Feb. 12, 2026, 4:31 p.m. ET

While you’re most likely to see the NFL Draft feature the heavy hitters from the largest and most prominent college programs across the country, each year, several small school players earn an NFL opportunity. Certainly, your favorite team has likely selected a player in the draft at least once from a school you’ve never heard of.

From Jerry Rice to London Fletcher to Tyreek Hill, the NFL landscape is dotted with elite talent who played college football at the lower levels of the sport. Here are just a few such players to keep an eye on during this year’s draft, as they could prove to be massive late-round steals for a lucky franchise willing to take the leap.

Bryce Lance, WR – North Dakota State

This one feels a bit cheap, given the recent news that the Bison are moving to the FBS level next season, especially since they have been one of the most prominent and successful Division 2 programs in recent years. But Lance did play at a lower level of college football, technically.

He’s also the player most likely to be drafted on this list, perhaps even in the middle rounds of the draft. He has the family pedigree to make it in the league, as the younger brother of current Chargers quarterback Trey Lance. He has impressive speed and a large 6-foot-3 frame, and recorded back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for North Dakota State.

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.Tyren Montgomery, WR – John Carroll

Montgomery has had a unique football journey. He began his collegiate career playing basketball at LSU before eventually honing his gridiron skills as a flag football player. He garnered some attention for his flag football efforts and landed at a Division III school, John Carroll.

He’s a seventh-year senior and a bit physically underwhelming, which is a combo that doesn’t often bode well, but he recorded 119 receptions for 1,528 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior before a breakout effort at the Senior Bowl, and demonstrates explosive speed and a unique play-making ability with the ball in his hands.

Joe Cooper, OT – Slippery Rock

It’s not every day an NFL team will look to the Division 2 level for a rookie offensive lineman, but you also don’t get a prospect with the size and skill of Cooper at that level all the time.

Cooper started in 38 games over his final three seasons for Slippery Rock, and finished the season as a consensus Division 2 All-American and the only Division 2 player invited to the East-West Shrine Bowl. He also has an absolutely massive frame that rivals the size that scouts look for in potential NFL linemen, standing 6-foot-7 and weighing 330 pounds.