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BACKGROUND
Height: 6’4"
Weight: 230
High School: McKinley HS
Hometown: Canton, OH
Harold Fannin is a prospect currently coming off one of the most remarkable seasons a tight end has ever had in college football history. His rise to stardom was something many saw coming during his high school days.
Hailing from the birthplace of the NFL — Canton, Ohio — Fannin starred at McKinley High School, where he earned All-State honors while playing on both sides of the ball. Once he arrived at Bowling Green, Fannin began contributing right away as a true freshman, playing in 12 of 13 games and earning one start.
In 2023, Fannin truly started making a name for himself in college football, finishing as a top-10 tight end nationally and the top tight end in the MAC in both receiving yards and touchdowns.
As for Fannin’s 2024 season, the sheer number of accolades and broken records almost feels impossible to fully capture. To put it simply, it was one of the most dominant individual campaigns in recent memory. Two of Fannin's best performances in 2024 came against top competition — Penn State and Texas A&M — where he topped 100 receiving yards and scored a touchdown in both games.
On the accolades front, Fannin became Bowling Green’s first-ever Consensus All-American, earned MAC Offensive Player of the Year, and was named First Team All-MAC.
He broke 21 Bowling Green records, set 10 FBS records, two MAC records, led the nation’s tight ends in 105 statistical categories, and led all FBS players in 20 different categories.
When it comes to records, Fannin was a true anomaly — so much so that it’s worth laying them out in full:
Bowling Green Records
- Single-Game Receiving Yards by a Tight End: 213 (vs. Arkansas State, 2024)
- Single-Game All-Purpose Yards by a Tight End: 221 (vs. Arkansas State, 2024)
- Single-Season Receptions by a Tight End: 117
- Single-Season Receiving Yards by a Tight End: 1,555
- Single-Season Receiving Touchdowns by a Tight End: 10
- Single-Season 100-Yard Receiving Games by a Tight End: 8
- Career Receptions by a Tight End: 180
- Career Receiving Yards by a Tight End: 2,396
- Career Receiving Touchdowns by a Tight End: 17
FBS Records
- Most Receiving Yards in a Single Season by a Tight End: 1,555
- Most Receptions in a Single Season by a Tight End: 117
- Highest Receiving Yards Per Game by a Tight End in a Season: 119.6
- Most Receptions Per Game by a Tight End in a Season: 9.0
- Most Receiving Yards by a Tight End in a Bowl Game: 213 (vs. Arkansas State, 2024)
- Most Receptions by a Tight End in a Bowl Game: 17 (vs. Arkansas State, 2024)
MAC Records
- Career Receptions by a Tight End: 180 (No. 1 in MAC history)
- Career Receiving Yards Per Game by a Tight End: 66.6 (No. 1 in MAC history)
Nation-Leading Stats (2024)
- Most Receptions in FBS: 117
- Most Receiving Yards in FBS: 1,555
- Most Yards After Catch (YAC) in FBS: 873
- Most 100-Yard Receiving Games by a Tight End: 8
- Most Receptions of 10+ Yards: 63
STRENGTHS
Harold Fannin is a unique tight end prospect in the sense that Bowling Green used him in a variety of ways, showcasing his potential to be a versatile H-Back or utility player at the NFL level rather than a traditional in-line tight end. Fannin lined up all over the formation — as an in-line tight end, in the slot, out wide, and even in the backfield at times.
Beyond his formational versatility, Fannin was also deployed in a diverse range of roles within the offense. He ran routes from both outside and slot receiver alignments, caught shovel passes and screen passes, and even took jet sweeps for touchdowns — like the one he scored against Akron this past season (4:13 mark in the video linked below).
A natural hands catcher, Fannin does an excellent job attacking the ball and plucking it out of the air. He also has a knack for tracking deep, over-the-shoulder throws and adjusting to put himself in the best position to make the catch.
As a route runner, Fannin combines quickness, subtlety, and a strong feel for tempo, allowing him to create sudden separation against man coverage and find open space faster against zone.
Among all the traits that make Fannin such an intriguing draft prospect, his ability after the catch stands out the most. That after-the-catch dominance was a major driver of his success in 2024, as evidenced by his nation-leading 873 yards in Yards After Catch (YAC).
With a mix of crafty footwork and pure strength, Fannin is a nightmare for defenders in space — and even when defenders make contact, they often struggle to bring him down. A perfect example comes at the 1:48 mark in the video linked below, where Fannin capitalizes on a busted coverage by Texas A&M. Running a corner route, he makes the catch with no defender in sight.
The deep safety arrives along the sideline, seemingly in position to force him out of bounds — but Fannin plants a quick jab step, flipping the safety’s hips completely around. Once the safety regains balance, Fannin hits him with another move, leaving him grasping at air. With one final defender diving at his legs in desperation, Fannin simply high-steps through the tackle attempt and strolls into the end zone for six.
WHAT’S NEXT
On February 28, 2025, Harold Fannin participated in the NFL Scouting Combine and now awaits his pro day at Bowling Green. He's likelt to be one of the first three tight ends selected in the NFL Draft, likely to be selected on the second day. Here’s how he performed:
- 40-Yard Dash: 4.71 seconds
- Vertical Jump: 34 inches
- Broad Jump: 9 feet, 10 inches
- Bench Press: 22 reps
- Short Shuttle: 4.39 seconds
- Three-Cone Drill: 6.97 seconds
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