The 2025 NFL Combine has come and gone, allowing scouts to see some of the top athletes in college football put their skills to the test at Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis this weekend.
There were several standout performances across all positions, and several of them were out of the Big 12.
But which Big 12 players stood out the most among their peers? Here are the three best performances from Big 12 players at the NFL Combine this weekend.
Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa State
If you followed the NFL Draft this weekend, you heard the noise about Iowa State standout wide receiver Jaylin Noel. The senior wideout has been terrorizing Big 12 secondaries for years now, but his athleticism might’ve been overshadowed at times because the Cyclones have been known as a defensive program.
However, with the football world watching, Noel proved that he not only belongs in the conversation as one of the first wideouts off the board but might be the best overall athlete at his position in this class. Despite names like Luther Burden and Tetairoa McMillian dominating the conversations of being the top wideout in the class, Noel put up position best numbers in the bench press (23 reps), vertical jump (41.5 inches), and broad jump (11-foot-2), whole also clocking in a 4.39 40-yard-dash and a 4.17 shuttle.
The raw athleticism and production are there, and it appears that the NFL world is now on board with with ISU fans have been saying for a while—Noel is a plug-and-play weapon at the next level.
Jalen Travis, OL, Iowa State
If there was one Big 12 school that stood out in the NFL Combine this year, it had to be Iowa State. The Cyclones produced some of the best performances of the weekend with Jaylin Noel, Darien Porter, Jayden Higgens, and offensive tackle Jalen Travis.
A big man with incredible athleticism, Travis was one of the biggest surprises of the entire weekend. Standing at nearly 6-foot-8, and 340 pounds, Travis showcased his abilities with the second-best vertical jump (35 inches) and third-best broad jump (9-feet-4) among offensive tackles. Then, to top it off, he ran a 5.14 40-yard-dash, which was good for seventh at his position.
With great length and the ability to move in space, Travis is a high-upside prospect that could be a swing tackle for a franchise right away, and a great value pick on Day 2.
DJ Giddens, RB, Kansas State
This weekend, the world got its chance to see why the running game in Manhattan, Kansas, didn’t fall off after Deuce Vaughn went to the NFL. DJ Giddens showed up and showed out at the combine, posing the second-best broad jump (10-foot-10) and vertical (39.5 inches) of any running back.
After checking in at 6-foot-0, 212 pounds, there were some assumptions that his top-end speed wouldn’t hold up well with some of the lighter backs in the class. Those were quickly dismissed after Giddens turned in a 4.43, tying him with Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson for the seventh-fastest time among all running backs.
With an elite combination of size and athleticism, Giddens earned himself a spot among the top running back prospects in this class. Now, it’s all about which franchise is willing to give him a chance to become their guy.
