2 weeks Ago
In the 2025 NFL Draft , some team is going to turn in a card that reads "Harold Fannin Jr., tight end, Bowling Green State University." While fans of that team might be excited to get one of the top tight ends in the draft, they might not know just how good of an athlete they are getting as well.
Before Fannin was receiving every accolade in America for his play at tight end for Bowling Green in 2024, the Canton McKinley grad was not only catching passes in high school, but leveling those who did so against the Bulldogs. At Canton McKinley, Fannin was a standout on both sides of the ball, playing tight end and safety, which is where many people thought he would play at the collegiate level. In his senior year for the Bulldogs, he had over 600 yards on 36 catches on offense, but on defense, he was next-level, amassing 106 tackles, two interceptions, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and he found the end zone twice on defense.
He was named the Federal League Player of the Year and also the Northeast Inland District Player of the Year, as well as being named first-team All-Ohio on defense in Division I. Fast-forward to his senior year in college, when Fannin broke numerous NCAA tight end records in 2024. Those records included the most single-season catches by a tight end (117), single-season receiving yards by a tight end (1,555), individual game receiving yards by a tight end in a bowl game (213 vs.
Arkansas State in the 68 Ventures Bowl), single-game receptions by a tight end in a bowl game (17 vs. Arkansas State, which also tied the record for most receptions by a tight end in any NCAA game). For his efforts, he was the first Consensus All-American in Bowling Green history.
He earned first-team nods from Sports Illustrated, the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the American Football Coaches Association, the Associated Press, the Football Writers's Association of America, Pro Football Focus the USA Today, Bleacher Report, the Action Network and Phil Steele. He was also the Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year. His season vaulted him into the NFL Draft discussion, and he decided to forgo his senior season to enter the NFL Draft.
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