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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9. Will Sheppard, WR, Colorado Buffaloes

Will Sheppard is a reach for sure, but we are looking at “unknowns” after all. People know who he is because he’s on the Colorado Buffaloes, the team with Deion Sanders as head coach. Everyone is paying attention to Colorado on a weekly basis as long as they are still in the hunt. Primetime is getting the big recruits and is bringing eyes to a program that has often been considered an afterthought. This also means more eyes on the players in general.

Sheppard is built like an NFL wide receiver. He has the speed and the catch ability. The only issue with him is the numbers haven’t followed. Now, going into his fifth season in college, he’s yet to break 800 yards receiving. Last season, he was clearly a playmaker, but to get into the first round, Sheppard needs to do that with consistency.

He spent his first few seasons in the NCAA at Vanderbilt, but now Sheppard is playing at Colorado. He has the spotlight and he has the quarterback. The stars should align for him to raise his profile.

It still has to happen. There’s no proof that he can play at an elite level, but with the opportunity laid in front of him in 2024, he could easily make his way into the fourth round of a stacked wide receiver class.

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