Welcome to the year three addition of Vogel’s All-Underrated Team! Year two saw notable improvements in the identification of talents underrated in the preseason by media experts and pundits. Let’s take a look at some quick stats from the first two seasons of the All-Underrated Team:

• 2023 saw three players get drafted (TE Zack Kuntz, Old Dominion; CB Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford; and S Jason Taylor II, Oklahoma State).
• 2023 has notable players who weren’t drafted but made NFL teams (most notably WR Jake Bobo, UCLA).
• 2024 saw three players get drafted (WR Keon Coleman, Florida State; WR Javon Baker, UCF; and DE Brennan Jackson, Washington State).
• 3 players from the 2023 team are returning to play college football this season.
• 12 players from the 2024 team are returning to play college football this season.

The goal is to highlight twenty-four players that I find to be underrated by the media entering the college football season. These are players that I expect to see play up from where they are currently projected, and from what most media writers believe.

That means that this article is a huge projection on my part for most of these players.

Here are the first two rosters of the All-Underrated Teams (Bold denotes player is playing college football this season):

POS	2024	2023
QB	6 Daniels, Jalon KAUN	19 Bachmeier, Hank NCWF
RB	Deshaun Fenwick, ORST	1 Bennett, Braydon SCCC
FB/HB	18 Bech, Jack TXCH	Toa Taua, NVUN (RB)
WR	Keon Coleman, FLST	Jake Bobo, CALA
WR	Javon Baker, FLCE	Malik Knowles, KAUN
TE	11 Grossman, Cole MTUN	Zack Kuntz, VAOD
OT	54 Benhart, Bryce NEUN	BJ Wilson, ILQU
OT	Cameron Wire, LATN	Isaac Moore, PATM
OG	74 Webb, Clay ALJS	Jaylon Thomas, TXSM
OG	76 Bedford, Matthew ORUN	64 Flores, John Paul VALB
C	53 Hartwig, Gus INPU	Mike Novitsky, KAUN

POS	2024	2023
DE	Julius Welscof, NCCH	92 Batty, Tyler UTBY
DT	9 Gillotte, Ashton KYLO	Cole Godbout, WYUN
NT	Evan Anderson, FLAT	James Ester, ILNO (DT)
DE	Brennan Jackson, WAST	N/A
RUSH	Richard Jibunor, ALTR	Praise Amaewhile, TXEP
LB	Jackson Mitchell, CTUN	Trey Cobb, NCAS
LB	42 Henderson, Jason VAOD	Kristopher Moll, WAUN
CB	0 Washington, Alex XXXX	Kyu Blu Kelly, CASF
CB	Shyheim Battle, NCST	Justin Ford, MTUN
ROVER	20 Henderson, Jack MNUN	Tyler Murray, TNME
SS	1 Taylor, CJ TNVA	Trevon Flowers, TNUN
FS	Antavious Lane, NCUN	Jason Taylor II, OKST

The 2025 Squad

The 2025 All-Underrated Team features several players from prominent schools with either injury concerns or small sample sizes and a few players who have been simply overlooked through the early process. It also includes several players from smaller schools who have a tremendous chance this year to be very productive.

Position	Player
Quarterback	Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Running Back	Micah Bernard, Utah
Running Receiver	Chris Tyree, Virginia
Wide Receiver	Elijhah Badger, Florida
Wide Receiver	Hudson Clement, West Virginia
Slot Receiver	Holden Willis, MTSU
Tight End	Preston Howard, Maryland
Offensive Tackle	Will Jados, Miami (OH)
Offensive Tackle	Jalen Travis, Iowa State
Offensive Guard	Jäger Burton, Kentucky
Offensive Guard	Hunter Zambrano, Illinois State
Center	Bryce Foster, Kansas

On defense, it’s a lot of the same. Players that have been on my radar over the last couple of years, but have gone largely unnoticed.

Position	Player
Defensive End	BJ Green, Colorado
Defensive End	David Walker, Central Arkansas
RUSH Edge	Jordan Botelho, Notre Dame
Defensive Tackle	Philip Blidi, Auburn
Nose Tackle	Jacobian Guillory, LSU
Linebacker	Xander Mueller, Northwestern
Linebacker	KC Ossai, Louisiana
Cornerback	Latrell McCutchin, Houston
Cornerback	Woodi Washington, Oklahoma
ROVER	Cole Wiśniewski, North Dakota State
Strong Safety	Maxen Hook, Toledo
Free Safety	Gunner Maldonado, Arizona

You can get access to all of the scouting reports and notes that I have for all of these players in this class here:

Now, let us break down the team.

