Small school prospects are my favorite profiles of the pre-draft process. The odds are already stacked against a college player hidden at a school that few, even diehard football fans, could identify the state in which it is located. Players emerge on a regular basis from this level of college football. One of the greatest strengths of the projection model is identifying these hidden gems.
Donatella Luckett is one of the highlight small school wide receivers in the 2015 NFL Draft class. Harding University has a shade more than 7,000 students and is in Arkansas.
Luckett’s overall projection model score of 75 ranks in the top-35 of the 800+ wide receiver prospects in the model since 1999. It is not uncommon for a small school receiver, especially one of the NFL radar, to have a high production score. The talent pool is far more shallow, especially in terms of athleticism, as the NFL-caliber cream rises to he top. What is uncommon is to complement that production score with quality size and athleticism marks. Donatella Luckett checks each of those boxes, making him the rare well-rounded prospect, especially from a small school.
