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| Photo by Dan Hunter, d3photography.com |
It's been a few seasons since a Division III football player was drafted by an NFL team, but that didn't keep the draft's final day from being a signing bonanza for Division III football players.
Two Cortland wide receivers got calls from NFL teams after the end of the draft, as did both first-team All-America wide receiver selections and a first-teamer on defense as well.
Red Dragons Cole Burgess and JJ Laap were signed by the Bengals and Rams, respectively. First-team receivers Wayne Ruby (Mount Union) went to the Jaguars, while DeAngelo Hardy (North Central) was picked up by the Baltimore Ravens. UW-Platteville defensive end Justin Blazek joins Burgess on the Bengals.
"Cole and JJ have kept the faith and invested fully in being the best for Cortland they could be," said Cortland coach Curt Fitzpatrick. "They check all the boxes physically and have proven that it doesn't always matter where you play, but it does matter how you play. I am excited to follow their journey."
Quinn Meinerz was the last Division III player drafted, going to the Denver Broncos in 2021.
Burgess led Cortland in receiving, catching 87 passes for 1,375 yards and 16 touchdowns in 14 games for the Red Dragons, while Laap added 70 catches for 1,291 yards and 14 scores. Ruby had 75 catches for 1,124 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Purple Raiders in 12 games, a season after he went for 105 catches and 30 TDs in helping Mount Union get to the Stagg Bowl in 2022. Hardy had very similar numbers, catching 75 passes for 1,353 yards and 20 TDs for the Cardinals last season, as well as running for 118 yards and three scores and throwing three touchdown passes. Blazek was a force on defense and got in on offense as well for the Pioneers, as he recorded 60 tackles and 8.5 sacks. He also scored four touchdowns on the ground and threw for a TD as well.
In addition, UW-La Crosse tackle Mike Bertoia received a rookie minicamp invite from the Green Bay Packers. St. John's tight end Alex Larson will be attending the Seattle Seahawks' rookie minicamp as well. Ithaca safety Derek Slywka will attend both the Chiefs' and 49ers' minicamps. Randolph-Macon wide receiver David Wallis will attend rookie minicamp with the New England Patriots. Quarterback Liam Thompson will be going from the Little Giants of Wabash to the big Giants of New York as a minicamp invitee, where he will join Duro Ajayi, a tackle for TCNJ. Brockport offensive lineman Scott Ocshner will get a chance to impress in the Atlanta Falcons' rookie minicamp. Belhaven's Cole McAlpin received a mini-camp invite from the L.A. Chargers.