Urban Dictionary describes a football guy as “A person, usually a coach, who is addicted to football and will do anything no matter how ridiculous to help his team win. Many times when football guys lose football, they go through severe withdraws and sometimes can die.” When I think of a football guy, many images come to my brain. I think of a fullback who rocks a neck roll. Maybe a linebacker that doesn’t wear gloves and sticks his nose into every play. I also think of a guy who’s a baller on the field and also a great dude off the field.

What am I constituting as a football guy? I think that someone who has a unique name, rocks football guy drip and small school players. Here is my 2024 NFL Draft Big Board of Football Guys.

New Hampshire RB Dylan Laube

One of the big risers at the Reese’s Senior Bowl thus far has been New Hampshire running back Dylan Laube. Whether he’s been running routes out of the backfield or out wide at receiver, Laube has been dicing up FBS defenders. While his dynamic route running is opening eyes, his play in the 2023 season was more impressive. Laube tallied 1,594 all purpose yards to go with 16 touchdowns. Plus, Laube is a white running back. Some would regard Laube as a unicorn for that reason.

Rhode Island OT Lorenzo Thompson

The Rhode Island Rams offense rushed for 1,689 yards in 2023, and they did that behind offensive tackle Lorenzo Thompson. Thompson is a 6’7 mauler who saw significant playing time in 2018 as a freshman and only expanded off that burn, turning him into a captain and a 2023 Phil Steele Third Team All-American. His athletic pass sets and strong initial punch will make him an asset to any team who drafts him, but the reason he’s making my Football Guy Big Board is because of his distinct swagger.

Football Guys don’t traditionally have a confident swagger. They more care about getting the job done. And while Thompson does get the job done more often than not, he can dazzle with his unique aura. Just look at this picture of him from the Hula Bowl. It’s a sick look showing off the chest hair and rocking, what looks like, Versace shades.

Wisconsin-Platteville DE Justin Blazek

Justin Blazek is a guy that’s near and dear to my heart. He’s a pass rusher for division three Wisconsin-Platteville. Rocking number two, a sick number for a defensive end to wear, Blazek tallied 60 tackles, 11.5 sacks and 2 interceptions this past season and helped lead the Pioneers to a 7-4 overall record. He’s quick off the edge out of his two point stance and utilizes his speed to beat offensive tackles around the corner. On top of that, Blazek has quite the personality. He got mic’d up during camp in 2022 and he’s entertaining for all 4:36 minutes of the clip.

UConn DE Eric Watts

To comprehend why I’m constituting Watts as a football guy, you have to watch this clip from Twitter.

JUST LOOK AT HIS EXPLOSION OFF THE BALL. It looked like Watts was shot out of a cannon as he flattened Texas tackle Christian Jones. And he doesn’t just hold that explosion for one-on-ones. All season he came off the edge like a bat out of hell, but my favorite part of his game is how he bends the edge. He’ll look to drive a tackle far up field and then punch into them using his long arm technique to collapse the pocket. That’s a mature move to utilize and is one that is extremely hard to block against.

North Carolina State QB Brennan Armstrong

Despite Armstrongs okay play this season, he has the ultimate last name for a quarterback. Brennan ARMSTRONG. Recently on the Is It Saturday Yet? podcast, we discussed which quarterback at the combine or pro day will have the unforgettable throw that opens the eyes of scouts. None of us mentioned Armstrong, and that was foolish of us. How could we possibly omit the guy whose name flaunts his arm strength. Armstrong’s name and his grittiness to run the ball make him a football guy.

Monmouth RB Jaden Shirden

I will always give a bump to Connecticut guys. Shirden, a West Haven native, gets that bump, but he’s also a true football guy who prioritizes running through, past, and over defenders. Between 2022 and 2023, Shirden rushed for 3,200 yards and 23 touchdowns. He’s fast, physical and doesn’t let his 5’9 frame hold him. He plays like a bigger player than he actually is and keeps his head down in the process.

Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry

Typically, defensive backs don’t make my Football Guy Big Board, but the way Kool-Aid McKinstry plays transcends the idea of defensive backs being soft. Watching him come down in the run game like a linebacker normally would was impressive, especially when it’s against backs like Blake Corum and Kendall Milton. Plus, he’s getting brownie points for having maybe one of the best names in college football history. The first name Kool-Aid is absolutely insane.

Florida International DT Jack Daly

Jack Daly is the second Connecticut guy to make the Big Board and for good reason. The Glastonbury native, which we’ll circle back to, started his career at Bryant and in 2022. He totaled 27 tackles and 2 sacks. Following that success from the defensive tackle position, he transferred to FIU for his final season. There, Daly went off and represented the 860 nicely. He tallied 25 tackles, 3 for loss, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. His menacing manner from the interior while rocking number zero is intimidating for any offensive lineman.

