The 2025 NFL Draft begins Thursday in Green Bay, and for the second consecutive year, it’s unlikely any Southwest Florida high school alums will hear their names called over the three-day event.
Former Lehigh Senior High standout Quan Martin was the last local to be selected when the Washington Commanders drafted the safety in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft.
In all, 39 Southwest Florida high school alums have been chosen in the draft, including six in the first round: Joe Renfroe (Fort Myers, No. 3 overall by Brooklyn Tigers in 1945); Edgerrin James (Immokalee, No. 4, Indianpolis Colts, 1999); Sammy Watkins (South Fort Myers, No. 4, Buffalo Bills, 2014); Deion Sanders (North Fort Myers, No. 5, Atlanta Falcons, 1989); Jevon Kearse (North Fort Myers, No. 16, Tennessee Titans, 1999); Phillip Buchanon (Lehigh Senior, No. 17, Oakland Raiders, 2002).
But being drafted isn’t the only pathway to the NFL. In 2024, nearly 500 undrafted players made the 53-man rosters at the start of the season. That includes Carolina Panthers linebacker Claudin Cherelus, a Golden Gate High graduate who signed a free-agent deal with the New York Jets following the 2023 NFL draft.
Below is a list of former local high school standouts who are hoping to follow a similar path following this year’s NFL Draft.
Quashon Fuller, DE, Maryland
A Lehigh Senior graduate, the 6-foot-3, 265-pound Fuller had 28 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery for the Terrapins last season. In three seasons at Maryland, he had 60 tackles and 6 sacks and was named honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2023.
Prior to Maryland, Fuller spent three years at Florida State, recording a total of 11 tackles and 1 sack in 15 games.
Fa’Najae Gotay, ILB, Auburn
A North Fort Myers High graduate, the 5-foot-11, 225-pound Gotay saw action in five games for the Tigers last season, registering four tackles. Before he arrived at Auburn, Gotay played 42 games over six seasons at Maryland, totaling 133 tackles, 3 sacks, and 2 interceptions.
Sergio Morancy, WR, Northern Iowa
A Lely High School graduate, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Morancy caught 37 passes for 543 yards and 7 touchdowns for the Panthers. He was also the Missouri Valley Conference’s best return man, averaging 27.7 yards per kickoff return, including a 97-yard touchdown, and taking a punt back 63 yards for a score. Morancy was named first-team All-MVFC as a return specialist. He finished his four-year career at Northern Iowa with 102 receptions for 1,626 yards and 18 total touchdowns.
Milan Tucker, WR, FAU
A Fort Myers High graduate, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Tucker caught 13 passes for 152 yards and averaged 18.9 yards per kick return in his lone season with the Owls.
Before arriving at FAU, Tucker appeared in 53 games for Appalachian State, returning 53 kickoffs for 1,316 yards (seventh in school history) and 1 touchdown. In 2022, the Football Writers Association of America named him a second-team All-American as a kick returner.
Major Williams, FS, Carson Newman
A graduate of Dunbar High, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Williams had 53 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 interception and 6 pass breakups for the NCAA Division II Eagles this season, earning first-team All-South Atlantic Conference honors for the third consecutive season. In three years at Carson-Newman, Williams had 155 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, and 4 interceptions. He began his collegiate career at Virginia, where he appeared in 14 games.
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