- Colston Loveland carried Michigan’s offense in 2024: Three Wolverines quarterbacks mixed for simply seven big-time throws and 18 turnover-worthy performs, and but, Loveland nonetheless put collectively an elite season.
- Nic Scourton’s switch to Texas A&M left one thing to be desired: After posting an elite 90.9 PFF pass-rush grade whereas racking up the second-most pressures within the Big Ten at Purdue, Scourton fell a bit in need of expectations within the Aggies’ scheme in 2024.
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No matter how a lot movie research and analysis is finished on NFL draft prospects, there’ll all the time be a sure gravitation towards manufacturing. Some gamers, although, aren’t all the time put in a super state of affairs to supply the best statistical output. We’ll spotlight a number of of the 2025 NFL Draft prospects who had been held again a bit by their faculty conditions previous to and thru their last faculty seasons.
TE Colston Loveland, Michigan
Loveland’s 90.8 PFF receiving grade over the previous two seasons ranked fourth amongst FBS tight ends. He additionally ranked inside the highest 5 in targets, receptions and receiving yards in that span. By all accounts, he’s an elite expertise who could possibly be chosen throughout the first 20 picks on this 12 months’s draft.
So, what precisely was holding him again? For starters, Loveland performed in an offense that ran the ball greater than 55% of the time for the reason that begin of 2023. If Michigan’s offense didn’t must throw, it wouldn’t. After the group misplaced practically its total offense other than Loveland after a 2023 nationwide championship run, the state of affairs devolved into chaos.
Michigan’s PFF Offensive Grade Ranks, 2024
| Passing Grade | 124th |
| Rushing Grade | 61st |
| Receiving Grade | 102nd |
| Pass Blocking Grade | 83rd |
| Run Blocking Grade | 81st |
Aside from a 50-6 romp of Northwestern late within the season, Michigan had an especially exhausting time scoring factors in 2024. Three quarterbacks mixed for simply seven big-time throws and 18 turnover-worthy performs. The Wolverines struggled to dam within the run and cross video games. Loveland was their solely participant with no less than 250 receiving yards.
Despite all of these woes round him, plus a nagging shoulder harm that hindered his blocking, Loveland nonetheless managed to have an elite last season in Ann Arbor. He ranked third in PFF receiving grade amongst tight ends, behind Harold Fannin Jr. and Tyler Warren. Michigan’s total passing recreation was centered on him, and he nonetheless discovered methods to get open.
Loveland is a particular participant who produced regardless of an absence of assist in 2024. With a return to full well being and a extra useful offense round him, he might rapidly change into one of many elite tight ends within the NFL.
WR Matthew Golden, Texas
When he was a freshman at Houston in 2022, Golden displayed flashes of his route-running chops with future NFL draft choose Clayton Tune throwing him the ball within the midst of a superb senior season. Tune graduated, and Golden’s manufacturing dipped in tandem with Donovan Smith‘s struggles at quarterback in 2023.
His season ended a number of video games brief because of harm, however for the second consecutive 12 months, Golden completed with fewer than 40 receptions and a sub-70.0 PFF receiving grade. Early in his lone season at Texas, it appeared that Golden’s lack of utilization would proceed, as he averaged simply 4 targets per recreation by means of the group’s first 9 video games.
The Longhorns found out what that they had in Golden down the stretch, although, and he grew to become the group’s most constant playmaker on the skin. Golden produced his three highest receiving totals in the course of the group’s last six video games, together with standout performances within the SEC Championship recreation and the group’s College Football Playoff victory over Arizona State.
From Week 13 onward, Golden led the nation with 570 receiving yards and posted a stable 79.2 PFF receiving grade. He’s prone to be a first-round choose, however he ought to actually be glad that Texas found the breadth of his capabilities earlier than it was too late.
EDGE Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
Scourton was probably the greatest cross rushers in faculty soccer whereas enjoying at Purdue in 2023. Rushing primarily as a stand-up outdoors linebacker, he posted an elite 90.9 PFF pass-rush grade whereas racking up the second-most pressures within the Big Ten in the course of the common season.
