine at Iowa to set the D-I mark (58).
Karon Prunty, North Carolina A&T/Wake Forest, CB (6-1½, 190)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 399
- After 2023 and ’24 All-CAA third-team honors, Prunty allowed just a 44.4% catch rate – second-best in the ACC – last year.
Nick DeGennaro, Richmond/James Madison, WR (6-0, 195)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 420
- 2023 Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America First Team
- Had four college seasons with at least 500 receiving yards and clocked a 4.40-second 40-yard dash at JMU’s pro day.
Erick Hunter, Morgan State, LB (6-2, 224)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 427
- 2025 Stats Perform FCS All-America Second Team
- Longtime HBCU standout is excellent against the run (298 tackles, 35 TFLs) and the pass (three interceptions, 12 passes defended).
Declan Williams, Rhode Island/UIW, LB (6-0, 242)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 450
- 2025 Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Third Team
- Played two seasons at URI before enjoying a two-year breakout at UIW (164 tackles, 24 TFLs).
A.J. Pena, Rhode Island, LB (6-1, 219)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 488
- 2024 and 2025 Stats Perform FCS All-America First Team
- High-motor linebacker had 65.5 TFLs and 38 sacks in a 50-game career.
Michael Wortham Jr., Montana, WR/KR (5-8, 182)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 489
- 2025 Stats Perform FCS All-America First Team
- Eastern Washington transfer set the single-season all-purpose yardage record (2,431) in his one season at Montana.
Jalen Jones, William & Mary, CB (6-0, 195)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 490
- 2024 Stats Perform FCS All-America First Team, 2025 Second Team
- Rangy defender had eight interceptions and 51 passes defended in W&M career.
Jalen Walthall, UIW, WR (6-1, 200)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 491
- 2024 Stats Perform FCS All-America First Team
- Hawaii transfer stretched the field with nine 100-yard games and 22 TD catches in two seasons at UIW.
Daniel Sobkowicz, Illinois State, WR, (6-2, 205)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 501
- 2025 Stats Perform FCS All-America Third Team
- One of eight FCS players in the last 30 years to have 250+ receptions (262), 3,500+ receiving yards (3,559) and 40+ TD catches (41) in a career.
Jarod Washington, South Carolina State, CB (6-0, 186)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 502
- 2025 Stats Perform FCS All-America Second Team
- Led the FCS in passes defended (23) and pass breakups (21) in 2025.
Rohan Jones, Maine/Montana State/Arkansas, TE (6-3, 236)
- Consensus Big Board Ranking: 503
- 2024 Stats Perform FCS All-America Second Team
- Jones’ 27.3-yard average on 19 receptions was the highest for any D-I tight end with at least that many catches last season.
NFL Draft First-Round Picks From FCS
NCAA Division I college football split into FBS and FCS levels in 1978. Since then, 24 FCS players have been first-round selections in the NFL Draft, including North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel last year.
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