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

#13 | Redshirt Junior | 6015 | 205 lbs | Marcus (Flower Mound, TX)

It’s hard to believe that we are talking about an LSU quarterback being potentially underrated, especially with the recent success the school has had with the position with top-five picks over the last five years (Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels).

Most people are probably afraid to go in on Garrett Nussmeier at this point because of the lack of sample size to his resume. He’s backed up Jayden Daniels the last two seasons and has played sparingly, starting his first game in LSU’s Bowl Matchup against Wisconsin in January.

Nussmeier has a cannon for an arm and a gunslinger’s mentality. He isn’t afraid to spin it deep. He attended the Manning Passing Academy this offseason and generated the most buzz from his performance there. The step that teams will need to see from him in 2024 will be a better marriage between his feet and his arm, as he still relies very heavily on his arm strength to get the ball out on time. With a deep arsenal of weapons and star power around him, he has a chance to ascend draft boards this season and cement himself as one of the top quarterbacks entering the 2025 NFL Draft – if he so chooses to declare.

Running Back Micah Bernard, Utah

#2 | Super Medical Redshirt Junior | 5112 | 201 lbs | Gahr (Cerritos, CA)

Micah Bernard is an exciting dual-threat running back who brings a lot of versatility to the game with his skillset. Bernard missed all but the opening game of the 2023 season with an injury, but has been a valuable weapon in the Utah offense in the years prior. He’s very quick, a capable route runner, and flashes the ability to secure catches through contact. His field vision helps him both as a runner and a receiver after the catch, and can become a valuable weapon in an NFL offense.

While he is explosive, Bernard’s injury will have scouts looking to see if he’s recovered properly and his medicals will be key. If all goes well though, Bernard has the makings of being a solid day three pick and becoming a contributor immediately in the right running back room.

Running-Receiver Chris Tyree, Virginia

#4 | Super Senior | 5095 | 192 lbs | Thomas Dale (Chester, VA) | Transfer from Notre Dame

Chris Tyree is a fun, speedy prospect who leaves Notre Dame for Virginia, where he can become a focal point of the offense this season. Tyree moved from running back to slot receiver last year while playing for the Irish, appearing in double-digit games for the fourth consecutive season of his career.

Tyree ran a 4.38 forty-yard dash while in high school, and looks like he should about top that when he gets a chance – at either the NFL Combine or his pro day. He’s blazing fast with breakaway speed. His explosion certainly stands out on tape.

He has struggled throughout his career with concentration drops, something that will need to be cleaned up. The athleticism is there, though, and the tools is what I’m willing to bet on coupled with his schematic versatility.

Wide Receiver Elijhah Badger, Florida

#2 | Super Senior | 6020 | 190 lbs | Folsom (Sacramento, CA) | Transfer from Arizona State

Elijhah Badger is a high-floor explosive receiver who can grow into a productive #3 receiver role, but shows smooth hands and good work after the catch. The NFL is a league that requires receivers to be versatile after the catch, and Badger showed consistently that he is crafty enough to make defenders miss with excellent body control.

He’s not a burner, but he’s a reliable option for a quarterback to grow synergy with. While at Arizona State – with subpar quarterback play – he managed to be productive too, catching 115 passes over the last two seasons. Badger to me looks the part of a solid day-three receiver who can find a way to stick in the league for a couple of contracts.

Wide Receiver Hudson Clement, West Virginia

#84 | Redshirt Sophomore | 6005 | 199 lbs | Martinsville (Martinsville, WV)

Hudson Clement went well below the radar coming out of high school, just checking into Phil Steele’s top 400 receivers in the class of 2022. In his final high school game, the West Virginia 3A State Championship, Clement scored eight touchdowns and proceeded to walk-on to his lifelong favorite school, West Virginia.

