2025 NFL Combine Notes: Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green

America’s most productive tight end took to the Lucas Oil Stadium Turf on Friday afternoon to impress pro scouts.

By most every measurement except for hardware, Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. was the NCAA’s best tight end to ever play in a single season by statistics, setting multiple program and NCAA records en route to a junior season for the ages.

Fannin Jr., a unanimous All-American, finished the 2024 campaign with 117 receptions, 1,555 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns over 13 games, earning both the Mid-American Conference’s Offensive Player of the year and overall Player of the Year Award, becoming the first tight end in FBS history to win their conference’s POTY honor.

The read on Fannin Jr.’s professional prospects is divisive; there are concerns about his competition allowing his numbers to reach their heights, but also a lot of potential for him to flesh out into a more all-around tight end prospect as he showed at the Senior Bowl.

Fannin Jr. came to Indianapolis this week to hopefully put some of those concerns to rest.

---

Official Combine measurements:

• Height: six-foot-three
• Weight: 241 lbs.
• Arms: 32 and one-quarter inches
• Hands: nine and one-quarter inches
• Wingspan: 78 and three-quarters inches*

* (denotes Senior Bowl measurements)

Official Combine workout numbers:

• 40-yard dash: 4.71 seconds (6th in position group)
• 10-yard dash: 1.56 seconds (t-3rd)
• Vertical jump: 34 inches (8th)
• Broad jump: nine feet, 10 inches (9th)
• Three-cone drill: 6.97 seconds (2nd)
• Shuttle drill: 4.39 seconds (3rd)

---

What did we see?

One of the main concerns about Fannin’s ability to translate to the professional level was his size and speed profile. That could still be an issue for several teams, as Fannin tops out at six-foot-three, 241 lbs., an atypical size for a tight end in the NFL.

His 40-yard dash did not inspire confidence either, as a 4.71 time wound up being in the middle of the position group. The hopes for Fannin were to reach at least the 4.6 range, which would have put him in the top three range alongside emergent risers Tyler Ferguson CJ Dipree. Friday was an opportunity to separate from Penn State’s Tyler Warren, who voluntarily opted out of on-field workouts, and Fannin ultimately did not do so.

That said, his agility numbers are extremely encouraging, hitting top three in the 10-yard dash (1.56 seconds), the three-cone drill (6.97 seconds) and the shuttle drill (4.39 seconds), which all confirm what can be seen on film for Fannin: a crafty, close-quarters mover with second-gear speed, as seen below.

Fannin’s on-field workouts were a bit of a roller coaster.

In what was his best drill of the day, Fannin aced the backshoulder catch drill, hitting his top speed quickly after making the fade cut and snatching the ball with little effort. The backshoulder being his best drill checks out when looking at the tape; Fannin is at his best when he is sent out in a straight line or with a single move to create separation.

The gauntlet was less kind to Fannin, however. Fannin was wobbly and uneven attempting to stay in line while catching passes. It is encouraging he did not drop a single pass, with strong hands throughout the drill, but having to drift into the catch is detrimental as it shows struggles with body control and balance.

The other concern pro scouts had with Harold Fannin Jr. was his blocking prowess. The analytics showed Fannin had admirable efforts in run-blocking sets in 2024, but film was a little more uneven, as he was particularly vulnerable at the move block.

Fannin had some great reps in practice and game situations at the Senior Bowl back in February, but took a step back in Indianapolis, with a stiff base and lack of impact on the blocking sled. (Generally, turning the sled at a right angle is not advised.)

Overall, Fannin’s performance was indicative of the sort of prospect we assumed he was entering the Combine circus: a raw athlete with excellent college numbers who will need time and belief to translate at the game’s top level.

Fannin is a young prospect, declaring as a true junior at age 20. That fact enough will likely paint his performance against some of his peers at Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday.

It’s currently hard to read if he’ll drop on the overall big board or if this was the expectation for him, but there were a number of risers who could upset Fannin’s stock as a TE 2 or 3 in the pecking order.

The ultimate read on Fannin Jr. moving forward is if you believe in the workouts or the film.

On film, Fannin was a cut above most of the other players on the field. His catching is near-automatic, and his instinctual play is notable even despite his struggles with certain routes. His willingness to engage in contact both on close catches and after the catch is also notable, looking Kelce-esque at points. One only needs to look at his 2024 film against Texas A&M and Penn State to see he can hang with the big boys.

His workouts, however, show a lack of fundamental technique. Fannin is undeniably stiff, with a true lack of bend which affects his style of play. This is true both in route running and blocking, especially on the move. He can be bullied off the line, which again, is something you don’t typically like to see from someone sitting at 240+ lbs.

Even with above-average agility numbers, there will be questions about his size and technique, which make his projection difficult to predict. Lance Zierlein of the NFL Network compares him to Juwaun Johnson, but we’re personally reminded of Isaiah Likely when he was coming out of Coastal Carolina.

It’s extremely unlikely Fannin will enter the first round conversation due to the sheer amount of defensive talent in the 2025 draft, but he should be off the board by the end of Day 2, with most projections looking at a selection between Rounds 2 and 4— especially if he can better his Combine performance at his upcoming Pro Day.