2025 NFL Draft: Every Power Five school’s highest-graded prospect
2Y5F56R ANN ARBOR, MI – SEPTEMBER 21: Michigan Wolverines defensive end Josaiah Stewart (0) celebrates after a defensive play during the fourth quarter of a Big Ten Conference college football game between the USC Trojans and the Michigan Wolverines on September 21, 2024 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)
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- Josaiah Stewart headlines Michigan’s deep draft pool: Mason Graham, Will Johnson, Kenneth Grant and Colston Loveland all rank ahead of Stewart on PFF’s big board, but it was Stewart who won out with the highest PFF overall grade last season.
- The draft’s talented running back class boasts several hidden gems: Devin Neal, Tahj Brooks, Woody Marks, Corey Kiner and Trevor Etienne were some of college football’s standouts a season ago.
- 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated Reading Time: 16 minutes
At the forefront of the 2025 NFL Draft class are the usual suspects: Colorado stars Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, highly skilled wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and pass-rushing menace Abdul Carter, among others.
But hundreds of players will be hoping to get a call during draft weekend, some of whom have flown under the radar despite standout college production. We’re highlighting each Power Five school’s highest-graded draft prospect from 2024 (minimum of 100 snaps), with some being household names and others being names to learn before the 2025 NFL Draft kicks off.
Alabama: QB Jalen Milroe (87.4)
While plenty capable with his arm, Milroe led the Power Five in combined quarterback rushing yards (1,700) and missed tackles forced (72) over the past two years.
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PFF’s third-ranked 2025 NFL Draft prospect, McMillan will bring elite receiving ability to the NFL, including on slant routes, where he led college football in missed tackles forced (10) and yards per route run (10.85) in 2024.
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Skattebo, the 50th-ranked player on PFF’s big board, placed behind only Ashton Jeanty — albeit in a distant second — in missed tackles forced in 2024 (103) among FBS running backs.
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Armstrong is the 2025 class’ best short-area receiver, owning the best career PFF receiving grade on 0-9-yard targets among draft-eligible Power Five receivers.
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Auburn: EDGE Jalen McLeod (89.1)
McLeod seamlessly transitioned from Appalachian State to Auburn in 2023 with equally impressive pass-rush numbers at each stop. His 21.2% pass-rush win rate over the past three seasons ranked 19th among qualifying college football edge defenders.
Barrington and Armand Membou, a projected top-10 pick, were the only FBS tackles who played more than 400 pass-blocking snaps and didn’t surrender a hit or a sack in 2024.
Boston College: EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku (90.0)
Ezeiruaku was college football’s 12th-most-valuable edge defender this past season, per PFF’s Wins Above Average metric.
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BYU: EDGE Tyler Batty (78.5)
The 6-foot-6 Batty logged at least 30 quarterback pressures and 20 stops in each of his final three college seasons.
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California: S Craig Woodson (88.5)
One year after surrendering four touchdowns and 14.4 yards per reception in coverage, Woodson honed his skills and reduced those figures to one and 9.0, respectively. His 88.6 PFF coverage grade in 2024 ranked 10th among Power Five safeties.
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Cincinnati: RB Corey Kiner (84.9)
Kiner’s 1,478 rushing yards after contact and 135 forced missed tackles over the past two seasons were top-10 marks among Power Five running backs.
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Clemson: S R.J. Mickens (87.5)
Mickens’ 17.2% forced incompletion rate — one of PFF’s stable metrics — in 2024 placed him in the 91st percentile among college football safeties.
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Colorado: QB Shedeur Sanders (90.9)
As rumors continue to fly about Sanders’ draft stock, one thing is clear: He avoided negative plays at the highest of levels at Colorado. His 1.3% turnover-worthy play rate over the past two years ranked second to only Bo Nix among FBS quarterbacks.
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Duke: LB Ozzie Nicholas (75.6)
Nicholas spent three years at Princeton prior to joining Duke and was college football’s third-highest-graded linebacker in 2023 (90.5) among 876 qualifying FBS and FCS players at the position.
