With the most draft picks in the state of Kentucky and tied for the most in Conference USA, the WKU Hilltoppers saw three players drafted while five more will have NFL opportunities following a successful 2016 NFL Draft weekend.
Tight end Tyler Higbee was the first Hilltopper off the board in the fourth round to the Los Angeles Rams while All-American quarterback Brandon Doughty and former walk-on cornerback Prince Charles Iworah both went in the seventh round to the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers, respectively.
Higbee became the highest-ever offensive draft pick in program history and the three draft selections are a program record for a seven-round draft. WKU had three picks in the 1971 draft, a draft that featured 17 rounds and had WKU selections in rounds 15, 16 and 17. Doughty also became the first-ever quarterback drafted out of WKU while the duo of Higbee and Doughty marks the first time in program history that a pair of offensive players were selected.
Since 2013, WKU has seen six players taken in four drafts.
Immediately following the draft, the free agency period began for undrafted players and five received calls to pursue a roster spot on an NFL team: Jared Dangerfield (Saints), Antwane Grant (Bengals), George Fant (Seahawks), Nick Holt (Seahawks), and Jontavius Morris (Buccaneers).
On Monday, Director of Athletics Todd Stewart reflected on the successful weekend and what it means for a program that, just eight short years ago in 2007, was “playing in a one-sided stadium in the Gateway Conference.”
“We had a lot of growing pains,” Stewart said of the early FBS transitional years. “Those were some hard times and they were some hard times for a lot of people. But, you look at what the last five seasons have been, where every season has literally been better than the previous season. I think we went about it the right way. We had some great coaches here who recruited some great players, and that is really the makings of a great program.”
WKU AND THE NFL DRAFT BY THE NUMBERS
The Hilltoppers were one of only 36 programs in the nation to have three or more draft picks and one of just five “Group of Five” programs to hit that mark. WKU is joined by Boise State, Houston, LA Tech and Temple in that very small group. With the eight players moving on to the NFL from the 2016 draft class, WKU will have 14 players active on NFL rosters heading into training camp.
Those players and their draft classes are:
• Antonio Andrews, Tennessee Titans (2014 – UDFA)
• Jared Dangerfield, New Orleans Saints (2016 – UDFA)
• Brandon Doughty, Miami Dolphins (2016 – 7th, 223)
• Jonathan Dowling, Buffalo Bills (2014 – 7th, 247)
• Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colt (2013 – UDFA)
• George Fant, Seattle Seahawks (2016 – UDFA)
• Antwane Grant, Cincinnati Bengals (2016 – UDFA)
• Mitchell Henry, Green Bay Packers (2015 – UDFA)
• Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams (2016 – 4th, 110)
• Nick Holt, Seattle Seahawks (2016 – Camp Invitation)
• Prince Charles Iworah, San Francisco 49ers (2016 – 7th, 249)
• Jontavius Morris, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016 – UDFA)
• Bobby Rainey, New York Giants (2012 – UDFA)
• Quanterus Smith, Jacksonville Jaguars (2013 – 5th, 146)