A highly productive player throughout his college career, Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. is one of the most intriguing prospects in this entire draft class. Fannin Jr. is a versatile chess piece who can be a weapon in a high-volume passing attack.
Harold Fannin Jr. Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’3
- Weight: 238 pounds
- Position: TE
- School: Bowling Green
- Current Year: JR
Scouting Report
Fannin Jr. is from Canton, Ohio and played his high school football at McKinney High School. Like most high-end high school football players, Fannin Jr. played both ways, excelling at safety and at wide receiver. He was named First Team All-State at safety his senior year and many evaluators thought that was his best position.
An under-the-radar prospect, Fannin Jr. failed to garner much interest out of high school and ended up signing with Bowling Green as an unrated recruit. The Bowling Green coaching staff quickly decided that Fannin Jr.’s best position was at tight end and he made the switch as soon as he got on campus as a freshman. He played in 12 out of 13 games as a freshman and was very productive in his limited snaps.
He enjoyed a breakout season as a sophomore in 2023, where he moved into being a full-time starter at tight end. He was the leading producer for tight ends in the MAC Conference and was named First Team All-MAC for his efforts.
Things really took off in his final year in college this past season in 2024. Fannin Jr. had the most productive season ever by a collegiate tight end, leading the nation in every statistical category. He was named First Team All-American and is considered to be one of the best receiving tight ends in this draft class.
Strengths
- Natural pass catcher with outstanding hands and ball skills
- Above average speed and quickness both as a route runner and with the ball in his hands
- Good overall route runner displaying good releases, head and body fakes, and can tempo his speed
- Versatile chess piece who wins from a variety of alignments to keep defenses honest
- Competitive after the catch with good speed and elusiveness to make defenders miss in the open field
Weaknesses
- Size and strength are just average and he lacks power at the point of attack as a run blocker
- High hipped athlete who shows some lower body tightness when trying to change direction
- Needs to be more physical at the catch point and throughout the route as defenders are able to alter his track and also dislodge the football at the catch point
Current Draft Projection and Summary
In today’s NFL, offenses like to utilize players who can be moved around the formation so they can create favorable matchups against the defense. That is precisely why Fannin Jr. will be a hot commodity in the upcoming NFL Draft.
A highly versatile player, Fannin Jr. did his damage from just about everywhere in the offensive formation. As a prospect, Fannin Jr. has just average size and strength but is an excellent overall athlete. With his less-than-ideal frame and mass, he likely will not be utilized as a traditional “Y” tight end and will be asked to play as a move piece who can be detached off the line of scrimmage and also play in the slot as a big wide receiver.
Few tight ends in the history of college football have put up receiving numbers that were even comparable to what Fannin Jr. did last year. He is as natural of a pass catcher at tight end that we have seen in quite some time and has the skill set to be a real weapon in an NFL passing game.
Fannin Jr. is an excellent route runner who can create easy separation at all three levels of the field. He is smooth and sudden off the line and flashes a robust release package to free himself from press coverage.
He showcases good ability to use head and body fakes to set up defenders to create separation through the stem of the route and also has the ability to use tempo throughout his stem to throw off defenders. This is a very nuanced route runner who also has good quickness at the top of the route to snap defenders off of him as he makes sharp in breaking cuts.
While most tight ends aren’t natural hands catchers and aren’t factors after the catch, Fannin Jr. is the opposite. He has outstanding hands, ball skills and body control to be a reliable pass catcher and chain mover. He makes incredible catches outside of his frame and shows the courage to catch over the middle of the field. He is highly competitive after the catch and is hard to bring to the ground with his quickness and elusiveness in the open field.
His lack of size and strength hinders his ability to not just block, but also as a receiver. He is able to get pushed off his track as a route runner by defenders who are willing to get physical with him. Additionally, defenders are able to dislodge the pass working through him back to the football. He must continue to add strength to fully reach his ceiling at the next level.
As a blocker, Fannin Jr is a competitive player who works hard to do his job. He lacks power at the point of attack and is more of a wall off blocker rather than a player who can pave gaps. He is good on the move and can work to sustain once attached to the second level. Bigger defenders can have their way with Fannin Jr. and he should rarely be asked to play head-to-head against a defensive end.
Overall, Fannin Jr. has a clear path to success in the NFL. He projects as an immediate contributor as a move tight end and a player offensive coordinators can utilize as a weapon in their offense. He may never be a full-time starter with his lack of value in the run game, but his passing game upside still warrants a day-two selection.