Crenshaw-Dickson earned an 84.1 PFF run-blocking grade on zone plays in 2024, the 12th-best mark among FBS tackles.
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Florida State: CB Azareye’h Thomas (76.5)
Thomas slots in at No. 62 on PFF’s big board after allowing only 8.3 yards per catch in 2024, ranking fifth among FBS cornerbacks with at least 30 targets in coverage.
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Georgia: RB Trevor Etienne (82.5)
Etienne, following in his older brother’s footsteps, averaged 3.9 yards after contact per carry over the past three seasons — the sixth-best rate among 2025 draft-eligible Power Five running backs.
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Georgia Tech: CB Warren Burrell (76.3)
Burrell faced 25 targets in single coverage in 2024 yet allowed just nine catches for 140 yards with four forced incompletions. His 73.6 PFF coverage grade in single coverage was a top-10 mark among ACC cornerbacks.
Houston: TE Maliq Carr (72.9)
Carr’s 4.63-second 40-yard dash at the Big 12 pro day would have tied him for first among NFL Combine invitees at the position. He earned an 85th-percentile PFF receiving grade in 2024.
Illinois: WR Pat Bryant (84.5)
Bryant caught 12 deep passes (targeted 20-plus yards downfield) in 2024 — tied for the fourth most among Power Five receivers. He was the Power Five’s second-highest-graded wideout on such plays.
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Indiana: QB Kurtis Rourke (88.4)
Rourke was responsible for only 9.1% of the pressure he faced in 2024 — the ninth-best rate among 55 draft-eligible FBS quarterbacks.
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Iowa: LB Jay Higgins (87.0)
Higgins, an Iowa team captain, was the fourth-most-valuable Power Five linebacker this past season, per PFF’s Wins Above Average metric.
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Higgins was the third-most-valuable wide receiver in college football this past season, per PFF’s Wins Above Average metric.
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Kansas: RB Devin Neal (87.9)
Neal amassed 211 first-down runs across four seasons at Kansas — the ninth most among all college football running backs. He lost just one fumble in that span.
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Kansas State: T Easton Kilty (82.0)
After four seasons at North Dakota, Kilty transferred to Kansas State and engineered arguably his best college season. His 2.4% pressure rate allowed ranked 15th in the FBS.
Kentucky: RB Demie Sumo-Karngbaye (78.3)
In his first season as a full-time player, Sumo-Karngbaye earned a career-high 84.5 PFF rushing grade (tied for 43rd in the FBS).
LSU: EDGE Bradyn Swinson (83.3)
Swinson’s 22.1% pass-rush win rate in 2024 was a top-15 figure among more than 500 qualifying FBS edge defenders.
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Louisville: EDGE Ashton Gillotte (87.8)
Amid all of college football’s star power at edge defender, Gillotte — PFF’s 113th-ranked draft prospect — racked up the second-most quarterback pressures over the past two seasons (115) among Power Five players.
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Maryland: WR Tai Felton (78.0)
Felton was the second-most-targeted FBS wide receiver in 2024, turning that workload into a career-best season with the fourth-most yards after the catch (590) in college football.
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Miami (FL): QB Cam Ward (92.9)
Ward’s 132.2 passer rating on deep throws (20-plus yards) in 2024 ranked third among Power Five quarterbacks, and only Syracuse’s Kyle McCord made more big-time throws on deep balls.
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Michigan: EDGE Josaiah Stewart (91.2)
Stewart stands out tremendously in PFF’s stable metrics for edge defenders, placing in the 96th percentile or better in PFF pass-rush grade, PFF pass-rush grade on true pass sets, PFF pass-rush grade without play action, pass-rush win rate and PFF run-defense grade.
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Michigan State: RB Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams (80.7)
Although Lynch-Adams was more productive at UMass in 2023, he capped his college career at Michigan State in 2024 with no fumbles and the fifth-most forced missed tackles in the Big Ten (47).