Clement has excellent speed and is crafty through his release and breaks to create immense separation, as he showed once he got into the starting lineup last season due to injuries as a redshirt freshman. His strong deep ball threat should make him an intriguing watch to most NFL teams looking for that difference-maker to stretch the field, even if he doesn’t come out in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Slot Receiver Holden Willis, MTSU

#83 | Super Senior | 6035 | 211 lbs | Greenback (Greenback, TN)

I had the pleasure of watching Holden Willis live last season against Colorado State and came away thinking I’d found a real sleeper. A scout at the game told me that “somebody needs to tell [Willis] to put on some weight and move to tight end because he is legit.”

Willis has the perfect size and skillset to settle into a big slot role and could dominate against nickel defenders and linebackers faced up to match him. He’s explosive with a strong catch radius and is fairly capable after the catch.

While he may not test as well as some receivers in the class, it’s certain to me that Willis is a baller and it becomes evident as soon as he’s on the field. He has counters to his deficiencies as a prospect and that makes him, in my eyes, a solid day-three pick for most any team looking to create matchup problems.

Tight End Preston Howard, Maryland

#85 | Redshirt Sophomore | 6041 | 231 lbs | McDonough School (Owings Mills, MD)

This tight end class has so many promising contenders, but none more to me than the redshirt sophomore from Maryland in Preston Howard. In the first couple of catches he made in his collegiate career, Howard displayed his athleticism and explosiveness in each one, hurdling defenders to pick up extra yardage.

Howard is still growing into his frame, which has room to expand, but his athletic ability and capable blocking skillset should make him an ideal target for NFL teams. His ceiling, if he stays in college beyond the 2024 season, could move him into a day-two spot and it is easy to envision Howard becoming a featured piece of an NFL offense.

Offensive Tackle Will Jados, Miami (OH)

#70 | Redshirt Junior | 6075 | 308 lbs | Westerville Central (Westerville, OH)

The old saying that somebody “sticks out like a sore thumb” applies directly to Will Jados, who is significantly bigger than just about anyone in the MAC. As soon as I put on film last season, I believe to watch Quinyon Mitchell, there was Jados figuratively screaming at me.

Jados is a toolsy prospect. He has size, length, strength, and offers some athletic ability. He’s still going to be a bit of a project as his hand placement could use some work, as could his pad level. However, the strength is evident on film, he can move well, and can work his way into a late day three spot with the right performance and improvement.

Offensive Tackle Jalen Travis, Iowa State

#72 | Super Senior | 6071 | 320 lbs | De La Salle (Minneapolis, MN) | Transfer from Princeton

Jalen Travis transfers up from Princeton to Iowa State this season after turning down an invitation to the Hula Bowl this past offseason, opting to utilize his last year of remaining eligibility. Travis is another massive tackle prospect who has the ideal size and athletic ability.

Travis has missed some time over his career due to injury, four games last season at Princeton and looked like he rushed himself back to play. However, for a smaller school player with massive tools, Travis is a little more refined than most would expect him to be. I like him working his way into a day three spot and getting involved sooner rather than later in his NFL career.

Offensive Guard Jager Burton, Kentucky

#62 | Redshirt Junior | 6032 | 307 lbs | Frederick Douglass (Lexington, KY)

Jagger Burton has the tools and the skillset to be a suitable option for the interior of an offensive line in the NFL, drawing comparisons to Dan Feeney while entering college. The former 4-star athlete enters his fourth season at Kentucky now with two solid seasons of starting experience under his belt.

He’s an athlete at the position who could run a sub 5.00 forty-yard dash, showing good strength as a run blocker and pulling effectively. His body control and change of direction is excellent, too, running a 4.63 short shuttle in high school.

Offensive Guard Hunter Zambrano, Illinois State

#57 | Redshirt Junior | 6045 | 300 lbs | University (Weston, FL)

Hunter Zambrano pops on film pretty much as soon as you put it on, playing left tackle at Illinois State. His size and skillset would suggest that he will play guard at the next level, but he’s a good, nimble athlete who moves well in space and offers some downhill ability due to his strong upper body.

At this point, Zambrano tends to rely heavily on his upper body strength and athleticism, playing with a very high pad level that can influence his hand placement and anchor. As soon as he brings that pad level down, he looks like he can be an athletic swing guard at the next level almost immediately.

Center Bryce Foster, Kansas

#61 | Redshirt Junior | 6036 | 330 lbs | Taylor (Katy, TX) | Transfer from Texas A&M

Bryce Foster is one of my favorite prospects in this class, a rare true freshman starter in the SEC when he started 12 games with the Texas A&M Aggies in 2021. A knee injury slowed him down in 2022, playing in just four games, but he rebounded well in 2023 and put up another full season as a starter.

