30 college football players who could go from unknown to first-round pick in 2024

Every year, multiple players find themselves outside the NFL Draft conversation, but there's a reason they call 2025 mock drafts "way too early." There are dozens of players hoping to immensely raise their draft stock.
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl - Ole Miss v Penn State
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl - Ole Miss v Penn State / Todd Kirkland/GettyImages
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14. Shemar Stewart, DL, Texas A&M Aggies

Texas A&M is so intriguing this season. Was that situation just a mess under Jimbo Fisher? Did they really just have to get him out of the building? Usually, it takes head coaches two or three years to really get their system in place and find the right chemistry between their guys and the guys who remained from the previous regime. Miami native Shemar Stewart is someone new head coach Mike Elko will fall in love with even if he was Fisher’s recruit.

Stewart stands at 6’6 and plays like he’s the biggest guy on the field. He’s said he has a plan to get to double-digit sacks in a very competitive SEC. If he does that, it’s hard to believe anyone wouldn’t give him a first-round grade. This dude is built like a freight train, and adding some locked in statistics will only help his case. 

Scouts also love to look at pedigree, understanding the best way to find a gem in the draft is to look at who was a superstar high school player who might have been in a bad situation in college. Stewart was the highest-ranked prospect in Florida in 2022, and now he’s building an impressive resume at a school with too many problems. 

Now that things have settled down in College Station, Stewart can just focus on dominating offensive linemen and introducing quarterbacks to the ground. He’s going to be impossible to stop, and that will come across pretty clearly as Texas A&M looks to make a few statements in their schedule this season.