Minnesota: QB Max Brosmer (84.0)
Brosmer played safe under pressure in 2024, committing only one turnover-worthy play on 123 pressured dropbacks for a draft-class-leading 0.8% rate when pass rushers got to him.
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Blanton forced four incompletions on only 20 targets into his coverage this past season, giving him a 99th-percentile forced incompletion rate among linebackers.
Missouri: T Armand Membou (90.6)
Membou, a projected top-10 pick, was one of only two FBS tackles who played more than 400 pass-blocking snaps and didn’t surrender a hit or a sack in 2024. His 90.6 PFF overall grade ranked third at the position.
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Nebraska: EDGE MJ Sherman (76.2)
Sherman’s 84.4 PFF run-defense grade in 2024 ranked eighth among Power Five edge defenders.
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North Carolina: RB Omarion Hampton (88.4)
Hampton ranked in the top five in most running back statistics over the past two seasons, including forced missed tackles (140), yards after contact (2,330), overall yards (3,160) and touchdowns (30).
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North Carolina State: EDGE Davin Vann (83.2)
Vann placed sixth on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks list ahead of the 2024 season and went on to record a career-high eight sacks, 78.6 PFF pass-rush grade and 82.4 PFF run-defense grade.
Northwestern: EDGE Jaylen Pate (71.1)
While no Northwestern players feature on PFF’s big board, Pate is among the team’s top prospects after notching a combined 38 quarterback pressures and 28 stops over the past two seasons. He recorded impressive vertical and broad jump numbers at the Wildcats’ pro day.
Notre Dame: S Xavier Watts (89.7)
The ball-hawking Watts secured 13 interceptions over the past two years — five more than second place. He also allowed a 33.9 passer rating into his coverage, ranking third among FBS safeties over that span.
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Ohio State: EDGE Jack Sawyer (90.5)
Sawyer improved his PFF overall grade each year in four seasons with the Buckeyes, culminating in an eighth-ranked 90.5 mark in 2024.
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Oklahoma: EDGE Ethan Downs (78.5)
Downs recorded 32 bench reps at Oklahoma’s pro day, placing him in the 97th percentile among edge defenders.
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Oklahoma State: RB Ollie Gordon II (75.8)
Once considered the top running back returning to college football in 2024, Gordon had a quieter season but turned it on in his final six games with nine rushing scores and 28 first-down runs.
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Ole Miss: QB Jaxson Dart (92.5)
Dart attempted the most deep passes (20-plus yards) in college football in 2024 and led the way in yards (1,517) and touchdowns (17) on those plays.
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Oregon: QB Dillon Gabriel (86.6)
Gabriel never earned lower than an 80.0 PFF overall grade in his five healthy seasons across UCF, Oklahoma and Oregon, including elite 90.0-plus marks in 2020 and 2023.
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From Weeks 9-14 — the end of Oregon State’s 2024 season — Christian-Lichtenhan garnered a 90.0 PFF pass-blocking grade to rank second among Power Five tackles.
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Penn State: EDGE Abdul Carter (91.3)
No edge defender in college football was more valuable over the past three seasons than Carter, who also ranked second in PFF pass-rush grade at the position in 2024 (92.4).
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McMillon’s excellent pro day included a 4.45-second 40-yard dash (90th percentile), a 4.13-second short shuttle (93rd), a 10-foot-5 broad jump (88th) and a 6.94-second three-cone drill (83rd).
Purdue: T Marcus Mbow (74.0)
Mbow’s 78.7 PFF run-blocking grade in 2024 ranked 13th among 182 qualifying Power Five tackles.
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Rutgers: T Hollin Pierce (85.1)
Pierce stands at a massive 6-foot-8 with a 341-pound frame and 36-inch arms, all of which rank in the 99th or 100th percentiles for tackles. He allowed just two sacks across 804 pass-blocking snaps over the past two seasons.
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SMU: EDGE Elijah Roberts (91.1)
Roberts excelled on true pass sets — plays without noise that could misrepresent a player’s ability — this past season. His 36.8% pass-rush win rate on those plays ranked sixth among FBS edge defenders.