His size is what makes him appealing as a professional center. His snap set is excellent and he shows good lateral quickness and very serious bend in his anchor. He may have some length concerns that will show up against bigger defenders, but his strength helps him neutralize defensive power.

Defensive End BJ Green II, Colorado

#35 | Senior | 6005 | 270 lbs | Prince Avenue Christian (Bogart, GA) | Transfer from Arizona State

Fourth-year seniors have become rare in this modern college football era full of redshirt and super seniors who have been able to play six seasons of college football, and sometimes players like BJ Green II fall through the cracks of attention.

BJ Green was the best defender on the Arizona State team over the last couple of seasons, showing very strong speed, excellent lateral quickness and explosion, good strength, and some refined hand usage in trench warfare. While he could clean up his tackling consistency, Green has the tools to be a strong rotational defender almost immediately in his NFL career.

Defensive End David Walker, Central Arkansas

#8 | Super Senior | 6021 | 260 lbs | Stuttgard (Stuttgart, AR)

Central Arkansas has a stud in David Walker, who pops instantly on tape because of his explosive ability and punishing tackling. Walker plays with an immense chip on his shoulder, and has good size while playing at the FCS level. He looks like he will test very well, and I’d be surprised not to see him in my annual trip to Mobile, Alabama, for the Senior Bowl.

Walker is going to be knocked down for being a bit of a “tweener,” as some teams may spend too much time trying to pigeonhole him into either a RUSH edge or a defensive end. Regardless, Walker should be an impact player relatively early in his NFL career.

RUSH Edge Jordan Botelho, Notre Dame

#12 | Super Senior | 6025 | 254 lbs | St Louis (Honolulu, HI)

Jordan Botelho put together his first full season as a starter at Notre Dame in 2023 and showed some tremendous growth throughout the season. Filling in for a second-round NFL Draft pick like Isaiah Foskey is never easy, but Botelho did it.

He won’t blow anyone away with his testing, but I think he brings a lot to his game as a solid back-end day-three pick. He’s strong against the run and has started to fine-tune his pass-rush arsenal. Botelho is a fun prospect who can bolster himself into day three consideration this season.

Defensive Tackle Philip Blidi, Auburn

#96 | Super Senior | 6022 | 295 lbs | Portales (Portales, NM) | Transfer from Texas Tech through Indiana

Philip Blidi seems to be a product of being asked to play assignments that don’t necessarily play to his strengths. At both Texas Tech and Indiana, he was primarily asked to play in the A-gaps or head up on the center, but when Blidi is pushed out to the three-tech, all hell breaks loose.

Blidi won’t be a long-speed guy who will chase plays downfield from his defensive tackle spot, but he can certainly be a gap shooter who will force some extra attention to be thrown his way. He has good tackling ability and strength, holding up well with power against some higher-level offensive linemen throughout his career. The SEC should be his final test this season, one I expect to see him pass with flying colors.

Nose Tackle Jacobian Guillory, LSU

#90 | Super Senior | 6010 | 320 lbs | Alexandria Senior (Alexandria, LA)

The LSU defensive line has been so deep over the last couple of seasons that Jacobian Guillory has remained a hidden talent in the eyes of the media but is an absolute standout player as a prospective nose tackle prospect. At 320 pounds, he looks like he can run a 5.15 forty-yard dash and has excellent lateral quickness and explosion to be quick and efficient off of the snap.

He’s started three games over his career but played in 38 since 2021, serving as an effective piece of the Tigers rotation. His schematic versatility allows him to play anywhere between zero and three-tech, and do so effectively. Guillory could very well put together a strong season and find himself very much in the mix on day three.

Linebacker Xavier Mueller, Northwestern

#34 | Super Senior | 6026 | 235 lbs | Wheaton North (Wheaton, IL)

Xander Mueller stands out immediately on tape because of the ridiculous level of intensity that he plays with, appearing almost as though he outsources his energy from another source, perhaps the patron saint of football. Either way, he’s passionate on film and instinctive in the box. He’s also a strong wrap-up tackler who pursues well through traffic.