When I saw Daly enter the draft, my ears perked up. My junior year of high school, I played against Daly when Enfield travelled to Glastonbury. He played nose tackle and I played center. The kid was an ass kicker, but I did pick up a few HUDL highlights vs him. We lost the game, but I did have some nice blocks vs a kid who is going to be playing on Sundays. Morale victories.

South Dakota Mines IOL Grant Smith

A tale as old as time is that offensive linemen have been regarded as some of the smartest players on a football team. South Dakota Mines guard Grant Smith is a living testament of that trope. Being both a mechanical engineering major and a 6’5 mauler in the trenches isn’t easy to balance. Smith does that. Couple his intelligence with a powerful punch and good lateral quickness in the run game and you have one of the more underrated players in this entire draft class.

Sacramento State WR/FB/TE Marshel Martin

It’s weird to put a position down for Marshel Martin because he truly is a switchblade player. He plays a little running back, a tiny bit of fullback and a lot of tight end for the Hornets and could become the league’s next Taysom Hill or Percy Harvin. In 2023, Martin caught 36 passes for 315 yards and 2 touchdowns while also rushing for 85 yards on 12 carries. A football guy is a guy who will do whatever is possible to help his team win. Sometimes that constitutes playing multiple positions.

Florida State DT Braden Fiske

Ever since he transferred to Florida State from Western Michigan, I’ve been high on Braden Fiske. Fiske, who is no stranger to the backfield, totaled 43 tackles, 9 for loss, and 6 sacks in 2023. The reason he lands on my Football Guy Big Board is that he is the epitome of the defensive line toughness look. He rarely rocks gloves and the only real accessories on his arms are black wrist braces. Fiske thrives as a run stopper and will be an unreal anchor for any NFL defensive line.

Furman TE Mason Pline

A 6’7, 250 pound tight end is something every NFL team desires. How about one who won two National Titles at the division two level and was a division two hooper? If that entices GMs, then look no further than Football Guy Mason Pline. In the 2020-2021 season for Ferris State on the hardwood, Pline averaged 7.4 points per game and shot 40.2% from the field. Following success on the court and field at Ferris State, he transferred to Furman as a grad transfer and caught 32 passes for 287 yards and 4 scores.

We’ve seen many tight ends with basketball background succeed in the NFL. Whether it is Jimmy Graham, Antonio Gates, or Tony Gonzalez, Pline has the makeup to be a successful tight end.

Southern Miss RB Frank Gore Jr.

At first glance, Frank Gore Jr. isn’t an insanely crazy name. But when you realize he’s the son of 16-year NFL back Frank Gore, his football guy meter shoots up. Gore was a football guy when he was in the league because he’d put his head down and just work. It seems that Gore Jr. does the same. Over the past two seasons, Gore Jr. rushed for over 1,110 yards back-to-back on less than 235 carries a season. His 5’8 frame doesn’t detour him from running through or past someone.

Louisville CB Storm Duck

It’s tough to beat the name Kool-Aid McKinstry, but Storm Duck might have the second best name in the 2024 NFL Draft. Duck, who transferred from North Carolina to Louisville for his fifth year of eligibility, was one of the top corners in the nation as he was rarely targeted. For the Cardinals, Duck tallied 30 tackles and 5 pass breakups this season. It’s kind of unfortunate that he didn’t land at Oregon for obvious naming purposes, but he still found success with another bird-named team.

Army FB Jakobi Buchanan

Here’s a fun challenge: try to tackle 6’0, 250 pound Army fullback, Jakobi Buchanan. Buchanan, who played for the Black Knights from 2019 to 2023, saw significant time right away and tallied over 50 carries each season from 2020 to 2023. While his physical play style sticks out immediately, the thing I noticed was his neck. Buchanan has a THICK neck that any fullback wishes they had.

What I like most about Buchanan though is that after this year’s Army vs Navy game, where he had 4 carries, he lined up with some teammates and did a couple celebratory 1-on-1s. Just doing that screams that Buchanan is a football guy.

Central Florida QB John Rhys Plumlee

One quarterback making my Football Guy Big Board is a rarity. Two, however, that’s unheard of. Brennan Armstrong made it for his name, John Rhys Plumlee is making it for his duality. The guy’s a division one quarterback AND a division one outfielder. This past season for UCF, Plumlee threw for 2,271 yards and 15 touchdowns and the year prior on the diamond, he hit .286 with 10 home runs. What can’t this man do?

Notre Dame LB J.D. Bertrand

You’re foolish if you thought I was ending this Football Guy Big Board without a Notre Dame player on it. JD Bertrand is a Football Guys’ guy. He’s got a nose for the ball always flowing downfield and does an awesome job picking his spots when he wants to shoot a gap. Bertrand has been doing it all week at the Reese’s Senior Bowl where he’s disengaging blocks from guards, centers, and fullbacks at an alarmingly high rate to make tackles in the backfield or at the line of scrimmage. If I’m a team with a weak linebacking core, I’d be drooling to draft Bertrand.