Gene Clemons identifies 2025 NFL Draft Prospects who are rising up draft boards.

We are well into the College Football offseason and as players try to position themselves for the draft, we have made it through the many offseason bowl game evaluations. Now before players descend on Indianapolis for the NFL Combine, it is a great time to take a look at the players who have really put themselves in position to shoot up the draft boards. 

These fast-rising prospects have put performances together during the postseason that have elevated their draft stock. Let's take a look at some names who have really increased their position in the draft. 


Taylor Elgersma, QB, Laurier (Canada)

The only person talking about Elgersma before the Senior Bowl was Mr. Day 3 himself, Emory Hunt. Then he competed at the Tropical Bowl in late January and jumped on many NFL scouts’ radars. Now after the Senior Bowl everybody’s talking about him. The first thing to notice is the long frame. It’s not as if he is oddly tall—he’s 6-foot-4—but the whip action throwing motion that accompanies his big arm, makes him look longer than he truly is. Bottom line is he can sling it. More important than his arm strength was his willingness to use it. He was firing passes all over the place and pushing the football downfield. In the Senior Bowl game he completed the longest pass of the day, a 43-yard completion. That performance stacked on top of his MVP effort in the Tropical Bowl did wonders for his draft prospects. It's not like he went from unknown to the first round, let’s not get crazy, there are still issues. But he went from a guy who would probably not get a chance in the NFL to potentially a Day 3 pick. That's a massive jump. 

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Mason Taylor, TE, LSU

Taylor looked every bit the son of a Hall of Fame NFL football player (Jason Taylor) as we watched him perform during the Senior Bowl week. He was dynamic as a pass receiver. He was able to create separation, he showed good burst off the line and speed after the catch. He used his body very well to create space and, most importantly, he caught the football. He caught everything from everywhere. Mix that with a 6-foot-4, 250-pound frame built to withstand the rigors of the position, his willingness to improve as an inline blocker, and his consistent improvement every season at LSU. This was a fantastic week for the NFL legacy and it could mean that he has gone from an early Day 3 selection to firmly in the Day 2 conversation. 

Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Syracuse

Another son of a former NFL receiver, Gadsden came to Syracuse as a receiver and was converted to tight end. He has not been playing the position very long, but he was an instant impact for the ‘Cuse when he made the change. He produced back-to-back seasons of over 900 yards and 6+ touchdowns. The week of the Shrine Bowl he was an impossible check for everyone. He was too big and strong for corners or safeties to handle, and too fast and quick for linebackers to stick with. If defenders were able to stay with him, he used his body to essentially box them out and his catch radius allowed him to haul in everything thrown his way. He clearly has a long way to go as an inline blocker but he is aggressive and willing, he's only been playing the position for two seasons. He definitely made himself some money during the week. He probably went from the back end of Day 3 to Early Day 3. 

Jimmy Horn Jr, WR, Colorado

All of the Colorado receivers who were at the Shrine Bowl showed up and showed out. Will Sheppard continued to make ridiculous catches out wide as a true X receiver. La’Johntay Wester showed tremendous value in the slot, as a Z and as a punt return specialist. But the guy who walked out of the week really improving his position in the draft is Jimmy Horn Jr. He missed a significant portion of the season, which did not allow him to fully showcast his skills. By the time the Shrine Bowl rolled around he was healthy and ready to show just how dynamic he really is. Of course, we know that he is blazing fast and many evaluators look at him as only a burner. What he showed was his ability to be shifty. His change of direction was elite and it made it almost impossible for defenders to stay attached to him. He consistently left defenders behind at all three levels. He also showed that he could be a special teams ace not only as a returner but as a gunner as well. He probably increased his draft status by three rounds. Many believed that he would be a mid-Day 3 selection, into Day 2 of the draft. 

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Arizona

He was a former Alabama State and New Mexico running back who transferred to Arizona after five seasons for one last shot to play at the highest level. He had already proven he could be a home run-hitting back at New Mexico. He rushed for almost 1200 yards on only 189 carries. It was a thoroughly impressive 6.3 yards per carry. At Arizona, he played one game, rushed for over 100 yards, then missed the entire 2024 season because of eligibility issues. He received the opportunity to show that he was one of the best backs in the country and that he had what it takes to be an NFL-caliber back at the Shrine Bowl. During the game he proved just that. He was able to consistently get the edge and use his explosiveness to get around the corner and down the field. It allowed him to rack up 97 yards and 2 touchdowns on 11 carries. He was named the offensive MVP of the game. He was out of the NFL Draft discussion and at 5-foot-11 and 208 pounds now he may be an early-Day 3 selection. 

Gerald Christian-Lichtenhan, OL, Oregon State

Standing at 6-foot-9 and over 320 pounds Christian-Lichtenhan is a tall human being who casts a large shadow, and he played well this past season at Oregon State. He has a good combination of size and athleticism that makes him a very intriguing prospect. He has the ability to move in pass protection and he is really good at finishing blocks. At the Shrine Bowl, he was able to hold up in pass protection well against some formidable opposition. In run blocking he was getting his body on first-level defenders and moving them out the way. He was also climbing up to second-level defenders and neutralizing them. This is a player who many believed would get a chance in the NFL as an undrafted free agent. He may have worked himself into the seventh round. 

Elijah Ponder, Edge, Cal Poly

There were questions about Ponder’s ability to hold up at the point of attack going into the Shrine Bowl. Yes, he had 17 sacks over the past two seasons, but he had 93 tackles in that time. Can Ponder be a legitimate two-level edge? That is the question Ponder was able to answer over the week of practice and the game. As an edge rusher he was able to consistently show his explosiveness off the edge and his bend around offensive tackles. He was also able to show his ability to drop into coverage and operate at the second level. It opened up his value as a guy who does not need to solely exist on the first level. He may have worked himself into a mid-rounds pick as a guy who was probably on the back end of the draft.