Mueller isn’t entering the season with many expectations or much hype because he’s expected to run below average, and while he has great size he has struggled to work in coverage at times. With the instinct and play recognition on film that I have seen, I think Mueller is a player who can start on special teams as he develops – which should be quickly.

I think Mueller has a good shot of playing into a day-three draft spot.

Linebacker KC Ossai, Louisiana

#8 | Senior | 6005 | 240 lbs | Oak Ridge (Conroe, TX)

KC Ossai has been on my radar for the last couple of seasons since he was a sophomore in 2022. Now a senior, Ossai is a good athlete at the position with some physical, downhill run-defending ability and is explosive enough to be an effective defender in space. Last season was his first as a starter at Louisiana and he played up to it well.

I think Ossai can develop his coverage ability a little bit better, but he can tackle well and gets after the football. Some teams will knock him for his size, and maybe ask him to get a little lighter, but there’s no doubt he can be an immediate special teams contributor and rotate through the linebacker group as he develops.

Cornerback Latrell McCutchin, Houston

#31 | Redshirt Junior | 6005 | 185 lbs | LBJ (Austin, TX) | Transfer from Oklahoma through USC

Latrell McCutchin will go down as a trivia question answer in the annuls of history as the last player to have to sit a year due to the old transfer rules. McCutcheon redshirted last year due to his transfer to Houston just before the NCAA changed the rules that allowed players to transfer to multiple schools. However, reports coming out of Houston are that he is living up to his former 4-star status.

McCutchin popped at USC in 2022 with his sticky man coverage ability, clearly above-average speed and quickness, and his willingness to wrap up and make solid tackles in space. McCutchin can capture a tremendous amount of attention with a strong season in 2024.

Cornerback Woodi Washington, Oklahoma

#5 | Super Redshirt Senior | 5105 | 202 lbs | Oakland (Murfreesboro, TN)

Woodi Washington has played substantial time over the last four seasons at Oklahoma when he’s been healthy, as he missed some time to injury in 2021. Now having logged back-to-back seasons with thirteen starts each, he has one last chance to play up to a day three slot as a cover corner in the SEC.

Washington shows the ability to play tight man coverage and uses the sideline very well. He’s disruptive at the catch point and isn’t bothered by larger receivers. He does, however, lack some upper body strength overall and can struggle to wrap up tackle. That being said, he has good speed and plays faster than I expect him to test, which makes him an effective corner who can play both in the slot and outside.

ROVER Cole Wisniewski, North Dakota State

#31 | Super Senior | 6025 | 219 lbs | Sparta (Sparta, WI)

I featured Cole Wisniewski earlier this season in my Small School Gems series, and for good reason. Wisniewski has prototypical size for the direction of the NFL nickel position, and an enticing skillset for it as well.

Wisniewski is a strong, wrap-up tackler with the ability to play downhill extremely well, and holds up well in coverage at just about any point of the field. He’s an extremely versatile prospect who could probably play any safety position and has the appearance of a long time NFL nickel defender.

Strong Safety Maxen Hook, Toledo

#25 | Super Senior | 6002 | 205 lbs | New Palestine (New Palestine, IN)

Maxen Hook is one of the more interesting group of five players with an NFL skillset. He’s coming off of a lingering injury, having missed six games over the last two seasons, but a healthy 2024 could skyrocket him up some boards and bring him into serious consideration.

He’s a thumper, plays downhill, and wraps up very well. Hook stays alert to the football and is a very capable deep coverage prospect, a player with good speed (verified 4.51 forty-yard dash in the Spring of 2023) and short burst to close in space. I love Hook’s potential and could see him slipping into the back end of day-two with a perfect 2024 campaign.

Free Safety Gunner Maldonado, Arizona

#9 | Super Senior | 5115 | 195 lbs | Chandler (Chandler, AZ) | Transfer from Northwestern

Gunner Maldonado is a slighter-framed safety that plays with tremendous passion and energy and pops as soon as the film is turned on. A transfer from Northwestern, Maldonado made his impact felt almost immediately in his first season at Arizona last year, starting in 12 of 13 games.

Maldonado became stronger as the season progressed and lined up all across the formation between the box, deep coverage, and the slot. He was productive in tackles (80 tackles in 2023), and collected two interceptions at the end of the season showing ball skills. Maldonado is a guy I like to settle into the late day three range and surprise in training camp.