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When you’re in the company of Jahdae Barron and Travis Hunter, you’ve likely done some good things on a football field. Fortune ranked third in the FBS in PFF coverage grade in 2024 (90.2) — behind the aforementioned projected top draft picks.
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Stanford: WR Elic Ayomanor (74.1)
A likely Day 2 pick, Ayomanor was the highest-graded Power Five wide receiver in the red zone in 2024 (89.6).
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Syracuse: QB Kyle McCord (90.5)
No quarterback in college football racked up more big-time throws than McCord (36) in 2024.
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TCU: WR Jack Bech (83.0)
Bech was the sixth-most-valuable wide receiver in college football this past season — ahead of likely first-round picks Tetairoa McMillan and Matthew Golden — per PFF’s Wins Above Average metric.
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Tennessee: RB Dylan Sampson (90.5)
Sampson converted the second-most third-down runs into first downs (17) among FBS running backs in 2024.
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Texas: CB Jahdae Barron (90.7)
Only two FBS cornerbacks faced 60 or more targets and didn’t allow a touchdown in 2024: Barron and Bowling Green’s Jordan Oladokun.
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Texas A&M: CB BJ Mayes (80.2)
Mayes barely beat out edge defender Nic Scourton (80.1) for Texas A&M’s featured spot after earning a 74.5 PFF coverage grade when aligned in the slot this past season, ranking third among qualifying Power Five cornerbacks.
Texas Tech: RB Tahj Brooks (83.3)
Over the past three seasons combined, Brooks ranked in the top five among FBS running backs in forced missed tackles (197), yards after contact (2,278) and first-down runs (218).
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UCF: RB RJ Harvey (85.1)
One of several underrated running backs in the 2025 class, Harvey never earned lower than an 84.0 PFF rushing grade in his three seasons with significant snaps at UCF.
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UCLA: LB Carson Schwesinger (80.6)
Schwesinger’s 11.0% run-stop rate in 2024 was a top-10 mark among draft-eligible Power Five linebackers.
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USC: RB Woody Marks (83.0)
Marks’ receiving ability — highlighted by a 70th-percentile PFF receiving grade in 2024 — will be an asset for an NFL team. He was one of only two FBS running backs this past season who saw 50 or more targets and dropped one or none.
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Utah: DI Junior Tafuna (76.9)
A four-year starter at Utah, Tafuna took his game to another level in 2024. He earned a 65.0-plus PFF run-defense grade in eight of his 10 games this past season.
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Wright posted a career-best 9.8% missed tackle rate in 2024, placing him among the top 40 Power Five safeties in that regard.
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Virginia: CB Kempton Shine (74.2)
Shine transferred to Virginia after five seasons at Eastern Michigan and allowed just a 41.3% completion rate into his coverage in 2024, the 11th-best rate in college football among qualifying cornerbacks (minimum of 30 targets faced).
Virginia Tech: DI Aeneas Peebles (89.1)
Peebles is among the best pass-rushing interior defenders in the 2025 class, having earned elite PFF pass-rush grades in 2023 and 2024.
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Gordon’s 82.5 PFF pass-blocking grade on true pass sets — plays without noise that could misrepresent a player’s ability — in 2024 ranked in the 84th percentile among tackles.
Bruener notched at least one stop, a tackle resulting in a “failure” for the offense, in every game in 2024. His 85.2 PFF coverage grade ranked eighth among 454 qualifying FBS linebackers.
Washington State: WR Kyle Williams (79.9)
Williams averaged 4.43 yards per route run and caught nine touchdowns against man coverage in 2024 — both top-three marks in the draft class.
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Milum, widely considered to be an NFL guard by draft analysts, didn’t allow any sacks across 1,155 pass-blocking snaps over the past three seasons at West Virginia from his left tackle spot.
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Wisconsin: T Jack Nelson (79.9)
Nelson’s 14.8% impact run-blocking rate — a player’s rate of earning positive grades across their run-game workload — in 2024 ranked 15th among Power Five tackles who played at least 200 run-blocking snaps.