Scourton transferred to Texas A&M in 2024, the place his pass-rush manufacturing wasn’t fairly on the similar elite degree. He did tally 36 pressures, and his 80.6 PFF pass-rush grade was nonetheless a stable mark, but it surely felt a bit disappointing based mostly on preseason expectations. At least a few of that drop-off, although, could possibly be attributed to a distinction in alignment in Mike Elko’s protection.
During his breakout 2023 season at Purdue, Scourton performed greater than 95% of his snaps as a stand-up outdoors linebacker. This allowed him to pin his ears again and assault the quarterback along with his full array of pass-rush strikes. This previous season at Texas A&M, that determine dropped to roughly 70%, as he was utilized in quite a lot of alignments with a higher emphasis on stopping the run.
Perhaps this variety in alignment helped Scourton change into a extra well-rounded participant. However, if an NFL group needs to get probably the most out of him as a cross rusher, they may elect to make use of him completely at outdoors linebacker with the hope of him returning to his 2023 kind.
WR Elic Ayomanor, Stanford
After lacking his true freshman marketing campaign with a knee harm, Ayomanor spent the previous two seasons as Stanford’s solely legit offensive menace. The proven fact that he racked up greater than 1,800 yards and earned a 78.9 PFF receiving grade for the reason that begin of 2023 is spectacular when you think about that Stanford quarterbacks posted a poor 58.8 PFF passing grade in that span.
Ayomanor flashed brilliance all through that point. He racked up a school-record 294 receiving yards, all within the second half, in 2023 in opposition to Travis Hunter and Colorado. He turned in a 159-yard efficiency that season in opposition to eventual nationwide runner-up Washington. This previous season, he led the Cardinal to a giant upset win over Syracuse and posted a career-high 89.3 PFF receiving grade in opposition to NC State.
In spite of Ayomanor’s efforts, Stanford recorded simply six victories over the previous two seasons. His traits are that of an NFL starter, and he’ll probably tremendously profit from a extra secure state of affairs than Stanford’s.
RB Damien Martinez, Miami (FL)
Martinez is an ideal instance of why PFF speeding grades and effectivity are necessary to notice when evaluating a working again prospect. He by no means garnered even half of his group’s carries in any of his three collegiate seasons, however he averaged greater than 6 yards per carry in all three.
During his two years at Oregon State, Martinez dealt with an outlined function as a strong outdoors runner behind an excellent offensive line. This previous season at Miami, he managed to earn the third-best PFF speeding grade within the nation regardless of rating 68th in carries.
The Hurricanes additionally ranked 72nd within the FBS in PFF run-blocking grade and had one of many least inventive speeding assaults within the nation. Miami deployed man run schemes on 43% of their makes an attempt, the sixth-highest price within the FBS, which is a far cry from the scheme Martinez was used to at Oregon State. Regardless, he managed peak effectivity as he bulldozed his strategy to a second straight 1,000-yard season. That effectivity might see Martinez chosen on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
WR Jaylin Lane, Virginia Tech
Lane began his faculty profession at Middle Tennessee State, the place his manufacturing peaked at 940 yards and a 77.6 PFF receiving grade in 2022. He parlayed that efficiency right into a switch to Virginia Tech, the place his skills weren’t all the time rewarded with comparable manufacturing.
He earned a stable 75.8 PFF receiving grade throughout his two years in Blacksburg however generated 79 receptions and simply over 1,000 yards throughout that span. Virginia Tech’s quarterbacks ranked ninety fifth within the FBS in PFF passing grade and a hundred and first in completion share, constantly struggling to make correct throws.
Lane’s explosive velocity ought to’ve been used extra optimally. Over the previous two seasons, he positioned within the 98th percentile in separation share and yards after the catch per reception. He additionally compelled 22 missed tackles as a returner in 2024, the seventh most by any participant within the nation. That array of traits ought to earn Lane a Day 3 choice as he goals to beat an absence of surface-level manufacturing.