Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins are extremely different players, but that’s a big reason for Noel’s rise as a 2025 NFL Draft prospect

One of the most unlikely storylines in the 2025 NFL Draft class centers around the wide receiver position, and Iowa State star pass catchers Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. When you think of the Cyclone program, you don’t think of a great producer of NFL talent. You definitely don’t think of a great tradition of putting out NFL wide receivers.

In the 2025 class, it’s very possible that both Noel and Higgins could go off the board in the top 75 overall selections. Let that sink in for a minute. There aren’t many more unlikely storylines than that, especially when you consider where each came from.

Noel is a tremendous story of development for Iowa State. Originally a member of the 2021 recruiting class for the Cyclones out of the Kansas City area, the 5-10, 194-pound pass catcher was rated as just a three-star recruiting, opted for Iowa State over Iowa, Wisconsin, Kansas State, Kansas, and Washington State among others. Noel got better each and every year, ending his career with 245 receptions for 2,855 yards and 18 touchdowns.

That is a story of high school development. Higgins, on the other hand, took a much different road. The Miami native was considered to be just a two-star recruit in the 2021 class. Higgins opted for Eastern Kentucky over offers from Austin Peay, LIU, Houston Christian, VMI, and Stetson. As far as FCS football goes, even the best programs on that level didn’t heavily pursue Higgins.

In his two years with Eastern Kentucky, Higgins showcased that he was a player that didn’t belong on that level from a talent perspective. That included his final season in 2022 where he managed to pull in 58 receptions for 757 yards and 10 touchdowns. Higgins utilized the Transfer Portal after that season, eventually ending up with the Cyclones.

In two seasons with the team, the 6-4, 213-pound pass catcher hauled in 140 receptions for 2,166 yards and 15 touchdowns. Higgins joined Noel at the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine, flourishing at both.

Each of them has taken the road less traveled. Both Higgins and Noel have been overlooked at times, each needing development and have proved doubters wrong. Both of them are also very different wide receivers.

Higgins is a skyscraper with underrated route running skills. Noel is a dynamic space weapon who also seems to find the soft spots of a defense. On paper, the two couldn’t be different. Despite that, Noel took a lot from Higgins' game working with him every day.