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.

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16. Caullin Lacy, WR, Louisville Cardinals

Yes, there are a lot of wide receivers on this list. No, this isn’t the last one. This is a pretty great wide receiver class, and it could lead to a legendary set of receivers coming out. One of those receivers who has that type of value is Louisville’s Caullin Lacy.

He came to Louisville after catching 91 passes last season for South Alabama. There are high hopes for him at his new home. Louisville could be pretty decent this season, and it helps having players like Caullin Lacy in the fold. He’s still a relative unknown despite his highly-regarded transfer, but there’s something else impacting his rankings.

Lacy is going to miss a good chunk of the season after suffering a broken collarbone in training camp. He’s expected to miss as much as half the entire season. The timing of the injury couldn’t be worse. This honestly could open the door for Ja'Corey Brooks. The former Alabama recruit has had a good camp, and he could take this hype from Lacy entirely.

Or, Lacy could return and play like he has nothing to lose. He could return and be the final piece of this offense, leading Louisville to new heights. Tyler Shough is looking for as much help on the offense as possible. Even though he now has more time to build chemistry with Brooks, Lacy just seems like the better receiver and should shine through when he returns.

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